Pumpkin Sugar Buns

I just discovered this recipe from The Candid Appetite. They looked so good, I had to give them a go!

This is what the buns look like, when you run out of cinnamon and cannot make the cinnamon sugar coating and are forced to ice them instead.

Pumpkin Sugar Buns Makes 24


Dough

1/2          cup warm water (about 105ºF to 115ºF)

2             (1/4 ounce) packets active dry yeast (or 4-1/2 teaspoons worth)

1/2          cup milk

1/2         cup sugar

1            teaspoon salt

1/4         unsalted butter, melted

1            cup pumpkin, purée

2            large eggs, lightly whisked

2-1/2      teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

5 to 5-1/2   cups all-purpose flour


Filling

4            tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2            tablespoons granulated sugar

2            teaspoons ground cinnamon


Coating

6            tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/2         cup granulated sugar

1            tablespoon ground cinnamon


Instructions

1. Dissolve the water and yeast in a medium bowl. Let rest in warm spot until frothy and foamy,a bout 10 minutes.

2. Warm the milk, butter, and sugar in small saucepan until sugar dissolves. Set aside to slightly cool. In a large bowl, stir together the milk mixture, salt, pumpkin purée, eggs, and water/yeast mixture, until evenly combined. Add the pumpkin pie spice and half of the flour in batches, mixing until well incorporated. Add as much of the remaining flour as needed to form a smooth and somewhat sticky dough. It should pull away from the bowl while mixing. Knead on high for about 8 to 10 minutes to form a soft dough. Transfer to well oiled bowl, cover loosely with plastic wrap and damp kitchen towel. Set in warm spot and allow the dough to rest until doubled in size, about 2 hours.

3. To make the filling, in small bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon. Punch the dough down and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Cut in half and then roll each half into rectangle about 1/4-inch thick. Brush with half the melted butter and sprinkle with half the sugar mixture. Roll into a tight log, lengthwise. Cut into 12 even pieces and place in well oiled muffin tin. Cover both muffin tins with plastic wrap and let rest in warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

4. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350ºF. Bake the buns until golden brown and puffed up, about 20 to 25 minutes. make sure your oven racks are spaced far enough apart as buns tend to rise high while baking. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely on cooling racks.

5. Meanwhile, make the coating by mixing together the cinnamon and sugar. Brush or dip the cooled buns in melted butter and then roll them in cinnamon sugar. Serve immediately or or cover tightly with plastic wrap. Will keep at room temperature for 2 days. You can also freeze the baked buns and then thaw and roll around in butter and sugar when you are ready to serve and eat.

The Best Persimmon Cookies I've Ever Had!

These also happen to be the only persimmon cookies that I have ever had. I had never tasted a persimmon before and I was curious about what they tasted like. On Halloween, I got into a conversation about persimmons with my friend's mother -in-law and it just so happens that my new apartment has a persimmon tree just outside... so, I decided to whip up a batch of cookies.  I found this recipe on Pinterest. It seems old, but who knows these days.

I hope that you try these out. The are truly scrumptious. I took some on a road trip to the Hoover Dam this weekend and my friends loved them. My friend's mother-in-law also received a few and she begged for the recipe.

So, without further ado...

Bon Appetit Desserts: Caramel-Walnut Upside-Down Banana Cake

This is definitely caramely, walnutty, and bananay cake! It is also quite tasty!

Caramel-Walnut Upside-Down Banana Cake
6 to 8 servings

Topping

              Nonstick vegetable spray

1/2         cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

1            cup (packed) golden brown sugar

3            tablespoons dark corn syrup

3/4         cup walnut halves or pieces


Cake

1-3/4      cups cake flour

1            teaspoon baking powder

3/4         teaspoon baking soda

1/2         teaspoon salt

1/2         cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2         cup sugar

1/2         cup (packed) golden brown sugar

2            large eggs

1            cup mashed very ripe bananas (2 to 3 large)

3            tablespoons sour cream

1            tablespoon dark rum

1            teaspoon vanilla extract

              Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream

TOPPING: Spray 8-inch-diameter cake pan with 2-inch-high sides with nonstick spray. Bring butter, sugar, and corn syrup to a boil in medium saucepan, stirring constantly until butter melts. Boil syrup 1 minute. Stir in nuts. Spread topping in prepared pan. Let topping cool completely.

CAKE: Preheat oven to 350ºF. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter and both sugars in large bowl until blended. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, the mashed bananas, sour cream, rum, and vanilla. Beat in dry ingredients in 2 additions just until combined. Spoon batter into pan.

Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Cool 15 minutes. Run small knife around pan sides to loosed cake. Place platter over pan. Using oven mitts or pot holders as aid, firmly grasp pan and platter together, then turn over. Let stand 5 minutes, then gently lift pan off cake. Cool at least 15 minutes for topping to set. Serve warm or at room temperature with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Blue Blueberry Muffins

My mom is a huge fan of Joanne Fluke's Hannah Swenson Mysteries. Over the years I have purchased a few of these books for her. If you do not know, Hannah Swenson runs The Cookie Jar, a popular bakery in this mystery series, and she also solves crimes! Each book comes with a few recipes.

While one could turn to each book for their recipes, it's much easier just to find your favorite treat in the Lake Eden Cookbook, like my mom does.

One of our favorite recipes is the Blue Blueberry Muffins. My mom makes them often and I get happy when she sends some home with me. I am currently making a double batch of these muffins for my students.

I hope that you will try this recipe out. They are sure to please!

Blue Blueberry Muffins

3/4          cup butter (1-1/2 sticks)

1             cup sugar

2             eggs, beaten

2             teaspoons baking powder

1/2          teaspoon salt

1             cup fresh or frozen blueberries (no need to thaw)

2             plus 1 tablespoon flour

1/2          cup milk

1/2          cup blueberry pie filling

CRUMB TOPPING:

1/2         cup sugar

1/3         cup flour

1/4         cup butter, softened



Muffins:

Grease of muffin tin only.

Melt butter and pour into large bowl. Mix in sugar. Add beaten eggs, baking powder, and salt. Mix thoroughly.

Put blueberries in medium bowl, sprinkle 1 tablespoon flour over berries and mix gently until berries are covered; set aside.

Add one cup flour and half of the milk to the butter mixture. Add rest of flour and milk, mix thoroughly.

Add pie filling. Mix well. Fold in blueberries. (Mixture will probably turn blue and that is okay!)

Fill the muffin tine 3/4 full, set aside.


Crumb topping:

Mix flour and sugar in bowl. Add butter and cut in until crumbly. Fill in remaining space of muffin tins with crumb topping. Bake at 375ºF for 25-30 minutes. Let cool 30 minutes in tin before removing.