Red Velvet Pancakes (Colored with Beets) with Maple-Buttermilk Icing

 

My boys asked me to make "wacky" pancakes this morning.  These Red Velvet pancakes fit the bill.

The recipe calls for 2-4 teaspoons of red food coloring (depending on how red you'd like for the pancakes to be).  I didn't have nearly that amount on-hand, so I went with my favorite red food coloring alternative:  roasted, pureed beets (which I had a lot of!).

(Please see this post for easy step-by-step instructions for roasting and pureeing the beets to get them recipe-ready.  I've added them to many baked goods, and I have never been able to detect that "earthy" beet taste.)

I used 4 tablespoons of beet puree to color these pancakes so deeply. 

And then I got a strong and handsome helper to stir the batter.

I used about 1/4 cup of batter per pancake.

"One of these days", I'd like to have a griddle.  But for now, this big skillet works pretty well.  I have to use a lot of coconut oil to keep the cakes from sticking, but the oil gives the outside of each one a delicious, coconut-y crispiness that is absolutely divine. 

I overcooked a few trying to get the heat on the skillet just right, but these were far from being inedible. 

While I realize this isn't the world's most appetizing photo, can I just tell you?  The buttermilk in the batter gives these pancakes a delicious twang, and the cocoa powder lends a whisper of chocolate.  For a "wacky" pancake, these are just about as good as it gets.

The icing contains buttermilk, milk, powdered sugar and vanilla.  It's unusual yet equally fantastic (not at all in-your-face buttermilk).  

He agrees.  

Make these for your loves this Valentine's Day for a fun breakfast.

Do-ahead-tip:  I love to make a huge batch of pancakes, freeze them individually on a baking sheet, and then transfer the frozen pancakes to a freezer bag.  When I need a few for breakfast, I just pop them in the toaster oven for 4-5 minutes.  It's like a delicious, homemade version of frozen grocery store pancakes.  :)  

This recipe is Ree Drummond's (a.k.a. The Pioneer Woman) "A Year of Holidays" cookbook.  I didn't have cake flour on hand, so I used all-purpose and it seems to work fine.  I also swapped out the food coloring for the beet puree.  Other than that, this is her creation. 

Red Velvet Pancakes with Maple-Buttermilk Icing
Makes about 20 Pancakes

Pancakes:
3 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons white vinegar
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted
2-4 tablespoons pureed beets (or substitute 2-4 teaspoons red food coloring)
Cooking spray (if you have a griddle)
4-5 tablespoons coconut oil or butter (if you are using a skillet to make the pancakes)

Icing:
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Pinch of salt
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted

1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons maple syrup

For the pancakes:

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and cocoa powder.  Whisk well to combine. 

In a separate bowl, mix the milk, buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, and vinegar.  (Whisk it well.) Now add the beet puree (or food coloring) and stir again.

Add the liquid mixture to the flour mixture; mix just until it comes together (the more you stir, the tougher the pancakes will be).  Pour in the melted butter and stir (or whisk) until it's all combined.  

Heat a griddle over medium-low heat.  Or, if you're like me and you don't have a griddle, melt about a tablespoon of coconut oil (or butter) into a large skillet.  (I use a stainless steel skillet; if you're using a non-stick skillet, you may not have to use this much oil.)   Use a 1/4 cup measuring scoop and drop them on the skillet (I fit batches of 3 pancakes onto my 10-inch skillet).  Cook SLOWLY (over medium heat) until the pancakes are done, about 2 minutes per side.  These look much better when they are a pretty pink color as opposed to scorched black.  :)  Add more oil to the skillet as needed for each batch. 

For the icing:

I found it best to do this in my stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.  But, if you don't have one you can definitely just use a whisk.   

Sift the powdered sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer.  Add the salt and melted butter and whisk on medium-high speed until smooth.  Add the buttermilk, milk, and maple syrup and whisk again until it's very smooth.  A few small, unfortunate lumps may remain.  It will still taste great.  

Recipe slightly adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks:  A Year of Holidays

Apple-Cinnamon Pull-Apart Loaf with Rhodes Bread

I first blogged about this wonderful recipe two years ago.

