Browsing Tag:

cinnamon

Snacks & Candies

Cinnamon S’mores Bark

If you ever went camping as a kid, you probably made s’mores with the classic Hershey’s milk chocolate bars, graham crackers and toasted marshmallows. And if you did, you probably became (like me) addicted to the iconic flavor combination. So much so that anytime you can recapture that flavor, that special feeling in a recipe you can make in your own kitchen that you jump at the chance. Am I right?

S’mores remind any of us over the age of 35 of a simpler time. Food manufacturers know that, which is why you see so many s’mores flavored versions of products and those gigantic store displays that put all three key ingredients together conveniently. I know I immediately reach for them, even though I haven’t been camping in decades! And I doubt many of us are still going camping, so I’m assuming we’re all just toasting the marshmallows in the fireplace or over the top of our gas cook tops – quietly enjoying s’mores in the “virtual campgrounds” inside our homes.

This recipe for cinnamon s’mores bark captures the core ingredients of a traditional s’more and adds a pinch of cinnamon for a modern twist. I will admit that using un-toasted marshmallows means that it cannot truly capture the smoky flavor of a burnt marshmallow inside a gooey, sticky s’more that you remember eating in front of the camp fire. But it’s still quite delicious. And if I can figure out how to toast the marshmallows without melting the chocolate bark holding it all together, I will share that with all of you. Or if you discover a way, please share as well. Until then, we’ll just have to bear the burden (not!) of un-toasted marshmallows in our s’mores bark.

smores bark with cinnamon body image

Cinnamon S’mores Bark

Yield: about 20 pieces

Ingredients

2 2/3 cups bittersweet chocolate chips
2 cups milk chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups crushed graham crackers
2 cups mini marshmallows
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

Gently melt the bittersweet chocolate over very low heat, just until it barely melts. You can do this over a hot water bath or in a skillet. I prefer the microwave, heating the chocolate in 30-second intervals just until it starts melting. Then stir with spatula (chocolate will continue to melt as you stir) until completely smooth.

Spread the chocolate on a parchment-lined baking sheet into (approximately) an 8' by 12' rectangle. Allow the chocolate to set, but not harden completely.

Melt the milk chocolate in the same way. Then mix half of the crushed graham crackers thoroughly in the milk chocolate. Spread the chocolate-graham cracker mixture over the bittersweet chocolate layer.

Sprinkle marshmallows and remaining graham cracker crumbs on top, gently pressing them in before they set. Allow the candy to cool until hardened.

Break or cut into chunks. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week (or freeze for longer storage).

Notes

Adapted from a recipe on the King Arthur Flour website.

http://bakedchicago.com/cinnamon-smores-bark/

Desserts

Cappuccino Brownies

Eat your coffee! These cappuccino brownies are rich, dark and flavorful. And don’t worry if you don’t have instant espresso powder in your pantry; you can substitute instant coffee powder instead – preferably a dark roast.

Cappuccino Brownies

 

cappuccino brownies

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 16

cappuccino brownies

These cappuccino brownies are rich, dark and flavorful. And don't worry if you don’t have instant espresso powder in your pantry; you can substitute instant coffee powder instead – preferably a dark roast.

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips
4 eggs
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 325° F. Lightly grease the bottom of a 9x9-inch square baking pan with butter or shortening. Set aside.

In a large saucepan, melt the unsweetened chocolate and butter over very low heat. Stir constantly until the chocolate and butter are completely melted. Remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk in the sugar, espresso powder and vanilla. Add the eggs after the mixture has slightly cooled.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Add the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture. Stir until just combined and then fold in the dark chocolate chips.

Spread the batter in the prepared baking pan. Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Cut into 4 rows by 4 rows to make 16 cappuccino brownies.

http://bakedchicago.com/cappuccino-brownies-recipe/

Breakfast

Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

oatmeal breakfast cookie with peanut butter and banana

Who doesn’t like the idea of cookies for breakfast? This oatmeal breakfast cookies recipe  [with peanut butter, banana & black cherry] is very hearty and rich in fiber, while low in simple carbohydrates (e.g. white sugar).  You could call these oatmeal breakfast bars, but that sounds too plain. And these cookies are anything but plain.

The protein from the peanut butter and the magnesium from the banana – not to mention the calcium and good bacteria from the yogurt – all come together to make this a nutritious breakfast option that’s also highly portable.

oatmeal breakfast cookie with peanut butter and banana

 

Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

Cook Time: 24 minutes

Yield: 12 servings

Ingredients

1 cup bananas, mashed (about 2 large bananas)
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
4 ounces black cherry yogurt
1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350° F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

In a large bowl, stir together the mashed banana, peanut butter, honey, yogurt and vanilla. In a small bowl, combine the oats, flour, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Stir the dry mixture into the wet mixture until combined.

