Cinnamon-Pecan Swirl Brioche

Cinnamon-Pecan Swirl Brioche

Dough

2 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
3 tablespoons non-diastatic malt powder or sugar
3 tablespoons Baker's Special Dry Milk or nonfat dry milk
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast (SAF Nevada Gold preferred)
2 large eggs
1/3 cup water
1 teaspoon Buttery Sweet Dough Flavor or 2 teaspoons
vanilla extract
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter

Filling

1/2 cup Baker's Cinnamon Filling + 2 tablespoons water*
1/2 cup diced pecans
2 tablespoons Sticky Bun Sugar (optional, for topping)
*Or substitute 1/2 cup light brown sugar mixed with 2 tablespoons each cinnamon, Instant ClearJel(r) or flour, and soft butter.

And this is the third loaf going to Indiana - was also sent to Ohio a while ago.

I left out the pecans because I don't have any. Another recipe from King Arthur Flour.

10 Grain Orange Bread

10-Grain Orange Bread

2 cups (16 ounces) water
2 cups (8 ounces) 10-Grain Cereal
1 tablespoon (1 package) active dry yeast or 2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 cup (1 3/4 ounces) oil
2 large eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon grated orange rind (or up to 1/2 teaspoon orange oil)
1/2 cup (6 ounces) honey or brown sugar
6 cups (25 1/2 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

This is another bread that is going to Indiana. This recipe is from the King Arthur Flour site - I substituted Sprout's 10-grain cereal for King Arthur Flour 10-grain mix. Need to do some more work on this recipe . . . I probably should have soaked the grains for longer and used more water. I did add about 50% more than the recipe actually called for, but . . . there can be BIG differences between two 10-grain cereals.

I have plans for how I'm going to change the recipe for next time, because it looks like it would be a good everyday recipe. Might give some to Catherine next time although since the recipe has eggs in it . . . probaby more for the lift than anything else. It is a pretty heavy bread . . . could substitute soy flour for the eggs though.

This is the bread for the health nuts there for the wedding - like Roberta.

One of the three loaves going to Indiana

This is one of the breads I've made to go with Roberta and Sid to Indiana. I did make some relatively minor changes - I substituted Splenda for half of the sugar in the bread itself. A lot of breads you can just cut back on the sugar, but, in general, I haven't found that very satisfactory as when you cut back on the sugar, the flavor of the banana doesn't seem to come through nearly as clearly. Also, I put together the topping with all that sugar, but then when I went to put it on - it just seemed like WAY too much - there'd be like a sugar coating on top of the bread . . . so on an impulse I only used about maybe a quarter of the topping - did use the full measure of chocolate chips though.

The link to the lovely food blog where I found this recipe is in the title of the post.

Banana Bread with Chocolate and Cinnamon Sugar

3 very ripe bananas (the size doesn’t much matter; medium to large works)
2 large eggs
1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

For topping:
2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon

Bread recipe from King Arthur for Roberta

Toasted Wheat Bread

1 1/2 tsp gluten
1 1/2 cups King Arthur Traditional Whole Wheat Flour
2 tablespoons active dry yeast
3 cups warm water (110°F)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/4 cup wheat bran
1/4 cup soy flour
1/4 cup wheat germ
4 cups (approx.) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 TB salt

Two loaves - depending on how you slice it, about 16 slices per loaf - so it is low fat and low sugar - the least healthy part is the relatively high percentage of white flour. Still, MUCH healthier than white bread and not horrendously unhealthy due to wheat

I'm thinking about getting over to Sprout's and getting some multi-grains for next baking project. Perhaps one of the sisters would like to stop there today and get some of the cheap mangos? (I think they're 5/$1.00.)

Merry Christmas!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

The cinnamon rolls are rising. The bedroom is clean - but, no, Mother, you may NOT check under the beds, and the closet . . . well, one can walk through it . . . at least skinny cat can - fat cat might with some difficulty.

The black bean hummus is made - although I forgot that instead of a half teaspoon of cayenne pepper as called for in the recipe I always used just a half pinch. I think nobody will eat it and if they do, the smoke coming out of their ears will be a give away. The quiche and pumpkin pies need to get into production. The veggies are chopped. The Thanksgiving bread with cranberries, dates and raisins is edible according to expert Roberta. Still got a couple more kinds of bread I'm going to make, but those are the easy kind.

Well, got work to do . . . and time is wasting. Just wanted to wish everyone a very

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

The latest

Happy Day after Thanksgiving! Trust everyone had an excellent Thanksgiving Day! If you haven't heard I had the opportunity to work. Quite the day, I was there at 10 am to let the cooks, oh I mean chefs in and the first guests began to arrive at 10:30! Quickly the one chef said, "it is 12 noon that we are to serve?" Speaking of serving Serena just brought me in my hot cap of tea! Back to yesterday, the meal went fine, I brought home many leftovers from carrot puree to green bean casserole made with fresh green beans! All the food was wonderful, all made from scratch. This couple who did the catering (at $14 per person~~~~ a deal) Ah, that is another long story, the hope was to have Discover credit card folks pay for the meal, but then the promise came of more dollars in the future and $200 for now. Last year we had an assisted living facility cook the meals......but their kitchens did not want to participate this year! We served a full house (had been turning away names for the last two weeks plus!) of 75 folks and some did use those donation envelopes we had handy, as whenever we had the opportunity to say, this year it was necessary for us to purchase.....

This time tomorrow or sooner we will be on our roadtrip to California, and then get on the VISION on Sunday for the Mexican Riviera cruise. If the trip is extended we will be fine with the amount of stuff we take!

I am about to go and have some of Serena's muffins.....pumpkin ones! The small loaves of pumpkin bread that Serena made for me to hand out made a big hit.

Was anyone in the stores this morning at 5 am? I saw where some opened at 3 am!!! I almost wanted to go just for the experience of it all!

I do want everyone to know that I continue to read and enjoy the posts even when you don't see my name up on the screen! Ah, that picture of me......Andrew gets the credit for taking it this last July. I have even more grey hair now! And Serena is the poster. Best of weekends to one and all! Roberta

King Arthur's Healthy Bread Kids Will Like

This is today's bread recipe . I have made this before. I did make a few changes - no sugar, used Splenda instead. Substituted 1 strawberry yogurt and 2 oz buttermilk for the yogurt and I never bother with the egg wash. Also substituted 1 cup oats for one of the cups of whole wheat flour.

Made the healthy muffins (the link for the muffins is here) yesterday, but didn't make them vegan this time - used an egg instead of soy flour and added dry milk powder.

King Arthur's Healthy Bread Kids Will Like

2 cups King Arthur 100% White Whole Wheat Flour*
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup non-fat dry milk
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon diastatic malt powder** (optional)
1 tablespoon or packet active dry yeast
1 cup water
1 cup yogurt
1/4 to 1/2 cup honey or molasses (whatever it takes to help persuade the finicky)
2 tablespoons butter***
4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water)

The link to the full details is here for King Arthur's Healthy Bread Kids Will Like