Roasted Stawberry Muffins (The Hoods are Here!!!) (Sorta)

This recipe is majorly inspired by from White On Rice's recipe for Roasted Strawberry Whole Wheat muffins. I just wanted to get that out of the way. Although I am a bit obsessive about roasting vegetables it had never occurred to me to roast strawberries.

Also, they have much prettier pictures on their blog! Stunning, actually. I tend to take pictures while balancing a toddler in one arm who is reaching for the Iphone yelling "BIG TRUCK MOVIE!!!" while I try to take a photo.  I feel this may affect the quality of my photos. :) Perhaps.

The Hood Strawberries are FINALLY ripening around here. The season for these sweet little gems is very short so you have to get while the getting is good. We were lucky enough to be gifted a large bowl this week! But sadly, they weren't as sweet and perfumey as we had anticipated. Then I remembered the roasted strawberry recipe (again here, I want anyone to think I am stealing recipes!). Twenty minutes in the oven and the house smelled like jam and the berries were browned and a bit sweeter. And the flavor was just more strawberri-er. (That is a word now.)

I tossed the berries with a bit of olive oil and then folded them into a vanilla muffin batter. They are not too sweet - I think next time I would double the sugar in the muffins. I also wish vanilla bean paste was in my budget, because I think that would have taken these to the next level.

Makes about 12 muffins
Roasted Strawberry Muffins
1 pint of not so fabulous strawberries
1-2 teaspoons oil
2 eggs
2 tablespoons melted butter
3/4 cup yogurt ( I used nonfat Greek)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cup flour ( I did half whole wheat flour, and half all purpose flour)
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder

Heat oven to 400 degrees
1. Rinse and hull strawberries, cut in half if large. Lay in a single layer on a baking tray. Drizzle with oil and roll with your hands to coat the berries.
2. Roast for about 15-20 minutes or until the berries look a little browned and shriveled. Cool while making the muffin batter.
3. In a small bowl combine eggs, melted butter, yogurt and vanilla. Mix with a fork until smooth.
4. In a larger bowl add flour, sugar and baking soda. Stir to combine.
5. Pour the liquid ingredients into the flour mixture. Combine using as few spoon strokes as you can.
6. Put paper liners in muffin tins. Spoon about a tablespoon of batter into a cup. Lay 3-4 berries on top of the batter. Cover with another tablespoon of batter. Top the muffin with 1-2 more roasted berries.
7. Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

Green Pea Gougeres

Have you been to Bob's Red Mill? It is an actual place, not just a business which packages every sort of flour, bean, grain, or mix you could imagine. Levi and I love to go to the Mill for an afternoon field-trip - lunch (delicious deli!) and a bit of shopping. Anything that Bob's Red Mill sells packaged is available in bulk at the store. I have brought home 5, 6, 7, and 12 grain cereals, pancakes and waffle mixes, beans, all sorts of flours. If it exists and is edible, Bob's Red Mill has it!

I wasn't too surprised when I spied a bin full of pale green flour. I had no idea what it was, but was up to give it a try!  I knew I needed to take some home. Green pea flour is a beautiful shade of green with a soft texture. I brought home a scoop and then started pondering what to do with it.

Part of the fun of having a kiddo is introducing them to all sorts of new flavors and textures. Levi loves anything bread or cheese so cheese puffs, or gougeres, popped into my head. I was imagining gooey cheese and pale green puffs being nibbled on by my little guy.

I started with this Ina Garten's Cheese Puff recipe. I subbed 1/2 cup of flour for a 1/2 cup of the green pea flour. I also made it more kid friendly by using melty mozzerella cheese instead of gruyere and parmesan. I also used less salt because it was going to be for Levi. This was a mistake, next time I would use the whole amount to help the flavor pop.

The results were beautiful! The pale green puffs were not as light as traditional cheese puffs, but were very good, especially warm.

It was a fun way to use an unusual flour.

Here is a picture of Levi eating at the park. Rice cakes are like cheese puffs? Right?

(This is a link-tastic post! Sorry!)

Have you tried any unusual flours? Any successes?

PS. I have a great give away coming up from OXO. Stay tuned! 

