Mother's Day Praline Peach Muffins

I've been obsessed with peach lately. Peach yogurt, peach cupcakes, peach ice cream... You name it and I crave it! So when I started brainstorming over what I should make for Mother's Day, I knew it had to have peach in the name!

I adapted this recipe from a basic peach muffin recipe I found online. I'll post the original but I've tweaked some of the details.

What you need:
1/2 cup (1 stick) plus two tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup peaches, chopped (see below for details)
1 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup brown sugar
Dash of cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a microwave safe bowl, melt two tablespoons of butter. Stir in brown sugar and cinnamon. Place pecans in bowl and stir until thoroughly coated. On a parchment paper lined cookie sheet, spread the pecans in a single layer. Bake for 5 minutes or until brown and toasted.

Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add egg, sour cream and vanilla and mix well. Combine flour and baking powder, stir into cream mixture until just moistened.

To begin with, I suggest using fresh peaches as this will give the muffins much more flavor. For my muffins, I pureed about 3/4 cup of the peaches and then roughly chopped the remaining 1/4 cup.

Break up the praline pecans so that they're not in giant chunks. Gently fold in the pecans and peaches.

Fill either greased or paper lined muffin tins 3/4 full with batter. Try to even the batter out in the tins as it is thick enough that it forms big lumps if you're not careful. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until tops are golden brown.

Good luck and happy baking!
Rosie

Source: Recipe adopted from here

Oh Em Gee Nutella Cinnamon Rolls

I never thought about combining the rich, delicious taste of cinnamon rolls with the chocolately goodness of Nutella. But when I was scouring the vast plains of the internet for a suitable recipe for Nutella month, I knew I had to try these. This is going to be an amazingly simple post because we already know how to make the dough. We've done it before. In fact, it was the very first post on this blog. Now, with a few new steps, we're going to take those awesome cinnamon rolls in a whole new level of awesome.

What you need:
1 batch of cinnamon roll dough, prepared as in this post
1/3-1/2 cup of nutella (depends on what level of ooey gooey you're going for)
6 tablespoons butter
Cinnamon
3 cups powdered sugar
6 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Prepare your dough and roll it out into a 12x9 inch rectangle. In a microwave safe bowl, add the nutella and butter. Microwave in 30 second increments, stirring after each one, until butter and nutella is mixed and smooth. Spread over the dough. Sprinkle cinnamon over the nutella filling.

Roll your dough into a 12 inch roll. Slice into eight pieces. Place into a round cake panned lined with parchment paper. Melt two tablespoons of butter and brush on top of the rolls.

Bake at 425 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes until the tops are golden brown. Dump the rolls out onto a greased wire rack.

 Allow rolls to cool slightly. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together milk, powdered sugar and vanilla. Glaze the still warm rolls.

Oh. Oh yeah. Look at that sexy roll.

 Now that is delicious! These rolls were incredibly rich and wonderful. They're more of a dessert than a breakfast, but buttery rolls really balance out the nutella well.

Good luck and happy baking!
Rosie

Sinfully Delicious Nutella Stuffed French Toast

If there's one thing my best friend and I share a love for, it's Nutella. That's why, when I suggested that April be a Nutella themed month for my blog, she heartily agreed to join me in my baking adventure. Our first project? Nutella stuffed french toast.

Of course, we decided that no Nutella party would be acceptable without proper girly day materials. So when we went grocery shopping for, y'know, basics like Nutella and bread, we might have come home with more than expected...

Don't worry. We put it all to good use.

What you need for the french toast (for two)

4 slices Texas toast (don't skimp on this and use regular bread; it won't be nearly as good!)

3 eggs

1/4-1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1-2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Nutella

Bananas and/or strawberries

Cool whip

Smother the Texas toast with Nutella.  Show that bread no mercy and make sure it's drowning in Nutella by the time you're done with it.

Now slice up some fruit. Personally, I just like bananas with mine, but my boyfriend likes his with bananas AND strawberries. Lay the slices evenly on one slice of bread.

Whisk together your eggs, whipping cream, and powdered sugar until well combined. The sugar will make it a little thick.

Smoosh the banana layered slice of toast together with the plain Nutella slice. Carefully dip in the egg mixture. I like to dip it so that the middle doesn't get egg in it (raw egg-yuck!) so I dip one side, flip, and then the other. Place in a warm, lightly greased skillet over medium heat.Watch the toast carefully as it has a tendency to burn quickly. When one side is thoroughly cooked, flip and cook the other side. At this point, the center should be turning into molten, Nutella lava. When done, remove from skillet, top with Cool Whip or syrup and enjoy!

