Pumpkin Pull Apart Bread

Posted on January 20, 2022January 20, 2022 by Amanda 4 Comments

I think most people associate pumpkin with pumpkin spice, not necessarily pumpkin itself. This pumpkin pull-apart bread has the essence of real pumpkin with a hint of cinnamon. None of that pumpkin spice blend. This bread is super moist, but not too sweet. I like having it for breakfast with a cup of hot tea or for as a treat to reward myself for working out. Great for freezing for later too.

I like a recipe where you can make two loaves at once so that you can have one for yourself and another to gift to a friend!

Ingredients

Pumpkin – I used fresh pumpkin puree for this bread, but you can most definitely use canned.

Buttermilk – The buttermilk adds an extra richness and moistness to the bread, but you can also swap it with any milk alternative.

Spices – I only use cinnamon in this, but you can emphasize the pumpkin in this by using pumpkin pie spice instead.

Butter – If you don’t have time to let your butter soften, a good trick is to fill a glass with hot water, dump out the water, and then invert it over your sticks of butter. The steam and heat from the warmed glass will gently soften the butter without melting it.

Method

pumpkin pull apart bread — let that yeast get foamy

Pumpkin Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread

Print Recipe

Cinnamon in the filling and the dough, buttermilk for extra moisture, and some pumpkin puree for extra flavor.

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Keyword bread, cinnamon, dessert, pumpkin

Prep Time 3

Cook Time 20

Servings 2 loaves

Equipment

Stand mixer optional
loaf pans

Ingredients

Dough

4.5 tsp yeast dry active
1/4 cup warm water
1 tsp honey
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 egg
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp cinnamon
6 cups flour all purpose

Filling

6 tbsp butter softened
1 tbsp cinnamon
3/4 cup brown sugar

Instructions

Bloom yeast in warm water and honey. Mix all together and allow to sit until mixture is foamy.
Mix yeast mixture with remaining "wet" ingredients: pumpkin puree, buttermilk, egg, sugar, oil, and cinnamon.
When wet mixture is fully combined, add flour and salt, and mix using the hook attachment until combined.
Coat dough/bowl in neutral oil and leave to rise until doubled, about 2 hours.
To make filling, mix softened butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar until combined. Set aside.
After dough has doubled, split in half and roll out into an approximate 12" x 18" rectangle.
Spread half of the filling mixture evenly onto the rectangle.
Cut the rectangle into 3" x 3" squares. You should have 24 squares.
Stack squares in loaf pan.
Repeat with with second half of dough.
Let rise additional 30 minutes.
Bake for 15-20 minutes at 400F until lightly browned and fluffy.

Want to try some other desserts? Check out Beet Cinnamon Rolls or Crispy Gooey Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Have extra pumpkin? Try Pumpkin Panang Curry with Spinach and Paneer.

Crispy Gooey Chocolate Chip Cookies

Posted on January 8, 2022January 8, 2022 by Amanda 3 Comments

If you like crispy, gooey chocolate chip cookies with plenty of chocolate, these cookies are perfect for you. They’re quick to make and are balanced with a little extra salt. This is my go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe when I need to make a large quantity for a crowd.

This is also a great recipe to make extra dough for freezing later (add 2-3 mins cooking time for frozen dough). Frozen cookie dough hits different when you get a craving out of nowhere. You can save this dough for later by pre-scooping cookie balls onto a baking sheet and putting this in the freezer. You can also put the cookie dough into a container and freeze the entire thing (I do this because lazy). If you choose the container method you just have to remember to thaw the dough a bit before you can scoop.

Try these cookies with a glass of milk (classic) or just eat them alone!

Materials:

I used a stand mixer when making these cookies, but they can most definitely be made by hand with just a bowl and spatula. If using a stand mixer, don’t forget to SCRAPE SCRAPE SCRAPE the paddle to ensure everything is evenly mixed.

Ingredients:

Butter – make sure you use softened butter! The use of softened butter instead of melted butter makes sure that the cookies don’t spread too much and crisp up. I always have butter on hand in the freezer so I can take it out in the morning, leave it on the counter, and I’ll have perfectly softened butter for cookies in the evening. If you don’t have time to let your butter soften, a good trick is to fill a glass with hot water, dump out the water, and then invert it over your sticks of butter. The steam and heat from the warmed glass will gently soften the butter without melting it.

Sugar – classic white and brown sugar. You can use light brown or dark brown sugar, but they will yield different textures. Dark brown sugar will give a darker, crisper cookie.

Vanilla – use the whole tablespoon. Haters will say it’s too much, but I think it makes a difference.

Salt – yes, put salt inside and on top! The flakey salt on top adds more texture and helps to further balance the sweetness.

