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Some days just call for cinnamon rolls! ♥

 

Granola Girl Bakes Blog Cinnamon Rolls.jpg-1It’s true! Some days just call for Cinnamon Rolls. 🙂 My traditional recipe is generally a 4 hour process and not one to be taken lightly with an outcome of the most delightfully buttery concoction imaginable but when it comes to the everyday, quick 1 hour cinnamon rolls will do just fine! Micah made a batch this Saturday and I must admit, they were beyond delicious. So, if you find you have a free hour try these quick 1-hour Cinnamon Rolls! ♥

In between the hustle and bustle of a busy work week, Micah found time to make us a quick (yet delicious) batch of cinnamon rolls! ♥ This recipe is a little simpler than our traditional cinnamon roll recipe and about 1/4 of the time to prepare but just as delightful.

Ingredients:

Dough Ingredients:

  • 2 cups warm water
  • 1/3 cup butter (melted)
  • 5 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp. salt
  • 2 TBS instant or ‘rapid rise’ yeast

Cinnamon Sugar Filling

  • 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 4 TBS ground cinnamon
  • 2/3 cup butter completely softened

Icing

  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 cups powder Sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
  1. Activate yeast in warm water & sugar. Add butter, salt, and enough flour to make a firm dough.
  2. Place dough on lightly floured surface and kneed for 3 minutes adding additional flour if necessary! Place dough in lightly oiled boil and allow to rise for 20 minutes!
  3. Turn it out onto a floured work surface. Divide dough in half then use a floured rolling pin to roll 1/2 the dough out into a large rectangle, about 14 x 9 inches in size. Use a knife or pastry spatula to spread the softened 1/4 cup of butter out evenly over the entire surface of the dough. Then sprinkle evenly with HALF the cinnamon and sugar mixture.
  4. Beginning at the 14-inch edge, tightly roll up the dough. Use a bread knife to cut the  dough into 11 or 12 equal pieces.
  5. Repeat step 3 &4  with remaining dough! Place each of the cut cinnamon rolls into well buttered pie plates or 2 9 x 13-inch baking dish. You can also use parchment lined cookie sheets! Then cover again with a  towel, and leave the dish in a warm place to rise for 15 minutes. Meanwhile preheat oven to 400 degrees(f).
  6. When the rolls have risen, uncover the dish. Then place on the center rack of the oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until the rolls are golden and cooked through. Remove and let cool on a wire rack for at least 5 minutes. Drizzle with your desired icing and serve!
  7. For glaze: whisk together water, powder sugar, and vanilla. Add additional powder sugar or water depending on the desired thickness!

Granola GIrl Bakes Blog Cinnamon Rolls.jpg-3

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Say what?! It’s National Donut day!!!!!!!

Or is it “doughnut” day? Regardless of how you spell it, I will admit… I ♡ DONUTS!! 😉 Glazed, sprinkled, chocolate, or plain, they are definitely delicious. So y’all, this post is dedicated to those round sweet things with the hole in the middle! Grab a donut or three and enjoy. Happy National Donut Day! 😀

Favorite Donut: Lamar’s Long John from Kansas City, MO! About the size of my head and filled full of white fluff. 😉 What’s your favorite donut??

All photos credits go to pinterest. 😉

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Cranberry Orange Muffins

GB 12.24.13.2

When I was putting together a few gift boxes of baked goods, I instantly knew I needed to make a muffin. But what type? Suddenly I eyed the leftover bag of fresh cranberries{I bought 1 too many for a pie} and then I saw the radiant oranges which were suppose to be used for a wassail but who would miss just 1?!  😉 The delightful combination of Cranberry & Orange in an outrageously moist slightly sweet muffin… you really can’t go wrong! 🙂

Original recipe from addapinch.com with a few minor tweaks from me! :)Yields 12 moist muffins

