Pumpkin Spice Monkey Bread-By Bees Adventures!

http://beesadventures.wordpress.com/2013/10/16/pumpkin-spice-monkey-bread-with-caramel-glaze/

I found this amazing recipe on “beesadventures” blog! Easy to make, fun to eat!!

Pumpkin Spice Monkey Bread with Caramel Glaze

Yield: 1 bundt pan

Prep Time: 60 minutes | Bake Time: 20 – 25 minutes

Dough Ingredients

• 3/4 cup Lactaid milk (soy milk would work fine too)
• 1/4 cup vegan margarine or lactose-free butter (Becel or Fleischmann’s are my favorites)
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup warm water (between 100 to 105 degrees Farenheit)
• 2 1/4 teaspoons dry active yeast
• 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Filling Ingredients

• 1 cup brown sugar, packed (if you want to make brown sugar yourself, see the recipe below)
• 1 tablespoon ground Pumpkin Spice
• 1/2 cup vegan margarine or lactose-free butter, softened

Glaze Ingredients

• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup lactose-free whipping cream
• 1 tbsp vegan margarine or lactose-free butter, softened

Monkey Bread Preparation

1. Heat the milk in a small saucepan until it is warm to the touch, then remove from heat. Mix in margarine; stir until melted. Leave to cool.
2. Heat water to 100 – 105 degrees Farenheit. Add yeast; stir. Let sit for 5 minutes to activate yeast. Mixture will look foamy on top when yeast has activated.
3. In the bowl of your stand mixer with the dough hook attachment, combine 2 1/4 cup flour, sugar and salt; mix well.
4. Add egg to cooled milk mixture and mix well.
5. Add activated yeast and milk mixture to dry ingredients. Mix until dough comes together in a sticky ball.
6. Add the remaining flour, 1/4 cup at a time, kneading well after each addition until dough is soft and smooth but still a bit sticky.
7. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let rest for 10 minutes.
8. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, pumpkin spice and softened margarine.
9. Tear small, pieces of dough and roll into balls. Toss each into the sugar mixture until coated, then place in a greased baking pan.
10. Cover baking dish and let rise in a warm place for 20 minutes. If you’d like to cook these at a later time, refrigerate or freeze covered and let pan sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking. Don’t be concerned if rolls do not rise too much.
11. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit when ready to bake.
12. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until browned. Let cool for 10 minutes before turning out on a serving dish.
13. Serve warm, drizzled with glaze. Glaze recipe follows below.

(Adapted from 90-Minute Cinnamon Rolls at Chinese Grandma)

Caramel Glaze Preparation

1. Pour the water into a saucepan then pour the sugar in a pile in the middle of the water. Turn the heat to medium-high heat and begin cooking without stirring. The sugar will dissolve in the water and begin to boil.
2. When the sugar begins to lightly brown, gently swirl the pan until all of the sugar is a deep golden brown.
3. Carefully pour in the cream and add the butter. Whisk until smooth.

(Adapted from Chef Michael Smith’s Caramel Sauce at Food Network)

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This coffee was so good that I drank it all before I could snap a picture of it! Every morning while in London, I went to Esquires and had the white mocha with whipped cream and white chocolate shavings. It is about a 10 minute walk from the hotel I stayed at on Holland Road, but worth the wait.

Next time you’re on that side of town, check them out! They have fantastic pastries and other fresh desserts as well.

esquirescoffee.co.uk
Across the street from the Shepherds Bush station
(Westfield London Shopping Centre, West 12 Shopping Centre
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+44 20 8740 3344)

Double-Crust Pie Dough

Just imagine all the different fillings you can put into this beautiful crust! Pumpkin, apricot, cherry or lemon meringue, just to name a few! Or just add some cinnamon and sugar, roll, slice and bake, for some flaky cinnamon roll snacks.

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg
2 tablespoons ice water, plus more if needed
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

Step 1
Place flour and salt in a food processor. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal with some blueberry-size clumps.

