Gingerbread Pancakes

We're moving full swing into winter foods around here. I believe we've already drank our way through four cartons of egg nog. (And they only hit the shelves last week.)

I grew up with a wonderful German gingerbread cookie recipe that has passed down through the generations -- and we allllll know I'm okay with eating cookies for breakfast -- but, in the interest of teaching my daughters better eating habits, I'd prefer to stick (mostly) with breakfast foods at breakfast. Breakfast for dinner is always a good option too. ;)

These pancakes make it easy.

They remind me of those delectable gingerbread cookies. Just the right amount of spice, and sweetness added with rich molasses. You can choose whether to add syrup or not. (Not necessary in my book.)

Gingerbread Pancakes 

adapted from Martha Stewart Living November issue

2 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. wheat flour

1 T baking powder

3/4 t. baking soda

1 t. salt

2 t. ginger

2 t. cinnamon

1/4 t. ground cloves

1/4 t. ground nutmeg

3 eggs, beaten

1/3 c. molasses

3 c. buttermilk

Add dry ingredients to a large bowl and mix together. Whisk together eggs, molasses and buttermilk. Once combined, add to dry ingredients and whisk together until just combined.

Cook on a greased griddle or large frying pan over medium heat. Makes enough for about 30 small pancakes. (Great as leftovers!)

Banana Breakfast Cookies

Cookies for breakfast?

My toddler asks for them nearly every morning.

Apparently, this is something I did too, so my mother tells me. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, as they say. Although this time it might be the banana.

I say, if you maintain some nutritional value, why not? We'll call them cookies even if they are -- gasp! -- good for you.

They're perfect for busy mornings. You can even freeze them and defrost for a few seconds in the microwave if you want to make a large batch. And it is the great way to use up those brown bananas on the counter-top. Enjoy with a cup of tea or a glass of milk!

Banana Breakfast Cookies

adapted from Eat, Live, Run

3 ripe bananas, smashed

1/4 c. coconut oil, melted

1 t. vanilla extract

1/4 c. maple syrup

1/2 c. oat bran

1 c. rolled oats (not quick-cooking)

1 c. whole wheat flour

1/2 t. baking powder

1/2 c. shredded coconut

1/2 c. walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix together bananas, coconut oil, vanilla, and maple syrup. Add dry ingredients to the top and mix together well. 

Divide into 12 large scoops onto 2 greased cookie sheets. Bake for 15 minutes.

Makes 1 dozen.

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes

I'll admit -- I'm just as much a sucker for pumpkin things as the next person, come sweater season, but my favorite way to indulge is through sweet things cooked and baked in my kitchen. These scrumptious pancakes are no exception. 

A delightfully easy autumn breakfast, these can be whipped up in 5 minutes flat (minus the cooking time). Bonus: This recipe works equally well with cooked sweet potatoes.

Pumpkin Pancakes

1 1/2 c. flour (all-purpose, whole wheat or a combo)

3 1/2 t. baking powder

1 t. salt

1/2 t. nutmeg

1 1/4 c. cooked pumpkin

2 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 c. milk

1/4 c. butter, melted

Mix together dry ingredients in a large bowl. Using a whisk, stir wet ingredients into dry until they are dissolved into the wet. Batter will be lumpy. 

Drop 1/4 c. full of batter onto greased skillet. Flip over when you begin to notice edges solidifying. (They don't tend to get bubbly like regular pancakes.) Remove after about 1 minute on second side.

Don't forget to drizzle with a bit of warm maple syrup or a dollop of peanut butter!

Roasted Red Pepper and Fennel Quiche with Goat Cheese

Well, it's about time.

I've had so many requests for more recipes, more blog posts, it seems I can no longer neglect this little corner of the world wide web. My posts won't be frequent and they won't be regular, but at least I can offer a little something every once and a while. :)

I concocted this recipe the other day when I was searching for a tasty quiche recipe for a breakfast date with a friend. It ended up making enough for two, so I sent one off with my husband for his weekly work Saturday brunch potluck. If you don't want two, it is easy to half the recipe.

And it's a wonderful meatless Lenten recipe, something I'm always searching for more of.

Enjoy. :)

Roasted Red Pepper and Fennel Quiche with Goat Cheese

2 pie crusts

2 large red peppers

1 head of Fennel, green part removed

1 large yellow onion

8 oz. goat cheese

A dozen eggs

1 c. milk

2 t. thyme (I used dried, but it would be great with fresh)

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Place your red peppers on a baking sheet, whole and entire. Roast for 30 minutes, turning about every 10 minutes. Keep them in the oven until their skins are completely blackened. Once black, remove from oven and immediately wrap in foil. Leave inside for at least 30 minutes. Once cool, remove stem and seeds, and carefully peel off skin. Cut into thin strips.

Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees F.

Chop onion and fennel. Heat a teaspoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook onion and fennel for about 10 minutes, until softened. Place in bottom of pie crust along with roasted red peppers, split evenly between two pies. Sprinkle 4 oz. of cheese in each crust. 

In a small bowl, crack 6 eggs. Whisk eggs. Mix in a 1/2 cup of milk and 1 teaspoon of thyme. Pour into pie crust on top of vegetables and cheese. Repeat with second crust.

Place in oven for one hour, or until inserted knife comes out clean. 

Allow to cool for at least a half hour. Delicious hot or cold! 

Coconut Snowflake Scones

I had my first official snow day last week. Well, I didn't have to stay home from school or work due to snow, but we stayed inside the whole day watching as the flurries fell so it seemed like one.

I don't live in a place where it snows, but the mountains are just a short one-and-a-half hour drive from our home. Although, their winter weather has been quite a disappointment this year. Many of the ski resorts gave up and went home for the winter already due to a lack of snowfall.

But Mother Nature pulled a fast one in the Sierras this past week and dumped nearly 6 feet of snow. People were racing up with their snowboards and skis to hit the slopes.

As I rarely see snowfall, I was excited and eager to head up to the mountains. We sat inside a warm, cozy cabin with a roaring fire, watching as the flakes crept slowly from the sky.

I made these scones. Straight from the oven to warm our insides, but white as the snow that fell outside.

The flurries got thicker, the wind got heavier. In the time it took me to bake these beauties, nearly a foot had fallen. The winter wonderland was nearly enveloping the entire cabin. As fun and romantic as getting snowed in might be, we were afraid of our lack of supplies and an unknown period of being locked in, so we packed our things quickly and headed back down the mountains munching our snowflake scones.

Coconut Snowflake Scones

2 c. flour

1/4 c. brown sugar

1 T. baking powder

6 T. salted butter, cut into small pieces

1 c. sweetened, shredded coconut
1 egg white

1/2 - 3/4 c. milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Mix together flour, sugar, and baking powder in a large bowl. Cut in pieces of butter and blend with your fingers until butter is the size of peas. Add in coconut.

Stir egg white and milk together, pouring into prepared mixture a little a time. Amount of milk varies depending on altitude and weather. You want the dough to just come together. Combine with your hands into a round ball. Breaking off clumps, form into smaller balls (about 1 1/2 in. diameter) and press down onto an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes about 10.

Buttermilk Waffles

Waffles are the trademark of late Saturday mornings. Of plentiful pockets perfect for filling with butter, syrup, fresh fruit, peanut butter. Of hot griddles steaming and oozing batter as it bubbles out the sides. Of the warm scent of buttermilk as it bakes into the golden crust.

They are also the trademark of grandmothers.

This past Saturday, we celebrated the life of Steve's grandmother who passed away a few months ago. She had been slipping away over the past decade, but a memory still fresh in the mind of her grandchildren, one they continue to hold dear, was Grandma's waffles and strawberry jam. They remember awakening to the warm scent of baking waffles after spending the night at Grandpa and Grandma's, eagerly arriving in the kitchen to a feast of waffles and Grandma's homemade strawberry jam.

Although I didn't know Steve's Grandma in her waffle-baking years, I could easily imagine her lovingly serving up a warm spread straight from the waffle iron to her giggling grandchildren.

You see, my Grandma, too, instilled those Saturday morning waffle-making memories in us grandkids. And although she is still with us, she is no longer able to enjoy baking with us. But we, too, fondly recall those delightful, warm morsels filled with gobs of butter and syrup she fed our hungry tummies when we visited overnight. Those memories will remain with us even as we grow old.

Steve and I received a waffle iron as a wedding gift. We practice our waffle baking not only to recall those wonderful memories with our grandparents, but also in the hopes that someday we may instill and share similar memories with our younger generations.

We will carry on the legacy of waffles.

Buttermilk Waffles

3 c. flour

1/2 t. baking soda

2 t. baking powder

2 T. sugar

1/2 t. salt

3 eggs

1 stick of butter

2 c. buttermilk

1 c. whole milk

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl with a wire whisk until well incorporated. Scoop with a cup into a heated waffle iron, baking until golden.

