Snickerdoodle Muffins with Crunchy Topping

My fall break is over, which means I only have 8 more weeks until I’m a big kid.  Graduating in December is so scary and exciting at the same time.

I’m still enjoying not waking up until 10, having the cafeteria make my food, going to formals with Kellen, and having advisors and teachers help me make my schedule.  Siiighhh…I will miss it all, but I’m also excited about having a career and makin’ some monaaayyy.

Anyway, to console myself, I made some delicious muffins.

Snickerdoodle Muffins with Crunchy Topping
Adapted from: Lil Luna

Ingredients:

• ½ cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 ¼ cups flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp cream of tartar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• ½ cup sour cream
• 1 egg
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 3 tbsp cinnamon

Directions:

1. Cream butter, sugar, salt and cinnamon until fluffy. Add egg and mix well.
2. Add vanilla and sour cream and mix well.
3. Mix flour, cream of tartar, and baking powder in a separate bowl.
4. Add to wet ingredients and mix until all combined.
5. Spoon batter into 12 cupcake liners in a cupcake tin.
6. Mix 3 tbsp sugar and 3 tbsp cinnamon in a bowl and sprinkle even amounts over each muffin.
7. Bake at 350 for about 25-30 minutes minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let cool and devour.

 

Cinnamon Chocolate Bundt Cake and an AWESOME Giveaway!

I have exciting news for you all today.

1)  I get to do a really big and awesome giveaway thanks to Redwood Hill Farms and Green Valley Organics.  You guys do not want to miss this one.

and

2) I made a really delicious chocolate bundt cake, also thanks to Redwood Hill Farms and Green Valley Organics because I got the same package that I get to give away.

and

3)  I’m now obsessed with Redwood Hill Farms and Green Valley Organics… can you tell?

I had never tried lactose free yogurt or kefir before, but I honestly can’t tell the difference.  The only difference is that the lactose free kefir is not as thick as regular kefir.

Redwood Hill has all sorts of recipes, news, events, and other information on their website.  Definitely make sure to check it out!

Okkkay, now what you guys have been waiting for…

GIVEAWAY:

The prize package (minimum value of about $57.55) will include:

– 1 Eco-friendly insulated green “Get Your Goat, Have a Cow” co-branded tote bag (approximate value $5)

– 1 t-shirt (winner’s choice of Redwood Hill Farm Goat, Green Valley Organics Cow OR RHF kid-size shirt; approximate value: $15)

– 6, 6-oz cups Redwood Hill Farm Goat yogurts or free product coupons (valued at about $2.19 each = $13.14)

– 6, 6-oz cups Green Valley Organics Lactose Free yogurts (valued at about $1.59 each = $9.54)

– 1 32-oz bottle Redwood Hill Farm Kefir (about $6.39)

– 1 32-oz bottle Green Valley Organics Kefir (about $4.49)

– 1 12-oz Green Valley Organics Sour Cream (about $3.99)

Are you excited yet? Because when I received my package, I felt like a little kid in a candy store.

To enter, all you have to do is:

1. Leave a comment saying why you want the prize package.

For extra entries:

1. Like Green Valley Organics on Facebook and leave a comment saying you did so.
2. Like Redwood Hill Farms on Facebook and leave a comment saying you did so.
3. Like What Katie’s Baking on Facebook and leave a comment saying you did so.
4. Follow Redwood Hill Farms on Twitter and leave a comment saying you did so.
5. Follow What Katie’s Baking on Twitter and leave a comment saying you did so.
6. Subscribe to my RSS feed and leave a comment saying you did so.