Since 2011, this Apple-Cinnamon Pull-Apart Loaf, which uses Rhodes frozen dough balls filled with an apple/brown sugar/cinnamon mixture then sealed and tossed into a baking dish together, has become my most popular blog post, accounting for nearly 25% of my total blog traffic.  (Thank you, Pinterest.)

So when the kind folks from Rhodes bread contacted me and asked me to repost it, I gladly obliged.  In fact, I even remade the bread actually using their frozen white dinner rolls. (When I first blogged about it in 2011, I made my own dough).  

While this recipe takes a bit of time to prepare (thawing dough, letting it rise, etc.), it is SO WORTH IT.  I have prepared the loaf the night before and simply warmed it in the oven before serving the next morning for breakfast.  

Please note:  choosing a baking pan is very important in this recipe.  If you use a 9" x 5" loaf pan, just be aware that this dough will rise to great heights.  I like it as such because I think it's gorgeous when turned out on a serving platter.  However, PLACE THE LOAF ON A BAKING SHEET WHILE IT'S IN THE OVEN, otherwise it will spill over and make your oven smokey and your kitchen stinky.   Some of my fabulous readers have suggested using a Bundt or tube cake pan.  Both of these were great options; you will just need to adjust the baking time (remember:  smaller pan = increased baking time; larger pan = slightly decreased baking time.)

Here's how to make it:

Thaw 16 Rhodes frozen rolls.  (At room temperature, this takes about 4-5 hours, although there is a "quick-thaw method" on the package instructions...).

Combine a mixture of chopped Granny Smith apples, cinnamon, pecans, brown sugar, and lemon juice. 

Cut each dough ball in half.

Flatten dough into a circle, add a teaspoon of the apple mixture to the center of the circle.

Fold up the edges and pinch them together, sealing it like a little dumpling.

Toss it in a greased loaf pan (or bundt pan...see note above!). 

Repeat.

Add all filled dough-balls to the baking pan. 

Top with remaining apple-pecan mixture, loosely cover with greased plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm place until double (about an hour).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place loaf pan ON A BAKING SHEET, remove plastic wrap, and bake for 40-50 minutes (again, the baking time depends on the pan you decided to use).  Cover with foil for the last 10 minutes to prevent over-browning.

Allow bread to cool for 10-20 minutes in the pan.  Then loosen edges and remove loaf from pan, transferring to a serving platter.  Drizzle with icing, if desired. 

Serve warm.

Enjoy!

Here's the printable recipe. 

Remember:  to bake this loaf, you can use either a 9 x 5" loaf pan or a well-greased Bundt pan.  This bread will rise to a lovely height in a loaf pan, so please be sure to set a baking sheet beneath the loaf pan to prevent apple and pecan bits from landing on the floor of your oven.

Apple-Cinnamon Pull-Apart Loaf
Makes 1 loaf* (use either 9" x 5" loaf pan or bundt pan)

16 Rhodes™ Dinner Rolls, thawed (or use your own dough recipe)
3 medium-size Granny Smith apples, peeled and chopped
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Zest and juice from half a lemon (about 2 teaspoons of juice)

Icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
3-4 teaspoons water or milk (use more for icing with a thinner consistency)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Cut thawed rolls in half. Combine apples, sugar, nuts, cinnamon, and lemon juice and zest. Flatten each roll half into a 2-3-inch circle. Place 1 teaspoon apple mixture in center of each dough circle. Pinch edges together to seal, forming a ball. Place filled balls in a sprayed 9x5-inch loaf pan (or use greased Bundt pan).  Spoon remaining apple mixture evenly over the top. Cover loosely with greased plastic wrap and let rise until double. Remove wrap, place loaf pan on a baking sheet to catch any spill-over, and bake at 350°F 40-50 minutes. Cover loaf with foil last 10 minutes of baking to prevent over-browning. Cool for 10-20 minutes.  Use a knife to gently loosen bread from the edge of the pan, then remove loaf from pan transfer bread to a serving platter.  Combine icing ingredients, and drizzle over warm loaf.  Serve warm, if desired. 

