Cinnamon Pumpkin Pull Apart Bread

I'd like to think I'm a risk taker. But in reality, I'm probably not at all. I think using pumpkin puree in a sweet bread sounds risky, almost too risky for me. Here in Australia, pumpkin isn't used as a sweet--but I know that Americans are quite used to the idea of serving pumpkin pie as a dessert.
Pumpkin certainly does have that sweet element, but to me it's still a veggie and it would never cross my mind to use it in anything but a savoury dish.
So I stepped right out of my comfort zone with this month's Secret Recipe Club reveal and made Cinnamon Pumpkin pull-apart bread with a delicious caramely glaze. It was amazing and I was ever so pleasantly surprised by how beautifully all the flavours came together and the lovely soft texture of the bread itself. It consists of soft folds of sweet bread paired together with cinnamon sugar, sweetened by the deliciously sticky glaze. (I think I made my glaze a little thick, and would probably thin it next time. I also mucked up the cutting and stacking of the dough process so mine doesn't look quite as pretty as it might have if I had paid more attention to the recipe. Still tasted great though...sometimes looks aren't everything he he--says the woman blogging in her pj's with hair all amess.)
The recipe was discovered on Mommy's Menu, and this wonderful blogger is a stay at home mummy of seven little people. Amid all the business every day life presents for us stay at home mums, she still manages to cook up and blog some pretty amazing affairs! Bravo! Lets hope I'm still blogging and cooking up amazing things when I have seven!

CINNAMON PUMPKIN PULL APART BREAD (Adapted from Mommy's Menu)

Bread:

2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup milk
2 1/4 tsp dry yeast
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup sugar
pinch salt
2 1/2 cups plain flour
Extra flour for kneading and flouring surface

Filling:

1 cup brown sugar
1 heaped tsp ground cinnamon
pinch ground ginger
pinch ground cloves
3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tbsp butter, melted

Glaze:

2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 1/2 tbsp milk
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
3/4 cup icing sugar


To make the bread, in a large bowl, combine the butter and the milk. Microwave until the butter has melted, then set aside to cool until just warm. Add the yeast and set aside for 10-15 minutes to proof. The mixture will begin to foam when ready.
Add the puree, sugar and salt and stir to combine. Gradually add the flour 1/2 a cup at a time, mixing until well incorporated. Knead the dough with your hands for 6 minutes, adding 1 tbsp of extra flour at a time if too sticky. The dough should end up just slightly tacky by the end of the kneading, and be smooth and elastic.
Lift the dough from the bowl and spray with a thin layer of cooking oil. Replace the dough and cover. Set aside in a warm place to rise for 60-90 minutes, or until doubled in size.
Meanwhile, to make the filling, place the brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg together in a bowl. Mix until well combined.
When the dough has risen to twice its original size, turn it out onto a floured surface and punch it down with your fist. Knead for 2 minutes, then roll out into a 20x12 inch rectangle. Brush the surface with the melted butter, then evenly sprinkle on the prepared sugar and spice filling.
Using a pizza cutter or smooth bladed knife, cut the dough into 36 squares (6 rows horizontally by 6 rows vertically)  Stack the squares of dough three high, so you end up with 12 stacks of 3. Stack the piles of dough vertically in a 9x 15 loaf tin. Cover the tin with a clean tea towel and set aside to rise for 30-40 minutes.
Meanwhile preheat the oven to 180C.
Once the dough has risen, bake for 30-40 minutes until a deep golden brown. Remove and cool for 10 minutes before turning out on a wire rack to finish cooling.
To make the glaze, place the butter, brown sugar and milk in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, then remove from heat. Stir in the vanilla and the icing sugar to form a paste, then pour over the cooled bread. Serve.

One Hour Coffee Cinnamon Scrolls

It's a chilly wind that blows here today. There are few things that I enjoy more on days like this than baking bread and having that heavenly scent fill the house. But being a busy mum, it's sometimes hard to get time to fully enjoy the process of bread making, because it can span over the best part of the morning or afternoon and get in the way of other household duties. That's only one reason why I love this recipe--it only takes one hour of your time from the very first addition to the clean bowl to the removal from the oven. One hour! And only 10 minutes of that is kneading time, so I don't think we can complain too much there, especially if you have a mixer that will do the job for you. I don't--I don't think I would feel I had really made the bread if I hadn't done some of the kneading by hand.
I halved the original recipe and it still makes oh so many delicious scrolls! There's only one problem--the original recipe calls for three eggs, so halving the recipe means dividing one egg in half. I don't know if the half egg makes much difference or not, but I've never had any qualms about dividing an egg and throwing half of it down the plug hole. Maybe if you have extra large eggs you could just use the one (as I have stated in the recipe). It's up to you--skip the half egg or add it, or make the entire amount and dally out the delicious sticky loot among your friends (there's no way one family can get through the amount the original recipe makes, as these are best eaten on the day of making).