Ingredients
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour (+ 2 teaspoons for coating fresh cranberries, if used)
  • 1½ tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 cups fresh cranberries
  • ½ cup butter {room temperature}
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • zest of 1 LARGE orange
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened plain or Greek yogurt {I used greek!}
  • 1/4 cup milk
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375º F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper or butter & flour tray.
  2. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
  3. Toss together fresh cranberries and 2 teaspoons of flour to coat cranberries in a separate bowl. Set aside. If using dried cranberries, simply skip this step.
  4. Cream together butter and sugar until lightened in color, about 3 minutes. Add an egg, one at a time, taking care to fully incorporate before adding the other. Mix in vanilla and orange zest.
  5. Gently fold in flour mixture, alternating with yogurt/milk. Stir until just combined. Fold in cranberries  and scoop mixture into prepared muffin tins, filling about ⅔ to ¾ full. Bake until a toothpick or skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
  6. Once muffins have baked, remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
  7. Pour a delicious mug of coffee and enjoy! 🙂
Boxes GGB
SP 12.24.13.2
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Cherry Almond Biscotti

Granola Girl Bakes :: Biscotti 3

Twas the day before thanksgiving and all through the house… there was a lovely aroma of Cherry Almond Biscotti! 😉 Now, I have to admit, I was never a HUGE biscotti fan but when my mom showed me the recipe and asked me to make it I was eager to give it another try. I have to say, I now love Biscotti!! So, I sit here with a lovely cup of coffee and a  piece of crunchy sweet biscotti while I post the recipe. 🙂 Makes for a delightful afternoon! The combination of dried cherries & almonds are just perfect! Whether you Dip it in chocolate, or dunk it in coffee, eat it with icecream, or just by itself, y’all are sure to love this biscotti recipe!

Recipe source: Allrecipes
Original recipe makes 32 biscotti
  • 1 3/4 cups dried cherries
  • 1/2 cup amaretto liqueur
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup chopped blanched almonds
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 3 tablespoons white sugar, divided

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Stir dried cherries and amaretto liqueur together in a saucepan over medium heat until the amaretto comes to a simmer; drain, reserving 2 tablespoons of the liquid for later use.
  3. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together onto a sheet of waxed paper. Beat butter with 1 cup sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat 3 eggs into butter-sugar mixture, one at a time, blending in each egg before adding the next. Stir reserved cherry liquid and vanilla extract into the wet ingredients.
  4. Beat butter with 1 cup sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat 3 eggs into butter-sugar mixture, one at a time, blending in each egg before adding the next. Stir reserved cherry liquid and vanilla extract into the wet ingredients.
  5. Stir flour mixture into the wet ingredients a little at a time to form a smooth dough. Gently fold cherries and almonds into dough. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface, divide in half, and form each half into a log 12 inches long and 2 1/2 inches wide. Gently press the logs with your fingers to flatten to a thickness of 3/4 inch. Transfer loaves to the prepared baking sheets, brush with beaten egg, and sprinkle each with 1 1/2 tablespoon white sugar.
  6. Bake in the preheated oven until the loaves are golden brown, about 35 minutes. Transfer loaves to wire racks and cool for 20 minutes. Use a sharp knife to slice each loaf on the diagonal into 16 pieces. Transfer the biscotti to baking sheets. Reduce oven heat to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
  7. Bake in the oven for 8 minutes; flip biscotti and bake until crisp and lightly browned, about 8 more minutes.

Granola Girl Bakes :: Biscotti 6

Granola Girl Bakes :: Biscotti 5

Granola Girl Bakes :: Biscotti 7

Granola Girl Bakes :: Biscotti 2

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A little German Bakery….

I was reading through my “about Granola Girl” for the first time in a long while yesterday and completely forgot the section that said “I hope to share… pictures of food tasted & tested along the way!” Well, I will have to fix that! 😉