Enjoy with syrup, agave nectar, fresh fruit, whipped cream or any other glorious topping your young heart desires.

Sunday Sightings: Breakfast Scones

Top Recipes of 2011 ~

Just in case you missed them the first time....enjoy!

Mendocino Pumpkin Muffins

 Glühwein

Vibrant Eggs

 Slow Cooked Lamb in Red Wine

Candy Cane Cookies

Irish Coffee

Pumpkin Apple Upside Down Cake

Autumn is winding down. Most of the leaves have fallen off the trees in the front yard. They'll be gone after the next storm blows through.

Too, my autumnal baking is coming to an end. The last of the pumpkin has disappeared and the apples are dwindling in the fruit basket.

It is bittersweet; I, too, look forward to the peppermint and gingerbread soon to make an appearance....

Pumpkin Apple Upside Down Cake

2 apples, cored and diced

1 T butter

1 T honey

juice of one lemon

1/2 c. sugar

2 eggs

7 T butter, melted

2/3 c. pumpkin

1/3 c. buttermilk

salt

1 t. baking soda

2 t. baking powder

1 1/2 c. flour, all-purpose

1 t. cinnamon

1 t. ginger (dry or fresh -- I used dry)

1/4 t. nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter and flour 9-in. round pan.

In a frying pan, melt 1 T butter over medium heat. Add apples and honey. Cook about 3-4 minutes, until just softened. Drizzle with lemon juice. Arrange apples at the bottom of the mold.

Beat eggs with sugar until light in color. Add melted butter; beat. Stir in buttermilk and pumpkin. Add dry ingredients to wet and mix until just combined. Carefully pour batter evenly over apples.

Bake 35-40 minutes. Let cool completely before flipping over and removing from pan. (This is important -- I did not do so this time around due to time constraints and the apples stuck and had to be remolded to the cake.)

Mendocino Pumpkin Muffins

If you are not tired of all things pumpkin just yet, there is something more I would like to share with you. :)

My brother requests these muffins every year for his birthday (it's in June, mind you), and I'm always more than happy to oblige. They are adapted from a cookbook that has been on my mother's shelf for as long as I can remember.

The cookbook comes from a little restaurant called Cafe Beaujolais, which is nestled in the bohemian, coastal town of Mendocino, situated directly off Highway One in Northern California.

Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds was filmed on location here. Although, I try not to think of that when I visit, or I become frightened by every bird that flies overhead.... ;)

Mendocino's Blair House is also famous. It featured as the residence of Jessica Fletcher, the fictional sleuth from the hit 80's show, Murder She Wrote.

My family almost moved here shortly after I was born. Oh, how I would have loved to live in one of those quaint houses on the bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean!

We make frequent trips to the town when we stay in Fort Bragg (just 10 miles north). I love meandering the hiking trails along the bluff or browsing the myriad of galleries and shops. There are coffee shops aplenty, good for stopping in for a warm drink to ward off the chilly ocean breeze that blows through. A favorite stop is the Gallery Bookshop where there is guaranteed a purchase every time.

Pumpkin Muffins



2 c. brown sugar

1 c. canola oil

4 eggs, beaten

1 can (15 oz.) canned pumpkin (or 2 c. fresh)

3 1/2 c. flour

2 t. baking soda

1 t. baking powder

2 t. salt

1 t. nutmeg

1 t. allspice

1 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. cloves

2/3 c. water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Thoroughly mix together brown sugar, oil, eggs, and pumpkin. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon and cloves. Alternating with the water, add dry ingredients to wet in increments. (Batter should be creamy but not runny.)

Grease a muffin tin or fill with paper cups. Fill each cup about 2/3 full.

Bake 25-30 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out dry.

Cranberry Fennel Sausages

To round out the past few posts, a little autumnal breakfast meat you'll just love.

With the addition of cranberries and a wee bit of honey, these savory treats are almost sweet.

 

Cranberry Fennel Sausages

1 lb. sausage with sage (or add 1/2 t. sage)

1 t. fennel seed

1/4 c. dried cranberries

2 t. honey

salt and pepper to taste

2 T. olive oil

Place sausage in a bowl and break up with your fingers. Add fennel, dried cranberries, honey, salt and pepper and mix well into sausage meat with your fingers (or spoon if you don't like to get those hands dirty). Roll into balls and set aside.

Heat olive oil in a griddle or frying pan over medium heat. After placing each sausage ball into the pan, flatten with the back of a spatula. Cook a few minutes on each side until evenly browned. Remove from pan and place on a plate with a papertowel or napkin to soak up excess grease.

