Cinnamon Roll Cake

I woke up early today so I decided to try a new recipe spotted on Pinterest thanks to my co-worker Mindy. It's called Cinnamon Roll Cake. Since it makes such a huge pan of cake it's going to the office with me to share this morning. (Cake results? Very good! Like a soft cinnamon roll!)

Cinnamon Roll Cake
This recipe has three parts. The batter, then the streusel that goes on top before baking, then the glaze that goes on after the cake has finished baking.

Batter
3 C all-purpose flour
1/4 t kosher salt
1 C sugar
4 t baking powder
1 1/2 C milk
2 eggs
2 t vanilla
1/2 C butter, melted

Streusel-like Topping
1 C butter (softened)
1 C brown sugar (I used Splenda brown sugar)
2 T flour
1 T cinnamon

Mix all batter ingredients together (without the butter. Once the ingredients are combined add the melted butter in little "bursts" and combine. Pour into a prepared 9x13 pan.

Combine all of the streusel ingredients in a separate bowl. I used a pastry cutter. Then using two spoons "Drop" the streusel mixture like very small drop cookies evenly over the batter and swirl with a knife as best as you can. I couldn't exactly "swirl" it, but that's okay because I think the effect is similar to a coffee cake. Bake at 350 for 28-32 minutes then toothpick test to see if it's done.

Glaze
2 C powdered sugar
5 T milk
1 t vanilla

Drizzle the glaze over the cake while the cake is still warm.

Recipe Source: Cookin Up North: Cinnamon Roll Cake (who said they got the recipe from Life as a Lofthouse)

Enjoy!

Suzanne
Cookbook Bites
Subscribe to Cookbook Bites (Google, Twitter, Yahoo!, AIM) 
Get posts right to your inbox (Subscribe right below my pic)

Hot Cocoa Mix (Dairy Free)

This version of the Hot Cocoa Mix gives you the choice of what milk you want to use in your hot cocoa. I'm pretty sure you could use soy, almond, hemp, coconut, etc. At our house milk free of rBGH (a.k.a. recombinant bovine growth hormone), pesticides and antibiotics means one less migraine trigger. I recently had another awareness that staying away from milk free of hormones meant sour cream, yogurt and cheese too. Totally obvious. Sigh.

The brands of milk that currently seem safest for us (being rBGH, pesticide and antibiotic free) are Horizon and Tillamook. A few years ago we took a tour of the Tillamook Cheese factory in Oregon. Their farmers are part of a co-op. They make great cheese and the factory staff made one mean chocolate shake!

Some other milk producers state they're rBGH free, but they don't say they're free of pesticides or antibiotics. I've noticed an asterisk on the label that takes you to the fine print assuring consumers that there's no problem with rBGH. So, no problem unless you're sensitive or allergic to it? Scientific proof in the way of hypothesis, multiple tests with various brands--result: when we cut out dairy with rBGH (hormones), pesticides and antibiotics, there are less migraines. If you've ever had a migraine... less migraines=awesome! I had just made the cocoa mix from Alton Brown with, you guessed it--milk powder, when I realized I needed to make a hormone free version.

Hot Cocoa Mix (with No Milk Powder)
2 C powdered sugar
1 1/8 C cocoa powder Dutch process
2 t corn starch
1 (scant) t salt
1/4 C Splenda brown sugar
1/4 C mini chocolate chips (really good*)

Mix ingredients together with a spoon or fork. To make a mug of cocoa, combine two heaping spoonfuls of mix (to taste) with hot milk.

*The tiny chocolate chips melt at the bottom of your mug, for a last hit of chocolatey goodness.

Recipe Inspiration/Source: Alton Brown's Hot Cocoa Mix

Suzanne
Cookbook Bites
Subscribe to Cookbook Bites (Google, Twitter, Yahoo!, AIM) 
Get posts right to your inbox (Subscribe right below my pic)

Zucchini Brownies

Last week my dachshund Squirrelly was diagnosed with problems in his back and his neck and we've had to keep him in his kennel when we're not able to sit by him. He's not the type of dog to rest, but the medicine seems to be helping him sleep. I was going to make the family Zucchini brownies last week, but we were all taking turns sitting with him and I didn't have time. Today, during my husbands shift, I grated zucchini, mixed, baked and now the Squirrel is wrapped in a blanket and asleep on my foot, front paws crossed and snoring.