Recipe slightly modified from Deborah of the Taste and Tell blog. 

Poppy Seed Bread with Lemon-Honey Glaze (Dairy-Free)

The north wind howls around the corner of the house:  winter's stubborn icy grip has our early springtime under siege.

Scrubbing the dinner dishes tonight, I stared glumly out the kitchen window, noticing that my daffodils are doing perfect downward-facing-dogs into the snow and mud.   And this wind is causing strange things to happen to the falling snowflakes: I can watch a single flake quickly dart toward the ground, then sail upward, slowly spiral toward me, then violently crash into the window pane.  Very odd indeed.

I believe I've ingested more tea and coffee this winter than ever before.  On it's own, that wouldn't be so bad, but it seems my afternoon teatime habit is usually accompanied by a baked good. 

Like a slice or two of this moist Lemon Poppy Seed Bread.

(This may sound strange, but you can omit the poppyseeds if necessary.  I personally love the texture and color the seeds lend to the bread, my kids weren't wild about them.  Besides, poppyseeds aren't a common pantry item.  And I think the bread would be great without them.)

Due to our littlest guy's recent tummy issues, we've been inching toward becoming dairy free. In this bread recipe, I used coconut oil and milk for the butter and regular milk.  I also used maple syrup and honey in place of the sugar.  

Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Lemon Poppy Seed Bread with Lemon-Honey Glaze (Dairy-Free)
Makes (1) 8x4-inch loaf

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons poppyseeds
3/4 cup softened coconut oil (substitute same amount of butter, if desired)
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup maple syrup
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Juice of 1 large lemon (about 3 tablespoons)
1/8 cup coconut milk (substitute regular milk, if desired)

Glaze:
1/4 cup honey
Zest of 1 large lemon
Juice of 1 large lemon (about 3 tablespoons lemon juice)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Place an oven rack in the center of the oven.  Prepare the loaf pan by coating with softened coconut oil and lining the bottom with parchment paper.  Then coat the top of the parchment with additional coconut oil.  (Or just use cooking spray.)

Whisk together the flour(s), baking powder, salt, lemon zest and poppy seeds.

In a large mixing bowl, stir/beat the softened coconut oil with a wooden spoon until it's mostly smooth.  Add the honey and maple syrup and continue to mix until the liquids are well-incorporated.  Add the eggs, one at a time; scrape down the mixing bowl between each addition.  Mix in the vanilla. Add the lemon juice.  Stir well.

Pour about half of the wheat mixture into the coconut oil/egg mixture and gently stir.  Pour in the coconut milk and stir.  Pour in the remaining wheat mixture.  Mix just until incorporated.

Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  If your oven heats unevenly (like mine does), be sure to rotate the bread around the 30-minute mark.

To make the glaze, whisk together the honey and lemon juice.  Set aside. 

After the bread is done, place the loaf pan on a wire rack.  Allow the bread to cool in the pan for about 15 minutes.  Run a sharp knife gently around the edge of the bread to loosen it up a bit.  Transfer the bread to a serving platter (while it's still warm).  Poke the bread with a small knife or ice pick, if desired, and then slowly pour the glaze all over the bread.   Serve warm or allow bread to sit overnight:  that's when the best flavor will develop.

Recipe inspired by:  The Joy of Baking

Orange-Glazed Sweet Rolls

A little bit sunshine for these dreary winter days... 

Orange rolls. 

Today is "reveal day" for the Secret Recipe Club.  That means I post something I prepared from the blog of another club member.  But as members of the club, we are to keep our assignments under wraps until today.  It's quite a bit of fun to find out who had whose blog and what was prepared.  

I was assigned to the blog called the "Cookbook of Trial and Error"  (love that honesty).  While I do not know the blog author's first name, I do know that her cooking doesn't seem very rookie-ish.  She has many wonderful items to choose from, including a great Challah bread recipe.  I laughed out loud when I read the chain of events that occurred while she was making it.  And I am so encouraged to try it myself.  I {heart} authenticity.