The giveaway will end on Tuesday, October 2nd at 12:00 am.  Good luck! 🙂

If you don’t win, don’t worry, you can just buy their products!  Redwood Hill Farm and Green Valley Organics products are available at Whole Foods Markets, natural food stores and specialty grocers nationwide. To find a store near you, go to redwoodhill.com/store and greenvalleylactosefree.com/stores/

Now, for this deliiiiicious recipe (which got devoured extremely quickly in my house):

Cinnamon Chocolate Bundt Cake

Adapted from: Leite’s Culinaria

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus more for the pan
• 1/3 cup (1 ounce) cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup water
• 2 cups (9 ounces) all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup plain Green Valley Organics plain yogurt
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon, plus extra for pan coating

Glaze:

• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• ½ stick butter
• 1/3 cup Redwood Hills plain Kefir
• 1/3 cup sugar

Directions:

Make the cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Butter and sprinkle cinnamon in a 10- or 12-cup Bundt pan and set aside.
2. In a small saucepan, combine the butter, cocoa powder, salt, cinnamon, and water and place over medium heat.
3. Cook, stirring, just until melted and combined. Remove from the heat and set aside.
4. Place the flour, sugar, and baking soda in a large bowl and whisk to blend.
5. Add half of the melted butter mixture and whisk until completely blended (the mixture will be quite thick). Add the remaining butter mixture and whisk until combined.
6. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking until completely blended before adding the next egg. Whisk in the Green Valley plain yogurt and vanilla until smooth.
7. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes and then invert onto a rack. Let cool completely before glazing.

Make the glaze:

1. Just before glazing the cooled cake, combine the Green Valley kefir, cocoa powder, butter, and sugar in a small saucepan and put over medium heat. Stir constantly until the sugar is dissolved.
2. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake, allowing it to drip and dribble down the sides.  It will soak into the cake and taste delicious.

 

Cinnamon Flax Pancakes for One- How to properly fuel for a 5k

If you guys read my previous blog post, you know that I ran a 5k on Saturday.

I wanted to be 100% prepared and I’m a nerd, so I Google’d “What to eat before a 5k.”

Here’s what I gathered. (Pick one… don’t eat all 4 or you’ll throw up.)

• A banana.
• Whole grain cereal.
• Oatmeal.
• Flax pancakes.

So, if you want to fuel up for a race, these are the pancakes for you.

They were delicious. I topped mine with peanut butter, bananas, and more cinnamon… yummmm.

I’m REALLY excited about the results of the race. My dad, who is 69 years old, ran the race in 36:06, which is a personal record for him.  I was so proud.

I ran it in 26:03, 8 seconds faster than last year, and personal record for me.  And I got 2nd in my age division!

And here’s how you fuel:

 

Cinnamon Flax Pancakes for One

1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon flax seed
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 cup water (or more, if needed)
1 teaspoon-1 tablespoon Stevia (or more, if needed)

1. Mix all ingredients.
2. Place about a tablespoon of the batter on a heated pan on the stove.
3. Flip when it bubbles.
4. Eat!!

Vanilla Cinnamon Donuts with Vanilla Cinnamon Glaze

When I was exploring my town the other day, I found a cute little donut pan!  They’re all over the blogosphere and I’m probably the last to jump on the donut pan train, but I finally did!!

Reasons why you should get a donut pan:

1.  They make donuts healthier.  Donuts are usually deep-fried, but with a donut pan, you can bake them!
2.  All of these delicious baked donut recipes:


Brown Eyed Baker’s Baked Donuts with Cinnamon Sugar:

Mama Pea’s Chocolate Glazed Cake Donuts:

Amy’s Baked Chocolate Donuts:

Megan’s Strawberry Doughnuts:

Katie’s Cake Batter Donuts:

Got No Milk’s Blueberry (Dairy Free) Donuts:

Angela’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Glazed Doughnuts:

Don’t those all look so good???

The donuts I made were so awesome!  They were moist and vanilla-y witch just a hint of cinnamon.  The glaze was the BOMB, too!

Vanilla Cinnamon Donuts with Vanilla Cinnamon Glaze
Adapted from: The White Library

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
2 eggs,beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 tsp vegetable oil
4 tbsp applesauce
1 tsp cinnamon


Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 F. Whisk flour and baking powder in a medium bowl, then combine with sugar.
2. Beat egg one at a time with milk, oil, applesauce, cinnamon, and vanilla extract until well blended. Then combine with flour mixture.  Mix vigorously until well blended.
3. Lightly spray donut pan with cooking spray. Pour batter into molds up to 2/3 full. *Optional: Sprinkle the unbaked donuts with brown sugar before baking.
4. Bake 10 -15 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched and donuts are golden brown. 
5. Remove from oven and let cool down before glazing.