Recently I made a couple of produce bags out of an old green t-shirt while I watched the movie Illusion on Gaiam. The movie was kind of a funky blend of new age meets redemption. Kirk Douglas was very good. The bags have held up with apples, blood oranges and you guessed it, zucchini's! And they've survived the washing machine, I think I'm hooked. :)

The brownies turned out more like a cake/brownie. Chewy, but lighter than a brownie. Next time I'd use more walnuts. I think I'll serve it with some vanilla yogurt. (BTW Squirrely enjoyed the other half of the applesauce cup that I used in the brownies.)

Zucchini Brownies

2 C grated zucchini

1/4 C cinnamon applesauce
1/4 C (+ 2 T) plain Greek yogurt 
2 t vanilla

1 t salt

2 C all-purpose flour (unbleached)

1 1/2 C sugar

1/4 C cocoa

1 1/2 t baking soda

1/8 C walnuts chopped

Preheat oven and grease your baking pan. Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and cocoa. In a separate bowl combine vanilla and kosher salt (I tried to get the salt to dissolve) then add the yogurt, applesauce and zucchini and mix. Grate the zucchini then add, along with the wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients and combine. Spray your brownie pan with cooking spray then add the batter and sprinkle the nuts on and press into the batter. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean

Recipe Source: Food Finery: Zucchini Brownies, my edits are in orange.

Enjoy,

Suz

(WW PointsPlus: makes 16 brownies, 4 points each)

Note: I won't be making these again. They weren't anything like you'd expect from a zucchini baked good, so they're not going on the recipe index.

Hot Cocoa Mix

The grocery store has been out of the cocoa mix that I like, so instead of buying brands I don't like I thought I'd try making my own mix. Here's Alton Brown's recipe so you can make your own hot cocoa mix too!

Hot Cocoa Mix
2 1/2 C powdered milk
2 C powdered sugar
1 C cocoa powder Dutch process (I added about 1/8 C more)
2 t corn starch
1 (scant) t salt (not kosher)
cayenne pepper sprinkles (left this out)
1/4 C Splenda brown sugar
1/4 C mini chocolate chips

Alton says to fill mug 1/3 full with mix and combine with hot water.

Recipe Source: Alton Brown's Hot Cocoa Mix 

Enjoy!

Suz

Muesli

It took me a while to wrap my brain around Muesli, a breakfast cereal developed over a century ago by a Swiss physician, and yet Muesli has become a staple at my house. My daughter has it in her lunch 2-3 days a week and loves it. I send about 1/3 C muesli with Greek Honey yogurt. (My post in 2009 was my introduction to Muesli.) I can't always find muesli at the store. So I've been looking over muesli recipes to see how you make it. It looked really easy, and like you can make it to your individual taste preferences.

Raisins with the cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and almond extracts sprinkled on.

Chopped almonds ready to be pan toasted.

Mixed together.

Taste test above. The toasted almonds really sparkle in this and I liked the touch of the almond extract that shone through as well. (I bet coconut would be really good too.)

Muesli
3 C rolled oats
1-2 T Oat Bran
Coconut (really wanted to use this, but was out of it)
1/2 C+ Almonds (chopped0
2/3-1 C Raisins
1/2 t Almond Extract
1/2 t Vanilla Extract
1/2 t Cinnamon
1/8 t Nutmeg (fresh grated)

I was not really 100% scientific about measurements with this recipe. 1/2 lid of vanilla and pour in enough raisins so you'll actually run into one every once in a while... you catch my drift. With the exception of the spices and extracts I think you can be kind of flexible. To get started add the oats and bran to a mixing bowl. Add the raisins to the oats then sprinkle on the cinnamon and nutmeg and then the almond and vanilla extracts. Stir to combine. Chop the almonds and toast them in a non-stick pan. Add almonds to oat mixture and stir to combine. At this point I tossed about half of the mixture back into the pan to toast the oats a little. When slightly toasted add back to the main bowl and stir to combine.

Want to make your own muesli? Google "muesli recipes" to get ideas of how other people put theirs together. Some people add sesame and sunflower seeds, others add walnuts, others make it fresh and add fresh apples. The biggest things that seem to separate muesli from granola are:

• The rolled oats are raw
• No added fat like butter or oil
• No added sugar
• No sweetened sauce baked on (the original recipe called for condensed milk that would have covered this!)

Note: If you like granola check out Almond Granola and Chocolate Granola (which is very good) if you'd like to try them too!

The original recipe for Museli is on the Wikipedia post about Muesli and it looks really good!

Enjoy!

Suzanne