There is a little tea room in our town that is famous for their orange rolls.  The rolls are big.  Salty.  Sweet.  Tender.  Perfect.  I've been on the hunt for a good orange roll recipe for years (even though I've resolved none can match the tea room's...and I'm OK with that).  Seeing this recipe on Cook Book of Trial and Error's blog made it an easy selection.  Although I was a bit aghast that she listed the total calories of each roll (there are some things about which I'd rather remain ignorant), I will spend a little extra time on the treadmill now.   I had waaaaaay more than one. 

I mostly kept true to the original recipe.  But I did double it.  Because making only 9 rolls in my household would result in mutiny.

(The only thing I did change was that I let the glaze boil for a bit longer than originally suggested, making it thicker.)

Please do bring the eggs (and the sour cream) to room temperature first.  If you don't remember to do this far enough in advance, simply immerse the eggs in a bowl of warm water for several minutes.  Cold eggs will impede the rising of the dough.

Printable Recipe

Orange-Glazed Sweet Rolls

Makes about 9-10 medium-sized rolls

For the dough
2 and 1/4 teaspoons/ 1 package active dry yeast
1/4 cup lukewarm water (110 – 115F)
1/4 cup sugar 
1 tsp salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
 
For the filling
3 tbsp unsalted butter, softened 
2 tbsp orange zest (about 3 medium oranges), finely grated
1/2 cup sugar 

For the orange glaze
6 tbsp sugar 
2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup sour cream 
3 tbsp orange juice

For the dough:

In a small bowl, combine the yeast and the warm water.  Swirl them around together and let the mixture stand for 5 minutes or until the yeast dissolves and becomes bubbly.  (This is called "proofing" the yeast, so if this doesn't happen, the yeast may be old or ineffective.  Better to find out now than an hour down the road when the dough won't rise.)   

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, salt, eggs, melted butter, and sour cream until smooth.  Stir in the dissolved yeast and 2 cups of the flour using a wooden spoon.  Gradually add in the remaining 1.5 cups of flour.  (At this point, you may have to begin working with your hands.)

On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough for 6-7 minutes.  Place the dough in a large oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with greased plastic wrap, and then top the plastic wrap with a clean dish towel.  Place the covered bowl in a warm place to rest and rise for about 1.5 hours.  After the dough has risen to about double the size, you can refrigerate it for several hours or overnight (make sure the bowl is well-sealed so the dough won't dry out), or you can proceed with the recipe without refrigeration.

Lightly dust a work surface with flour.  (Flour the rolling pin, too.)  Roll the dough out to about a 14"x18" rectangle (about 1/4" thick).  Spread the softened butter over the dough, leaving about a 1-inch border on the edge.  Mix the grated orange zest with the sugar.  Sprinkle the zest/sugar mixture over the butter and press it down lightly.  

Place the 18-inch-long side of the dough closest to you.  Beginning with the shorter sides, roll the dough over once on each side.  Then from the bottom of the dough (the end closest to you), tightly roll the dough away from you.

Cut the ends of the dough off with a serrated knife.  (You can also use a piece of string or floss to cut the dough.)  Discard ends, if desired.  Then cut the dough into 1.5" rolls ("saw" gently with the knife...don't press down with the knife or the rolls will lose their circular shape).  Place the rolls in a lightly-greased 9-inch cake pan.  Cover the rolls with greased plastic wrap and let them rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes.  

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Bake the rolls for 20-25 minutes until the edges are golden brown and the middle roll is soft but not raw. 

For the glaze: 

When the rolls are almost done baking (the last 15 minutes), begin on the orange glaze. In a small pot, whisk together the sugar, softened butter, sour cream, and orange juice. Bring the mixture to a boil and continue to boil the glaze for 5-6 minutes, until mixtures begin to thicken.  Remove from heat and allow the glaze to rest until rolls are done.

Once the rolls are removed from the oven, pour the glaze over them. Serve warm.

Recipe from Cook Book of Trial and Error (originally from Gingerbread Bagels...but the link is not working)

Dried Plum, Brown Sugar and Pecan Pastry Roll-Ups

 Yes.  You're right.  Those are prunes.