Glaze:


Ingredients:

• 1 cup confectioner’ s sugar
• 1 1/2 tbsp. milk
• ½ tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. cinnamon 

Directions:
In small bowl, stir together sugar, milk, cinnamon, and vanilla extract until sugar is completely dissolved. If mixture is too thick, add a little more milk. If too thin, add more sugar.  You can add a couple of drops of food coloring for different colored glazes. Dip top of donuts in glaze and let the glaze set and dry before serving.

Cinnamon Roll Balls

Okay, so remember how I told you guys I made my dad my grandma’s “coffee cake” (aka cinnamon rolls) for Father’s Day?

Well, I ended up burning them while I was writing that post!

How sad is that? I was really upset, especially since I worked so hard to do something special for my dad.

I haaattee when my surprises are ruined!  I put all that time and effort into making something so perfect for somebody and then it gets ruined!  Such a bummer!

It’s okay, though.  You know why?  When life hands you burnt cinnamon rolls, go with it.

The centers of mine were still okay, so I made cinnamon roll balls.  Like cake balls, only cinnamon rolls!

So yummy!

Have you guys ever accidentally ruined a surprise?  What did you do about it?

Cinnamon Roll Balls

Ingredients:
2-3 large cinnamon rolls
1/8 cup water
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 cups white chocolate
2 teaspoons oil

Directions:
1.  Process cinnamon rolls in a food processor until small crumbs are formed.
2.  Add water and powdered sugar.  *Add more water if needed.  Should be a doughy consistency.  (The water and powdered sugar are to make an ‘icing’ flavor.)
3.  Roll into 1 inch balls and place in freezer until semi-sold.
4.  Melt white chocolate and oil.
5.  Dip balls into chocolate. Chill until the chocolate has hardened.
*Optional: Sprinkle with cinnamon.

{Momofuku} Cake Batter/Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Bread

Thanks for all of your “how to get out of a rut” ideas from my last post!  I’m slowly but surely getting there.


I have to tell you all about my April Fool’s Joke!!! (Sorry, Mom…)


So, I was at work and it was about halfway through the day on April 1 and I hadn’t pranked anyone or even tried yet.  I really wanted to, but like Molly, I’m not good at lying and I get nervous just thinking about how I’m going to follow through with a good joke without laughing.  But, Kellen texted me with an idea I could not pass up.  He told me to tell my mom that we’re engaged.  The only reason I couldn’t pass it up is because it was perfect for 2 reasons: 1) I had just told my mom earlier that morning that Kellen’s mom was coming to town to visit and 2) My boss has connections at the jewelry store down the street.  Soo… this is what happened:


First, I called my dad to tell him what I was going to do.  (I would’ve played the prank on both of them, but my dad probably would have killed me.

Super blurry… but pretty, right?

Then, my boss called the jewelry store (which is right down the street from Jock’s Nitch) and asked if it would be all right for me to come down and take a picture with one of her rings on.  She said yes, so I did.  (I picked the biggest one, of course.)  Once I took the picture, I sent it to my mom (with OH MY GOSH!!!!!! as the caption).  


After an hour of her not responding, I started getting antsy.  My boss figured she’d passed out.  I didn’t want to have to call her because I knew I would start laughing and not be able to pull it off.  That’s when Patrick, a friend I work with, told me that he would call her for me and tell her that I was too ecstatic/crying to tell her myself, but that Kellen had just proposed to me.  We got that all figured out only to call my house phone twice and my mom’s cell twice with no answer.  I finally called my dad and come to find out, they had gone to church.  At this point, I thought that there was no way I was going to be able to pull it off. 


