Sugarcrafter » breads & pastries

Rosemary and White Cheddar Biscuits

Tracy — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 13:39:07 +0000

I know I’ve said this before, but I find Pinterest totally addicting. From food (of course) to DIY and crafts to beautiful homes and cute outfits, I can easily lose a good 45 minutes on a few too many clicks of the “See More Pins” button. My problem is that I keep adding projects to my to-do list, but have a hard time getting organized enough to actually accomplish them…so I’m wondering, how do you keep organized? Whether it’s a simple to-do list, a favorite notebook or day planner, a sophisticated collection of spreadsheets, or even post-it notes stuck to your computer, I want to know!

Now that my cry for organizational help is out of the way, I want to share these rosemary and cheddar biscuits I made last week when I decided that I needed to branch out from the biscuits I normally make when I serve soup – particularly because now that we’re well into January, I’m making a LOT of soup. These biscuits are still of the savory variety, but they’re a little more on the soft and fluffy side, and they’re perfect with a pat of butter or even a bit of sweet jam. Enjoy!

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Fruitcake

Tracy — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 17:09:36 +0000

I know what you’re thinking: fruitcake, seriously? Hear me out before you run away though, because I wasn’t a fruitcake fan either…that is until last year when a friend of mine gave me a mini loaf for Christmas. She also included the recipe with her gift, and I can’t thank her enough for that, because I fell in love with this fruitcake at first bite. Unlike the dry, fake fruit-tasting versions I’ve had in the past, this cake is moist and full of flavor from the rum-soaked dried fruit, and the lemon and orange zests add a little touch of freshness to an otherwise spicy cake. Following my friend’s lead, I made a few mini loaves to give as gifts this year myself, and I’ve received back nothing but praises about them. If you’re looking for a few more gifts, or even just an extra Christmas dessert if you bake this up in a regular loaf pan (you may have to increase the baking time), I hope you’ll give it a try. Have a very merry Christmas and enjoy your holiday with family and friends!

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Eggnog Scones

Tracy — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 16:46:22 +0000

With Christmas less than two weeks away, the level of preparation has reached “frantic” around here. I think it’s because I still have a little of everything left to do: a little Christmas shopping here, a little holiday baking there, a few gatherings to attend, and the list goes on. I’m trying to focus all my energy this week on checking things off my list so that I don’t have to worry about them anymore, since I’m totally type A like that. In the midst of all the bustle, I made these eggnog scones, another change-up of my favorite recipe. I usually like to store them in the freezer unbaked if I’m not going to be baking them right away, but this time I baked them first and then froze them, so that I can simply warm them in the oven or microwave when we’re looking for a quick breakfast or snack. I may even whip up another batch for Christmas morning – I’ll have to add it to the list! I hope all of your holiday preparations are going smoothly!

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Nutella Gingerbread (and Barista Prima Coffee Giveaway Winner)

Tracy — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 17:09:55 +0000

First things first – congratulations to lucky number 4 – LaurieJ!

Please contact me at prizes [at] sugarcrafter [dot] net with your full name and mailing address so that I can get your prize out to you as soon as possible. Also, a huge thank you to all who entered! It was so much fun reading about all the ways you enjoy your coffee…I’m definitely looking forward to trying some of your ideas myself!

Now, on to today’s recipe – nutella gingerbread. It may not look like much in the photo, but don’t be fooled. It’s packed full of holiday flavor, and though it doesn’t contain a lot of sugar, it’s still very sweet from the addition of nutella. I served this at a small cookie exchange I hosted over the weekend (more on that Thursday for the 12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies!), and it was completely devoured by the end of the party. And, while it’s a perfect snack for party guests, it also pairs perfectly with coffee in the morning or on its own for an afternoon snack or dessert. I highly recommend adding this to your holiday baking this year, whether you’re baking it for yourself or even mini loaves to give as gifts!

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Pumpkin Biscuits

Tracy — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 04:39:49 +0000

Are you sick of pumpkin yet? No? Good, because I’m just getting started – I have many more pumpkin recipes to share with you! After sharing my recipe for split pea soup with you yesterday, I couldn’t leave you hanging without the perfect biscuit to serve along with it. I made these biscuits for the first time a few years ago to be served at a Thanksgiving-style potluck…but to be honest, the first version didn’t turn out all that great – they were okay, but nothing amazing. However, I’ve been making them ever since with a few tweaks here and there each time, and I’d like to believe that I’ve finally perfected the recipe. These biscuits are light and fluffy with a touch of sweetness, and they’re perfect both with a pat of butter or for cleaning up a hearty bowl of soup. I also like to serve them for breakfast with a light spread of apple maple butter. Any way you like to eat your biscuits, I hope you’ll enjoy these!