Banana Strawberry Muffins

My little guy is almost 2 months old and I have been given the go ahead to begin exercising again! Today was a great day to get back into the healthy habit after almost a year of a sedentary life style. My pregnancy was very difficult due to a condition called Hypermesis Gravidarium. I spent most of it in bed and didn't enjoy being active the way I had in the past. So, anyway, today was a rare sunny January day and Levi and I took advantage of the weather. I pushed Levi around for over an hour, luxurating in the sunshine and freedom of movement without nausea, a huge belly, or aching cesarean scar.

I am looking forward to blogging more regularly again, but need to take into account just how much time a baby takes. I am going to try to update with a new recipe weekly, rather then twice a week. At least until Levi starts to nap regularly!

Mornings are the hardest time with Levi, Justin is at work and I am still learning to balance the baby while making a cup of coffee. A hardy muffin I can eat with one hand was needed. I also wanted something a little healthy - I have baby weight I need to work off!

I checked the freezer and had some frozen bananas and strawberries that needed to be used up. I defrosted and drained those and mixed them up with yogurt, oatmeal and some flour and they came together well. If you want them a little sweeter add a teaspoon or so of brown sugar to the tops before baking.

Banana Strawberry Muffins
2 bananas, pureed or smooched with a fork
1 cup frozen strawberries, defrosted and drained, then smooched with a fork
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup plain or vanilla yogurt
1 cup oatmeal
2 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 tablespoons brown sugar, plus more for sprinkling on top of muffins, if desired

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 2 muffin trays (will make about 16 muffins)
2. Mix together fruit, eggs, vanilla and yogurt until combined.
3. In a larger bowl mix oatmeal, flour, baking powder, cinnamon and brown sugar until combined.
4. Using a large spatula combine fruit with flour mix - adding the fruit to the flour. Mix until just combined.
5. Divide among muffin tins, about 3 tablespoons per cup. If desired, sprinkle tops with brown sugar.
6. Bake 15-20 minutes

One Perfect Bite's Plum Buckle

I love reading Mary's One Perfect Bite. She has a fabulous mix of ethnic and traditional recipes, wonderfully photographed and written up. The day after I discovered my parent's Italian plum tree was loaded with fruit Mary posted this recipe for a plum buckle.

I doubled the recipe to make a 9x13 pan because I planned to bring it to work to share with my coworkers. When the cake came out of the oven, Justin took a huge slice and announced that this cake wasn't going ANYWHERE!  (Sorry co-workers!). This is from a man who doesn't like dessert. Needless to say, the huge pan disappeared quickly. I made it again for Yom Kipper dinner and it was received with equal zeal from my family.

This recipe is a hit and had to share it for those who don't yet know about Mary's blog.

Recipe re-posted with permission.
Some days the cake bakes in less than an hour, other days it takes more time. I suspect the amount of moisture in the fruit explains the discrepancy but you'll be fine, as long as you keep the cake in the oven until you are sure its center is set. This is a cake that is best served warm and eaten on the day it is made. It stales quickly. This is a treasure that I hope you will try. Here's the recipe.

Plum Buckle...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Sunset Magazine

Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 large eggs
Zest of 1 small lemon
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/3 cup milk
4 cups sliced unpeeled firm-ripe plums (about 4 large)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground mace

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter an 8 x 8 x 2-inch pyrex pan. Set aside.
2) Combine butter and 1 cup sugar in bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat at high speed until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in lemon peel.
3) Combine flour, baking powder,salt and nutmeg in another bowl. Whisk to combine. Stir half the flour mixture into butter mixture , then add milk followed with remainder of flour mixture. Stir just until incorporated. Scrape batter into prepared pan. Overlap plum slices on top of batter. Combine reserved 2 tablespoons sugar with cinnamon and mace. Sprinkle over plums.
4) Bake in a 325 degree oven until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes (it may take longer than this) . Serve warm or at room temperature. Yield: 9 servings.

Blueberry Muffins

Last weekend I picked up a dog-earred copy of Anne of Green Gables at a garage sale and promptly reread it. Growing up this was one of my most beloved stories. The character of Anne still warms my heart with her fantasy worlds, temper and love for those dear to her. Anne's greatest downfall, according to Marilla (the woman who adopts and raises her) is that she is forever getting lost in a dream world instead of attending to her chores. This leads to all sorts of baking disasters.