This stuff is heavenly! The center is an ooey gooey river of Nutella and banana. The toast is perfectly sweetened and tender. With the Cool Whip on top, it becomes Nutella heaven.

This was all that was left on my plate when I finished! 

Good luck and happy baking!

Rosie

Sunday Morning Banana Nut Muffins

I have this constant craving for muffins. It's a bit of a hassle really. They say that muffins are terrible for you but I just can't get enough! My all time FAVORITE muffin is banana nut. So when I had one of those "Omg, I need to make some muffins!" moments, I knew exactly what kind I was going to bake.

What you need:
3 to 4 ripe bananas, smashed
1/3 cup melted butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon espresso or strong coffee
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted or raw

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Mix your butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, espresso and vanilla

Sprinkle the baking soda and the salt over the mixture and stir in. Add the flour, mix until just incorporated. Fold in the walnuts.

Pour mixture into prepared muffin tins. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool on a rack.

Oh my. Those are some sexy muffins.

Butter these babies up and enjoy.

Good luck and happy baking,
Rosie

Source: Simply Recipes

Redwall Inspired Scones and Meadowcream

When I was around 8 years old, my favorite book series was the Redwall series by Brian Jacques.

There was something great about those books, something that makes me love them even today at age 20. Two summers ago, when my boyfriend and I had just begun dating, we discovered that our love for the series was mutual. One night we reminisced about how all of the descriptions of food within the books sounded simply divine and we both got it into our heads that we just HAD to have some. Out of everything described in the series, we both agreed that scones and meadowcream sounded the best. So we got creative. Our experiment was a success and now scones and meadowcream is one of my boyfriend's favorite dishes. If it was up to him, I would make them all the time.

Unfortunately, Brian Jacques died last year. Both Austin and I were heartbroken. With Jacques passing away, I think we both realized a piece of our childhood had gone with him. His books were fantastic and were part of what inspired me to pursue writing as a career. All of his characters were incredibly brave and they all taught me incredibly important lessons while growing up. I know that one day I'll read his books to my children and I hope I can inspire others to do the same.

Redwall Abbey's Scones and Meadowcream

What you need....

For the scones:
3 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup fresh blueberries or currants or fruit of choice (optional)
1 tablespoon heavy cream for brushing

For the meadowcream:
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 pkg (4 serving) instant vanilla pudding
1/2-3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

 Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a large bowl.

Add butter and mix with fingertips to a course meal. Add buttermilk and mix until just combined. Add your fruit. This recipe is highly adaptable so I encourage you to experiment. I've tried adding nuts and different extracts and they've always been delicious. Tried cranberries and walnuts. Or dried cherries and almond extract. Get creative!

Transfer dough to a floured surface and divide into two parts. Roll each into 3/4 inch thick rounds. Cut each round into 8 wedges and place slightly separated onto a greased baking sheet.

 Brush tops with whipping cream. Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Oh man, those look good enough on their own! And they are really. Just use a bit of butter or jam and you're set. Or, if you're looking for something really delicious, you might want to pay attention to the next part...

In a medium mixing bowl, cream together the cream cheese, pudding mix and milk until smooth and light yellow. Mixture should be thick and sticky, but still thin enough that it can be stirred. Add more milk if needed.

In separate bowl, whip the cream until stiff peaks form. Be careful not to overbeat. Fold whipped cream and vanilla into pudding mix. Serve and enjoy!

 

Oh my... How delicious does that look? A fair warning, a little bit of meadowcream goes a long way. That does not mean, however, that you'll be able to stop yourself from eating a whole bowl of it. This stuff is addictive.

Good luck and happy baking!
Rosie

Source: Scones- Food Network
Meadowcream- the team effort of Austin and I

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes May Just Be the Best Thing Ever

When I was a kid, Sunday morning meant pancakes or waffles. It was the one day a week that my dad would be off so it was the only time my family was all together for breakfast. Now that my dad is retired, pancakes are not always limited to Sundays and sometimes I give him a break and do the honors of cooking up the delicious treats myself. So on that not, let me introduce you to what may be the most wonderful thing ever-- cinnamon roll pancakes.

Holy mother of cupcakes! That looks amazing!

What you need:

For the batter:
1 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Filling:
1/2 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Cream cheese glaze:
4 tablespoons butter
2 oz cream cheese
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Prepare pancake batter. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk in milk, oil, and egg just until the batter is moistened.

