Cinnamon Rolls/Cinnamon Twist

Cinnamon rolls or cinnamon twists? Both are really good. Make the dough and the filling the evening before and in the morning get them ready and bake. 👨‍🍳🥧👩‍🍳

Ingredients:

1. All purpose flour- 4 cups

2. Sugar – 100gr.

3. Yeast – 2 tsp

4. Egg – 1 large

5. Butter – 5 tbsp, unsulated and melted

6. Milk -1 cup,warm

Cinnamon rolls filling:

1. Butter – 3 tbsp, soft and unsulted

2. Light Brown Sugar – 1 cup

3. Cinnamon – 2 tsp

Cinnamon twists filling:

1.Butter – 3 tbsp,soft and unsulted

2. Light Brown Sugar – 1/2 cup

3. Cinnamon – 1 tsp

Mix all ingredients and make a soft dough. Oil a bowl(I used the same bowl I made the dough in) and let it rise. If you want you can make it the night before and let it rise overnight. When the dough is ready on a flat surface roll it into a rectangle. Spread butter all over the dough. Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon and spread all over the dough except an inch on one side. Roll the dough into a log and cut it into 1 1/2 – 2 inch pieces. Put them in a pan and cover to rise again, for about 45 min to an hour. When they are ready preheat oven to 350°F and bake for about 30-35 min.

• For the cinnamon twists simply devide the dough and roll like you would make pizza, then cover both pieces with butter, spread the cinnamon and brown sugar mix on one piece and put the other on top buttered side down. Cut lines and twist them. Put them in a pan right next to each other and cover to rise for an hour again.

• Just before you put them in the oven you can spread on top of the cinnamon rolls/twists one egg and milk whisked well. This is optional, but I do like them better that way.

Orang-Blueberry Streusel Muffins

These Orange-Blueberry Streusel Muffins turned out really good. The orange and blueberries really bring a good flavor to these muffins and the crunchy streusel topping make them even better. For breakfast or snack they will go fast with a cup of milk, hot cocoa or coffee.

Ingredients:

FOR THE MUFFINS:

210gr (1 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour

135gr (¾ cup) brown sugar

2 tsp baking powder

2 tbsp orange juice

2 tsp orange zest,

80 mL (⅓ cup) whole plain yogurt

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

200g (1 cup) blueberries

FOR THE STREUSEL CRUMB TOPPING:

70gr (½ cup) flour

70gr (⅓ cup) brown sugar

50gr (¼ cup) unsalted butter, soft

1 tsp cinnamon

Mix the ingredients for the crumb topping and set aside. For the muffins, mix the dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Whisk the egg, add vanilla, oil and whisk, add yogurt, orange juice and whisk again. Add the wet ingredients to dry ingredients slowly and mix well. Add blueberries and fold in with a spatula or a spoon. Preheat oven to 375°F. Fill cupcake pan to the top and sprinkle streusel mix on top. Bake for about 25min.

Sweet Sourdough Drop Biscuits

Another cozy and easy recipe for a holiday breakfast. This is the easiest sourdough recipe I’ve ever done. I did make a mistake though, but they still turned out good. I didn’t mean to add eggs, so I don’t know if I should call these biscuits, but I don’t know what else to call them. They turned out pretty similar except they spread a little more. So here’s the recipe with eggs in it. You can try it without the eggs and see what happens. Next time I’m definitely not adding eggs.

Recipe:
1. All-purpose flour -2 cups
2.Brown Sugar – 200gr.
3. Baking powder – 2 tsp
4. Baking soda – 1 tsp
5. Cinnamon – 1 tbsp
6. Sourdough starter – 120gr, fed
7. Butter – 1 stick(113gr), unsalted and melted
8. Whole milk – 3 tbsp
9. Eggs – 2
10. Vanilla extract – 1 tsp

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. Work with hands to break the brown sugar if there are any clumps, set aside. To another bowl add eggs, milk, vanilla extract and whisk. Add the butter to a small bowl and melt it, it should be warm but not hot. Add the starter, the egg mixture and the butter to the dry ingredients and mix well to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and leave overnight. The next morning preheat oven to 420°F. On a baking sheet with parchment paper using a scoop or a bigger spoon scoop the batter on the baking sheet. Bake for about 13-15 min.