Goes wonderfully with these scones and applesauce.

Serves approximately 4.

Pumpkin Pecan Scones

Thanksgiving morning at our house is always an adventure. Each person is vying for a workspace to make their contribution for the feast. Measuring spoons are swiped right out from under your nose, dirty dishes are being stacked onto a pile that resembles an intense Jenga game, and that cream for the coffee you so desperately need to get things moving -- it went into the mashed potatoes.

The 20 lb. turkey asserts his presence by taking over the oven, leaving the tiny 1 ft by 3 ft space next door as the only viable option for extra stuffing, roasted artichokes, herb braided bread, pumpkin pie and the like. It is a vertiable feat of timing, balance and patience that makes a meal like this come together.

There is no time Thanksgiving morning to worry about breakfast. But, it is a vital element of the day to keep up the morale and stave off 'hanger' before the often belated commencement of the family meal.

These lovely scones are a perfect option. Make them the evening before. As with all things spiced, they actually taste better the day after.

Pumpkin Pecan Scones

2 c. flour

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/4 t. ginger

1/2 t. nutmeg

1/4 t. allspice

1/2 t. cinnamon

1 t. baking powder

1/4 t. baking soda

1/2 c. butter

1/3 c. buttermilk

1/2 c. pumpkin puree

1 t. vanilla

1/3 c. candied pecans, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Place flour, sugar, spices, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl. Cut butter into small pieces and mix with dry ingredients until butter is the size of small peas.

Mix buttermilk, pumpkin and vanilla in a separate cup or bowl. Add to large bowl and mix together by hand just until it comes together. Carefully, mix in pecan pieces.

Flour a clean surface. Pat ball of dough into a round about 1/2 in. thick. Cut into 8 triangles. Place on greased baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes, until browned at edges.

Vibrant Eggs

Tasting food all afternoon is hard work. I didn't think it would make me hungry.

Exploring the food booths at the 3rd annual Foodbuzz Festival this past Saturday, the folks at the Sargento and Sabra booths handed me a few samples to take for later. They came in handy when my belly was rumbling later that evening.

Sargento's on-the-go packaging is extremely convenient when you want to throw something in your bag and run out the door. No mess, no fuss. Just grab and go. It is also great for portioning if you're watching caloric intake. I slipped it right into my purse on my way to the Godiva booth.

Their cubed colby jack was the perfect addition to my eggs after I smothered it in Sabra's salsa. Normally, I prefer my salsas to be on the spicier side, but the flavor of this one was satisfying despite the lack of spiciness. Fortunately, their vibrant colors, with the aid of my fire-engine red peppers, masked the mess I made of flipping the eggs. :)

Vibrant Eggs

2 eggs, scrambled (with a bit of milk if you like)

colby jack cheese

salsa

quarter of a red bell pepper, diced

Sautee the red pepper for about 5 minutes over medium heat. Add eggs and cook until scrambled. Top with your favorite cheese and salsa.

Go Bananas

What do you do when you are faced with this?

Why, make banana bread, of course!!

Banana bread is one of those staples that I am nearly able to concoct in my sleep. Although, I like to keep it evolving. Sometimes I'm in the mood for fancy-schmancy complete with walnuts and coconut, other times simple-and-sweet, studded with a few spare banana slices is my desire.

I found my equilibrium in this loaf, however. Needing a tasty treat for dessert to bring along for a dinner party with girlfriends, it was a perfect balance of sweetness with those well-ripened bananas and heartiness with the oat bran and touch of whole wheat flour. It doubled as breakfast the next morning....

Sweet, Wholesome Banana Bread

1 lemon, juiced

3 very ripe bananas (and an extra for slicing on top)

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. butter

1 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 c. whole wheat flour (or all 1 1/2 c. whole wheat)

1/2 c. oat bran

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. baking soda

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Mash bananas in a large bowl. Mix in lemon juice. Cream butter and sugar together, and add to banana mixture.

Mix dry ingredients together. Stir into banana mixture. It should be thick and lumpy.

Grease a loaf pan. Place batter into loaf pan. Bake 35-45 minutes, or until inserted knife comes out clean.

Swedish Pancakes

I love versatile foods. Ones that you can eat any time of day and that can be paired with just about anything. These also tend to be your comfort foods - ones that warm the belly as well as the soul.

