cinnamon Archives | The Vanilla Bean Blog

Baked Pumpkin Donuts

Sarah Kieffer — Sun, 04 Nov 2018 19:12:00 +0000

I normally prefer fried donuts if have a choice, but they can be a lot of work and the kitchen aftermath is not always worth the effort. I make these baked pumpkin donuts every fall and never hear any complaints – they are muffin-y in taste, but delicious none-the-less. This recipe was actually originally for muffins, but I prefer them in donut shape – they bake up quite nice, and aren’t as dense with the smaller height and the hole in the middle. Other similar recipes you may enjoy: Vanilla Donuts with Pumpkin Pastry Cream, Brioche Donuts with Chocolate Bourbon Glaze, Pumpkin Poundcake with Chocolate, and Pumpkin Scones. ***************************************** A few things: Baked From Scratch Magazine has their Holiday Cookie issue out. I contributed a few recipes to it, and you can find it here. The Holiday and Celebration Bread in Five Minutes a Day book (affiliate link) is available for pre-order! I’ve worked on the last four Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day books, and helped photograph this new book. It’s a wonderful collection, and I’ll be sharing from it later this week. It’s a *little* early for Christmas music, but this Ingrid Michaelson Songs For the Season […]

The post Baked Pumpkin Donuts appeared first on The Vanilla Bean Blog.

Cinnamon Streusel Bundt Cake

Sarah Kieffer — Mon, 27 Aug 2018 04:34:16 +0000

When my niece was born, I brought this Cinnamon Streusel Swirl Cake over to my sister and brother-in-law (along with pan-banging cookies, of course) to celebrate. The best thing about this cake is it gets better the longer it sits – I enjoyed it on days 2 and 3 so much. You’ll find a layer of cinnamon streusel swirled through the vanilla cake, and another layer on the bottom of each piece. *************************************************** Let’s put all our treasures together— the clocks, plates, cups cracked by the cold —into a sack and carry themto the seaand let our possessions sinkinto one alarming breakerthat sounds like a river.May whatever breaksbe reconstructed by the seawith the long labor of its tides.So many useless thingswhich nobody brokebut which got broken anyway-Pablo Neruda More Bundt Cake Recipes: Buttery Vanilla Bundt Cake Espresso Bundt Cake Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake

The post Cinnamon Streusel Bundt Cake appeared first on The Vanilla Bean Blog.

Maple Cinnamon Granola

Sarah Kieffer — Sun, 05 Aug 2018 19:00:00 +0000

I have spent many hours working in coffeehouses, either as barista or baker. Almost every shop had a little kitchen tucked in the back, where ovens cranked out early A.M meals: scones, muffins, quiche, and coffee cake. I loved the mornings that the granola was included in that lineup. Seven minutes after the trays of oats went into the oven, a faint whiff of cinnamon would weave its way through the store, tempting the line of hungry patrons. Four minutes later the aroma would hit like a flame, leaving no nose untouched. Our minds raced with holiday memories: coming in from the cold and finding a fire ready, with cookies beside it. Together, we would all breathe a collective sign of nostalgia. Maple Cinnamon Granola Notes: This recipe is simple and can be easily tweaked to accommodate your breakfast preferences. Here the maple syrup sweetens the oats, but honey can be used instead. The olive oil’s peppery note is balanced by the sugars, but can be swapped for canola oil for a more straightforward taste. Cinnamon and and vanilla extract can be removed or supplemented: almond extract, cardamom, Chinese five-spice, and ground ginger are all good starting places. 1/2 cup […]

The post Maple Cinnamon Granola appeared first on The Vanilla Bean Blog.

Peach Crumble Pie

Sarah Kieffer — Fri, 22 Aug 2014 04:36:29 +0000

Years ago, after completing college and moving back in with my parents for a spell, I would pick my Grandma up once a week and take her out shopping. She was close to 90 and could no longer drive, but was always eager to get out of the house and buy her own groceries and necessities. One of her favorite haunts was a neighborhood department store that she insisted on stopping by, and she would push her cart around the aisles aimlessly, happy to be out and about. This particular store didn’t have much for me to look at, but I would always wander over to the kitchen section and browse around until Grandma was ready to leave. I remember falling in love with one particular item: a glass cake stand with a heavy domed lid. Every week I would go back and debate purchasing it, but I had just graduated college without much in my bank account. So each time I would pass it by, dreaming of the cakes I could make to fill it. That August I celebrated my 25th birthday, and there it was wrapped up so pretty: the cake stand I had been coveting. My parents […]

The post Peach Crumble Pie appeared first on The Vanilla Bean Blog.

flavored sugars

Sarah Kieffer — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 22:32:00 +0000

I’ve been using flavored sugars in everything. I got hooked when I started making vanilla bean sugar last spring, and started experimenting with other flavors recently. Lemon zest, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and of course, vanilla bean, are among my favorites. The little jars, stashed on my shelf, make me so happy with their tiny flecks of color. I use them a lot – sprinkled on muffins or scones, in pancakes and pie dough, even stirred into my coffee. They are perfect little holiday gifts as well – place them in tiny jars and pass them out to the neighbors. Flavored Sugars Pumpkin Pie Sugar 1 cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon cloves Place sugar and spices in the jar, seal lid and shake to combine. Lemon Sugar 1 cup granulated sugar zest of one lemon Place sugar and lemon zest in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 6 or 7 times until zest is broken down into sugar. Transfer to a mason jar, seal lid. Cardamom Sugar 1 cup granulated sugar 1 tablespoon cardamom 5 cardamom pods, crushed Crush cardamom pods lightly with the back of a spoon or side […]

The post flavored sugars appeared first on The Vanilla Bean Blog.