Hash brown Egg Bake (From: Taste of Home)

• 1 package (32 ounces) frozen cubed hash brown potatoes, thawed
• 1 pound sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 8 eggs
• 2 cups milk
• Dash paprika

In a large bowl, combine the hash browns, bacon, 1/2 cup cheese and salt. Spoon into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. In another large bowl, whisk eggs and milk until smooth; pour over hash brown mixture. Sprinkle with paprika.

Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 45-50 minutes until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Yield: 8 servings.

But I took the flavors and ran and made this muffin…. I am SOO proud of myself for making them from scratch, a few years ago I can’t imagine create a recipe all by myself, but I did it today and these muffins are delicious and amazing!

Butterscotch Dark Chocolate Muffins (From: Myself)

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups sour cream
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup bread flour
• 2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips
• 1 cup butterscotch chips

Are you one of those people who just can’t go to a gathering without bringing a hostess gift of some sort?  Me too.  It’s pretty rare that I’m invited to someone’s house, so when I am, I like to bring something extra thoughtful.  It’s generally homemade and it’s always easy to transport. 

These scones are a perfect example.  They come together quickly and taste great plain, with a little butter and honey, or with some homemade lemon curd.  You can easily adapt the recipe to incorporate your favorite fresh, seasonal fruit.  Bring these as a gift once and I bet you’ll soon find yourself being invited to someone’s house with an invitation that includes, “And would you mind bringing those scones?”

Lemon-Raspberry Scones (Adapted From: Good Things Catered)

• 1 egg
• 1/4 c. low-fat plain yogurt
• 1/4 c. milk or half and half
• 1/2 tsp. lemon extract
• 2 tsp. lemon zest
• 2 1/4 – 2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour (depends on juiciness of berries)
• 1/4 c. granulated sugar, plus extra for sprinkling (Turbinado works well for sprinkling)
• 1 TBSP baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 8 TBSP (1 stick) butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
• 1 c. fresh raspberries, rinsed and dried

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheet with Silpat or parchment paper.

In small bowl, combine egg, yogurt, milk, extract, and zest.  Whisk to combine thoroughly and set aside.

In a large bowl or the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Whisk or pulse to combine.

Using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut butter into flour until all pieces are smaller than pea-sized.  If using a food processor, pulse about twelve times until the butter pieces are the appropriate size, then pour into a large bowl.

Add raspberries to the bowl and gently toss to coat.

Add wet ingredients to dry and mix in lightly with fork or spatula until dough just comes together.

Turn dough out onto well-floured work surface and pat into large ball.

If making wedge-shaped scones, cut dough in half. Shape half of dough into flat disk shape and cut into 8 slices. Place on baking sheet and repeat with other half of dough.  If making round scones, pat out all dough and use a medium-sized biscuit cutter.

Sprinkle tops of scones with Turbinado sugar and place in the oven.

Bake until scones turn golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 20-25 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

These we actually didn’t make for breakfast I talked him into brinner on Monday, these pancakes were AWESOME, we only got about 6 pancakes, but with bacon and american potatoes it was perfect. I didn’t have any nuts so I chopped some of the nut clusters up, OMG this made these even more wonderful. We loved these pancakes, and ended up with lots of the cream cheese topping left and plan on making them again Saturday You could get away with just the cream cheese, but I liked the mixture of cream cheese and maple syrup.

Try these ASAP!!!

Banana Nut Pancakes (From: Cassie Craves, Originally From: Taste of Home)

• 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup whipped topping
• 1 cup pancake mix
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1 medium ripe banana, mashed
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Mix in whipped topping (mixture will be stiff); set aside.

In a bowl, combine pancake mix and sugar. Beat egg, milk and oil; add to pancake mix and mix well. Fold in banana and pecans.

Pour batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a lightly greased hot griddle; turn when bubbles form on top of pancakes. Cook until second side is golden brown. Serve with cream topping.

I could not get the loaf to unroll so I just got it into cubes from the roll of bread. Otherwise these were great, they reminded me of a Carmel roll, and Adam and I both agreed they didn’t need the drizzle they would of been great without it. But they were a great Sunday morning treat.

Monkey Bread Bites with Sweet Cream Drizzle (From: Picky Palate)

• 1 roll Pillsbury French Bread Loaf
• 6 Tablespoons Sugar
• 3 Tablespoons cinnamon
• ½ Cup butter, (1 stick)
• ½ Cup brown sugar
• ½ Cup powdered sugar
• 2-3 Tablespoons heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove bread roll from packaging and carefully unroll so it is in a rectangle. Fold dough in half with long ends folded over each other; press edges slightly. With scissors, cut dough into ½ inch strips then cut each strip into ½ inch little cubes. Combine sugar and cinnamon into a large bowl. Gently toss all pieces of dough into sugar mixture.