I must have been channeling Anne when I attempted to make blueberry muffins from the Smitten Kitchen site. They turned out a little like hockey pucks, but were delicious so I let it go. Justin and I gobbled them up while parusing baby name books and watching my stomach distort. Those little feet (or hands??) are getting strong!

A few days later I decided to make the muffins again, only then realizing that I had forgotten ALL the baking soda AND powder! No wonder they were hockey pucks. This time they were puffy and soft and just as delicious!

Go here for the Smitten Kitchen recipe, which was adapted from a Cook's Illustrated recipe. (Just being clear that it isn't MY recipe. Well, if you leave out all the levening, then it would be mine. I would call them Anne's muffins.)

Dark Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

I am still testing cookie recipes for my brother's rehearsal dinner. This recipe was passed along from my friend M's mom (a fabulous baker!!). I substituted dark baking chocolate for semi sweet. This made a not too sweet cookie, which appeals to some folks, but not all. If you are wanting a sweeter chocolate cookie use sweet baking chocolate.

I rolled all the cookies in powdered sugar before baking, but in addition, I rolled some in chunky sugar. The cookies with the chunky sugar bits were FAR better then the plain powdered sugar. It gave the soft, cakey cookie crunch and texture.

If you are looking for a cookie to satisfy your dark chocolate cravings, these are it! If you want a sweet, fudgy cookie you will have to look elsewhere!

Dark Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt (or 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt)
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 3/4 c. sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
5 squares unsweetened, dark chocolate, melted
1/2 cup powdered sugar
(optional: 1/2 cup chunky sugar)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1. Melt chocolate (I used the microwave on low.) Allow to cool for a few minutes.
2. In a bowl mix flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. In a mixer cream butter, sugar, and vanilla. Add eggs one at a time until combined. With mixer running on low, mix in cooled, melted chocolate.
4. Slowly incorporate flour until all combined.
5. At this point you can put the dough in the refrigerator for up to an hour.
6. When ready to back roll dough into 1 inch balls. Then roll in powdered sugar (and chunky sugar).
7. Bake 12 minutes on a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper.

Cool completely before enjoying.

Cherry Tomato Tart

My homegrown tomatoes are doing nothing at all... they have become as lazy as I have this summer! I have a few green tomatoes, but none of the red, juicy beauties I expect. The local market was advertising heirloom tomatoes, promising beautiful flavor. I went in for a taste and was sorely disappointed - until I tried the cherry tomatoes. The tiny gems are sweet, juicy and full of the real tomato flavor I have been longing for.

A tomato tart is nothing new, but I thought I would write the recipe up anyway, in case you were looking for ways to use up your cherry tomatoes. I mixed goat cheese, green onion, and tomatoes to make a savory tart for a summery dinner.

Lately garlic and onions have been making my belly hurt, so I opted for the gentler green onion for the recipe. Feel free to sub garlic instead. I also used a store bought crust because, like I mentioned above, I am lazy, and honestly I can't tell the difference. :)

Goat Cheese and Cherry Tomato Tart
1 pie crust, thawed and unrolled
2 cup assorted cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1/4 to 1/2 cup goat cheese
2 green onions, sliced thinly
olive oil
kosher salt
pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Roll crust onto a baking sheet. Using your fingers smoosh and spread goat cheese onto crust. Leave about an inch around the edge of the crust bare.
3. Sprinkle sliced green onion.
4. Add tomatoes, again leaving a 1 inch border on the crust.
5. Fold edges of crust up over the pile of tomato goodness. Sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper.
6. Bake 15-20 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and tomatoes crinkly.

Serve hot or cold.
Looking for more tomato recipes? Check out my food writing from about 10 years ago. These are still my go-to recipes.

Jam Thumbprint Cookies

I am test driving cookie recipes in preparation for my brother's rehearsal dinner. Today was jam filled thumbprint cookies. I think they may make the final cut.  Rich butter dough, sweet jam, and best of all two dozen cookies were out of the oven in under 30 minutes.