ONE HOUR COFFEE CINNAMON SCROLLS (Adapted from Valley Ridge Recipes)

DOUGH:

1 3/4 cup warm water
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup oil
3 tbsp. dry yeast
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 extra large egg (alternately 1 1/2 regular eggs)
5 1/2 cups plain flour

Place the water, sugar, oil and yeast in a large bowl and mix together. Let this mixture stand for 15 minutes.
Then add the salt, egg and the flour. Mix together into a soft dough and knead for 10 minutes, adding a little more flour if necessary so it does not stick to your hands. Lightly oil the bottom of the bowl, and let the kneaded dough sit in there for 10 minutes.
Lightly cover your work area with a little oil. Place the dough on this prepared surface and roll out into a rectangle about 1 cm thick.

CINNAMON FILLING:

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/4 cup butter, melted

Heat the oven at 200C.
Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl until well incorporated. Brush the melted butter over the surface of the rolled dough, and evenly sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar. Firmly roll the dough into a roll beginning with the long side. Cut the dough into 12 even portions. Arrange neatly on a lined baking tray about 2-3 cm apart from each other. You can let them sit and rise a little for 10 minutes if you want, or put them straight in the preheated oven. Cook  for 12-15 minutes until very lightly browned on top. Remove and cool on tray.

COFFEE ICING:

2 tsp instant coffee
boiling water
icing sugar

In a small bowl, place the instant coffee granules with enough boiling water to dissolve it, about 3 tablespoons. When dissolved, gradually stir through 1/4 cup icing sugar at a time until you reach a desired consistency. Some people prefer it thick, but I like mine a bit runny. Add water if necessary until it is the way you prefer. Drizzle over the cooked scrolls and serve.

Choc Chip Cookie Dough Bites

Most people wouldn't believe me when I said I have 6 brothers.
And that I was rarely teased by them.
But both are true.
I can remember just about every instant that I was teased, because it was so infrequently. I'm a super sensitive type, so I suppose that is maybe the reason I didn't get teased as much as most people would have been in my situation.
One instance I remember being teased, if it can be called that, is when my brother told me that I was going to get worms all throughout my body from eating raw pastry dough. I loved eating those "scraps" that were cut off my mother's quiches, and it terrified me that I was full of worms from eating so much of it.
So you can imagine my slight hesitation when I looked at Mis-Cakes Oven Adventures S'mores Cookie Dough Bites recipe and discovered them to be completely raw. I loved the sound of it, but the memories of that pastry incident flooded back, and I had a good laugh.

I made them, ate a few and felt like a very naughty little child for doing so. There's something so wrong about eating raw dough and not at least putting a bit of it in the oven. 

So wrong, but so right, because it's so yummy and you know none of it has to be baked. It's a completely safe recipe, as it contains no eggs, so even heavily pregnant me was able to delight in them. It would be the perfect snack to whip up for a ladies night in.

I didn't have any marshmallows on hand, so I can't honestly say that they are s'mores dough bites. I think they would be amazing with the addition of the sweet and spongy marshmallow bits though. I dipped mine in a little chocolate to make up for the lack of marshmallow. 

Don't forget to head over to check out the other recipes from The Secret Recipe Club reveal!

CHOC CHIP COOKIE DOUGH BITES (Adapted from Mis-Cakes Oven Adventures)

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tbsp. milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla essence
1 cup plain flour
1/3 cup mini chocolate chips, plus an extra 1/2 cup for melting and dipping if desired
1/2 cup coarsely crushed biscuits

In a medium bowl, beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the milk and vanilla and stir until just combined. Add the flour. Beat until a firm dough forms and all ingredients are incorporated. Add the chocolate chips and crushed biscuits, reserving a few tablespoons of the crumbs for sprinkling later. Stir into the mixture until combined. Roll into balls about the size of a walnut, placing each on a baking tray lined with with non stick baking paper.
Refrigerate for half an hour. Meanwhile, melt the extra chocolate chips. Dip half of each refrigerated dough ball in the melted chocolate and sprinkle with the reserved crumbs. Serve chilled.

