Cinnamon Rose Bread

Our local church congregation had a fall activity this weekend and one of the activities was a competition for best chili, bread, salsa and jello. Not having a lot of time, I searched the web for a unique looking bread since bread is my major weakness in the kitchen. I came across this recipe for Rose Bread and was so impressed with the presentation that I thought for sure I'd never be able to make it. But, after looking at the instructions, the intimidation factor decreased and I thought I would give it a try. As amazing as this bread looks, what is more amazing is that it is super easy (as evidenced by the fact that I pulled it off). The steps don't take long at all - the time is all in the dough rising and baking. The recipe below yields 6-8 servings.

HELPFUL HINTS
1. Though I used the cinnamon butter filling, there are so many variations online that use other ingredients like Pesto or Nutella or fruit filling.
2. I added the glaze, wanting to give it a nicer shine. It is optional.

INGREDIENTS
Dough
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 egg
2 1/4 tsp dry active yeast
2 1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup canola oil + 1 Tbs
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 1/4 cup warm water

Filling
4 Tbs butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

Glaze
1/4 cup water
1 cup sugar

DIRECTIONS
Dough
1. Grease bottom and sides of 10" spring form cake pan
2. Place flour, egg, yeast, sugar, salt and 1/4 cup oil in a bowl and mix until well combined















3. Add vinegar to warm water, stir, then add to the other ingredients















4. Knead until elastic and not sticky
5. Place 1 Tbs oil in a bowl, then place dough in the bowl and ensure it is well coated















6. Cover for one hour or until nearly doubled















7. On a lightly floured surface, carefully roll dough into a large rectangle, about 12" x 24"





























8. Brush butter over entire surface



Filling
1. Combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl
2. Sprinkle evenly over the butter on the rolled out dough





























Assembly
1. Starting with the longest side, gently roll the dough into a long roll















2. Ensure that the seam is tight and on the bottom















3. With a sharp knife, cut the roll lengthwise into 2 halves















4. Gently turn the halves so that the layers are facing up















5. Lay one half on top of the other in an X shape















6. Carefully cross one half repeatedly until it forms a rope, then pinch the ends together















7. Repeat with the other half















8. Roll the long braid together sideways into a circle





























9. Tuck the end of the rope under the wreath
10. Place carefully on the bottom of your spring form pan and cover with a towel for 30 minutes





























11. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400F
12. Bake for 10 minutes then lower to 350F and cook for an additional 30 minutes
13. Remove wreath to a wire rack to cool

Glaze
1. In small saucepan, mix together water and sugar and bring to a boil over high heat for one minute
2. Remove from heat and brush over cooling wreath

Spiced Apple and Banana Bundt with Brown Sugar Caramel Glaze

I scoured the internet recently to look for creative recipes that could utilize the many over-ripe bananas that had gone uneaten in my house. I landed on a recipe for this cake on this website. I made a few modifications and loved the results! The timing of this find was perfect as this is a wonderful cake for the fall with apples, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. The brown sugar caramel glaze was delicious and easy to make. The recipe below yields one bundt cake that serves 12-16. Enjoy!

HELPFUL HINTS

1. If you don't have all the spices listed, no cause for alarm. Use the spices to taste or substitute more of one than another if you prefer.
2. Poking the holes in the top of the cake really does make a difference and ensures a consistent taste with every bite.
3. When making the glaze, make sure you have all the ingredients ready to go as the process is time sensitive and must be worked through quickly.

INGREDIENTS

Bundt
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup canola oil
5 oz sour cream
2 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 Tbs vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
1 cup finely diced apples
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt


Brown Sugar Caramel Glaze
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 Tbs cream or milk
1 Tbs vanilla extract
2 cups confection sugar, sifted


DIRECTIONS

Cake
1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Butter and flour a Bundt cake pan
3. In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter, about 1 minute on high power.
4. Add canola oil, yogurt, eggs, sugars, vanilla and spices.















5. Whisk until batter is smooth and silky, about 1 minute of vigorous whisking.
6. Add the bananas, apples, and stir to combine.















7. Add the flour, baking soda, salt, and stir until just combined, taking care not to over-mix.





























8. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for about 40 minutes.















9. Allow cake to cool in pan for at least 15 minutes before inverting it and removing cake.
10. Once inverted, poke 15-20 holes in the top of the cake with a popsicle stick.















Glaze
1. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
2. Add the brown sugar and bring to a boil for 2 minutes, stirring nearly continuously.















3. Remove the pan from the burner, allow it to cool for about 1 minute.















4. Add the cream and whisk aggressively.
5. After the bubbling has subsided, add the vanilla and whisk to combine.
6. Add the confectioners’ sugar one-half cup at a time, until desired sauce consistency is reached.















7. Pour glaze over cake and allow it to set up for a few minutes if desired; or slice and serve immediately.

Cinnamon Spice Chili

This recipe is a combination of several that I found, putting them together to form a wonderfully unique chili. The first flavor notes are the warmth of cinnamon and then unexpectedly that warmth turns into just the right amount of spice. This chili is perfect for the fall season and will leave you craving more. Super easy to make with the use of a crockpot, this recipe yields about a dozen servings. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS
1 lb ground beef
15 oz canned kidney beans
15 oz canned black beans
15 oz canned diced tomatoes
16 oz canned tomato sauce
1 package taco seasoning
1 tsp tabasco
2 tsp garlic salt
1 cup diced onion
1 Tbs onion powder
1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
4 tsp chili powder
½ tsp dry mustard
1 tsp cinnamon
2 cups milk

DIRECTIONS
1. Brown ground beef, then discard grease.
2. In crockpot, combine all ingredients.




















































3. Cook on low for 8 hours, stirring occasionally.
4. Garnish with shredded cheese and sour cream if desired.

Banana Nut Muffins

The weather has begun getting very cold here in Utah so what better way to welcome in the Fall than with freshly baked muffins with cinnamon, nutmeg, walnuts and banana? There's really only 3 main steps in this recipe and from start to finish these can be done in less than just over 30 minutes. The aroma in your kitchen will be well worth the effort too. The recipe below yields 12 muffins. Enjoy!

HELPFUL HINTS

1. Don't overmix after adding the flour. The batter should not be smooth.

2. These muffins are best served the day they are baked.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

2/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

1 large egg

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1 1/3 cup ripe bananas, mashed (about 2-3)

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.

2. Grease a standard 12-muffin pan or line with paper liners.

3. Whisk dry ingredients in a large bowl.

4. Stir in walnuts.

5. In separate bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients.

6. Add the dry mixture and fold just until the dry ingredients are moistened.

7. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.

8. Bake 14-16 minutes, until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

9. Let cool 2-3 minutes before removing from the pan.