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

Bacon, Mushroom and Cheddar-Stuffed Rolls

 These rolls are just pretty.  Pretty to look at, pretty on your plate, and pretty dang good to eat.

Begin by sauteeing about 9 slices of bacon. (No lovelier words began a recipe...)

Then dice 6 mushrooms.  

Wait...what's that you say?  You'd like a mushroom-dicing lesson?!  Really?  OK! 

First lop off the stem.  Then slice through the mushroom horizontally.

Then flip it back to right-side-up.  Slice through it six or seven times vertically (with the cuts coming toward yourself).  Then rotate the mushroom and slice through it again,

Until the little darlin' is neatly and evenly diced.   (It's much like my nerdy little "how to dice an onion" tutorial.)

Six to seven mushrooms diced will yield almost 1 cup. 

Let's return to the bacon.  Blot it well with a paper towel, and chop it up. 

In the skillet in which you cooked the bacon, remove all but about 1 tablespoon of the grease (or, if that gags you out...just use a tablespoon of olive oil or butter in its place).  Throw in the mushrooms and saute over medium-high heat until they get all browned and bubbly and delicious.  Transfer the sauteed mushrooms to a bowl.

Slice up a few green onions (and 5 cloves of garlic...forgot to snap that pic)...

Remove the mushroooms from the pan (but, by golly, do NOT wash it!).  If the skillet's on the dry side, toss in a tablespoon of butter.  Saute the garlic for about 1 minute over medium-high heat,

 Then toss in the green onions for about thirty seconds or so. 

 Pour the garlic and green onions in the bowl with the mushrooms,

And then add about 2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard, 1/4 cup of mayonnaise, and a cup of grated cheddar cheese.

If you'd like to, by all means, use your own homemade rolls for this recipe.  I love Sister Schubert's rolls, and they work fantastic here (and saved me a whole lot of time).  I set the frozen bag on the counter when I began sauteing the bacon, and by the time I was ready to stuff them, the rolls were thawed. 

Cut an eye-shaped wedge out of the rolls.  

(But be careful not to slice through the bottom of the roll.)

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, place the rolls on the sheet, 

...and stuff them.  Then sprinkle over a bit more of cheddar cheese.  

Bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes or until the filling is hot and the cheese has melted.  Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve warm.  (They reheat very well, if you need to make them ahead of time.  Just keep the rolls well-wrapped in the fridge and cover them with foil when it's time to reheat before serving.)

Bacon, Mushroom, and Cheddar-Stuffed Rolls
Makes 12 rolls

9 slices bacon, cooked and chopped (reserve 1 tablespoon of bacon grease)
6 mushrooms, diced (stems removed)
4 green onions, sliced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon butter
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons dijon (I used coarse-ground)
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup + 2 tablespoons shredded cheddar cheese
 12 (purchased) smooth-topped dinner rolls (do not use cloverleaf rolls)
Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish, if desired)

Saute bacon in large skillet.  When done, remove bacon and place on a plate that's been lined with paper towels.  Reserve 1 tablespoon of the bacon grease; discard the rest.  In the same skillet you used to saute the bacon, heat the reserved bacon grease and add the diced mushrooms.  Saute over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes until they are evenly browned.  Remove from heat.

Chop bacon and place in a medium-sized bowl.  Add cooked mushrooms to the bowl.  In the same skillet (don't wash it!; if it seems dry add another tablespoon of butter), saute the garlic for 1 minute over medium-high heat until fragrant (don't let it brown).  Add the green onions and saute them for only 30 seconds or so.  Place the garlic and green onions in the bowl.  Add mayonnaise and mustard to the bacon/green onion mixture in the bowl.  Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Stir in 1 cup of the grated cheddar cheese.  Set mixture aside.

Make an almond-shaped cut into each of the rolls, bring mindful NOT to pierce the bottom of the rolls.  Remove that cut piece from the center of the roll.  Place rolls on parchment-paper lined baking sheet.  Spoon 1 heaping teaspoon of the bacon/cheese mixture into each of the rolls.  Top each roll with 1/2 teaspoon of the reserved cheddar cheese.  

Bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes, or until filling is hot.  Garnish each roll with the chopped fresh parsley.

Recipe inspired by Betty Crocker Christmas Cookbook

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. 

Cake Mix Biscotti

Has biscotti in American run it's course? 

I remember in the 90s when drinking coffee and eating biscotti became the fashionable thing to do.  (Dear Baby Boomers, please forgive the narrow focus of my youthfulness if this is totally wrong.)

"Trendy" coffee shops were popping up everywhere.

Of course, these memories are filtered through my 16-year old brain.

The same brain that was focused on pimples and straight teeth and name-brand clothing.

Back when a gallon of gas cost $1.16.

And the Dow Jones Industrial Average was soaring at 3,600 points.

(But it really did seem like America was just figuring out how awesome Italy was and trying to emulate it in every way.) 

The truth is, I've secretly hated biscotti all along.

Why would I want to eat something that I had to saw into with my molars which then exploded into a shower of crumbs on my shirt and in my lap?

Of course, true biscotti eaters know that you're supposed to dip the rock-hard cookie into your coffee or tea to soften it.

I missed that part for about 19 years.

This biscotti is made from cake mix.  Sure, that may be sacrilegious to some, but since I was just toying around with the notion that I would even like the stuff or find a pretty way to give it away, I was looking for easy.  

And easy I found.

I won't insult your intelligence with my usual step-by-step photos, but suffice it to say you have to mix the batter for MUCH longer than you'd ever dare mix a cake (3-4 minutes with an electric mixer).  You want it to be tough.  Then plop it on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

I recently met a blog reader who was sincerely wondering what my kids did while I blogged:  Sarah - this zoomed-out picture is for you!

The next step is shaping the dough into a 14"x4"x1/2" rectangle.  (I doubled the recipe, fyi.)

Then bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes (don't turn off the oven at this point).  Clearly, my rectangles were a little too close together.

After they've "rested" for 10 minutes after coming out of the oven, use a serrated knife to slice the "loaves" diagonally.  Don't be like me:  try to make consistent 1" slices.

Gently flip the slices on their side, and bake them for another 10 minutes.  Turn the oven off and leave them in there for 30-40 minutes, until they are really crisp. 

If you are diametrically opposed to having floating crumbs in your coffee and see no reason to crack your teeth on a teatime snack, package the biscotti to give away.  They keep for 2-3 weeks at room temperature (when in an airtight container) and freeze for forty forevers.

(Here's the printable recipe.)

Lemon Pecan Biscotti
Makes 14 slices

1 package (18.25 ounces) lemon cake mix*
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup flour
1/2 cup chopped pecans*

Set an oven rack in the center of the oven.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place all ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer.  Beat on low speed for 3 to 4 minutes.  Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl with a spatula.  The dough should be sticky/tough and come together in a ball.  (It should not be the more runny consistency of cake batter.)  

Scoop the dough out of the bowl and place it on the prepared baking sheet.  Sprinkle a small amount of flour on top of the dough and "flour" your hands.  Shape the dough into a 14"x4"1/2" rectangle. 

Bake the rectangle about 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the dough cool for about 10 minutes.  Keep the oven on.  

Cutting on the baking sheet, use a serrated bread knife to slice the rectangle on the diagonal into 1-inch-thick slices.  Gently turn the slices on their side and return the baking sheet to the oven.  

Bake the slices for 10 minutes.  Then turn the oven off, keeping the biscotti in there for 30 to 40 minutes until they are crisp.  Transfer the biscotti to a rack and let them cool for about 2 hours.  Then store them in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 weeks.

*These ingredients are infinitely interchangeable.  Swap them out with your favorite cake mix/nut combo (chocolate cake mix and pistachios, red velvet cake mix and walnuts, etc., etc.)  For extra fun, dip half of the completed biscotti into melted chocolate.

Recipe adapted from The Cake Mix Doctor