Spray a 12 count traditional muffin pan with non stick cooking spray. Divide bread pieces into the 12 muffin cups with or without paper liners. Set aside.

Place butter and brown sugar into a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir until melted and bubbly. Pour evenly over each muffin cup.

Bake for 18-20 minute or until bread is cooked through. Remove from oven and let sit in pan for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

Place powdered sugar into a small bowl and slowly whisk in heavy cream until smooth and desired drizzling consistency. Drizzle icing over each little cup. Serve monkey bites warm or at room temperature. I ate them all day and they were good warm or room temperature.

They were awesome, and definitely cured the craving… for a few days anyway We made cinnamon sugar, powdered sugar and chocolate. Next time I d like to try glazed.

Cake Donuts (From: Betty Crocker)

• Vegetable Oil
• 3 1/3 cup all purpose flour
• 1 c. sugar
• 3t. baking powder
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1/2 t. cinnamon
• 1/2 t. nutmeg
• 2 T. shortening
• 1 T. vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 c. milk

Heat oil in a deep fryer to 375.

Beat 1 1/2 cups of the flour and the remaining ingridents in a large mixer bowl on low speed, scaping bowl constantly 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally 2 minutes. Stir in reamining flour.

Turn dough onto well cloth covered board; roll around lightly to coat flour. Roll gently 3/8 inch thick cut with donut cutter.

Slide donuts into hot oil. Turn donuts as they rise. Fry until golden browl 1 to 1 1/2 minutes each side. Drain off excess oil and top with topping if desired.

Orange Cinnamon Rolls (From: Pioneer Woman)

Dough

• 2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 package Active dry yeast
• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda

Mix milk, vegetable oil, and sugar in a pan. “scald” the mixture (heat until just before the boiling point.) Ture off heat and leave to cool 45 minutes to 1 hour. When the mixture is lukewarm, but NOT hot, sprinkle in both packages of Active drive Yeast. Let this sit for a minute. Then add 4 cups of all-purpose flour. Stire mixture together. Cover and let rise for at least an hour.

Add 1/2 cup flour, the baking powder, baking soda, and the salt. Stir mixture together. Refrigerate overnight.

Filling

• 8 T. orange marmalade
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1 cup broke sugar
• 1/2 t. salt

Roll out the dough into a large rectangle. Spread the marmalade over the top. Pour on butter, then sprinkle on the brown sugar evenly. Sprinkle with salt.

Beginning at the long side farthest from you, roll the dough in a long roll towards you, being careful to keep it tucked tightly. Pinch the edge to seal it.

Cut rolls into 1 to 1 1/2 inch rolls and place them into butter pans. Allow to rise for at least 20 minutes.

Bake at 375 for 15 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown. Meanwhile make the glaze.

Orange Glaze

• 2 lbs. powdered sugar
• 6 T. melted butter
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• dash of salt

Mix all ingredients, thinning with more milk or orange juice to make mixture thin enough to be pourable.

When rolls are done cooking remove them from the oven and immediately drizzle orange glaze over the top.

Serve warm or at room temp.

So I took the bait and decided to try a new recipe for cinnamon rolls I knew I had to really wow her because she LOVES the cinnabons I made last time.

I had a lot of trouble with my dough rising they never rose like they were suppose too, the only time they rose was when they baked. This resulted in a very dense dough not the light and fluffy dough I was hoping for.

Everyone enjoyed these except me, I really didn’t think they were fantastic.

Alton Brown’s Overnight Cinnamon Rolls (From: Beantown Baker, Originally From: Food Network)

• 4 large egg yolks, room temperature
• 1 large whole egg, room temperature
• 2 ounces sugar, approximately 1/4 cup
• 3 ounces unsalted butter, melted, approximately 6 tablespoons
• 6 ounces buttermilk, room temperature
• 20 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 4 cups, plus additional for dusting
• 1 package instant dry yeast, approximately 2 1/4 teaspoons
• 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
• Vegetable oil or cooking spray

Filling:

• 8 ounces light brown sugar, approximately 1 cup packed
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch salt
• 3/4-ounce unsalted butter, melted, approximately 1 1/2 tablespoons

Icing:

• 2 1/2 ounces cream cheese, softened, approximately 1/4 cup
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 5 1/2 ounces powdered sugar, approximately 1 1/2 cups

For the dough: in the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whisk the egg yolks, whole egg, sugar, butter, and buttermilk. Add approximately 2 cups of the flour along with the yeast and salt; whisk until moistened and combined. Remove the whisk attachment and replace with a dough hook. Add all but 3/4 cup of the remaining flour and knead on low speed for 5 minutes. Check the consistency of the dough, add more flour if necessary; the dough should feel soft and moist but not sticky. Knead on low speed 5 minutes more or until the dough clears the sides of the bowl. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface; knead by hand about 30 seconds. Lightly oil a large bowl. Transfer the dough to the bowl, lightly oil the top of the dough, cover and let double in volume, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

Combine the brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Mix until well incorporated. Set aside until ready to use. ***this part of the recipe confused me, i used the melted butter called for in the above list although it wasn’t mentioned here.