Flour Wraps

These flour wraps are really easy to make and don’t require the long rising of the dough. They don’t even have yeast. Simply make the dough, let it rest for 20-30 min, shape balls and let them rest for 20 min, and then make the wraps. You can use these wraps to make small pizzas too, use them to make your favorite sandwich instead of bread or buns, and even breakfast sandwiches.

Recipe:
1. All-purpose flour – 2 cups
2. Salt – 1tsp
3. Baking soda – 1tsp
4. Butter – 3tbsp, melted
5. Hot water – 1/2 cup

Mix dry ingredients and set aside. Melt butter and add it to the dry ingredients with the hot water. Knead to make a soft dough, let it rest for 20 min. Make 8-9 balls and let them rest for 20 min. With a rolling pin roll the balls flat on a floured surface to about 6 to 7 inches. Cook for about 1 min each side on medium heat.

These little hands really wanted to help make the wraps.

Banitsa/Feta Cheese Pie With Phyllo Dough

Today I’m sharing a recipe from my childhood. This is something I used to eat a lot. It is also a tradition to make it for Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. I thought it was hard to make the dough layers, but actually it is not. It is made without yeast and you just have to be careful and gentle when you stretch the dough. This was my first time making it and there is room for improvement, but it turned out good.

Recipe:

Water -200 ml, room temperature
All-purpose flour -350 gr
Oil – 1 tbsp
Vinegar – 1 tsp
Salt- 1/2 tsp

Filling:
Eggs – 4
Plain Yogurt – 200 gr
Feta Cheese – 200 gr

You can start by making the filling or you can make it while the dough is resting. For the dough, combine all ingredients and knead for about 5-10 min. Let it rest for 20-30 min. After 20 or 30 min separate the dough in 4 equal parts, you can use a scale if you want. Stretch each part a little and cover well with oil, let them rest for 20 -30 min. After resting time, on a surface start stretching the dough gently and slowly. You can help yourself with a rolling pin at first and then start stretching. You will see the dough is very stretchy and it will start getting thin. If you happen to make a hole don’t worry, just be careful not to make it bigger. When the dough layer is stretched enough spread the filling and roll it into a log, then roll the log. Transfer to a 12 inch round pan and proceed with the rest of the layers the same way, except don’t roll the logs. You will have to attach the log to the end of the first log. The process for the rest of the logs is the same, attach them to the end of the previous log. Pour the last of the filling on top of the logs and spread as good as you can. Preheat the oven to 355°F and bake for about 35-45 min.

*Don’t spread too much filling, because it will be hard to handle and it’s not a good combination. There will be too much filling and not enough dough. This was one of my mistakes.

* You can spread melted butter or oil on each layer after stretching. I didn’t do that here, but people like to do it.

Buns/Bagels without boiling

Buns or bagels? With this recipe you can make both. And the best part is you don’t have to boil the bagels. Yes I cheated, but I can’t really tell the difference, and if you are not picky you’ll enjoy the bagels just as much as I did. My favorite way to eat bagels is breakfast sandwiches with egg and cheese, and also avocado.
Here’s the recipe.

All purpose flour- 4 cups
Salt – 2 tsp
Yeast – 2 tsp
Egg – 1 large
Olive oil – 2tbsp
Water – 1 1/3 cup,warm

1 egg + milk, for egg wash

Put all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer, make the dough using the dough hook. When the dough comes together knead for about 5 min, then add a little oil to the bowl, and coat the dough and bowl. Let the dough rest for an hour or until it has doubled in size, this will depend how warm it is in your kitchen. When the dough has doubled in size take it out and roll into a log on a flat surface, if it sticks to the surface use a little oil. Cut the log into 8 or 10 pieces, roll them into little balls. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and transfer the balls there about 2 inches apart, cover with plastic wrap and let them rise for about an hour. Again the rising time will depend on how warm it is in your kitchen. While the buns rise mix 1 egg and a tablespoon of milk. When the buns have doubled in size preheat oven to 400°F. When oven is ready spread egg and milk mixture over the buns. At this point you can sprinkle any seeds or herbs on top. Bake buns for about 25-28 min. Bake time will depend on your oven, you’ll just have to keep an eye on them.