Mother's Day Ideas

Mother's Day--don't let her be the one who makes the cake! Although I will be, but it's only because I enjoy it so damn much. In fact, it's not a cake as such, but a Tim Tam Malt Ice cream bomb with chocolate ganache. I am sure it will make an appearance on here in the very short future. So hold your horses and keep your eyes peeled--I can't help but think it's going to be insanely scrumptious. But what about you? What's cooking for Mother's Day? Here's a secret--mums don't really care what they get or what you do, it really is the thought that counts and the fact that you made an effort and remembered. So you don't have to go out and buy something super expensive. I would say most mums would probably treasure something hand made more than anything--a piece of you! I'm a mum, I would know, right?
So here's a few ideas of edible gifts you can make yourself for Mother's Day. Hope you spoil her!

Giant Sugar Coated Rose Petal Cake--recipe here.

Raspberry Lemonade Slice--recipe here.

Pink Pancakes with Strawberry Jam and Strawberry Oreo Crumble--recipe here.

Strawberry Oreo Kulter Hund Chunks--recipe here.

Glazed Raspberry Swirl Scrolls--recipe here.

Almond Meringue Sea Shells--recipe here.

Chocolate Fudge Marshmallow Cupcakes--recipe here.

Forbidden Fairy Foam--recipe here.

Monte Carlo Cheesecakes--recipe here.

Ultimate Chocolate Biscuits

I've long been on the look out for the ultimate chocolate biscuit recipe--fudgy, chewy, moist and not too over the top. The Woolworths supermarket bakery has these fantastic chocolate biscuits that are like sinking your teeth into chocolate mud cake, and I have always wanted the recipe. I finally found something similar and oh so delicious. It's probably the best home made chocolate biscuit I've ever had the pleasure to devour, along with  another favourite of mine, the Chocolate Crinkle Biscuit. I've adapted the recipe from here, where it has a five out of five star rating and over 250 reviews to back it up. I knew I couldn't go wrong there. It's sort of one of those fail proof recipes I think. It doesn't have any fancy ingredients and it's super quick and easy to make. The hard part is waiting for them to cool on the rack. My little son literally danced on the spot for 10 minutes waiting for them to cool he was so excited, and then announced "These are delicious! thanks babe!" His father has taught him well!

ULTIMATE CHOCOLATE BISCUITS

1 1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla essence
2 1/4 cups plain flour
1 cup cocoa powder (unsweetened)
1 tsp baking soda or bicarb soda
pinch  salt
1 1/2 cups chocolate bits

Preheat the oven to 180C. Line two baking trays with baking paper and set aside.
In a large bowl, place the butter and the sugar and beat until light and fluffy and well combined. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat well. Add the flour, cocoa powder, soda and the salt and mix into the butter mixture with a spoon until incorporated. Fold the chocolate chips through this mixture.
Scoop heaped teaspoons of this mixture onto the prepared trays, spacing them a few inches apart to make room for spreading. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Biscuits will be soft and puffed up, and will flatten on cooling. Cool for 5 minutes on the trays before removing with a spatula and placing on a cooling rack until completely cool.

Makes between 40-50 depending on the size of your scoop!

Lime Cheesecake Ice Cream with Raspberry Swirl

It's a little experiment that turned out oh so right.
This thick, creamy cheese cake ice cream, infused with lime and rippling with raspberry puree, has a lovely biscuit base mimicking the real deal and tastes sublime. It's rich and decadent and smooth, and the flavours of the lime and raspberry together are just meant to be. There's nothing quite like home made!

LIME CHEESECAKE ICE CREAM WITH RASPBERRY SWIRL (Adapted from The Perfect Scoop By David Lebovitz)

1 lime
125ml (1/2 cup) full cream milk
225g cream cheese, room temperature
250g sour cream
pinch salt
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup raspberries
green coloured food dye (optional)
3 scotch finger biscuits, crushed

Finely grate the zest of one lime into a small bowl containing the milk. Stand for half an hour to infuse. Meanwhile, cut the lime in half and juice. With a small spoon, scoop out the green fleshy part of the lime and also add this to the juice.
In a food blender or processor, place the cream cheese, sour cream, salt, vanilla and sugar, as well as the juice and flesh of the lime. Add the milk and zest. Process until well combined, then place in the refrigerator to chill for at least an hour.
Add the food colouring.
Pour the mixture into the ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer's instructions until the mixture forms a thick ice cream. While churning, place the crushed biscuits in the base of the container you are using to store the ice cream. Puree the raspberries and set aside. Spread the churned and frozen ice cream over the biscuit layer when removed from the ice cream machine. Swirl the raspberry puree through the ice cream and place in the freezer until firm. Serve with raspberries or more lime zest if desired.