The ingredients are simple, the dough gets whipped up in the stand mixer and then rolled into balls. Instead of attempting to spoon jam into little holes I put 1/4 cup of jam into a plastic baggie and cut off the corner. This made it simplier, neater, and faster to fill the cookies.

Jam Filled Thumbprint Cookies
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 egg yolks
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup fruit preserves, (I used 1/4 cup raspberry and 1/4 apricot)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. In a stand mixer cream butter and sugar. Slowly add yolks, salt, and vanilla and mix until combined.
3. Add flour and mix until a soft dough is combined. You may need to scrap down the sides once or twice.
4. Roll dough into 1 inch balls and press your thumb into the dough to create a well.
5. Fill hole with jam of your choice
6. Bake 12 minutes or until the bottom of the cookie is slightly browned.

Let cool at least 15 minutes before trying, unless you like molten jam burning off the roof of your mouth.

Project: Bagels

Sunday dawned rainy, windy and downright horrible. Just the right kind of a day for a project that involves the oven! I am currently typing one handed because my other hand is holding a freshly made bagel - crispy crust and a lovely chewy interior.

Saturday morning I was dreaming of this bagel sandwich, so today I tried my hand at bagel making purely because I am too lazy to drive across to town to my favorite bagel shop.  Sadly, when I went to the basement to get my last winter kabocha squash I found it covered in a very pretty mold. It is in the compost and I am happy with cream cheese right now.

I used the Chow.com bagel recipe, but I did modify it. I did not have any malt syrup so I subbed in honey. I lowered the amount of sugar and salt in the recipe after reading all the comments. The major change I made was boiling my bagels in brown sugar and baking soda which supposedly helps give the bagels their brown crusty exterior.

This is a surprisingly quick recipe. I should have made twice as many because I am eating them almost as quickly as I baked them!

Bagels (Makes about 12)
1 1/2 cups tepid water (105°F to 110°F
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (Or 1 (1/4-ounce) packet active dry yeast )
4 Cups Flour (I used regular flour and they came out fine)
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon kosher salt
3 tablespoon granulated sugar

3 tablespoons baking soda
2 tablespoons brown sugar

kosher salt, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, grill seasoning, etc for toppings

1. In a small bowl stir yeast into the warm water.
2. In the mixing bowl of a kitchen aid mixer add flour, honey, salt and sugar. Put bread hook on the machine.
3. Pour water and yeast into the mix and combine on low for about 2 minutes or until the dough looks shredded.
4. Turn speed up and mix dough about 9 minutes or until smooth and slightly stretchy. I had to push the dough down a few times.
5. Shape dough into a ball by gently folding it under. I put it back in the mixing bowl of the Kitchen Aid and covered with a towel. The original recipe says to let it rise in an oiled mixing bowl. (I didn't want to dirty something else.) Let rise for 30 minutes or until it is puffier and springs back when you touch it.
6. After 30 minutes, put a large pot of water on to simmer. I used a large, flat sauce pan with 4 inch sides. Add baking soda and brown sugar. Turn oven on to 450 degrees.
7. Divide dough into 12 pieces. I use my butcher knife because it is almost like a dough cutter in size and shape.
7. Roll each piece into a 6-9 inch rope. Wrap into a bagel shape. Let rest while the water comes to a simmer (not boil).
8. Working in batches of 3 or 4 bagels at a time, add to the water for 1 minute on each side. Remove from water to a cooling rack with a pan under it. This will catch the water drops and toppings. 
9. Sprinkle bagels with toppings.
10. Transfer bagels to baking sheets lined with parchment or silpats. Give each one about an inch of space. I ended up using 2 pans.
11. Bake 15 minutes. Then turn pans and back another 5-10 minutes or until golden brown and fragrant. Try to let them cool to complete the baking, but warm bagels straight from the oven is GOOOOD!

Homemade English Muffins

I am going to preface this recipe by saying; yes, it is easier to buy a sleeve of english muffins from the grocery store. Homemade english muffins are a little different then the store's muffins and don't last as long. That said, they are fun to make, taste delicious hot off the griddle and would make a great addition to any morning routine.

I first made these on a Sunday night, when I realized I had nothing to eat for breakfast on Monday morning. The trouble with teaching and our early, early mornings, is breakfast must be fast and filling. I go from 7:30 - 11:00am without a break to snack (or take care of any other sort of business). An english muffin, peanut butter and an apple (and a mug of coffee) keeps me going until lunch.

