Sunny Honey Cupcakes

This cupcake was derived from my desire to combine ice cream and sunflower seeds. It might sound like an odd combination, but try a bowl of vanilla ice cream topped with sunflower seeds and chocolate syrup. The contrast of sweet and salty, smooth and crunchy does wonders. I modified a sesame honey cupcake recipe to create these.
Sunny Honey Cupcakes
1 cup wheat flour
1 1/2 cups white flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
1/3 cup salted butter, softened
1/2 cup splenda or sugar
1/2 cup honey
1 egg
2 Tbsp. pureed salted sunflower seeds mixed with 1/2 tsp. olive oil
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla
3 Tbsp. sunflower seeds
Vanilla ice cream
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup honey
Additional sunflower seeds, salted

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Line 14 muffin tins. Combine flours, baking powder and salt in small bowl.

Using mixer, cream together butter, sugar and honey until pale and glossy, about 3 minutes

In another bowl, whisk together buttermilk and vanilla.

With mixer running, add the egg to the butter mixture until well blended. Beat in pureed sunflower seed/oil mixture. In three separate additions, alternately blend in flour and buttermilk, starting with buttermilk. Mix in sunflower seeds Fill muffin tins nearly full. (Cupcakes do not rise much.) Bake about 20 minutes or until lightly golden. Cool completely on wire racks.

For frosting, beat cream cheese until smooth. Beat in honey. Set in refrigerator while finishing cupcakes.

Cut off tops of cupcakes. Top each cupcake with a spoon of ice cream, and then replace cupcake top. Frost cupcakes in spiral pattern. Before serving cupcakes, top with sunflower seeds.

Buttermilk-Fennel Seed Rye

This bread turned out well. It's nothing that jumps out in my mind as a spectacular bread, but it was another good bread.

Buttermilk-Fennel Seed Rye
1 1/3 cups buttermilk
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp. butter
2 tsp. yeast
1 Tbsp. fennel seeds
2 tsp. salt
1 cup rye flour
3 cups bread flour

Heat buttermilk, brown sugar and butter until butter melts. Cool until warm, between 105ºF and 115ºF. Pour into warmed mixing bowl, and add yeast. Let stand 5 minutes.

Add fennel seeds, salt and rye flour. Beat well. Cover and let stand 15 minutes.

Slowly add 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 2-3 loaves. Shape loaves into round shapes, and place seam side down on lightly greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 to 60 minutes. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Bake 35-40 minutes until golden and a wooden skewer comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.

Three-Grain Bread

This bread calls for three-grain cereal, which is supposed to be cracked wheat, cracked rye and cracked flax seed. I made my own using cracked wheat, whole rye and whole flax seed. The bread turned out gorgeous (thanks in part to a fun baking crock) and should have a wonderful chewy texture.

Three-Grain Bread
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1 cup 3-grain cereal
2 tsp. yeast
2 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
3 Tbsp. softened butter, unsalted
3 cups bread flour

Pour boiling water over cereal into a large bowl. Let stand until warm, between 105ºF and 115ºF, about 30 minutes. Add yeast, salt, sugar and butter. Beat well. Cover and let stand 15 minutes.

Slowly add 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 2-3 loaves. Shape loaves and place in lightly greased baking tins (or crocks). Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Bake 25 to 30 minutes until loaves are golden. Cool on wire rack.

Sun-Dried Tomato and Pesto Bread

This bread is absolutely fantastic sprinkled with garlic salt and toasted with Parmesan cheese until it's melted! This bread smells fantastic and looks amazing. It's perfect for any Italian food and gave us the chance to have the spaghetti we were craving.

Sun-Dried Tomato and Pesto Bread
1 large egg plus water equal to 1 1/3 cups
2 tsp. yeast
1/2 cup prepared pesto sauce
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. freshly ground coarse pepper
3/4 cup wheat flour
3 1/4 cups bread flour

Warm the egg under hot tap water, and crack into a measuring cup. Heat the water until warm, between 105ºF and 115ºF. Add to the egg, and pour both into warmed mixing bowl. Add yeast and sugar. Let stand 5 minutes.