Pancakes fall into this category for many people, but this will take you above and beyond this staple of any American diet. Swedish pancakes are a gourmet version of the favorite and, fortunately, they don't take any more time to prepare than your basic pancake. They are cross between a crepe and buttermilk pancake; heavier than a crepe, but thicker than a buttermilk. Their inside is slightly gooey with a warm, milky flavor. I topped one of mine with agave syrup, the other with powdered sugar. Truly, they would be fine with just about any sweet (or savory) topping your heart may desire.

Swedes may not have many a claim to fame, but these definitely put them on the radar for me.


Swedish Pancakes

3 eggs

1 c. flour

pinch of salt

2 T. sugar

2 c. milk

2 T. cooking oil

Mix together ingredients with a whisk in a large bowl. Heat skillet at medium-high heat and melt a dab of butter in the bottom. Pour enough batter to cover the bottom of the skillet. Allow to cook until browned on one side, then flip sides in and place on plate to cool.

Serve with yummy toppings.

Kiss Me, I'm Irish!

St. Patty's Day is just around the corner and it's time to break out the green in your closet. If you're brave, like my brothers, you'll go all out and don a kilt complete with sporran and tassled socks. They are mighty proud of their Irish heritage.

Personally, I'm more concerned about the yummy food I'll be enjoying tomorrow....corned beef, colcannon, Guinness, Shamrock shakes. :) Do these have to be relegated to only one day a year? They seem to only make an appearance on the day when everyone is traipsing around like leprechauns. Hmmm...perhaps these things turn people into leprechauns. I never saw the connection until now....


One of my favorite Irish recipes which, fortunately, makes an appearance at least once a month on my breakfast table is Irish soda bread. A breeze to make, it is a hearty bread that goes well with stew or smeared with jam first thing in the morning.

IRISH SODA BREAD

3 c. flour (all-purpose, whole wheat or a combo)

2 T. sugar

1 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

1 1/4 c. buttermilk

1 c. raisins (opt.)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Mix dry ingredients together. Make well in center and pour in buttermilk. Bring dough together with your hands. (Add raisins.)

Knead dough on floured surface. Form into an 8-in. round, about 1/2 in. thick. Cut an X on top. Place on baking sheet and bake 25-30 minutes.

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

Oatmeal is my choice of comfort food when it is chilly and I desire something warm to coat my insides. On a foggy day like today, I wanted nothing more than to consume an enormous bowl of oats to fill my growling tummy after a long, grueling work meeting this morning. However, when I opened the cupboard, I was disappointed by the scarce quantity of oats lurking in the bottom of my cylinder tub - only about 1/4 cup! Scanning the cupboards I happened upon a small bag of pumpkin flax granola...that can't be much different from cooking oats, right?! I added that to the boiling pot of water, along with my oats and stirred away. Worked like a dream! (It is always good to work on one's improv... ;-)) Added a few other necessary ingredients to end up with my very own bowl of pumpkin pie oatmeal.

I just might be willing to forgo a piece of pie for this instead!

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

1 c. water

1/4 c. old fashioned oats

1/4 c. pumpkin flax granola

2 t. brown sugar
1/8 t. pumpkin pie spice

2 T pumpkin puree

splash of milk (if you wish)

1 T peanut butter (if you wish)

Heat water on stove to boiling point. Add oats and granola, stirring occasionally until cooked (about 5 minutes). Add sugar, spice, and puree for the last minute of cooking. Pour in a bowl and enjoy with a splash of milk and/or peanut butter if your heart desires.

A Taste of the Irish

Back when I was researching the possibility of going to cooking school, I ran across this quaint culinary school in Ireland, Ballymaloe Cookery School. (Just the name of it gives me warm fuzzies...) A college friend of mine had recently done a series of course there, so it seemed feasible to me at the time. I dreamed of living in one of their cottages, rooming with another zealous culinary artist or two. I would wake up with my fellow classmates early each morning with the first light, and help pick the fresh, organic produce from the garden as the dewy drops hung in suspension still from the leaf tendrils. We would spend countless hours in the kitchen every day learning how to make bread dough rise just so, the exact ratio of flour and sugar to produce the perfect cake, how to cook a beef tenderloin to medium-rare, a myriad of new vegetable combinations for delicious salads I had never thought of before....and that would be just the beginning! The simiplicity was its charm. Every dish would be created using the simplest of ingredients -- nothing unnecessary and all well-balanced.