Step 2
Beat together egg, ice water, and vinegar in a small bowl. Add to flour mixture and pulse just until incorporated, about 10 times more. Squeeze a small amount of dough to make sure it holds together. If dough is too dry, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Divide dough in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap, forming each into 1 disk. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to 2 days.

For the original recipe, visit this link
http://www.marthastewart.com/1035537/double-crust-pie-dough?xsc=soc_pin_2013_11_5_Dessert_Tart+and+Pie+Recipes_A&crlt.pid=camp.rTw3RkYvASlJ

Angel Food Cake Churro Bites

This is a great alternative to the traditional Mexican style churros.

Ingredients
Print This Recipe Print This Recipe
•1 Sara Lee Angel Food Cake
•1 cup sugar
•1/4 cup cinnamon
• oil

Instructions
1.Let your Angel Food Cake thaw. Once thaw, cube the cake. My cubes were about 1.5 inches x 1.5 inches.
2.Heat vegetable oil on low-medium heat. Fry cubes until golden brown.
3.Once golden brown, immediately put them in the bowl with cinnamon and sugar and toss around. Continue doing this until they’re all done.
4.For even more flavor, mix 1 cup powdered sugar with a tablespoon and milk, mix and drizzle over the bites. ENJOY!

{Cinnamon/Sugar Mixture – I used 1 cup sugar and 1/4 cup cinnamon and mixed it together} Angel Food Cake Churro Bites – 2 – Copy

For complete instructions and more “how to” pictures, click on the link below
http://lilluna.com/angel-food-cake-churro-bites/

Chocolate-Caramel Tartlets with Roasted Bananas and Ginger-Citrus Caramel

This recipe is best for those of you who have some baking experience. I say that only because it’s a lengthy recipe with a lot of steps. If making this for a special occasion, I would give it a whirl with a practice prototype, prior to your special event. Let your co-workers be the guinea pigs, I’m sure they won’t mind, hahaha
.
Ingredients

Crust
•2/3 cup all purpose flour
•3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
•1/2 cup powdered sugar
•1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
•3 large egg yolks

Caramel filling
•1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
•3 tablespoons water
•2 teaspoons light corn syrup
•1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
•1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
•1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Chocolate ganache topping
•1 cup heavy whipping cream
•1 tablespoon light corn syrup
•3 whole star anise*
•4 1/2 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
•2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
•1 ounce bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
•4 teaspoons (generous) plus 2 tablespoons chopped lightly salted roasted cashews

Ginger-citrus caramel sauce
•1/4 cup sugar
•2 tablespoons water
•1/2 cup strained orange juice
•1 2-inch piece peeled fresh ginger, grated, pressed through garlic press to extract 1/2 teaspoon juice
•1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise in half
•3 tablespoons unsalted butter
•2 tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar
•1 large banana, sliced

Preparation

For crust:
Sift flour and cocoa into small bowl. Using electric mixer, beat powdered sugar and butter in medium bowl until well blended. Beat in flour mixture. Beat in egg yolks 1 at a time. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Chill at least 1 hour and up to 1 day. Soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Roll out dough on floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness. Using 5-inch-diameter plate or bowl as guide, cut out rounds. Reroll dough scraps if necessary to form four 5-inch rounds total. Press each dough round onto bottom and up sides of 4 1/4- to 4 1/2-inch-diameter tartlet pan with removable bottom. Pierce crusts all over with fork. Freeze crusts 10 minutes. Bake until firm to touch and beginning to pull away from sides of pans, about 15 minutes. Cool crusts completely in pans on rack.

For caramel filling:
Combine sugar and next 3 ingredients in heavy small saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil without stirring until deep amber color, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat; add cream (mixture will bubble vigorously). Stir over low heat until any caramel bits dissolve and caramel is smooth. Whisk in butter. Set aside.

For chocolate ganache topping:
Bring cream and corn syrup to boil in heavy small saucepan. Add star anise; remove from heat. Cover; let steep 15 minutes. Discard star anise. Return mixture to boil. Remove from heat. Add 4 1/2 ounces coarsely chopped bittersweet chocolate and butter; whisk ganache topping until smooth.