Using a 1/4-cup measuring cup or large ice cream scoop, drop mounds of dough about 3 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. That's about six cookies per baking sheet. Using a spatula dipped in water, flatten each mound of dough to about 1/2-inch thickness.

Bake one sheet at a time for about 24 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer the oatmeal breakfast cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

Notes

Store in an airtight container (up to 3 days) or freeze (up to 3 months).

http://bakedchicago.com/oatmeal-breakfast-cookies/

Breakfast

Banana Butterscotch Muffins

banana butterscotch muffins

This recipe for banana butterscotch muffins comes from Nigella Lawson’s Quick Collection for iPad (Random House 2012), with one minor modification (I added ground cinnamon, one of my favorite spices). I like to eat the muffins while they are still warm with a dollop of room temperature butter for good measure.

Most cooks and bakers have someone who inspires them. In the realm of celebrity chefs and cooks, there are a few that I admire, like Ina Garten, Tyler Florence, and Giada De Laurentiis. But at the top of my list of celebrity food icons is Alton Brown and Nigella Lawson. I like Alton’s balanced approach to understanding recipes and ingredients (he delves in to the science as much as the art of cooking). And I just adore Nigella Lawson, who (like myself) is not a professionally trained chef. Her passion for food, her wit and common sense approach to cooking makes her a friend to every home cook who aspires to create simply good food.

If you’re a Nigella superfan like me, you’ve got to watch her on ABC’s The Taste. I can’t wait to dig into her latest cookbook, Nigellissima, and the accompanying free iPad app.

banana butterscotch muffins with cinnamon

Banana Butterscotch Muffins

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Yield: 12 servings

Ingredients

3 very ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup superfine sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 cup butterscotch morsels

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 400° F. Line a standard 12-muffin tin with cupcake papers.

In a medium bowl, mash the bananas. Set aside for a moment.

In a small bowl (I use a Pyrex 2-cup measuring container), pour in the vegetable oil. Add the eggs and beat lightly.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon. Mix in the oil-egg mixture, followed by the mashed bananas. Do not overmix the batter.

Fold in the butterscotch morsels. Place an equal amount of batter in each of the muffin tins. I used a large ice cream scoop to ensure consistency. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Remove from oven and cool in the muffin tin for 20 minutes. Remove the banana butterscotch muffins and cool completely on a wire rack.

http://bakedchicago.com/banana-butterscotch-muffins/

Breads

Marshmallow & Honey Banana Bread

marshmallow & honey banana bread

Today’s marshmallow & honey banana bread recipe adventure is one for the dogs! Literally. When one of my pugs, Baxter, was diagnosed with severe food allergies, I started changing out his store-bought, grain-based treats with fresh fruits and vegetables. He loves bananas and I can easily cut one up for him and Bing, one of my other pugs.  But they can only eat so many bananas before getting too much roughage in their diet, which causes a new set of digestive problems for Bing. And that means I sometimes have a bunch of bananas about to become “overly ripe.”

I faced that today and decided I wanted to try a new twist on banana bread. So I first found inspiration for a base banana bread recipe from my Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook, and then I dug into my cupboards to find what I could add for texture and flavor. I found some honey, which is a great substitute for granulated sugar in a quick bread recipe. And then I found some miniature marshmallows that I bought in December, either thinking I’d have them in my hot cocoa or I might have been planning a marshmallow baked treat for Christmas [this year I had many plans for baking, but only had time to execute about 3 of them]. I thought the gooey-ness of marshmallows, honey and smashed bananas would be a great experiment to try, while using up these waylaid ingredients.

marshmallow & honey banana bread

Marshmallow & Honey Banana Bread

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Yield: 16 servings

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 3/4 cups mashed bananas (4 to 5 medium)
1/2 cup vegetable oil or melted butter
1 cup honey
1 cup miniature marshmallows

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350° F. Grease the bottom and sides of two 7 1/2 X 3 1/2 X 2-inch loaf pans (or one 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan), and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and ginger. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine eggs, banana, oil and honey. Add wet mixture all at once to the flour mixture. Stir just until combined (batter will be lumpy). Fold in miniature marshmallows. Pour batter into prepared pans and spread evenly.

Bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. [If using a 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan, bake for about 55 minutes.] Watch carefully during the last 15 minutes of baking. If needed, cover loosely with foil during the last 15 minutes of baking to prevent over-browning.

