I am in love with these rolls. I have actually made them twice in the span of one week and tried to experiment with the whole wheat content of the dough. While both turned out good the one that used a mixture of whole wheat and all purpose flour worked best. The texture was more spongy like.

I am actually going to try to make them again just all whole wheat because I really hate having all purpose flour in the mixture. I like them to be 100% whole wheat so I am trying once more and if they are as good or better than the last batch I will change the recipe to 3 cups of whole wheat pastry flour instead :-)

Anyhow, I know that these rolls require a little bit of time but they are worth every minute. If you venture and try them out I suggest you try to get 12 little rolls out of each circle instead of 8 like I did. Either way they will be good, I just think they will be better being a bit smaller.

By the way these rolls are not that sweet at all. They are just perfect!!

Enjoy!!

Dough pictures before and after rising. It took about 2-3 hours. If using all 3 cups of whole wheat pastry flour it will take longer. If choosing to use 3 cups whole wheat flour for the bread, add 1 teaspoon of gluten if you have it. It will help with the rising of the dough as well as the texture.

Place 2-3 tablespoons of marmalade, 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1 tablespoon of shredded coconut over each circle. Then with a pizza cutter divide each circle into 12 if you can. I did into 8 :-)

Left picture depicts the rolls before rising which probably took about 1-2 hours. The right picture was after the rolls risen. I baked it that night and the next morning half the batch was pretty much gone :-)

The dough itself is not that sweet even with the marmalade and all so the glaze complements these rolls very good. You can omit it if you like but I do recommend it!!

You can add what ever marmalade you like to the rolls. I had raspberry on hand but any would work perfectly.

Raspberry and orange sweet rolls

Yield: 16-20 rolls

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons instant yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1/3 cup unrefined sugar
1/3 cup olive oil
2 eggs
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup all purpose flour, I am going to try to get rid of this in the recipe next time, I was just experimenting

Filling

4-6 tablespoons raspberry marmalade
2 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut
4 tablespoons sugar
zest of two organic oranges

Glaze

1/2 cup confectioner sugar
2-3 tablespoons orange juice

Directions:

In a bowl add sugar, oil, eggs, yeast and yogurt. Add 2 cups of whole wheat pastry flour and 3/4 cup of all purpose flour, mix well. (I do all of this with my hands). If the dough appears too sticky, add the remaining 1/4 cup all purpose flour.

Cover dough with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let rise until doubled in a warm place, about 2 hours. Divide dough in half and, on a lightly floured surface, roll out each half into a 12-inch circle.

Spread 2-3 tablespoons of marmalade on each circle and sprinkle 2 tablespoons of sugar plus 1 tablespoon of coconut on each circle. Divide the orange zest among both circles.

Using a pizza cutter, cut the circle into 12 equal slices. (I cut mine into 8 but 12 would work a lot better). Starting on the wide end, roll up each slice like a croissant.

In a greased 9x13-inch baking pan, lay the rolls pointed end down. Cover with a kitchen towel and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Alternatively, cover with foil and allow to rise in the refrigerator overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Brush (you can also use your fingers) each roll with egg wash (1 egg mixed in with 1 tsp of water or milk) and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden. Mix the glaze ingredients and pour over the rolls. Served while still warm or completely cooled.

adapted from the pastry affair

 Nutrition facts calculated based on the recipe giving 18 rolls.

The post Raspberry and orange sweet rolls appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

It has been quite a few days since my last post. Between thanksgiving, updating the recipe index list, studying and thinking of all of the Christmas gifts I have to get this year….well, time has been running out!!

I have been wanting to cook and bake more than usual but it seems that I can’t never get this wish. Oh well….I guess I will have to take it one step at a time, after all I think I have been doing quite a lot so far :-)

I hope everyone has had a wonderful thanksgiving, I sure did with the family!

These are actually the bread rolls I made for thanksgiving. It kind of became a last minute thing.

The only thing I found with these whole grain bread rolls is that I thought they were a bit dense for my taste. I don’t know if it was the fact that they didn’t have enough liquid, but I am gathering that it was because I added some extra flour that I shouldn’t have had.

