Cinnamon Crisps

Short & sweet!  That's pretty much how I like my recipes nowadays.  Quick and easy are another two words that come to mind when looking for recipes to try and this recipe falls right into that category.

In keeping with today's short and sweet theme here's the recipe.  I didn't have any ice cream so I added a glaze. Heavy cream plus powdered sugar equals heaven. Just saying! Enjoy!

Ringing in the New Year with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Hope everyone had a fantastic New Year!  I did. I started mine off right, with family and cinnamon cream cheese pound cake.   When I first saw this pound cake on Michelle’s blog, One Ordinary Day I knew it was only a matter of time before I baked one up for myself.  I would have actually made it sooner except I couldn’t find the cinnamon ‘n brown sugar cream cheese that she used.  I finally decided to make my own (cream cheese + brown sugar + cinnamon = cinnamon n’ brown sugar cream cheese!) .  I think it worked well.  To allow the flavors to  meld together I made it a week or so in advance. 

Outside of  the cream cheese issue this was a snap to throw together.  I was a bit unsure about the size of my bundt pan so I reserved some of the batter and baked three mini bundts.  After the larger bundt finished baking I realized I didn’t need to be concerned but it worked out well as it left me with the minis to photograph.   My parents who were in town for the holiday season were NOT waiting for me to take photos and the kids are never keen on waiting.  This was a hit with everyone.  My Dad really enjoyed it and said his favorite part was the crunchy crust that formed on the top which once flipped out of the pan became the bottom.  He might have also really liked the glaze! :) 

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Pound Cake

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

8-oz. Philadelphia Brown Sugar & Cinnamon Spice Swirl cream cheese, room temperature (I made my own)

3 c. granulated sugar

6 large eggs

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

3 c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. salt

Cinnamon Glaze (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and lightly spray a 12-cup bundt pan with baking spray, such as Baker’s Joy.

Place butter and cream cheese in mixing bowl and beat on medium speed until smooth.  Add sugar, increase mixer to high speed, and beat for 5 minutes, until mixture is light and airy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.  Add vanilla and cinnamon, then flour and salt all at one time.  Beat just until incorporated.

Pour batter into prepared pan and even out the top.  Bake until cake is golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean, 1 hour and 15 minutes.  Remove cake from oven to a cooling rack.  Cool in pan for 20 minutes.  Remove from pan and allow to cool completely.  Glaze with cinnamon glaze.

Cinnamon Glaze

1 c. powdered sugar (I used 3/4 cup)

2 Tbsp. milk (I used heavy cream)

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon (I omitted mixing it in.  Instead I grated some on top with McCormick’s cinnamon spice grinder)

Mix ingredients in a small bowl until smooth.  Drizzle over cooled cake. (Because I didn’t use a full cup of powdered sugar and I used heavy cream my glaze was thick.  I had to make a second batch of “glaze” as everyone wanted more for their slice. With my mini bundts I forgot to grate cinnamon on top.)

*You should be able to click on the recipe title to get to a printable recipe page.  Please let me know it it works or not.  I’m trying something new. Thanks!

Technorati Tags: brown sugar,bundt cake,cinnamon,cream cheese,glaze,pound cake

Finally….

Martha has come through!  If you read my last Martha cupcake post you may recall that I was on the verge of breaking ties with Martha and her cupcake book but these pumpkin cupcakes with its browned butter glaze has put us back on solid ground.  Did you catch that?  Browned butter glaze?  Yes? It’s even better than it sounds but honestly, the pumpkin cupcakes were wonderful on their own.   They were moist and tender but not overly so.  Darn near perfect.

Monica and I have been baking from Martha’s book for a few months now but this go round Babygirl actually whipped these up Friday night pretty much all by herself.  We made four mini bundts and six cupcakes which we left until the morning to glaze. 

No lie. I glazed (Ha, if you can call it that.) them Saturday morning and by that night they were gone.  All gone.  We’re still wondering  were they all.

Looking for the recipe?  Click here.  Double bonus you not only get the recipe but you get to drool over Monica’s stellar photos. 

Oh, yeah, my comment about the “glazing”?  Martha’s “glaze” was more like frosting and even when I added more cream to thin it out it was still thick.  Check out my bundts.  I seriously stink at glazes.  I either make them too thin  or too thick which wouldn’t be so bad if I didn’t figure it out until after I poured it on.

Technorati Tags: browned butter,cupcakes,glaze,pumpkin

Rising to the Challenge

Some of you may have seen this post of Coleen’s or perhaps this post of Katy’s.  No? Maybe this one of Katy’s?  Well, a couple of weeks ago in a comment on Katy’s Mall Style Cinnamon Rolls I mentioned to her that I was a scaredy cat when it came to yeast and that my poor children were cinnamon roll deprived.  Worse than deprived,  I made them Pillsbury’s refrigerated canned ones! Sadly my children have really come to like them.  I guess, figuring that was as good as it was going to get.  (Yes, Monica that would TOTALLY stink if I learned to make cinnamon rolls and the kids preferred that canned stuff!)  After reading my comment Katy took pity on the kids, er me and decided to help me conquer my fear of yeast.  She promptly sent an email telling me of her intentions and later emailed again to say that she “talked” to Coleen and they both agreed to help get me past my yeast fears! 

Both of these lovely and generous bloggers have gone beyond the call of duty. They have each taken the time to post easy and doable recipes for me (AND YOU!).  These recipes include tons of photos and clear directions.  Coleen has gone so far as to issue us a challenge to get off our butts, conquer our fear of yeast and get to baking with it!  She knew what she was doing,  not one to let a direct challenge like that pass  I got to baking her Fool-Proof Butterhorns.

For the recipe and some step by step photos click here to see Coleen’s post.  Don’t forget to check out Katy’s two yeast friendly recipes!

 

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Congrats to The Blonde Duck who won my Fall giveaway! Email me your addy!

Technorati Tags: butterhorns,glaze,yeast

Banana and Cream Cake with Browned Butter Glaze

This cake is excellent especially if you're looking to use up some over ripe bananas and don't want to make the standard banana bread.  What makes this so outstanding is the browned butter glaze!  It was finger lickin', spatula lickin', bowl lickin'  GOOD!  (Donna behave!  :)) In that first photo you can kinda see the browned bits of butter, yum! Even my non-glaze or frosting loving son tried getting the slices that had the most glaze on them!

I saw this yummilicious banana cream bundt cake over on the blog, Bunny's Warm Oven.  Bunny and Carol make lots delish dishes, both savory and sweet!  They've also welcomed a new contributor, Cyndy.  If you haven't been by yet be sure to hop over.

Bananas and Cream Bundt Cake with Brown Butter Glaze
Taste Of Home

Ingredients:
1/3 cup shortening
1-1/4 cups Domino® or C&H® Granulated Pure Cane Sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/4 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3 medium)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
3/4 cup chopped walnuts (I left these out)
Domino® or C&H® Pure Cane Powdered Sugar

Directions: In a large bowl, cream the shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Add bananas and mix well. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with sour cream, stirring just until combined. Stir in walnuts. Pour into a greased and floured 10-in. fluted tube pan. Bake at 350° for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with confectioners' sugar. Yield: 12-16 servings.

Brown Butter Glaze
RecipeZaar
For Glaze
1/2 cup butter
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 tablespoons milk
For glaze:
In a medium bowl, add powdered sugar.
Place butter in a small saucepan. Melt butter over medium heat until bubbly. Cook, stirring occasionally until golden brown.
Remove from heat and pour butter into the bowl of powdered sugar. Add milk and vanilla, stir until smooth.

Technorati Tags: bananas,browned butter,bundt cake,glaze