Add pesto, tomatoes, salt, pepper, wheat flour and 1 cup bread flour. Beat well. Cover and let stand 15 minutes.

Slowly add 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 2 to 3 loaves. Shape into round loaves, and place on lightly greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Slash the top of the loaves prior to baking. Bake 25 to 30 minutes until loaves are golden. Cool on wire rack.

Caraway-Onion Rye Bread

We needed rolls for minute steaks, and this bread recipe sounded good. Lo and behold, it was even meant to be shaped into rolls. They turned out wonderful, and I'm excited to have homemade rolls in the freezer for the next time we have hamburgers.

Caraway-Onion Rye Bread
1 1/3 cups water
2 tsp. yeast
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
3 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. caraway seeds
1/4 cup dried onion flakes
1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup rye flour
3 cups bread flour

Heat the water until warm, between 105ºF and 115ºF. Pour into warmed mixing bowl, and add yeast, lemon juice and sugar. Let stand 5 minutes.

Add salt, caraway seeds, onion flakes, oil and rye flour. Beat well. Cover and let stand 15 minutes.

Slowly add 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 12 equal parts. Shape each part into a roll, and place on lightly greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 60 minutes. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Bake 15 minutes until lightly browned. Cool on wire rack.

Raisin Rye Bread

This bread was well received by my parents. My mom said they fought over it, so I'll take that as a good sign.

Raisin Rye Bread
1 1/3 cups water
2 tsp. yeast
1 1/2 cups dried raisins
2 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. canola oil
1 1/2 cup rye flour
2 1/2 cups bread flour

Heat the water until warm, between 105ºF and 115ºF. Pour into warmed mixing bowl, and add yeast. Let stand 5 minutes.

Add raisins, salt, canola oil, rye flour and half the bread flour. Beat well. Cover and let stand 15 minutes.

Slowly add 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 2 to 3 loaves. Shape into round loaves, and place on lightly greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Bake 25 to 40 minutes until loaves are golden and wooden skewer comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.

Eleven-Grain Buckwheat Bread

This is a really good bread with a nice chewy texture. The molasses and raisins makes it a bit sweeter of a bread. It's good toasted with flavored cream cheese.

Eleven-Grain Buckwheat Bread
1 1/3 cups boiling water
2 tsp. yeast
3/4 cup 10-grain breakfast cereal
2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. flax seed oil
3/4 cup buckwheat flour
3 cups bread flour
1/2 cup raisins

Pour boiling water into mixing bowl, add the cereal and stir. Let stand 25 minutes or until mixture cools to between 105ºF and 115ºF. Add yeast. Let stand 5 minutes.

Add salt, oil, buckwheat flour and and half the bread flour. Beat well. Cover and let stand 15 minutes.

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

Punch down dough, and divide into 2 to 3 loaves. Shape into round loaves, and place on lightly greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Glaze loaves with 1 Tbsp. molasses and 1 Tbsp. water. Bake 35 to 40 minutes until loaves are golden and wooden skewer comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.

Basic Wheat Bread

This bread is nothing spectacular, but it's a good bread. It was made as I worked my way through my Whole Grain Breads book. (I really need to get through this book since I have two more bread cookbooks that I haven't even started!)

Basic Wheat Bread
1 1/3 cups water
2 tsp. yeast
2 Tbsp. butter
2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup nonfat dry milk
1 1/2 cups wheat flour
2 1/2 cups bread flour

Heat the water until warm, between 105ºF and 115ºF. Pour both into warmed mixing bowl, and add yeast. Let stand 5 minutes.

Add butter, salt, dry milk and wheat flour. Beat well. Cover and let stand 15 minutes.

Slowly add 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 2 to 3 loaves. Shape into round loaves, and place on lightly greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 to 60 minutes. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Bake 25 to 30 minutes until loaves are golden and wooden skewer comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.

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.