I have deducted this amount of flour from the original recipe so that you don’t encounter the same problem.

I think I will be making these again and hopefully they will get better for me in consistency. Just remember that the dough needs to be wet and sort of sticky, mine wasn’t….. hence my dense bread……..edible anyhow.

Well I hope you make these rolls and if you do let me know how they worked out for you. They are really not that difficult to make, you just need some time for the rising stages, that’s all really :-)

Enjoy!!

Left pictures depicts the dough before proofing. Right picture is the dough after proofing for about 1 1/2 hours.

After proofing the dough I formed the rolls and proof them once again for another 30 minutes.

Here I slightly glazed the rolls with the egg yolk and sprinkle them with a bit of coarse salt and some oatmeal before baking.

…..and the end result :-)

Whole grain bread rolls

Yield: 8 rolls

Total Time: 3 hours

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup oat bran
• 1/4 cup flax seeds
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 1/2 cup warm milk
• 3 teaspoons instant yeast
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 large egg
• 2 tsp gluten
• 1/3 cup old-fashioned oats
• 2 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 tablespoon celtic salt
• Oil, for greasing the bowl

FOR THE TOPPING

• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon water
• 2 tbsp. oats
• Coarse salt, for sprinkling

Directions:

Combine the oat bran and flax seeds in a small bowl.  Pour the hot water into the bowl and mix to moisten.  Let sit until the water is absorbed, about 5 minutes.

Add the milk, yeast, and honey to the small bowl and combine.  Add in the egg, oats, wheat flour, and salt to the same small bowl and combine with the other ingredients. Slowly add enough all-purpose flour to make a soft, slightly sticky and wet dough. Continue to knead.

Form the dough into a ball.  Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. ( I did in the oven that was still a bit warm from baking previously).

Lightly coat a round baking dish with oil, I used an 8 inch pampered chef round baking pan but a 9 inch round baking pan should be fine. On a lightly floured surface, turn the dough out and divide into 8 equal pieces.

Form each portion into a ball and place the dough balls in the baking dish, spaced slightly apart so they have room to grow. Cover and let rise until puffy and nearly doubled in bulk, about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375˚ F.  In a small bowl whisk together the egg yolk and water. Brush lightly over the proofed rolls.  Sprinkle the unbaked rolls with oats and coarse salt.  Bake until the tops are golden, about 30-35 minutes.  Let cool 10-15 minutes before removing from the pan.

Adapted from here

Nutrition facts calculated based on the recipe giving 8 rolls.

The post Whole grain bread rolls appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

It has been just a few days since coming back from Spain and getting back to normal has been a breeze, although a bit hectic. I am glad to be back in my own kitchen however I wish I was still in Spain :-)

I must confess to my followers and visitors that I have been thinking of decreasing the frequency of my posts. They will just not be as frequent as they had been before going on vacation. I have decided to slow down a bit and try to relax more often because with all of the things I am trying to tackle being stressed out is not something that I am planning on having any longer.

Being in the house with two kids, cooking, cleaning, exercising, studying etc takes a lot from me. Don´t get me wrong, cooking and baking is something that I adore, more like, I am passionate about, but because there are only 24 hours in the day….well…I don´t have enough time to do everything I would like.

I am thinking that one or two posts per week may do…will see how it goes….

Anyhow, this recipe I got to make at my mom´s while in Spain this summer. I had the recipe from a long time ago but never got around to it. I made some adjustments in the recipe, healthier adjustments of course, and this one is by far the best one, mainly because I add it the chocolate chips….. It is good with nuts as well so feel free to make your own variation.

The version I made in Spain used fresh yeast, which I liked much better, the result was more spongy like. I am going to need to get fresh yeast some place :-)

Anyhow, I also wanted to let you know that I will be using other healthier ingredients when it comes to baking. I have found a few things that you may be interested in purchasing for your own. The one that I am most excited about is sucanat, an unprocessed natural form of sugar :-)

The links to buy these products are from amazon although you can find these items at supermarkets.