But the reality of distance and finances hang over my head (maybe some day), so I am resigned to making Ballymaloe dishes in my own kitchen using Myrtle Allen's, The Ballymaloe Cookbook. Forgive me if I speak in an Irish accent when I ask for the flour off the shelf....

In an attempt to use up some more of my never-ending basket of apples, I made this delicious breakfast pastry.

Irish Apple Cake

1 3/4 c. flour

1/4 t. baking powder

1/2 c. butter

1/2 c. + 1 T. brown sugar

1 egg

approx. 1/2 c. milk

2 cooking apples

Mix flour and baking powder together. Cut butter into pieces and mix in flour by hand until it resembles course crumbs. Add 1/2 c. sugar, beaten egg and enough milk to make a soft dough. Divide in two. Roll out one ball of dough and place in the bottom of a pie dish. Cut apples into chunks or slices, arrange on top of dough in dish and sprinkle with 1 T. of sugar. Roll out second ball of dough and place on top of apples, pinching down the sides. Cut vents on top. Bake about 40 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Easy as pie. :-)

Pumpkin Scones

If there is one recipe in my collection that is well-worn, it is my pumpkin scone recipe. I have no idea where it came from originally, nor do I ever stick to its stipulations, but it has seen me through many a morning (and afternoon, for that matter).

Enjoyed one this morning with a dab of apple pumpkin butter straight from Apple Hill. I can't think of a better addition...although peanut butter comes in a close second. :-) (Almost didn't make it into the photo I was so hungry!)

Pumpkin Scones

2 c. flour

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/4 t. ginger

1/2 t. nutmeg

1/4 t. allspice

1/2 t. cinnamon

1 t. baking powder

1/4 t. baking soda

1/2 c. butter

1/3 c. buttermilk

1/2 c. pumpkin puree

1 t. vanilla

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Place flour, sugar, spices, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl. Cut butter into small pieces and mix with dry ingredients until butter is the size of small peas.

Mix buttermilk, pumpkin and vanilla in a separate cup or bowl. Add to large bowl and mix together by hand just until it comes together.

Flour a clean surface. Pat ball of dough into a round about 1/2 in. thick. Cut into 8 triangles. Place on greased baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes, until browned at edges.

This morning's scones were made using canned pumpkin pie mix so I left out the cinnamon and nutmeg. Often, I leave all the spices out as the pumpkin pie mix has its own added, but the flavor of the scones is more subtle without the added ginger and allspice. It's at your discretion...

I also like to make the scones with either all whole wheat flour or half whole wheat, half all-purpose. The whole wheat flour gives the scones a heavier texture, still every bit delicious, and they certainly keep you full longer.

Monkey Bread

Disclaimer: No monkeys were harmed in the making of this bread.

At the school where I work, Thursday is always our 'Diner Day' where we let the kids kick back and watch a movie and indulge in some special treat. Ideally, we like to choose ones where the kids are involved in the making process. They just love to get their hands dirty! And there is something all the more enjoyable when beholding the final product when it is created by your own hands....

I was racking my brain last night for a good food project to do with them. My co-teacher has decided to let me handle the baking projects from now on as he claims I "seem to know what I'm doing." ;-) As a matter of fact, the process of creating and baking enthralls me, so I couldn't be more happy to oblige.

Even artists have 'writers' block' some days; I was rather stuck in the mire last night. But then the thought came to me of this moist, gooey, sugary treat Ryan had made one day for his co-workers and left me a bite of. Its main components are sugar and cinnamon. Actually, it is ideal if you are craving cinnamon rolls but are short on time.

He kindly acquiesced to my request. And, I can honestly say, had he been present, the children probably would have trampled him to death with their affection, they were so in love with his yummy monkey bread. (Although, initially, some where seriously concerned that we would be making bread with monkeys in it....that's just gross.)

All it takes is 4 cans of refridgerated buttermilk rolls (such as Pillsbury) which are cut into forths and rolled around in some cinnamon and sugar. To get the kids involved, I gave each of them 8 pieces in a sandwich baggie and dumped a bit of the cinnamon/sugar mixture inside. We had them shake up the baggies for a good 5 minutes. Probably that much time was unnecessary, but it kept them entertained. Certainly important. :-)

We then placed all the little cinnamon and sugar balls into a buttered pan (traditionally, this is done in bundt pan, but in a pinch you can use any old baking dish), and drizzled them with 1/2 c. of melted butter and 1 c. of brown sugar mixed together. This forms a nice caramelly crust on top when baked.

They go into the oven at 350 F for 25 minutes -- and voila! -- monkey bread....sans the monkeys.