Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal

I love oatmeal.  I eat it nearly every single day.  It is a great source of fiber, low on the Glycemic Index, helps lower cholesterol (though thankfully I don't have any concerns in that area of my health) and is a wonderful way to give you the energy you need to kickstart the day.  Pair it with a food high in protein, such as scrambled egg whites on the side,  and you are good to go.

This dish is not just your everyday morning oatmeal but rather a baked version that is so sweet and delicious you will want to eat oatmeal every day too.  It is excellent topped with some agave nectar and a splash of milk.

The combo of apples and cinnamon are always a warm welcome at our breakfast table.  Who doesn't love that flavor? When added to oatmeal it makes for an extremely heart-healthy and comforting meal.

Old-Fashioned Cinnamon Raisin Bread

A great recipe tailored specifically for use with your trusty bread maker. This bread contains eggs and vegetable shortening which ensures a rich and tender slice each and every time. Speckled with raisins and cinnamon for that taste we all love!

You will be using your Sweet or Fruit cycle on your bread maker for this recipe. This makes a 1.5 lb loaf. Set your machine to normal crust.

About 1/2 hr before beginning, fill up your measuring cup with 1 1/4 cups of water and let sit at room temperature. Yes, no warm water for this recipe. We want perfect room temperature water and then we go from there!

Your egg, on the other hand, should be fresh and straight out of the fridge. No need to bring it to room temperature.

Most bread recipes call for oil as the fatty ingredient. This one calls for shortening. When adding butter or shortening to a bread machine mix, ensure it is always at room temperature and break it apart into small pieces with your fingers before adding to the pan.

This loaf rises up perfectly; no weird lumps and bumps. Also, no pockets of air leaving you with a slice of "more hole" than bread.

So haul out your bread maker and be prepared to salivate as you smell the wonderful aroma of cinnamon fill the air.

LET'S BEGIN!

A truly beautiful loaf

In all its glory!

RECIPE*:
*source: 250 Best Canadian Bread Machine Baking Recipes

WHAT YOU NEED

1 1/4 cups water, room temerature
1 egg
1/4 cup skim milk powder
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons shortening ( I use Crisco vegetable shortening)
3 1/2 cups white bread flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon bread machine yeast
3/4 raisins


MAKE IT

Add all ingredients above, except raisins, to bread machine pan in the order as written.
Place raisins into "Extra" dispenser . If you don't have one, make sure you add the raisins manually at the "add ingredient" signal.
Select Sweet or Fruit/Nut setting
Select 1/5 lb loaf, regular crust
Select "Add Extras" if you have this feature.
Press Start
Sit back and relax !

A perfect way to start the day

Raspberry Breakfast Buns

Easter morning had arrived and I began making cinnamon buns. Then I saw the 2 pints of raspberries hidden the in back of the fridge and had an idea ! Why not switch things up and make fresh raspberry breakfast buns instead? And to go a step further, why not top them off with a raspberry cream cheese icing? The results were wonderful!

These are buttery rolls that taste so fresh and light. Perfect for Easter morning!

Let's get started!

Here they are ready to rise 1/2 hr before baking

Baked and ready to be iced !

RECIPE:

WHAT YOU NEED

A bread maker with a dough setting
9X13" baking dish

DOUGH INGREDIENTS

1 large egg at room temperature
1 1/4 cups warm water (80F or 27C)
3 1/2 teaspoons oil (plain vegetable oil works best. I used Becel)
1/3 cup granulated white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 1/2 cups white bread flour
2 teaspoons active dry yeast (I use the type marked for bread maker use)

* melted butter (1/4 cup) and 2-3 tablespoons demerara or turbinado sugar - to be added after rolls have been cut and placed in baking pan

THE FILLING

2 pints fresh raspberries
1/2 cup white sugar or vanilla sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch

THE ICING

1/2 cup cream cheese at room temperature
2 cups sifted icing sugar
4 tablespoons raspberry syrup (set aside while making the filling)


MAKE IT

IN BREAD MAKER, combine all dough ingredients in the order specified (do not add melted butter and demerara/turbinado sugar at this stage) and set to Dough cycle.
This will knead the dough and the allow it to rise for the necessary time
WHILE DOUGH IS RISING, in a large bowl, mash raspberries and sugar.
NEARING the end of the first dough rising stage, remove 4 tablespoons of the raspberry juice which has now pooled at the bottom of the bowl and set aside.
REMOVE 3 more tablespoons of juice and in a small bowl whisk together juice and 1 tsp cornstarch. Add back to berries stirring well to combine
WHEN DOUGH HAS RISEN, flour work surface well and roll out dough into a large rectangle (12" x 16")
SPREAD berry mixture onto rolled dough leaving berry-free 1/4" edge on all sides
ROLL up dough tightly to form a long log and pinch edge together to form a seal
CUT DOUGH evenly into 9 rolls
PLACE in baking pan
BRUSH melted butter over the tops of the rolls.
ALLOW TO RISE 30 minutes, covered with a tea towel, in a warm spot

PREHEAT oven to 350F
WHEN ROLLS HAVE RISEN, sprinkle tops with turbinado or demerara sugar
BAKE 35 MINUTES
PLACE pan on cooling rack and allow to cool 15 MIN before icing

MAKE ICING:
COMBINE all ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk on MED speed with electric mixer 2-3 minutes
SPREAD icing over rolls.

DIG IN !

THESE ARE STICKY - A FORK AND KNIFE WORK WELL

Ahhh, the smell of baking french toast.....

Who doesn't love a lazy Sunday morning? coffee brewing, the smell of vanilla permeating the house, the crackle of frying bacon. Sunday morning faves around here range from homemade cinnamon buns to french toast. Today I would like to share the ultimate french toast recipe with you and encourage you try it out soon (sooner if you can !!).

LET'S GET STARTED !

RECIPE:

WHAT YOU NEED

1 Italian or French bread (always go with a crusty crust loaf so it will stand up to soak time)

1 pkg (250 g) cream cheese, softened (easiest is to leave out at room temperature for 1/2 hr)

3 x-large eggs or 4 large eggs

1 cup milk (I have used full fat, buttermilk and 2 %... but my personal fave is 3/4 cup 2/% and 1/4 cup 10% cream)

1/4 cup maple syrup ( go with the real deal)

cinnamon 1 tsp

vanilla 1 tsp (PURE vanilla, no artificial vanilla PLEASE !)

MAKE IT

Cut bread into 15 thick slices ( or approx. 1" thick slices).

BEAT cream cheese with an electric hand mixer until smooth. Add eggs, milk, maple syrup, vanilla and cinnamon.

DIP bread slices in mixture and place in large casserole dish. Pour remaining liquid over bread ensuring the liquid gets under bread as well as on top of the slices so all areas will get soaked as it rests. Cover with wrap and let stand 1 hour or overnight in refrigerator.

PREHEAT oven to 425°F and grease 2 baking sheets (greasing well is a MUST or they will stick!)

PLACE slices of soaked bread on the baking sheets and bake for 20 minutes, turning once, or until golden brown. Serve immediately with maple syrup, fresh fruit and a dollop of whipped cream.

But above all else: ENJOY !!!!

Photo by MarkHryciw