Butter a 9 by 13-inch glass baking dish. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Gently shape the dough into a rectangle with the long side nearest you. Roll into an 18 by 12-inch rectangle. Brush the dough with the 3/4-ounce of melted butter, leaving 1/2-inch border along the top edge. Sprinkle the filling mixture over the dough, leaving a 3/4-inch border along the top edge; gently press the filling into the dough. Beginning with the long edge nearest you, roll the dough into a tight cylinder. Firmly pinch the seam to seal and roll the cylinder seam side down. Very gently squeeze the cylinder to create even thickness. Using a serrated knife, slice the cylinder into 1 1/2-inch rolls; yielding 12 rolls. Arrange rolls cut side down in the baking dish; cover tightly with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator overnight or up to 16 hours.

Remove the rolls from the refrigerator and place in an oven that is turned off. Fill a shallow pan 2/3-full of boiling water and set on the rack below the rolls. Close the oven door and let the rolls rise until they look slightly puffy; approximately 30 minutes. Remove the rolls and the shallow pan of water from the oven.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

When the oven is ready, place the rolls on the middle rack and bake until golden brown, or until the internal temperature reaches 190 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, approximately 30 minutes.

While the rolls are cooling slightly, make the icing by whisking the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer until creamy. Add the milk and whisk until combined. Sift in the powdered sugar, and whisk until smooth. Spread over the rolls and serve immediately.

My little brothers reaction to the yummy breakfast.

I will be making these muffins again and again! YUMMY!

Vanilla Chocolate Chunk Muffins (Found On: Delish, Orginally Adapted From: Great Coffee Cakes, Sticky Buns, Muffins & More by Carole Walter)

• 1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 8 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 c granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 c sour cream
• 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• vanilla sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with liners.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda.  Set aside.  Using the paddle attachment of your mixer, cream the butter and vanilla together for about a minute.  Gradually add in the sugar, then mix for an additional minute.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Blend in the eggs, one at a time, then mix for another minute.  With the mixer on low, stir in about half the flour mixture, then the sour cream, then the remaining flour mixture. Gently stir in the chocolate chunks.

Portion the batter into the prepared pan.  Bake for 23 – 25 minutes, or until the muffins are golden brown and the tops are springy to the touch.  Let the muffins cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then remove from the pan and place on a rack to cool further.

These were wonderful little muffins, they had the perfect amount of orange in them and the glaze just added that extra yummy element.

Orange Cream Cheese Muffins (Adapted From: Culinary Concoctions by Peabody, Orginally Adapted From: Great Coffee Cakes, Sticky Buns, Muffins and More by Carole Walter)

• 1/3 cup fresh orange juice
• zest of ½ a small orange
• 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature, broken into 3-4 pieces
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• 1 cup superfine sugar
• ½ cup unsalted butter, slightly firm
• 2 large eggs
• 1 large egg yolk (reserved from Pepita Crunch)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375F.

In a food processor, process the cream cheese, orange juice and orange zest, in three 10-second intervals.
In a large bowl, thoroughly whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.

Cut butter into 1-inch pieces and place in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until smooth and lightened in color, about 1 minute. Stop the machine and add the cream cheese mixture, and mix on medium speed for 1 minute. Add the superfine sugar in a steady stream, then blend in the eggs, the reserved yolk, and the vanilla. Reduce the mixer to low speed and add flour mixture in 3 additions, mixing just until blended after each addition.

Scoop muffins into a prepared muffin pan. Sprinkle the top of each muffin with 1 TBSP of the Pepita Crunch. Be sure to use any sugar that remains in the pan.
Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until the muffins are golden brown an the tops are springy to the touch. To ensure even baking, toward the end of baking time, rotate the pans top to bottom and front to back. Remove from the oven and place on rack to cool.

Orange Glaze:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 5 TBSP fresh orange juice
• 1 ½ tsp light corn syrup

Combine sugar, orange juice and corn syrup. Whisk until smooth and pour over muffins.