Sometimes as Americans, we can get a little silly about prunes.  Like they're only for the 65+ crowd. 

I once read a book about the cultural eating habits of French women (who are rarely overweight and even less rarely obsess over counting calories and fat grams); the author confessed she eats a prune almost every morning with breakfast.  And she quite enjoys the luxury of the fruit!

This recipe comes from the kitchen of my lovely childhood friend, Beth.  I happened to be making the Tuxedo Cake at her house last weekend.  She was preparing for a party and just threw these little jewels together.  I was sure to capture the process so I could share this wonderful appetizer item with you.

These are very easy to prepare:  simply use refrigerated crescent dough.  With a pizza cutter, cut each triangle in half (to about the width of a prune.)

Place about 1/2 teaspoon of brown sugar and a few pecan pieces on the dough.

Top with a prune,

And roll.  Bake at 350 degrees for 9-12 minutes until edges are golden brown.  (Begin checking at 9 minutes.)

(I'm not putting a recipe here because I didn't write down the specifics as Beth made this.  But you'll need a can of the refrigerated crescent rolls, prunes, brown sugar, and pecans.  And I do suggest lining the baking sheet with parchment paper.  Makes clean-up much easier.  Unless your doing the dishes side-by-side with a heart-sister.  Then you forget the tedium of scrubbing as you talk about life together.  :) )

Enjoy!

Homemade Toaster Pastries

 

Foster care training has done a number on me. Food blogging seems starkly inconsequential compared to "walking a mile" in the shoes of these precious children.  And I'm having a really hard time separating the deep, ugly, sickening truths that we learned during our training with the joy of being in my kitchen and doing silly things like making pop-tarts that don't have any processed junk in them. 

I'm a mess right now!  Just like my counters were after I made these wonderful pastries.

I made a wide variety of sizes of the tarts...from dainty to monstrous.

I'm hooked on these Bonne Marman preserves.  Blueberry, cherry, strawberry.  Each are delightful.  And I love the jars and the pretty lids.

I suggest doubling the recipe to make a lot of these beauts.  Experiment with different shapes and sizes (cookie cutters would be fun to try).  They freeze wonderfully.  (I reheated ours in the oven at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.)

You can't go wrong with these. 

The recipe is from 100 Days of Real Food (please follow the link to find the recipe).  If you haven't checked out Lisa's site, please do.  I have learned so much in the last month by reading through her posts. 

Thanks for hanging in here with me.  Sorry I'm kind of a bummer these days...

Blueberry Oatmeal Bars (With Hidden Spinach)

Once these bars cool, you cannot detect the stealthy spinach.  At all.  

The bars are delicious and have no added sugar.

They are lovely for breakfast, snack, lunch, and dinner.  

One day last week while my husband was traveling for work, I consumed nothing else.

I do not regret it!

Blueberry Oatmeal Bars (with Spinach)
Makes 12 bars


2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 1/4 cups whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup honey
3/4 cup unsalted butter (1+1/2 sticks butter), cut into small chunks
1 cup blueberry preserves
1/2 cup spinach puree*

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease an 8 x 8-inch baking dish and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, flour, cinnamon, salt, vanilla, and honey.  Using a pastry cutter or two forks, "cut in" the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Do not over mix; chunks of butter will be visible. 

Set aside half of the oat/flour mixture.  Press the remaining half firmly into the prepared dish.  Bake until lightly browned, about 13-15 minutes.  

While the crust is baking, mix the blueberry preserves and the spinach puree together in a small bowl.  

Spread the blueberry mixture over the partially baked crust layer.  Then top with the remaining oat mixture and return to the oven for another 20 minutes, or until the topping is lightly browned.  Allow to cool completely before cutting into 12 bars.  

 *To prepare the spinach puree, add several large handfuls of baby spinach to a large skillet.  Add a few tablespoons of water to the skillet and cook the spinach over medium heat until it has lightly wilted.  Then puree the wilted spinach in either the blender or a food processor fitted with a steel blade. 

Recipe adapted from Deceptively Delicious:  Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food