Makes about 700ml

Grilled Smashed Potatoes

I've been making these beauties for a while. They're a nice spin on the more plain "potatoes in their jackets", as my mum used to call them, and take almost as little time. Best of all, you can add whatever delicious toppings you want and get really creative. Chicken parmigiana smashed potatoes? Go for it!

My husband and I are avid potato lovers, so we thoroughly enjoy having these as a side dolloped with sour cream, alongside the fresh greens and meat. It's also a kid friendly and kid approved dinner side, so that is always popular when you have fussy little undeveloped taste buds in the house.  

They bring back childhood memories of camping with the family, wrapping potatoes in aluminium foil and burying them under the coals of the campfire, to later find them cooked--and then we proceeded to lather them in melting butter.

Here I have spun over to Kate's Kitchen for inspiration for the Secret Recipe Club Reveal this month and found Grilled Smashed Potatoes. I've added bacon  and tomato pasta style sauce to the recipe, and I've just sizzled them under the hot grill because unlike Kate, I don't have a grill basket (I'm not even sure what that is). They are delicious! Don't stand for plain-jane jacket potatoes any longer!

GRILLED SMASHED POTATOES (Adapted from Kate's Kitchen)

Washed and brushed potatoes, skins left on
Diced bacon
Tomato Sauce (pasta style)
Basil
Oregano
Parsley
Grated tasty cheese
Sour cream

Boil the potatoes until tender.
While they are cooking, heat up a little oil in a fry pan and cook the bacon until browned.
Remove the cooked potatoes from water and set on some aluminium foil on the grill tray. Set the grill to high to heat. Meanwhile, using a potato masher, gently crush eat potato downwards. (Don't mash it right up, you still want it to basically be in one, crushed piece.) Spread about 1 tablespoon of tomato sauce on each potato. Sprinkle the potatoes with herbs and lastly the grated cheese.
Grill until golden and bubbling, and serve immediately topped with a dollop of sour cream.

Chicken Bacon Meatballs

It's been a pretty strange six months for me. Being pregnant has thrown out my whole cooking roll--my sweet tooth, my insatiable desire to create and taste and share. This could be an explaination for my 18 month old daughter waking up at 2 am and repeatedly crying "Cupcake! Cupcake! Cake!"
Withdrawal symptoms.
Really, all I want to do is sleep, or put my feet up, or shop online for things I'll never use and clothes that will probably never fit me.
Savory food seems more appealing--as does green stuff and everything on the healthier side of life.
Got to get my mojo back.
Last weekend I had a catering job for a cocktail party and made these delicious meatballs. Chicken meatballs, to be precise, and good thing it wasn't my party or I wouldn't have stopped eating them until the plate was clean. They're full of simple goodies like bacon and herbs and smothered in a little tomato paste--and oh--chicken mince now stops my heart. I think I'm in love with it.
I've only worked with chicken mince for one recipe before. It was when I was working as cook at this adorable cafe called the Marmalade Deli. It was a quaint, shabby chic little place  that felt like your own, and we served these amazing Chicken Burgers. I will share the coveted recipe some time soon, as I have some more chicken mince in the freezer to be devoured. In the meantime, here's the recipe for the chicken bacon meatballs, which make a fantastic appetizer for any party or gathering. They were raved about.

CHICKEN BACON MEATBALLS (Adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

2 slices bread, torn up into small pieces (fresh or stale is fine, should make 1 cup)
1/3 cup milk
2 rashers bacon, very finely diced
1 small red onion, very finely diced
1 tsp. minced garlic
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
salt and pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten
500g chicken mince
2 heaped tbsp tomato paste, divided
1 tbsp dried parsley (or 3 tbsp finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley)
1/2 -3/4 cup dried breadcrumbs

Preheat the oven to 200C.
In a small bowl, place the shredded bread and milk, and leave it to soak for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the diced bacon, onion and garlic in half of the oil. Season with salt and pepper and cook over a medium heat until the onion is softened. Set aside off the heat.
Drain any excess milk from the bread, squeezing out what you can. Discard the milk.
In a large bowl, place this bread with the bacon mixture, beaten egg, the mince, 1 heaped tablespoon of the tomato paste and the parsley. Combine until thoroughly incorporated. Sprinkle a little of the dried breadcrumbs over the mixture. If the mixture seems too wet to make into balls, add more breadcrumbs. Roll into approximately 50 balls and place on two baking paper lined trays. In a small bowl, combine the last tablespoon of oil with the last tablespoon of tomato paste and stir until incorporated. Brush the tops of each meatball with this paste, and place in the oven. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Serve warm.

NOTES: these meatballs freeze well, and are perfect as a prepare ahead appetizer.