Note:
If you want to turn these into bagels just make a hole in the middle and try to stretch the dough as much as possible, then let them rise. You can skip the boiling, they’ll taste just as good, you won’t tell they weren’t boiled.
Enjoy

Feta Stuffed Dough

These savoury feta stuffed buns are so soft and good. You will want to eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner. In our house they disappear pretty quick. And the good thing is that you can add other ingredients too and they will taste just as delicious. Add anything from meat and cheese or herbs, and you will be amazed how different and tasty they are.

Ingredients:

All purpose flour- 500gr., if you need more add a little at a time
Salt -1tsp
Sugar -1tsp.
Active dry yeast – 2tsp.
Milk – 200ml.
Olive oil- 60ml.
Eggs -2
Feta cheese -200gr.
For the top:
1 egg + tbsp of milk

Add all ingredients and make a soft dough, coat with oil and let it rest until it has doubled. On a surface roll into a thick circle, cut into 8 pizza slices. Roll the slices in a ball,then flat and stretch each ball a little with your fingers. Next, using a rolling pin roll them out thin, cover a good area with feta and roll into a log, then roll the log itself. Put them in a pan and cover with plastic wrap to rise again for 30min. In the meantime beat 1 egg +tbsp of milk , set aside. After 30min preheat the oven to 375° and after the oven has preheated spread the egg and milk mixture over them. Bake for about 28min.
You can spread butter over the buns, let them rest for about 10min.before you do that.

Fluffy Blueberry And Chocolate Chip Pancakes

These pancakes are the perfect breakfast for the Holidays! Load them with blueberries, add chocolate chips if you want and enjoy. Since this was my first time adding blueberries to pancakes like this I wasn’t sure if this would work so I didn’t add a lot, but they turned out good. They are fluffy and sweet enough from the chocolate chips, so if you don’t want to add maple syrup or powdered sugar that will be fine. I hope you give them a try.

Recipe:
1. 2 cups all-purpose flour, about 350gr
2. 2 tsp baking powder
3. 1 tsp baking soda
4. 2 tbsp brown sugar
5. 1/2 cup unsalted butter(1 stick/113gr), melted
6. 1 3/4 cups milk

If you want, add any combination of these:
1. Blueberries, fresh
2. Chocolate chips

If making them plain you can top with powdered sugar, maple syrup or whipped cream, or just use your favorite topping for pancakes.

Mix dry ingredients and set aside. Add melted butter and milk, stir until well combined. Start on medium-high, pour the batter and try spreading it a little to about 6 inches in diameter, put blueberries and chocolate chips in the pancake if using. Let it cook for about 1 min. Flip and cook for about a minute more. You may need to lower the stovetop if they start cooking fast, so they don’t burn.
Enjoy!

Cranberry Muffins

These cranberry muffins are simple and easy to make. They are a perfect fall snack or breakfast. Don’t waste time and make them really quick, then enjoy with milk, hot cocoa, or coffee.

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup light brown sugar (200g)
1/2 cup butter, 1 stick unsalted and melted
3/4 cup milk
2 eggs, large
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup dried cranberries

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add milk, butter and eggs and mix until well incorporated. Add the cranberries and fold them in with a spatula. Preheat oven to 350°F. Use a pan for 12 cupcakes, fill them and bake for about 25 min.

Fruit Bars

These really tasty treats were supposed to be fig newtons, but since I didn’t have figs, I simply used apricot jam mixed with cinnamon and they came out really good. This simple and easy recipe made perfect fall treats. Recipe is with apricot and cinnamon, but you can use any jam or fruit filling.

Ingredients:

1.All purpose flour – about 1 1/2 cups

2.Light Brown Sugar – 1/2 cup(110g)

3.Baking Powder – 1/2 tsp

4.Salt- 1/4 tsp

5.Cinnamon – 1/2 tsp

6.Butter, softened – 6 tbsp

7.Egg -1, large

8.Vanilla extract – 2 tsp

9.Apricot – 1/2 cup mixed with 1/2tsp cinnamon

In a bowl mix flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and set aside. In a bowl beat butter, add sugar and beat again. Next add the egg, vanilla and beat. Add the dry ingredients slowly and blend well to make dough. Make a rectangle about an inch think and put in the fridge for 30min. Take dough out of fridge and cut in half. Roll to about 0.3 mm thick , cut in half, spread the apricot jam in the middle leaving some space on both sides, then fold the sides, flip over and set on a baking sheet. Preheat oven to 350° and bake for about 25 min.

• Every oven is different, so check on them and when you see the bottom is light brown take them out of the oven.