This is a simple dough, which is easily whipped up in the stand mixer. It needs to sit for an hour or so to raise so plan a little bit ahead. I start the dough before dinner. By the time we have eaten and cleaned up the dough is ready to roll. Hot english muffins smeared with homemade caramel apple butter is a terrific dessert!

I cut these out with a large juice glass and cooked them on a cast iron griddle. You could use a large frying pan too, and or my favorite old standby the calphalon pan. Store any leftover muffins in the freezer, take one or two out the night before you want to eat it. Toast, top with something yummy, and enjoy!

(This looks like a lot of work, but I am just trying to articulate the steps clearly.)
Homemade English Muffins (adapted from the Joy of Cooking)

1 1/2 cup warm water
4 teaspoons sugar
3 teaspoons kosher salt or 1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
2 1/4 teaspoons yeast or 1 packet yeast
4 cups of flour, divided
3 tablespoons butter, cut into very small pieces.
2-3 tablespoons cornmeal (optional)
butter, oil, or cooking spray to grease the griddle

1. In a stand mixer combine warm water, sugar, salt and yeast. Let sit 5 minutes or until yeast begins to bubble.
2. Using the dough hook attachment for the mixer, add 2 cups of flour. Combine slowly.
3. Let dough sit in a warm location for an hour to hour and a half. I put it on the back of the stove while I am cooking dinner or warming the oven. The dough should double in size.
4. Return the mixer bowl to the mixer. Mix in 3 tablespoons of butter and then the additional 2 cups of flour.
5. Beat in the bowl until smooth and the dough begins to climb the dough hook.
6. Sprinkle flour onto a clean countertop. Turn the dough onto the counter. Lightly knead a few times. The dough should be silky and smooth and feel wonderful!
7. Pat the dough until it is about 1 inch thick. Using a large juice glass cut out as many muffins as you can.
8. Sprinkle a baking sheet with corn meal. Put the cut out muffins on the corn meal and let rest 20-30 minutes.
9. Heat a large griddle or frying pan over medium heat. Grease with butter or cooking spray. Cook muffins about 15 minutes. 7-8 minutes on each side or until the top and bottom are browned.

Enjoy!

Small Celebrations

Friday was our last day with kiddos. Another school year has come to a close. The big misconception in teaching is that the last day of school equates freedom for teachers. Not quite. We have a few more days of grading, entering report cards, packing, cleaning, moving, and generally closing up shop. Both Justin and I worked hard this weekend and deserve a little celebration. The light is getting bigger and bigger at the end of the tunnel.

As I have mentioned before, I am not much of a baker, nor do I really like bananas. I also can't stand the sight of food going to waste. So when 4 large bananas were getting darker and darker on the counter I had put both my fear of baking and bananas aside. I wanted more of a cake than a bread and after reading a few recipes came up with this cake. It is incredibly moist and tender. It is a great cake to kick off the summer months!

Chocolate Banana Bunt Cake
4 large really ripe bananas
juice of one lemon
3/4 cup softened butter
2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 eggs
3 cups pastry or all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup dark chocolate chunks or chips
1 cup milk

Heat oven to 275 degrees. (The low temp makes the cake extra tender.. supposedly)

1. In a medium bowl smoosh bananas and the juice of the lemon. Set aside.
2. In a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar until pale. Add eggs one at a time until mixed. Then add vanilla. Add bananas and beat until mixed.
3. In a small bowl, or in a mixing cup, mix flour, baking soda chocolate and salt.
4. Alternate adding flour mixture and milk until all in combined into the batter.
5. Pour into a greased bunt pan (or whatever you choose). It took an hour and 20 minutes for the cake to bake. It will probably take less time in a different pan. When the top is lightly browned and a knife inserted come out clean.
6. Cool by hanging upside-down off of a bottle.

Edited to add: While I finishing this up to post a young bird flew into the house! We secured the pug, opened all the doors, and after a short tour of upstairs and some waving of a bedsheet he made it safely back outside. Phew!