Well, I got off work and ended up getting home before my parents did.  Once they got home, I asked my dad if mom had checked her phone, so he asked her.  She looked at her phone and came into the bathroom (where I was) and this is the conversation that followed:


Mom: That’s a pretty ring, where’d you get it?
Me:  You know how I told you that Kellen’s mom was coming to town tonight?  That’s why…
Mom:  Kellen’s mom got you a ring….?
Me:  No….. Kellen did….
Mom:  He just came into Jock’s Nitch and handed you a ring??
Me: No….. he got down on one knee…
Mom: {pause} No…where’s the ring??
Me: Well, I don’t have it yet…
Mom:  {speechless… she just stood there with her mouth open}
Me: April Fool’s!!!
Mom: Not funny.


Haha!!! She was still in shock for about a half hour after telling her.  I can’t believe I got her and it worked so well!  After that, I figured I was on a roll so I sent it to two of my friends (Brandon and Jordan), my brother, and my sister.  I’ll go ahead and give you their responses, too, because they’re all funny.


Brandon:  Texted me back “Excuse me” and then proceeded to call me and say “Noooo….” and I’m pretty sure I had him going for a little bit, but I finally told him it wasn’t true.    
Jordan:  Called me frantically saying “No, this is an April Fool’s joke!!”  I told her it wasn’t and she got super excited, almost in tears telling me how happy she is for me!  I felt bad telling her that it wasn’t true haha!
Brother:  Texted me back saying April F’n Fools.
Sister:  Called me and said “You realize it’s April Fool’s right? And I just received a picture of a diamond ring on your finger…”  I was like “Yeah…..” she said “So, yeah… It’s April Fool’s….”  Then I just told her it was a joke. 


Pretty funny!! My poor mom, though, I swore she was going to seriously pass out.
What’d you guys do for April Fool’s Jokes?!


Wheewww… long post today!  I’ve been wanting to make Joy’s Pull-Apart Bread (which is adapted from Cindy’s Lemon Pull-Apart bread… love her! 🙂 ) for a while now, but I wanted to make a cake batter version.  Kellen wanted the cinnamon sugar version, so I made both!  They both turned out really well.  I like them both equally… I like the crunch exterior and sticky insides.  I’m mad at myself though because I meant to add sprinkles to the cake batter one!! I also forgot to let my dough rise twice… Geez, what is wrong with me today?!  Oh well, it still turned out perfectly! I used Momofuku Milk Bar’s milk crumbs recipe for the filling and added cake mix to the dough.

Gooey deliciousness

Cake Batter/ Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Bread 
**If you want the cinnamon sugar recipe, go here.  
Inspired by/Adapted from: Momofuku for 2 and Joy/Cindy

Makes: one 9×5×3-inch loaf

Recipe adapted from HungryGirlPorVida

Print this Recipe!

For the Dough:

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cake mix (I used yellow)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 ounces unsalted butter
1/3 cup whole milk
1/4 cup water
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
*Optional: 1/2 cup white chocolate chips

For the Filling:

1/2 cup plus nonfat milk powder
4 tablespoons cake mix (I used yellow)
2 tablespoon cornstarch
3 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup white chocolate, melted