Am I the only one who thoroughly enjoys trying new bakeries & coffee shops? 🙂 Take a drive down the old country road, past the peach stands and a few sheep farms, through the hill country, and the very very tiny town of Albert where only a old-fashioned dance-hall stands and you will find yourself in the Fredricksburg, Texas! Well known for its German settlement, Fredricksburg draws tourists from around the world and me! 🙂 I enjoy strolling the main street, looking into shops, and eating a delectable German pastry from my new favorite find, the Old German Bakery & Restaurant! Pastry of choice? The Cherry Cream Cheese Danish! Tart cherries, cream cheese center, a slightly sweet Danish dough, and they must share my love for crumb topping and glaze because it has both!! 😉 So, if you find yourself driving down the old country road, past the peach orchard and the sheep farms, through the hill country and the very very small town of Albert, pick up a Cherry Cream Cheese Danish! Or you can come visit ME and I’ll take you. 🙂

German Bakery Granola Girl Bakes

German Bakery Granola Girl Bakes 1

German Bakery Granola Girl Bakes 3

“O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.”
Psalm 34:8

 

 

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Salted Caramel Sticky Buns with Cream Cheese Glaze

Sticky Buns main 1

Slickepott sticky buns :: Granola Girl Bakes 3
Salted Caramel Sticky Buns anyone? 🙂 Slickepott sent along a rather delicious jar of their Caramel Sauce a couple of weeks back and I have been dreaming up recipes ever since! Today I finally had a few hours free and was able put my apron on and get into the kitchen to create! I had a hankering for a sticky bun but not just any sticky bun, a Salted Caramel Sticky Bun with a delightful cream cheese glaze drizzled on top! Sweet buttery dough, all natural Caramel with vanilla bean & sea salt, a hint of cinnamon, pecans, and a cream cheese glaze…. Just a little tip: Sticky buns are best for dessert! 😉

Yields 24 Sticky Buns!

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
  • 1 cups warm water
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 5 tbsp salted butter{melted}
  • 1 cups warm milk
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 5 or so cups flour
  • 1 13 oz jar slickepott Caramel sauce{or 13 oz regular caramel plus 1/8 tsp salt}
  • 2-2 1/2 cups chopped pecans
  • 1 stick butter{softened}
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp cinnamon

glaze

  • 4 oz cream cheese{softened}
  • 1/4 cup butter {melted}
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 cups powder sugar
  1. Activate yeast in warm water and 1 tsp sugar. Once activated, add 5 tbsp melted butter, milk, salt, and 1/3 cup sugar and combine! Add enough flour to make a firm yet sticky dough.
  2. Place on a generously floured surface and knead for 5 minutes adding flour when necessary {be super careful not to add too much flour!!} Let rise in a buttered bowl until doubled and dough bounces back to the touch{about 45 minutes!}
  3. Heavily butter 3 round 9″ cake pans, cover the bottom of each pan with caramel, and pecans.
  4. Flour a clean surface and roll out dough forming a large triangle{about 1/2 inch thick}. Spread 1 stick softened butter on top of the dough then sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon. Roll up length wise and slice into 1.5″ think rolls. Place in pans, cover, and once again to rise until double{about 30-45 minutes}! Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  5. Meanwhile, prepare the glaze! Place butter, cream cheese, milk, and vanilla in an electric mixer. Beat to combine then slowly add powder sugar. Set aside until sticky buns are baked!
  6. Once the rolls have risen, bake for 14-17 minutes{or until golden on top and baked through}! Immediately flip onto a serving plate, allowing them to cool for 10-15 minutes. Generously drizzle glaze over the sticky buns… very generously!!
  7. Fix a rather large cup of coffee and enjoy your Salted Caramel Sticky Bun! 🙂

[vimeo 70714922 w=580 h=326]

 

Slickepott sticky buns

Slickepott sticky buns :: 6 Granola Girl Bakes 5

Slickepott sticky buns :: 10 Granola Girl Bakes

Slickepott sticky buns :: 9 Granola Girl Bakes 5 Slickepott sticky buns :: 7 Granola Girl Bakes 5