Stir 1 ounce finely chopped bittersweet chocolate in top of double boiler set over simmering water until melted. Brush inside of each crust with melted chocolate, then sprinkle each with 1 generous teaspoon chopped cashews. Spoon caramel filling over nuts in crusts (about 2 tablespoons for each). Chill tartlets until caramel sets slightly, about 30 minutes.

Rewarm chocolate ganache topping just until pourable, if necessary. Spoon chocolate ganache atop caramel filling. Refrigerate just until ganache sets, about 45 minutes, then let tartlets stand at room temperature. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover tartlets loosely and let stand at room temperature.)

For ginger-citrus caramel sauce:
Stir 1/4 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons water in heavy small saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil without stirring until medium (not deep) amber color, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; slowly add orange juice and 1/2 teaspoon ginger juice. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean. Return mixture to boil, stirring until any caramel bits dissolve. Boil until sauce is slightly syrupy and reduced to 1/4 cup, about 4 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; let stand at room temperature. Rewarm over low heat just until pourable.)

Preheat oven to 450°F. Melt butter in heavy small saucepan over low heat. Add brown sugar; whisk until blended, about 1 minute. Add banana slices and toss to coat. Transfer banana mixture to small baking sheet. Bake until bananas begin to brown slightly around edges and sugar mixture bubbles, about 4 minutes.

Remove sides from tartlet pans. Place tartlets on plates. Drizzle ginger caramel sauce around tartlets. Arrange banana slices alongside. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons cashews and serve.

*Brown star-shaped seedpods sold at Asian markets, at specialty foods stores, and in the spice section of some supermarkets

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chocolate-Caramel-Tartlets-with-Roasted-Bananas-and-Ginger-Citrus-Caramel-108534#ixzz2iK3LtgKi

Gingerbread Cheesecake-Yes Please!

Gingerbread Cheesecake

(Martha Stewart)

Gingerbread boys (and girls) are the cutest things ever! But it doesn’t mean I won’t devour them! And devour, I will, and so will you!
Life is good, eat gingerbread
Audrey

Serves 10
•All-purpose flour, for dusting
•1/4 recipe of the dough for Molasses-Gingerbread Cookies
•4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
•1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
•2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature
•1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
•4 large eggs, room temperature
•1/4 cup unsulfured molasses
•1/4 teaspoon salt
•1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
•1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
•1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
•1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
•1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
•6 gingerbread men (see above)

Directions
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wrap exterior of a 9-inch springform pan in 2 layers of foil.

2.On a generously floured piece of parchment, roll dough to a 13-by-10-inch rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick. Brush off excess flour. Slide dough and parchment onto a baking sheet. Bake until firm and golden brown, about 14 minutes. Let cool completely on sheet on a wire rack. Break into large pieces, then pulse in a food processor until finely ground.

3.Combine butter, 1/4 cup sugar, and 2 cups cookie crumbs in a bowl. Press mixture firmly and evenly into bottom and one-third of the way up sides of prepared pan. Bake until set, about 10 minutes. Let cool on rack.

4.Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Beat cream cheese with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar and the vanilla, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Reduce speed to low. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping sides of bowl as needed. Beat in molasses, salt, spices, and lemon zest. Pour filling into cooled crust.

5.Place cheesecake in a large, shallow roasting pan. Transfer to oven, and carefully add enough hot water to roasting pan to come about halfway up sides of springform pan. Bake until cheesecake is set but still slightly wobbly in center, 60 to 65 minutes. Carefully remove springform pan from roasting pan, and let cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 8 hours (preferably overnight).

6.Before serving, run a hot knife around edges of cheesecake to loosen, and remove sides of pan. Arrange gingerbread cookies in center of cake in a circle (with heads facing inward and arms touching, alternating light and dark.

*THIS is the gingerbread cookie recipe I used. I doubled it and used a 1/4 of it for the crust
http://www.munchkinmunchies.com/2010/12/gingerbread-cheesecake.html