1. In a large mixing bowl (I used just the bowl of my stand mixer) whisk together 2 cups flour, sugar, yeast, and salt.  Set aside.2. Whisk together eggs and set aside.
3. In a small saucepan, melt together milk and butter until butter has just melted.  Remove from the heat and add water and vanilla extract.  Let mixture stand for a minute or two, or until the mixture registers 115 to 125 degrees F.
4.  Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients and mix with a spatula.  Add the eggs and stir the mixture until the eggs are incorporated into the batter.  The eggs will feel soupy and it’ll seem like the dough and the eggs are never going to come together.  Keep stirring.  Add the 3/4 cup of cake mix and stir with the spatula for about 2 minutes, fold in white chocolate chips, if desired.  The mixture will be sticky.  That’s just right.
5.  Place the dough in a large,  greased bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel.  Place in a warm space and allow to rest until doubled in size, about 1 hour.  *The dough can be risen until doubled in size, then refrigerated overnight for use in the morning.  If you’re using this method, just let the dough rest on the counter for 30 minutes before following the roll-out directions below.
6.  While the dough rises, make the filling:
7.  Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.  8.  In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons milk powder, flour, cornstarch, sugar, and salt. Stir in melted butter until well combined. Spread mixture on prepared baking sheet and transfer to oven.
9.  Bake until dried and crumbly, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove milk crumble from oven and let cool completely.  10.  Transfer milk crumble to a large bowl and fold in remaining 2 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons milk powder and white chocolate. 
11.  Deflate the risen dough and knead about 2 tablespoons of flour into the dough.  Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 5 minutes.  (Ooops, didn’t do this)
12.  On a lightly floured work surface, use a rolling pin to roll the dough out.  The dough should be 12-inches tall and about 20-inches long.  If you can’t get the dough to 20-inches long… that’s okay.  Just roll it as large as the dough will go.  Use a pastry brush to spread melted butter across all of the dough (or your hand.. that’s what I did!).
13.  Sprinkle with milk crumb mixture.
14.  Slice the dough vertically, into six equal-sized strips.  Stack the strips on top of one another and slice the stack into six equal slices once again.  You’ll have six stacks of six squares.  Layer the dough squares in the loaf pan like a flip-book.
15.  Place a kitchen towel over the loaf pan and allow in a warm place for 30 to 45 minutes or until almost doubled in size. (Ooops, didn’t do this either!)
16.  Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.  Place loaf in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is very golden brown.  The top may be lightly browned, but the center may still be raw.  A nice, dark, golden brown will ensure that the center is cooked as well.
17.  Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 20 to 30 minutes.   Run a butter knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the bread and invert onto  a clean board.  Place a cake stand or cake plate on top of the  upside down loaf, and carefully invert so it’s right side up.  Serve warm with coffee or tea.
18.  Best served warm, but can be stored in an airtight container for up to two days.  Luckily, my family devoured this.

{Momofuku} Cake Batter/Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Bread

Thanks for all of your “how to get out of a rut” ideas from my last post!  I’m slowly but surely getting there.


I have to tell you all about my April Fool’s Joke!!! (Sorry, Mom…)


So, I was at work and it was about halfway through the day on April 1 and I hadn’t pranked anyone or even tried yet.  I really wanted to, but like Molly, I’m not good at lying and I get nervous just thinking about how I’m going to follow through with a good joke without laughing.  But, Kellen texted me with an idea I could not pass up.  He told me to tell my mom that we’re engaged.  The only reason I couldn’t pass it up is because it was perfect for 2 reasons: 1) I had just told my mom earlier that morning that Kellen’s mom was coming to town to visit and 2) My boss has connections at the jewelry store down the street.  Soo… this is what happened:


First, I called my dad to tell him what I was going to do.  (I would’ve played the prank on both of them, but my dad probably would have killed me.

Super blurry… but pretty, right?

Then, my boss called the jewelry store (which is right down the street from Jock’s Nitch) and asked if it would be all right for me to come down and take a picture with one of her rings on.  She said yes, so I did.  (I picked the biggest one, of course.)  Once I took the picture, I sent it to my mom (with OH MY GOSH!!!!!! as the caption).  


After an hour of her not responding, I started getting antsy.  My boss figured she’d passed out.  I didn’t want to have to call her because I knew I would start laughing and not be able to pull it off.  That’s when Patrick, a friend I work with, told me that he would call her for me and tell her that I was too ecstatic/crying to tell her myself, but that Kellen had just proposed to me.  We got that all figured out only to call my house phone twice and my mom’s cell twice with no answer.  I finally called my dad and come to find out, they had gone to church.  At this point, I thought that there was no way I was going to be able to pull it off. 


