Homemade Cinnamon Bread!

What you need:

1 cup Milk

6 Tablespoons Butter

2-1/2 teaspoons Active Dry Yeast

2 whole Eggs

1/3 cup Sugar

3-1/2 cups All-purpose Flour

1 teaspoon Salt

1/3 cup Sugar

2 Tablespoons Cinnamon

Egg And Milk, Mixed Together, For Brushing

Softened Butter, For Smearing And Greasing

What to do:

1. Melt butter with milk. Heat until very warm, but don't boil. Allow to cool until still warm to the touch, but not hot. Sprinkle yeast over the top, stir gently, and allow to sit for 10 minutes.
2. Combine flour and salt.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, mix sugar and eggs with the paddle attachment until combined. Pour in milk/butter/yeast mixture and stir to combine. Add half the flour and beat on medium speed until combined. Add the other half and beat until combined.
4. Switch to the dough hook attachment and beat/knead dough on medium speed for ten minutes. If dough is overly sticky, add 1/4 cup flour and beat again for 5 minutes.
5. Heat a metal or glass mixing bowl so it's warm. Drizzle in a little canola oil, then toss the dough in the oil to coat. Cover bowl in plastic wrap and set it in a warm, hospitable place for at least 2 hours.
6. Turn dough out onto the work surface. Roll into a neat rectangle no wider than the loaf pan you're going to use, and about 18 to 24 inches long. Smear with 2 tablespoons melted butter. Mix sugar and cinnamon together, then sprinkle evenly over the butter-smeared dough. Starting at the far end, roll dough toward you, keeping it tight and contained. Pinch seam to seal.
7. Smear loaf pan with softened butter. Place dough, seam down, in the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 2 hours.
8. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
9. Mix a little egg with milk, and smear over the top. Bake for 40 minutes on a middle/lower rack in the oven.
10. Remove from the pan and allow bread to cool. Slice and serve, or make cinnamon toast or French toast with it.

This bread is SOOOOO good!!! It does take about 6 hours to prepare, but most of that time is just allowing the dough to rise.  It's definitely worth the wait!  And it makes GREAT French toast!! Give it a try!

Cinnamon Cookies!

What you need:

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

cinnamon sugar

What to do:

1. In a mixer bowl, cream together sugar and butter.  Beat in the egg and vanilla.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt.
3. Add to the butter mixture.  Blend well.
4. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours, or until the dough is firm enough to roll into balls.
5. Shape the dough into small balls about 3/4 inch in diameter.
6. Roll in cinnamon sugar to coat.
7. Place the cookies on lightly greased cookie sheets, and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned.
8. Let the cookies cool on racks, and enjoy!

These cookies are really easy to make, and delicious!  I hope you like them!

Spiced Applesauce Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

What you need:
FOR CAKE

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup pecans (optional), toasted, cooled, and chopped

FOR FROSTING

• 5 oz cream cheese, softened
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup confectioners sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 
  

What to do:

• Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Butter an 8- or 9-inch square cake pan.

MAKE CAKE:

• Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.
• Beat butter, brown sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer at high speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in applesauce. At low speed, mix in flour mixture until just combined, then stir in pecans (if using).
• Spread batter evenly in pan and bake until golden-brown and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool in pan 15 minutes. Run a knife around edge of cake to loosen, then invert onto a plate. Reinvert cake onto a rack to cool completely.

MAKE FROSTING:

• Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla with an electric mixer at high speed until fluffy. Sift confectioners sugar and cinnamon over cream cheese mixture, then beat at medium speed until incorporated.
• Spread frosting over top of cooled cake.
  
  This cake is SOOO GOOD!  The cake isn't too sweet, which I like, and the frosting makes it!  I don't even like frosting very much, and I wanted to eat it straight out of the bowl!  Give it a try!