Cool in pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely on rack. It's recommended to wrap in plastic or store in airtight container and store overnight before slicing. Makes about 16 slices.

http://bakedchicago.com/marshmallow-honey-banana-bread/

Desserts

Oatmeal-Peanut Butter Cookies

oatmeal peanut butter cookies

When I think of oatmeal, I immediately think of breakfast. These oatmeal peanut butter cookies are easy to make and are a delicious way to get more fiber in your diet. And one might argue that you could even consider these to be “breakfast cookies” which are also highly portable for a breakfast on the run.

The breakfast cookie debate aside, I’ve never liked eating hot oatmeal on its own for breakfast or any meal. As a kid, I was more of a Cream of Wheat fan topped with maple syrup.

But oatmeal as a featured ingredient in another dish – well I can get behind that big time.

Oatmeal adds a great textural dimension to meatloaf and muffin recipes. And an oatmeal base for “breakfast cookies” provides a blank canvas for healthy options like apples, raisins or nuts.

This recipe is my riff off the classic Quaker Oats oatmeal raisin cookie recipe.

Oatmeal-Peanut Butter Cookies

Preheat your oven to 350° F.

oatmeal peanut butter cookies: oatmeal flour and peanut butter chips in mixing bowl

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.

oatmeal peanut butter cookies: ingredients mise en place

In a large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add the flour mixture and mix well.

Stir in the oats by hand, then fold in the peanut butter chips until well blended.

oatmeal peanut butter cookies: use cookie dough scoop for uniform cookies

Using a cookie dough scoop, drop onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Or the old-school way of dropping by rounded tablespoons.

Bake for 10 – 12 minutes, or until lightly brown. Cool for 1 minute on baking sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely. Store in airtight container. Makes about 4 dozen Oatmeal-Peanut Butter cookies.

 

Oatmeal-Peanut Butter Cookies

Rating: 51

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Yield: 4 dozen cookies

Ingredients

14 tablespoons butter, softened
1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups old fashioned, rolled oats
1 cup peanut butter chips

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350° F.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy.

Add the eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add the flour mixture and mix well.

Stir in the oats by hand, then fold in the peanut butter chips until well blended. Using a cookie dough scoop, drop onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Or the old-school way of dropping by rounded tablespoons.

Bake for 10 - 12 minutes, or until lightly brown. Cool for 1 minute on baking sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely. Store in airtight container. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

http://bakedchicago.com/oatmeal-peanut-butter-cookies/

Beverages

original irish coffee

cup of hot coffee

Happy National Irish Coffee Day! Who should we thank for the invention of Irish coffee? A quick-thinking chef at what is now the Shannon International Airport in Ireland and a group of weary American travelers. The story goes that a group of Americans had just arrived on a miserable winter night and chef Joe Sheridan added whiskey to their coffee to warm them up. The Americans asked if they had been served Brazilian coffee (as in coffee bean) and Sheridan told them it was “Irish coffee.”

Irish coffee has since become quite popular in America thanks to a travel writer for the San Francisco Chronicle who first enjoyed it at the Shannon International Airport. The basic recipe has evolved over the years, but I’m going to share with you my take (which adds a pinch of cinnamon) on the original recipe.

Irish Coffee

In a large mug, pour the black coffee about two-thirds full. Stir in the brown sugar until fully dissolved. Add the Irish whiskey, and give it a quick stir.

Using a teaspoon, carefully pour the thick cream over the back of the spoon held just above the surface of the coffee. You want the layer of cream to float on the coffee without mixing in it. Top it with a pinch of cinnamon.

Drink the coffee through the layer of cream. Sláinte!

 

Ingredients:

4 ounces freshly brewed black coffee
1 1/2 ounces Irish whiskey
1 teaspoon dark brown sugar
splash of thick, heavy cream
pinch of ground cinnamon

 

Number of servings: 1

Cooking time: 2 minutes

Desserts

Honeycrisp Apple Caramel Brownies

Honeycrisp apples in bowl

I just picked up at the store what might be my last batch of Honeycrisp apples for this season. I’ve been to Mariano’s, Jewel, Dominicks and Whole Foods and it seems everywhere that the only remnants are banged up and not up to my apple standards. So it looks like after I make this batch of Honeycrisp Apple Caramel Brownies that I’ll have to be patient until October when the next harvest hits. If you don’t have access to Honeycrisp apples where you live, you can substitute Granny Smith apples which are usually available year round everywhere.

Honeycrisp Apple Caramel Brownies

Preheat your oven to 350° F.  Lightly grease the bottom of a 9×9-inch baking pan with butter or shortening. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, use a mixer to beat together butter, sugar and egg (about 2 minutes). Fold in the apples and caramel candies by hand until combined. Add the flour mixture and stir until combined.