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Pumpkin Monkey Bread

Tracy — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 12:35:55 +0000

Monkey bread. It’s almost as much fun to say as it is to eat, and with the arrival of autumn, I couldn’t stop thinking about taking my usual recipe and kicking it up a notch with the addition of pumpkin – so, of course, I did. Making monkey bread has always brought with it feelings of nostalgia for me, which makes it one of my favorite sweets to share with family and friends. In fact, the day after I made it, I invited a good friend over so that I could share it with her, along with some apple cider – a lovely way to spend an autumn afternoon, if you ask me! Even though it takes some time to make, most of it is hands-off time – like any yeasted bread, you can leave the dough to rise and go off and do other things while you wait. Make this over the weekend and serve it for breakfast (or brinner, I won’t tell), and share it with a friend!

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Sourdough Beer Pretzels

Tracy — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 15:34:42 +0000

Have you made your sourdough starter yet? In case you have, I wanted to have a sourdough recipe ready for you today so that you can get started with making your own sourdough bread. I adapted this recipe from a sourdough pretzel recipe I found at King Arthur Flour, except that I couldn’t resist adding in some beer for a little extra kick. Some recipes call for “fed” starter, but this one doesn’t – fed starter means that several hours before you’re ready to use your starter in a recipe, you discard half, feed the remaining starter with 1/2 cup warm water and 1 cup flour, and then let it sit at room temperature 4 hours or until bubbly again. Then, remove the portion you’ll be using in a recipe, as the starter has already been fed. Repeat the feeding process with the remaining starter before you stick it back in the refrigerator. For this recipe though, we’re simply going to take the portion of starter we would have discarded and put it, unfed, straight into this pretzel recipe – although, you do still need to feed the remaining starter before you put it back into the refrigerator to keep the starter going. Confused? I hope not – but please leave any questions you have in the comments if you are. Now, let’s get to it!

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Sourdough Starter

Tracy — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 18:07:59 +0000

Like many people who do spring cleaning when March (or for us upstate NYers, May) rolls around each year, I also tend to do “fall cleaning” in September and October, in anticipation of the months of hibernation ahead. I like to wrap up major home projects we’ve been working on, give away or donate things we don’t need, and make sure that our freezer and shelves are well-stocked as we settle in for the dreary months ahead. As part of that, I decided that I need to tackle some of the things on my “kitchen projects” list, and one that has been high on that list for a while now is sourdough bread. Some of you may remember my disappointment when I received sourdough starter from King Arthur Flour that is processed with peanuts…and since I couldn’t use it, I decided to give it away. Fortunately, King Arthur Flour also has a recipe for making your own sourdough starter from scratch. And although their directions for care of sourdough starter pertain only to the starter they sell, one quick live chat with one of their helpful bakers was all it took to create a complete list of instructions for those who want to make their own. I’ve detailed the instructions below so that you can make and maintain your own starter. Be sure to check back on Wednesday for a sourdough recipe in which to use it!

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Gingerbread Bagels

Tracy — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 14:54:21 +0000

Hey all! Today, I’m excited to be guest posting for the very lovely Lindsey of Gingerbread Bagels, whose recipes I am constantly bookmarking and adding to my to-make list. I feel like Lindsey and I are kindred spirits because we both have a passion for baking, and because we both like to blog recipes with step-by-step photos in the hopes that we can help both novice and skilled bakers alike. And of course, there’s the love for bagels! Head on over to Lindsey’s blog for the full post and recipe, and be sure to leave her some love!

Zucchini, Basil, and Cheese Rolls

Tracy — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 17:12:47 +0000

It seems that everywhere I turn lately, zucchini is in abundance, whether it’s at the farmer’s market, our CSA, or the garden of a friend. Suffice it to say that I’ve received quite a few zucchini over the last few weeks, so after the first few zucchini breads and the batch of zucchini relish I made last week, I’ve had to get a little more creative. One night last week while I was making beef stew for dinner, I had a random thought to try and incorporate zucchini into dinner rolls. I just threw in whatever I had on hand, including some fresh basil from our CSA, and some colby jack cheese since I didn’t have any cheddar. Hubby and I both loved the resulting rolls, which were soft and perfect for cleaning up the remaining stew gravy from our bowls. If you’ve been wondering what do with all your zucchini, I hope you’ll give these a try. I think they’re great to make as the weather begins to turn just a little cooler as we head into fall!

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