Well, I got off work and ended up getting home before my parents did.  Once they got home, I asked my dad if mom had checked her phone, so he asked her.  She looked at her phone and came into the bathroom (where I was) and this is the conversation that followed:


Mom: That’s a pretty ring, where’d you get it?
Me:  You know how I told you that Kellen’s mom was coming to town tonight?  That’s why…
Mom:  Kellen’s mom got you a ring….?
Me:  No….. Kellen did….
Mom:  He just came into Jock’s Nitch and handed you a ring??
Me: No….. he got down on one knee…
Mom: {pause} No…where’s the ring??
Me: Well, I don’t have it yet…
Mom:  {speechless… she just stood there with her mouth open}
Me: April Fool’s!!!
Mom: Not funny.


Haha!!! She was still in shock for about a half hour after telling her.  I can’t believe I got her and it worked so well!  After that, I figured I was on a roll so I sent it to two of my friends (Brandon and Jordan), my brother, and my sister.  I’ll go ahead and give you their responses, too, because they’re all funny.


Brandon:  Texted me back “Excuse me” and then proceeded to call me and say “Noooo….” and I’m pretty sure I had him going for a little bit, but I finally told him it wasn’t true.    
Jordan:  Called me frantically saying “No, this is an April Fool’s joke!!”  I told her it wasn’t and she got super excited, almost in tears telling me how happy she is for me!  I felt bad telling her that it wasn’t true haha!
Brother:  Texted me back saying April F’n Fools.
Sister:  Called me and said “You realize it’s April Fool’s right? And I just received a picture of a diamond ring on your finger…”  I was like “Yeah…..” she said “So, yeah… It’s April Fool’s….”  Then I just told her it was a joke. 


Pretty funny!! My poor mom, though, I swore she was going to seriously pass out.
What’d you guys do for April Fool’s Jokes?!


Wheewww… long post today!  I’ve been wanting to make Joy’s Pull-Apart Bread (which is adapted from Cindy’s Lemon Pull-Apart bread… love her! 🙂 ) for a while now, but I wanted to make a cake batter version.  Kellen wanted the cinnamon sugar version, so I made both!  They both turned out really well.  I like them both equally… I like the crunch exterior and sticky insides.  I’m mad at myself though because I meant to add sprinkles to the cake batter one!! I also forgot to let my dough rise twice… Geez, what is wrong with me today?!  Oh well, it still turned out perfectly! I used Momofuku Milk Bar’s milk crumbs recipe for the filling and added cake mix to the dough.

Gooey deliciousness

Cake Batter/ Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Bread 
**If you want the cinnamon sugar recipe, go here.  
Inspired by/Adapted from: Momofuku for 2 and Joy/Cindy

Makes: one 9×5×3-inch loaf

Recipe adapted from HungryGirlPorVida

Print this Recipe!

For the Dough:

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cake mix (I used yellow)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 ounces unsalted butter
1/3 cup whole milk
1/4 cup water
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
*Optional: 1/2 cup white chocolate chips

For the Filling:

1/2 cup plus nonfat milk powder
4 tablespoons cake mix (I used yellow)
2 tablespoon cornstarch
3 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup white chocolate, melted