Spread the batter into the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle chopped peanuts on top. Bake for 40 minutes, or until golden brown and slightly firm. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Cut into 16 bars. [If you decide to serve warm, try this dessert a la mode with some quality French vanilla ice cream or gelato.]

 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
1 egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 3/4 cup Honeycrisp apples, cored, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 2 large apples)
30 soft caramel candies, unwrapped
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup peanuts (salted and skinless), chopped

 

Number of servings: 16

Cooking time: 40 minutes

Breads

apple cinnamon bread

apple bread

This apple cinnamon bread recipe is great for the weekend. It’s perfect for a casual Sunday morning breakfast or brunch. Whip some honey into some room temperature butter for a decadent spread to enjoy on warm or toasted slices. Yum!

This recipe calls for Granny Smith apples, but you could also substitute (when in season) Honeycrisp apples for a very mellow, melt-in-your-mouth flavor experience.

Apple Cinnamon Bread

Preheat your oven to 350° F. Grease a 9-inch loaf pan and set aside.

In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, beat the granulated sugar, sour cream, eggs and vanilla until well blended. Stir into the flour mixture, just until moistened. Fold in the apples.

Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove the loaf and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Cut in 1/2-inch slices, or preferred thickness.

 

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups Granny Smith apples, peeled and chopped

 

Number of servings: 8

Cooking time: 50 minutes

Desserts

Chipotle Chocolate Brownies

chipotle chocolate brownies

Like some heat in your chocolate? The smoky chipotle chiles and earthy unsweetened cocoa powder add a depth and richness to this chipotle chocolate brownies recipe. On a 4-alarm rating scale, I’d give this a 2-alarm rating for heat. If you’d like to go full tilt, double the amount of ground chipotle powder to 2 teaspoons. Or if you want to dial it down, just substitute any chipotle powder you remove with additional ground cinnamon for balance.

Chipotle Chocolate Brownies

Preheat your oven to 325° F.  Lightly grease the bottom of a 13×9-inch baking pan with butter or shortening, and set aside.

In a small saucepan, combine the dark chocolate and butter. Stir constantly over very low heat until completely melted and smooth. Cool slightly. In a small bowl, combine the flour and cocoa powder; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the sugar, espresso coffee powder, cinnamon and chipotle powder. Add in the chocolate mixture. Beat with a mixer on medium speed for about 1 minute. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. Mix in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture, a half cup at a time, beating on low speed just until combined.

Spread the brownie batter in the prepared baking pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until edges start to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely, about 1 hour, on a wire rack.

Dust with unsweetened cocoa powder and cut into 8 rows by 4 rows to make 32 brownies.

 

Ingredients:

8 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
1 cup butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground chipotle powder
6 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 tablespoon instant espresso coffee powder

 

Number of servings: 32

Cooking time: 35 minutes

Beverages

aztec hot chocolate

aztec hot chocolate

Day 5 in Chicago with the daily high temperature doesn’t get above the freezing point. It’s definitely hot chocolate weather – and this Aztec Hot Chocolate recipe is a spicy way to drink yourself warm this winter.

Aztec Hot Chocolate

In a medium saucepan, combine the milk and dark chocolate. Melt the chocolate over medium heat, stirring constantly.

Once the chocolate is melted and the milk is warmed thoroughly, stir in the cinnamon and cayenne pepper. Pour into 4 mugs. Top each mug with a small handful of marshmallows and one cinnamon stick for stirring. And, if you like, a pinch of cinnamon on the melted marshmallow is a nice added touch your mouth will thank you for.

Adapted from Aztec Hot Chocolate Recipe – A Beautiful Mess.

 

Ingredients:

6 cups milk
10 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
marshmallows, for garnish
4 cinnamon sticks, for garnish

 

Number of servings: 4

Cooking time: 5 minutes

Beverages

eggnog latte

Happy National Eggnog Day! And a Merry Christmas Eve, too. Personally, I’ve never been a huge fan of eggnog. Too sweet for my tastes. But I love a good latte. This easy-to-make eggnog latte is the perfect balance of strong espresso and sweet, creamy eggnog. So if you ever shunned eggnog because of it’s too sweet taste alone, give this blend a try. You might be surprised how much you like it. I was.

Mix together the eggnog and milk. Heat up (either on a stove top or in microwave). Pour espresso into a mug and fill the mug with the hot eggnog mixture. Stir and sprinkle with ground nutmeg and ground cinnamon. And voila! You have eggnog latte.

 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup eggnog
1/4 cup whole milk
1/4 cup espresso
pinch of ground nutmeg
pinch of ground cinnamon

 

Number of servings: 1

Cooking time: 5 minutes