Slickepott sticky buns :: 11 Granola Girl Bakes 5

Slickepott sticky buns :: Granola Girl Bakes 18

Sticky Buns main 4

Sticky Buns main 3

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Glazed Orange Scones

Orange Scones ::Granola Girl Bakes 8

Scones? I had never been a fan of them…. until I found myself out-of-town a couple of weeks ago and having to{okay, so it wasn’t a hard thing to do!} eat breakfast atPanera every morning!! To make a long story short, 5 breakfasts at Panera and each consisted of a delicious orange scone! 🙂 So, when I returned home I was determined to make orange scones and here I am! The recipe is really simple and super fast{I had the scones done in under 40 minutes!} Nothing like a large americano and a freshly glazed orange scone still slightly warm from the oven. 🙂

Original Recipe Yield 16 scones

For the scone:

  • 1/3 cup sugar
    the zest of two large oranges
    2 cups all-purpose flour
    1 tsp baking powder
    1/4 tsp baking soda
    1/2 tsp salt
    8 tbs  butter {frozen!}
    1/2 cup sour cream
    1  egg

For the Glaze

2 cup confectioners’ sugar; sifted
1 tbs pure vanilla extract
3-4 tbs freshly squeezed orange juice

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 and line a baking sheet with parchment.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine sugar and orange zest; mix with your fingers until the sugar is moistened and zest coated. Add in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix until combined.
  3. Grate butter into flour mixture on the large holes of a cheese grater; use your fingers to work in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
  4. In a small bowl, whisk the sour cream and egg until smooth.
  5. Using a fork, stir sour cream mixture into flour mixture until large dough clumps form. Use your hands to press the dough against the bowl into a ball. The dough will be sticky first, but as you press, the dough will come together.
  6. Place on a lightly floured surface and pat into a 7-inch circle about 1-inch thick. Use a sharp knife to cut into 8 triangles; place on prepared baking sheet, about 1 inch apart. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes while you make the glaze!
  7. In a medium bowl, prepare the glaze by mixing together the powder sugar, vanilla and orange juice. Whisk until smooth. Drizzle over scones and allow the glaze to harden!
  8. Fix a rather large pot of coffee or a delicious americano & Enjoy!! 🙂

[vimeo 67908444 w=569 h=320]
Orange Scones ::Granola Girl Bakes Orange Scones ::Granola Girl Bakes 10

Orange Scones ::Granola Girl Bakes 9

Orange Scones ::Granola Girl Bakes 7

“O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusts in Him.”
Psalm 34:8

3 Comments

Outrageously Delicious Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies {Naturally Gluten Free!}

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies 8:: Granola Girl Bakes

Yes, it is true! These are outrageously delicious and 100% naturally gluten-free! I was almost afraid to put “gluten-free” in the title because I may scare some of you off. 🙂 Believe me, I usually can’t stand{and that’s putting it mildly} flour substitutes but I can’t even taste a difference in these cookies!! The recipe originally called for white flour and white & brown sugar but a few weeks back I got the whim to try something new. So, I substituted the white flour and used ground oats{oat flour} and instead of the white & brown sugar I used pure maple syrup! To be honest, I thought the batch was going to be a huge disaster… but they were a hit and I have made several batches since!! Aaannnd they are best for breakfast. 😉

The secret to oat flour is letting the batter/dough set for a good hour or so before baking in order to absorb and stiffen a bit! Also, this recipe is just as good without the chocolate chips! So, if you’re not in the mood for chocolate, leave them out for a delicious peanut butter cookie! 🙂

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies :: Granola Girl Bakes
Yield: 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter {softened}
  • 1 1/2 cups all-natural peanut butter{crunchy or creamy}
  • 1 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cups oat flour{or 2 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats ground}
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 12 oz chocolate chips

Directions

  1. Combine butter, peanut butter, maple, egg, and vanilla extract until creamy.
  2. Add oat flour, baking soda, salt, and chocolate chips. Stir until well combined.
  3. Let dough set covered for 1 hour or refrigerate overnight.
  4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spoon dough onto tray and bake for 10-13 minutes or until golden!
  5. Enjoy!! 🙂

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies 4:: Granola Girl Bakes

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies 2: Granola Girl Bakes
Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies 6:: Granola Girl Bakes
  Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies 7:: Granola Girl Bakes  Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies 14: Granola Girl Bakes Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies 15:: Granola Girl Bakes
Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies 8:: Granola Girl Bakes
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Wild Main Blueberry Oat Scones