1. In a large mixing bowl (I used just the bowl of my stand mixer) whisk together 2 cups flour, sugar, yeast, and salt.  Set aside.2. Whisk together eggs and set aside.
3. In a small saucepan, melt together milk and butter until butter has just melted.  Remove from the heat and add water and vanilla extract.  Let mixture stand for a minute or two, or until the mixture registers 115 to 125 degrees F.
4.  Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients and mix with a spatula.  Add the eggs and stir the mixture until the eggs are incorporated into the batter.  The eggs will feel soupy and it’ll seem like the dough and the eggs are never going to come together.  Keep stirring.  Add the 3/4 cup of cake mix and stir with the spatula for about 2 minutes, fold in white chocolate chips, if desired.  The mixture will be sticky.  That’s just right.
5.  Place the dough in a large,  greased bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel.  Place in a warm space and allow to rest until doubled in size, about 1 hour.  *The dough can be risen until doubled in size, then refrigerated overnight for use in the morning.  If you’re using this method, just let the dough rest on the counter for 30 minutes before following the roll-out directions below.
6.  While the dough rises, make the filling:
7.  Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.  8.  In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons milk powder, flour, cornstarch, sugar, and salt. Stir in melted butter until well combined. Spread mixture on prepared baking sheet and transfer to oven.
9.  Bake until dried and crumbly, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove milk crumble from oven and let cool completely.  10.  Transfer milk crumble to a large bowl and fold in remaining 2 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons milk powder and white chocolate. 
11.  Deflate the risen dough and knead about 2 tablespoons of flour into the dough.  Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 5 minutes.  (Ooops, didn’t do this)
12.  On a lightly floured work surface, use a rolling pin to roll the dough out.  The dough should be 12-inches tall and about 20-inches long.  If you can’t get the dough to 20-inches long… that’s okay.  Just roll it as large as the dough will go.  Use a pastry brush to spread melted butter across all of the dough (or your hand.. that’s what I did!).
13.  Sprinkle with milk crumb mixture.
14.  Slice the dough vertically, into six equal-sized strips.  Stack the strips on top of one another and slice the stack into six equal slices once again.  You’ll have six stacks of six squares.  Layer the dough squares in the loaf pan like a flip-book.
15.  Place a kitchen towel over the loaf pan and allow in a warm place for 30 to 45 minutes or until almost doubled in size. (Ooops, didn’t do this either!)
16.  Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.  Place loaf in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is very golden brown.  The top may be lightly browned, but the center may still be raw.  A nice, dark, golden brown will ensure that the center is cooked as well.
17.  Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 20 to 30 minutes.   Run a butter knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the bread and invert onto  a clean board.  Place a cake stand or cake plate on top of the  upside down loaf, and carefully invert so it’s right side up.  Serve warm with coffee or tea.
18.  Best served warm, but can be stored in an airtight container for up to two days.  Luckily, my family devoured this.

Snickerdoodles

Yay!!  It’s Friday!

And I don’t have to work ALL weekend!  Yessss!

Let me tell you, my boss can be SUCH a pain.  (And I’m only saying that because he’s probably reading this).

I work at a Sporting Goods store, and it can be quite an adventure at times.  I won’t go into that, but just take my word for it.  I’m not exactly a sports connoisseur… or anywhere close to it, so sometimes trying to tell a 15-year-old boy what football cleat would be best for him when I clearly do not play football can prove to be difficult at times.  But don’t worry, if you’re doubting coming into the store and getting help from me now, have no fear, luckily I’ve been there long enough to learn a few things.

But anyway, back to what I was saying…my boss, pain… As if working isn’t enough for him, he has to ask me for cookies, too.  What do I look like, a freakin’ baker?  I work at a Sporting Goods store! 🙂 So anyway, I come to work on Wednesday and he asks where the cookies are.  Umm…well, I’m so sorry, but I must have forgotten.  So he asks me to make Snickerdoodles (because they’re his favorite cookies) and bring them with me to work.

Snickerdoodles.  I had never made Snickerdoodles before because I swore I didn’t like them, but I was willing to try it for my boss.  BECAUSE I REALLY NEED A RAISE. Just kidding, I was willing to do it out of the kindness of my heart.  So I made some Snickerdoodles and let me tell you that you will never, EVER hear me say I don’t like Snickerdoodles again.  These cookies were indescribably good.  They were thin (I love thin cookies) and chewy and cinnamon sugar-y and made our house smell heavenly.  They rank up there with the Oreo cookies I made… I may even go as far as saying they were better.  They were that good.  (And I’m talking about the batch that I didn’t burn.)  My boss even said they were the best snickerdoodles he’s ever had. 🙂

Snickerdoodles
Adapted from:  Smitten Kitchen
Makes:  2 dozen small cookies

Ingredients

• 1 3/8 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/8 teaspoon salt

•  8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

• 1/2 + 1/4 cups sugar, plus more if needed

• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, plus more if needed

• 1 large egg

Process

Preheat the oven to 400°.
Line baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
Sift together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine butter and 1/2 + 1/4 cups sugar.
Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl.