Chocolate – I’ve used semi-sweet and dark chocolate to make these before and either work fine. Choose what you like! I like to use a mix of semi-sweet chocolate chunks and chip for everyday baking. They look cute mixed and give different textures too. I also like to top my cookies at the end of baking with some extra chocolate so they get cute.

Flour – make sure to scoop and level! If you have too much flour you’ll end up with an extra doughy cookie.

Crispy Gooey Chocolate Chip Cookies

Print Recipe

My favorite cookie recipe! A sprinkle of salt at the end makes them extra tasty.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword chocolate chip, cookies, dessert

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 10

Servings 24 cookies

Ingredients

1.5 sticks butter softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup chocolate chips + extra for topping
flakey salt

Instructions

Beat softened butter, brown sugar, white sugar, 1 tsp of salt, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Make sure to scrape the paddle every few minutes if using a stand mixer.
Add 2 eggs and mix until well combined.
Mix together AP flour and baking soda, ensuring there are no lumps.
Add in AP flour/baking soda mix and mix until barely combined. You will keep mixing this when you add the chocolate chips.
Mix in the chocolate chips and stop when no flour streaks remain and chocolate chips are fully dispersed.
Chill dough in the fridge while the oven preheats to 375.
Scoop cookies in 2 tbsp scoops, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie.
Bake for 8-10 minutes until edges are browned and crispy and centers are still soft.
Top with additional chocolate chips and flakey salt after removing from the oven.
Let cookies cool for 5 more minutes.
Then enjoy!!

Check out some of my other recipes too!

More labor intensive – Beet Cinnamon Rolls

Maybe something savory? – Chicken & Cabbage Dumplings

Beet Cinnamon Rolls

Posted on December 30, 2021January 5, 2022 by Amanda 4 Comments

During the pandemic of summer 2021 I signed up for a farmbox/CSA (community supported agriculture) and also experimented with a lot of baking. From that came… beet cinnamon rolls!

After being extremely sedentary while working from home, I decided to focus my diet on more whole foods and vegetables. Now that I’ve joined the CSA, I look forward to going to pick up my vegetables every week and it’s continued even through the winter! Each week I find something I don’t typically buy for myself (like beets!), so it’s fun to come up with a new application for the vegetables I get in my box. It’s amazing to know the farmer, see the land, and know exactly how your food gets to you.

I love beets, but I really have only had them cold, unseasoned, and tossed in a salad. I wanted something completely different and really wanted to showcase their beautiful color.

These cinnamon rolls stayed moist and weren’t too sweet. Perfect for breakfast or for dessert. There’s a little earthy, beet-y aroma that balances well with the cinnamon and the sweetness. They keep well in the fridge for up to a week and taste best reheated in a toaster oven or in the microwave.

When making the beet puree, the vibrant color stays if you blend raw beets. It’s definitely a lot harder to blend raw beets, but with some time and patience, you’ll have beautiful, bright cinnamon rolls. You can use cooked beets, but the cinnamon rolls will come out a more dark brown color. Let me know what you think!

Beet Cinnamon Rolls

Print Recipe

Vibrant, perfectly sweet, and dare I say… healthy? Try these out!

Course Dessert

Keyword beets, cinnamon, rolls

Prep Time 1 30

Cook Time 20

Servings 24 cinnamon rolls

Equipment

Stand mixer optional
Rolling Pin or other cylindrical object

Ingredients

Dough

4.5 tsp dry active yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 cup beets cut into 1 inch cubes
1 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp salt
6 cup all purpose flour

Filling

6 tbsp butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon

Instructions

Mix together yeast, warm water, and sugar. Set aside for 5 minutes to allow yeast to bloom.
Blend raw beets with milk. Try to get this mixture as smooth as possible. You may need to stop the blend to get the beets pulsed through.
Combine yeast mixture and beet blend with egg, sugar, cinnamon, vegetable oil, and salt. Mix thoroughly.
Add flour, cover, and rest until doubled in size. You can also let this rest overnight covered in the fridge.
To make the filling, mix together softened butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
After dough has risen, split in half. Each half will make 12 cinnamon rolls.
Roll half the dough mixture into a large rectangle, approximately 9" x 13". hot tip: if you don't have a rolling pin, it's perfectly acceptable to use any other cylindrically shaped item (wine bottle, water bottle, etc)
Spread half the mixture evenly onto the rolled dough.
Roll the longest end of the dough forward, creating a long log.
Cut your log into 12 cinnamon rolls and place in a 9" x 13" pan or put 6 in a 9" x 5". Leave some space as they will rise again.
Repeat with the other half of the dough to create 12 more rolls. hot tip: freeze one pan of cinnamon rolls for another day
Allow the cinnamon rolls to rise covered in a warm place.
Bake at 400°F for 15-20 minutes, until cinnamon rolls are fluffy and lightly browned.

Check out my other recipes here!