 

Yes, it’s true! Not only do these have delicious wild Maine Blueberries and are sumptuous, but these scones are gluten-free!! Okay, getting serious here. My family went “gluten-free/dairy/sugar-free” for quite a while last year and some of us still TRY (notice the emphasis on try 😉 to maintain a 92.5% gluten free diet! 😉 So, I have had fun experimenting with  and making oat flour lately. Oat flour pancakes, oat flour cornbread, oat flour waffles, and now oat flour Blueberry scones sweetened with raw sugar(my favorite thus far!)

These were given 2 thumbs up by a set of parents, 4 of my sisters, and an enthusiastic 9-year-old brother. The remainder of the family has a fear of anything gluten-free so they have yet to try the scones! 🙂 Of course, seeing these scones are gluten-free, they don’t quite have the exact texture of a true scone. The texture is more of a tea cake! 🙂 So, without further ado, Wild Main Blueberry Oat Scones:

Seeing that we ran out of oat flour, I decided to grind my own

 

Original Recipe 8 large scones!

Ingredients

  • 3 cups Oat Flour
  • 1/2 cup raw sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  •   3/4 tsp salt
  •   12 tbs  butter, frozen
  • 1/2 cup dried blueberries (may be substituted for dried currants or raisins)
  • 3/4 cup sour cream
  •   2 large egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1-2 tbs heavy cream

Directions:

  1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. In a medium bowl, mix oat flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Grate butter into flour mixture on the large holes of a box grater(as pictured); use your fingers to work in butter (mixture should resemble coarse meal), then stir in dried fruit.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk sour cream, vanilla, and eggs until smooth.
  4. Using a fork, stir sour cream mixture into flour mixture until large dough clumps form. Use your hands to press the dough against the bowl into a ball. (The dough will be sticky in places, and there may not seem to be enough liquid at first, but as you press, the dough will come together.)
  5. Place on a lightly floured surface and pat into a 7- to 8-inch circle about 3/4-inch thick. Brush with heavy cream and sprinkle with  1 tsp. raw sugar. Use a sharp knife to cut into 8 triangles; place on a cookie sheet (preferably lined with parchment paper), about 1 inch apart. Bake until golden, about 16 to 20 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes and serve warm or at room temperature.
  6. Enjoy! 🙂

4 Comments

Seriously Delicious Hot Chocolate

The last 2 days have been COLD. Even colder seeing our heater is down for repair. We weren’t expecting such extremely chilly weather but after the scorching summer, we are loving it! So what goes with super cold weather better than a cup of Hot Chocolate and a few layers of sweaters?? 🙂

Hot Chocolate is a necessity for the winter months and I had been looking for the perfect Hot Chocolate recipe for years.  Finally found it! In the words of my sister, Grace, “this hot chocolate  is like drinking a brownie!” I found the original recipe on Cooking for Seven a year and a half or so ago and with only a few minor changes, we have been drinking it ever since!
Sweetened with Pure Maple Syrup and topped off with a maple whipped cream, yes, this recipe is RICH…. So rich, you may have a hard time drinking an entire serving! But y’all are sure to love it. 🙂

Original Recipe 5-6 cups of cocoa!

Ingredients

  • 3 1/2 cups whole milk(I usually add up to 1c more depending on thickness)
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 8 ounces chopped unsweetened chocolate
  • 6 tbs pure maple syrup(might need more if you prefer your cocoa a little sweeter!)
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1/8 tsp salt

Directions:

  1.  In a medium saucepan, bring the milk and cream to a low simmer over medium heat, whisking occasionally.
  2.  Add the chocolate, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt. Whisk vigorously until all of the chocolate has melted. Cook for an additional 4 minutes, whisking constantly.

Maple Whipped Cream

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1-2 tbs maple syrup (more if you like your whipped cream very sweet)
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

  1. Place all ingredients in a large bowl and beat until stiff.
  2. Add a dollop or two or four 😉 on your cup of cocoa and enjoy!

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