Add eggs, and beat to combine.
Add dry ingredients, and beat to combine. (I just mixed with a spatula until combined, trying not to over mix it)

At this point, you can chill the dough for an hour or overnight to make the dough easier to scoop, but, like always, I was too impatient for this part.
Once dough has chilled (or not), in a small bowl, combine remaining 1/8 cup sugar and the ground cinnamon.

Use a small ice-cream scoop or a teaspoon to form balls of the dough, and roll in cinnamon sugar.
Place about two inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.

 
Bake until the cookies are set in center and begin to crack (they will not brown), about 10 minutes, (mine only took 6) rotating the baking sheets after five minutes. The cookies will feel a little doughy when you touch them, but trust me they’re finished.  I didn’t realize this the first time and I burnt my first batch.

WRONG

Transfer the sheets to a wire rack to cool about five minutes before transferring the cookies to the rack. In theory, they can be stored in an airtight container up to one week, but I say good luck wtih that.

RIGHT!

Snickerdoodles

Yay!!  It’s Friday!

And I don’t have to work ALL weekend!  Yessss!

Let me tell you, my boss can be SUCH a pain.  (And I’m only saying that because he’s probably reading this).

I work at a Sporting Goods store, and it can be quite an adventure at times.  I won’t go into that, but just take my word for it.  I’m not exactly a sports connoisseur… or anywhere close to it, so sometimes trying to tell a 15-year-old boy what football cleat would be best for him when I clearly do not play football can prove to be difficult at times.  But don’t worry, if you’re doubting coming into the store and getting help from me now, have no fear, luckily I’ve been there long enough to learn a few things.

But anyway, back to what I was saying…my boss, pain… As if working isn’t enough for him, he has to ask me for cookies, too.  What do I look like, a freakin’ baker?  I work at a Sporting Goods store! 🙂 So anyway, I come to work on Wednesday and he asks where the cookies are.  Umm…well, I’m so sorry, but I must have forgotten.  So he asks me to make Snickerdoodles (because they’re his favorite cookies) and bring them with me to work.

Snickerdoodles.  I had never made Snickerdoodles before because I swore I didn’t like them, but I was willing to try it for my boss.  BECAUSE I REALLY NEED A RAISE. Just kidding, I was willing to do it out of the kindness of my heart.  So I made some Snickerdoodles and let me tell you that you will never, EVER hear me say I don’t like Snickerdoodles again.  These cookies were indescribably good.  They were thin (I love thin cookies) and chewy and cinnamon sugar-y and made our house smell heavenly.  They rank up there with the Oreo cookies I made… I may even go as far as saying they were better.  They were that good.  (And I’m talking about the batch that I didn’t burn.)  My boss even said they were the best snickerdoodles he’s ever had. 🙂

Snickerdoodles
Adapted from:  Smitten Kitchen
Makes:  2 dozen small cookies

Ingredients

• 1 3/8 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/8 teaspoon salt

•  8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

• 1/2 + 1/4 cups sugar, plus more if needed

• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, plus more if needed

• 1 large egg

Process

Preheat the oven to 400°.
Line baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
Sift together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine butter and 1/2 + 1/4 cups sugar.
Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl.

Add eggs, and beat to combine.
Add dry ingredients, and beat to combine. (I just mixed with a spatula until combined, trying not to over mix it)

At this point, you can chill the dough for an hour or overnight to make the dough easier to scoop, but, like always, I was too impatient for this part.
Once dough has chilled (or not), in a small bowl, combine remaining 1/8 cup sugar and the ground cinnamon.

Use a small ice-cream scoop or a teaspoon to form balls of the dough, and roll in cinnamon sugar.
Place about two inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.

 
Bake until the cookies are set in center and begin to crack (they will not brown), about 10 minutes, (mine only took 6) rotating the baking sheets after five minutes. The cookies will feel a little doughy when you touch them, but trust me they’re finished.  I didn’t realize this the first time and I burnt my first batch.

WRONG

Transfer the sheets to a wire rack to cool about five minutes before transferring the cookies to the rack. In theory, they can be stored in an airtight container up to one week, but I say good luck wtih that.

RIGHT!