Also if you know of any healthier ingredients you are using for your baking or cooking let me know, I would love to try them :-)

1. Sucanat or rapunzel: Organic whole cane sugar. Unprocessed and natural so a much better option than regular white sugar. When the recipe calls for white granulate sugar you more likely will be able to substitute with this healthier version.

2. Aluminum free backing powder and aluminum free baking soda: A much better option as well.

3. Organic brown rice syrup:  Is a healthy, natural sweetener that makes it ideal for use in baking and desserts. Unlike simple sugars, such as monosaccharides and disaccharides, brown rice syrup is a polysaccharide, or a complex sugar which is very, very important.
I have not had a chance to experiment with it just yet but I will soon :-)

Anyhow, I think this is a super winner recipe so enjoy!!

Dough after letting do its work for 1 1/2 hours :-)

Left picture was monkey bread done in Spain. Much more spongy like with the fresh yeast although. The right picture is the one made here with the instant yeast although the picture was taken before the second rise of the dough so it doesn’t look to puffed up. I put a lot more chocolate chips on this one as well :-)

Dipping of the monkey balls in butter and cinnamon sugar.

The left monkey bread was the one done here the right one was the one done in Spain which used the fresh yeast. Both were really good!!

Dark chocolate chip monkey bread

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 10-12 servings

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups unbleached white whole wheat flour, I run out of whole wheat pastry flour and this is what I had on hand
1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 teaspoon instant yeast
1/4 cup sucanat, you can use regular brown sugar
1 cup milk
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup warm water
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 cup dark chocolate chips

For dipping

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoon cinnamon

8 tablespoons butter, 1/2 stick

 

Directions:

In a large bowl mix milk, oil, 1/4 cup sugar, water, flours, cinnamon, yeast, baking powder and chocolate chips. Knead thoroughly, I do this step with my hands.

Place dough on a grease bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for about 1 1/2 hours. On the mean time mix sugar and cinnamon on a bowl. Melt butter and place on another bowl.

When dough has at least doubled in size make balls and dip each ball first into the melted butter and then into the sugar mixture. Place balls in the bottom of a grease Bundt pan and top with remaining balls after dipping each one into the butter and sugar mixture. Cover and let rise for another 45 minutes.

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. If you have any remainder sugar mixture and butter you can pour over cake, I don't.

Bake for about 35-45 minutes ( I normally bake mine for 40) until bread sounds hollow when tapped. Immediately invert the pan on a heat proof serving plate and let stand for one minute. Remove pan and serve.

The post Dark chocolate chip monkey bread appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

Do you want a quick version of the famous cinnamon rolls same flavor but made in forth of the time? Well this is it…..

This is nothing but easy, flavorful and fuzz free. The rising time…..15 minutes, can’t get better than that right?

We just enjoyed this over the weekend so I hope you get to make it soon because it will not disappoint.

As for my frequency posting, well still studying for the MCAT’S, sorry. It will get better after June, right after I take it ;-)

Enjoy!!

Before and after baking this beauty. The flavor was superb!! I put quite a bit of sugar on top but you don’t have to ;-)

Quick cinnamon and walnut bun bread

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
2/3 cup room temperature milk
6 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg

Topping

3 tablespoons butter, room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 walnuts, chopped
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Icing

1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk

 

Directions:

Lightly grease and flour a 9 inch pie baking pan.

In a large bowl, combine egg, milk, oil, vanilla and sugar and flour and yeast. Mix well, until very smooth. Pour into prepared pan and let it stand for 15 minutes.

While the dough rests, mix together butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle evenly on top of rested dough and press the mixture down into the dough with your fingertips.

Place pan into a cold oven, then set the oven temperature to 350F. Bake for about 30 minutes, until bread is lightly browned.

Cool for at least 30 minutes before whisking the powdered sugar and milk together to form an icing and drizzling it onto the bread.

If you have leftovers you can reheat in the microwave.

The post Quick cinnamon and walnut bun bread appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

I can’t believe I have just made these cinnamon Whole Wheat Pretzels. Love, love, love them. They are just a little bit on the small size but that is even better for me. I guess I don’t feel as bad when I eat one, two or three!

