Pulla (Finnish Cardamom Coffee Braid)

This is something I made for brunch at work. It was a big hit, especially with those who were familiar with cardamom bread. For those cardamom bread newbies (myself included), new fans were found. It's a really pretty bread.

Pulla (Finnish Cardamom Coffee Braid)
2 eggs plus scalded milk to equal 1 1/3 cups
2 tsp. active dry yeast
1 tsp. salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. freshly ground cardamom
1 cup whole wheat flour
3 cups bread flour
1/2 stick butter, softened
1 egg
1 Tbsp. milk
Pearl sugar

Heat eggs with tap water. Cool the milk until warm, between 105ºF and 115ºF, and add to eggs. Pour into warmed mixing bowl, and add yeast. Let stand 5 minutes.

Add salt, sugar, cardamom, wheat flour and half the bread flour. Beat well. Cover and let stand 15 minutes.

Slowly add the butter and remaining bread flour. Mix until dough forms. Knead on medium speed until dough is smooth and springy but soft to the touch. Cover and let rise one hour.

Punch down dough, and divide into 3 sections. Shape each piece into a rope by rolling it between your palms and a lightly oiled surface until the strand is about 1 inch in diameter. Braid the strands together, pinching the ends to seal. Place the loaf onto a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 to 60 minutes. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Combine egg and milk. Brush loaves with egg wash and coarse sugar. Bake 15 to 25 minutes until loaves are golden and wooden skewer comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.

Orange Rhubarb Muffins

This muffin was made to use fresh (and frozen) rhubarb. Fresh orange zest is the key to a flavorful muffin. I prefer this muffin warm, which is my preference for most muffins. (Christmas wrappers are not essential, especially not when fresh rhubarb is in season.)Orange Rhubarb Muffins
1 cup flour
1 cup wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 egg whites
2 Tbsp. canola oil
2 Tbsp. applesauce
2 tsp. grated orange peel (or more)
3/4 cup orange juice
1 1/4 cups finely chopped rhubarb
2 Tbsp. chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line muffin tin with 12 liners. In large bowl, combine flours, sugar, baking powder, soda and salt. Stir to mix evenly.

In separate bowl, combine egg whites, canola oil, applesauce, orange peel and orange juice. Beat until smooth. Add to flour mixture and stir until just moistened but still lumpy. Stir in rhubarb.

Spoon batter into 12 liners, filling each about 2/3 full. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. chopped pecans on each muffin. Bake until springy to the touch, about 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes, and then transfer to cool rack to cool completely.

Sweet Cheeks Cupcakes

This is another creation derived from Pineapple Pretzel Salad leftovers, and I really enjoy these cupcakes (although I'm so full from eating all weekend that the thought of food is not quite appealing.) I'm extremely proud of these cupcakes because I took another recipe that called for cream cheese in the batter and completely revamped it ... the only ingredients that remained the same were the baking powder, baking soda, salt and vanilla. These are a sweet, moist cupcake topped with an extremely sweet frosting and a pleasantly crunchy, sweet and salty pretzel.

Sweet Cheeks Cupcakes
1 cup white flour
3/4 cup graham (or wheat) flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cups Pineapple Pretzel Salad
1/4 cup canola oil
1 egg
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup splenda
2 Tbsp. brown sugar splenda
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1/2 tsp. vanilla
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup honey
Candied pretzels (optional, but delicious)

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line 15 muffin tins. Combine flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt in small bowl.

Using mixer, whip Pineapple Pretzel Salad until smooth. Add oil, egg, honey, splendas, juice and vanilla. Mix together well. Slowly add dry ingredients and stir until combined. Fill muffin tins 2/3 full. Bake 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely on wire racks.

For frosting, beat cream cheese until smooth. Beat in honey. Frost cupcakes in spiral pattern. Just before serving cupcakes, top with candied pretzel pieces. Makes 15 cupcakes.

Pumpkin Pinapple Spice Cupcakes

Since the Pineapple Pretzel Salad just isn't the same the next day, I decided to create something with the leftovers. One of the concoctions that came out of the oven was a simple pumpkin spice cookie I've made before combined with the pretzel salad leftovers topped with a pumpkin spice cream cheese frosting.Pumpkin Pineapple Spice Cupcakes
1 box spice cake mix
1 can pumpkin
2 cups Pineapple Pretzel Salad
8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 cup splenda
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Combine spice cake mix and pumpkin until mixed together well by hand. In separate bowl, use electric mixer to thoroughly blend together Pineapple Pretzel Salad.

Line 18 muffin tins. Spoon enough spice cake into each liner to cover bottom. Top each with a dollop of Pineapple Pretzel Salad. Cover each cupcake with spice cake. Liners should be approximately 3/4 full or slightly fuller. Bake 10 to 25 minutes, checking after 10 minutes. Cupcakes are done when pumpkin layer is firm to the touch.

Cool cupcakes for 5 to 10 minutes in tins, and then cool completely on wire racks. Once completely cool, frost.

For frosting, beat room temperature cream cheese until smooth. Add splenda, and mix thoroughly. Beat in vanilla and then pumpkin pie spice. Frost cupcakes. Makes approximately 18 cupcakes.

Pineapple Pretzel Salad

This really isn't a salad, but I prefer not to call it a dessert because then it's OK when I have two helpings. It's a popular dish at the baby and wedding showers in the Landwehr family, and it was created again for my sister-in-law's baby shower this weekend. The only downside to this delicious combination of sweet and salty is the candied pretzels lose their crunchiness within a day ... which will lead to my future posts.

Pineapple Pretzel Salad
1 cup crushed pretzels
1/2 cup sugar or Splenda
1/2 stick butter, melted
1 can crushed pineapple, drained
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
8 oz. cool whip
1/2 cup sugar or Splenda

Combine crushed pretzels, 1/2 cup sugar and butter in 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 400ºF for 7 minutes. Let cool, and break into pieces. The pretzels can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container.

In large bowl, combine pineapple, cream cheese, cool whip and 1/2 cup sugar. Beat together well. Just before serving, stir in candied pretzels.