Orange-Anise Sweet Rolls aka Le Gibassier

Part of living comfortably on a teacher's salary is learning to forgo some of those little daily treats other folks might take for granted. I learned long ago the best way to save money was to cut out a daily latte and sweet roll. Not surprisingly, it is also a great way to lose 5 pounds!

I don't miss my lattes anymore. I have found a cup of fresh brewed coffee and a splash of milk is just as soothing in the morning. Since moving to North Portland we have become dedicated fans of Blue Gardenia's coffee.

What I do miss is the Pearl Bakery's Le Gibassier rolls. These rolls are scented with orange flower water, speckled with anise and rolled in sugar. I thought they were spectacular doughnuts until I Googled it. Turns out they are yeast rolls.

I am not much of a baker. My dad is the family member who whips out challah, foccacia, Russian poppy-seed cakes, biales, and the perfect rolls for topping with leftover turkey. He has tried to pass along his dough wrangling skills. He bought me a cooking scale. He delivers bags of flour to my door. He lets me eat his bread whenever I go home. But, so far, the teaching hasn't stuck. Baking just scares me.

I finally decided to take the plunge and try to fill the void left beside my morning coffee. This ended up being a month long challenge. (And I think I gained the 5 pounds back I had lost. Someone had to eat the mistakes!)

My first challenge was finding a recipe for Le Gibassier in English. The second, finding one in English I could actually understand. The third, giving up on getting to the store to buy a bottle of orange blossom water. I used an orange instead. The fourth challenge, learning that pastry flour has no gluten. No gluten means the rolls will not rise. (Those were nice shortbread like cookies.) The fifth was discovering that yeast does expire.

Are mine like the Pearl Bakery's doughnut-like piece of heaven? No. Are mine orange scented, sweet and yeasty, and speckled with anise? You bet. Have I eaten 4 while writing this all down? Quite possibly.

This makes about 16 rolls.
Orange-Anise Sweet Rolls
1 cup warm water
2 tablespoons yeast

500 grams flour (not pastry flour)
200 grams white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon anise seeds
zest from one orange
juice from one orange
10 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon white sugar

1. Dissolve yeast in water. Set aside for a few minute until the yeast begins to bubble a bit.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer add flour, sugar, salt, anise, and zest. Put the dough hook in the mixer and give it a stir to combine the ingredients.
3. With the machine on slow, pour in yeast and water. Then add orange juice. Lastly, add the olive oil one tablespoon at a time. Use a spatula to help push the dry flour into the path of the dough hook. If the dough doesn't come together into a ball after a minute or so, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time until it forms a moist ball.
4. Set aside to rise for about an hour. In all my attempts it never really doubled in size.
5. Turn out of bowl and knead gently 5-7 times until you form a ball. Use a cleaver to divide the dough in half. Then divide each half into fouths. Gently rolls this into oblong shapes and place on a cookie tray lined with a silpat.
6. Let the dough rise a second time for about an hour. Again, it doesn't rise much.
7. Bring oven up to 350 degrees.
8. Slice the top of each roll 3-4 times. Brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar.
9. Bake about 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Enjoy with home brewed coffee.
And just think of all the money you are saving! :)

Tropical Banana Bread

I am not a huge fan of bananas. I think my opinion was influenced my aunt, who tell stories (illustrating her niece-devotion) of gagging while spooning bananas into my baby-bird mouth.

I will eat a perfect green- yellow banana, but they go from perfect to brown and mushy far too quickly. I started my morning looking for a better banana bread recipe. Then I ran across a recipe for lime, banana, and coconut ice cream and my bread options opened up.

This is a great, moist, not too sweet banana bread that helps me remember tropical days on this Fall Sunday afternoon.

Put the Lime and the Coconut in the Banana Bread

1/2 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup mashed overly ripe bananas
3 tablespoons yogurt
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 cup grated coconut (I used sweetened, but either would be good)
1 tablespoon lime zest
1 tablespoon lime juice

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl mix oil, sugar, eggs, bananas, yogurt, salt, ginger, coconut, lime juice and zest until combined.
In a separate bowl sift together flour, baking powder and soda, and flax. Add the dry mix to the wet mix and fold until just combined. Pour the batter into a greased bread pan. Bake 1 hour until a knife inserted comes out clean.