In another medium bowl, mix butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Scoop the filling into a small zip bag and set aside. You'll want it to set until it becomes the consistency of toothpaste.

In medium microwave bowl, melt butter and cream cheese. Gross looking, right? Whisk together until smooth. Add powdered sugar and vanilla; set aside.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and spray with nonstick spray. Alternatively, use a nonstick electric griddle. Scoop about 3/4 batter onto the skillet. Snip the corner of the filling bag and squeeze a spiral of filling over the batter. As you can see, my filling was not quite set enough and ran... A lot.

When bubbles begin to appear on the surface of the pancake, flip carefully with a thin metal spatula and cook until browned on the underside. When done, transfer to a baking sheet or plate and keep warm in the oven.

 

When ready to serve, just spoon some glaze over the top and enjoy! And believe me, you will enjoy these, The soft and fluffy in the center, but the runny filling makes the edges delightfully crisp.

I found that serving a little bit of bacon with these is a good idea. These are dense, sweet pancakes and they come off as a little too rich if you don't have the salty bacon for contrast.

Good luck and happy baking!

Rosie

Source: Recipe Girl

Ridculously Good Cinnamon Rolls

    Wow, so this is my first post in the blog Sweet Saccharine. At this point, I'm still not sure what I want this blog to be when it grows up, but I'm hoping you will join me as I figure it out.

    My name is Rose and I'm currently a college student working on a major in writing and publishing. However, some of my biggest hobbies include baking and fashion. I'm hoping that it will become evident throughout this blog just how much those two influence me, but for now we'll just dive right on into the first!

    One of my favorite foods in the whole world, is a piping hot cinnamon roll. Ever since I was a child, I loved the taste of the slightly doughy rolls with sweet icing melting down the sides. So when I found this easy recipe on Moms Who Think, I was ecstatic. Not only is it simple, but its ridiculously delicious and rich. I barely managed to finish one and my boyfriend, who might have a black hole for a stomach, stopped after a mere two.

    Here are directions with my (ugly) pictures, but if you just want the recipe, scroll down to the bottom.

    Your Ingredients:

Rolls:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, plus extra for the counter
2 Tablespoons white granulated sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted


Filling
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup white granulated sugar
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

Cream Cheese Frosting
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups confectioner's sugar
1 Tablespoon milk

First you need to go ahead and preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. Coat a 9 inch round cake pan and a wire rack with vegetable oil spray. Do not skip this! The baked rolls are covered in a sticky syrup and will be impossible to get out, otherwise.

For the filling: In a small bowl, combine your brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, salt, and the melted butter until the mixture resembles wet sand.

Next you need to make your dough. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and 2 Tablespoons of the melted butter.




With a wooden spoon, stir the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture until absorbed or about 30 seconds. The recipe says the dough will look shaggy, I would say a more accurate description is lumpy. Turn it out onto your floured counter and knead it until it is smooth.

Using your hands, press the dough into a 9 by 12 inch rectangle. This dough is very elastic, so be patient. Don't pull on it, because this causes the dough to become tough.

Brush the dough with 2 Tablespoons of the melted mutter. Sprinkle the dough evenly with the filling, but leave a !/2 inch border. Press the filling firmly into the dough.

Loosen the dough from the counter using a spatula, and roll the dough, starting at a long side, to form a tight log. Make sure to pinch the seam to seal it, so the rolls don't fall apart. Cut into 8 even slices.

Place the slices into the greased cake pan. If necessary, gently shape them into a more rounded shape. Brush with the last 2 Tablespoons of melted butter.

Bake until the edges are golden brown, about 20-25 minutes. Be careful not to over bake! You will notice that the filling has spilled out and is bubbling, like a delicious, molten, cinnamon volcano.


Use a knife to loosen the rolls from the pan. Flip them out onto the prepared wire rack, then turn the upright. Let them cool for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, make your frosting. Cream together your first three ingredients. Add the confectioners sugar gradually in order to incorporate it smoothly. Add the milk if it becomes too thick (I didn't find that necessary). This recipe makes a LOT of frosting. So what was the only logical thing to do? Cover the rolls in a mountain of cream cheese frosting, of course! After the rolls have cooled, spoon the icing on top and watch it make its ooey gooey way down the sides of the rolls.

The only thing left is to enjoy these monstrously delicious rolls. For the original recipe without the pictures, follow the yeast free recipe at Moms Who Think.

Enjoy!

Rosie