I must say that these are not an easy fix. I mean, it will take a while before you can dig your teeth into them as you will have to leave the dough rise for about 2 hours, then boil them for a minute and then bake.  Nevertheless, it is not a hard process, just a little bit involved.

I did use instant yeast, which is my new favorite thing. I bought a 1 lb bag which will last me for a while. It is much more economical than buying individual yeast packages at the regular store. If you normally use yeast I suggest you turn to instant yeast, you will not regret it.

After making this today for sure I will be making them more often. Next time I will double the batch though.

Enjoy!

Cinnamon Whole Wheat Pretzels

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 14-16 large pretzels

Total Time: 2 hours

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 cup water plus 3 tablespoons
• 2 tbs melted butter
• 1 1/2 cup bread flour
• 1 tsp instant yeast
• 1 tsp gluten, you can add one more tsp of instant yeast if you don't have gluten
• 1 tbs honey
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 egg beaten
• Water bath
• 8 cups water
• 2 tsp aluminum free baking soda

Glaze

• 2/3 cup unrefined sugar
• 1 tbs cinnamon
• 4 tbs melted butter

Directions:

In a m large mixing bowl ,mix whole wheat flour and water and let sit for 20 minutes to soften the gluten. Add remaining ingredients except the egg. Knead dough for about 6 minutes until elastic (I do it by hand). Cover and let sit for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours until double in size.

Divide dough into 8 equal pieces and roll each piece into a rope. (You can divide into 6 pieces if you like them bigger). Form each into a pretzel shape (form a U-shape, then holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press firmly onto the bottom of the pretzel). Place on a baking sheet previously lined with parchment paper. (For this process you may have to flour your work surface although I didn't have to. If you do try to use as less flour as possible)

To make the water bath, boil the water, add the baking soda and add two pretzels at a time. Boil for about 1 minute until they expand dramatically. When you are done doing this brush them with the beaten egg. (You can sprinkle with seeds or kosher salt. I didn't do this because I used the cinnamon glaze)

Bake on a 425F preheated oven for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes.

Mix sugar and cinnamon. Brush each pretzel with melted butter and dip into the sugar mixture.

The post Cinnamon Whole Wheat Pretzels appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

So I just made these Whole Wheat Cranberry Milk Rolls today that are out this world. I have been experimenting with this recipe and I think I am pretty close to the perfect end result. On the next attempt I am going to increase the whole wheat flour content to make them a bit healthier.

I must say that most of my recipes are fast to put together but this one requires a little bit more time since you need extra time for the dough to rise. The actual mixing may take you 5-10 minutes but the rising time is about 1 hour 30 minutes total, worth the wait though. On any event if you try this you will not be disappointed.

This is how the dough looks like before rising.

This is how the dough looks like after about 1 hour sitting in the counter rising :-)

Whole Wheat Cranberry Milk Rolls

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 12-14 rolls

Total Time: 2 hours

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup lukewarm milk, I use organic
• 4 tbsp of butter, melted
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 2 packages of yeast
• 1/3 cup unrefined sugar
• 4 eggs at room temperature
• 2 cups of bread flour
• 1 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/3 cup raisins, or cranberries

Topping

• 1 egg
• 4 tsp of unrefined sugar
• 1 tsp of water

 

Directions:

In a mixing bowl dissolve the yeast in the milk. Let stand for about 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs, melted butter, oil and sugar and combine with a whisk. Add flours and craisins and combine until you have an homogeneous mixture. At this stage you may have to use your hands, I do. You may end up with a semi sticky dough, not to sticky though (you many need a bit more flour than what calls in the recipe). Let the dough rest in a bowl covered with plastic wrap for about 1 hour or until double in size.

After the dough has risen make little balls, I get about 14 pretty big in size. Let them rest for another 30 minutes or until double in size covered with plastic wrap on a baking tray previously lined with unbleached parchment paper.

Combine the sugar and water for the topping. This is going to be a pretty thick mixture. When the rolls have double in size brush each roll with the beaten egg and place a little bit of the sugar mixture on each roll. Bake on a preheated oven at 375 F for about 15-18 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool. Enjoy

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