cinnamon

Irish Morning Porridge

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Fabulous Fixings: Irish Morning Porridge! Depending on where you live, porridge can be the correct terminology for this dish versus its familiar counterpart known as oatmeal. Both are grain-based meals yet porridge allows the chef to substitute cornmeal, quinoa, and polenta, if the craving nudges you in that direction. Oatmeal, on the other hand, consists of rolled oats, old-fashioned, steel-cut, whole, and instant oats. Just oats. Yet here we are. They each have health benefits and do the body good, so I say use the terms interchangeably. 

IRISH MORNING PORRIDGE 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups water

1/3 cup steel-cut oats

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

.5 ounces box of raisins

Dash cinnamon, to taste

Fresh strawberry, for garnish

Raw honey, to drizzle

Instructions:

Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Gently add the steel-cut oats, sea salt, and raisins into the water; bring back to boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer for 30 minutes without stirring. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with cinnamon and garnish with a fresh strawberry. Drizzle with raw honey. Serve immediately. 

Banana-Anna Smoothie

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Fabulous Fixings: Banana-Anna Smoothie! Remember the last time you bought a bunch of bananas and then tried to beat-the-clock before they turned brown and mushy? Here’s a solution to getting caught on that hamster wheel. Slice up a banana. Place the pieces on a cookie sheet in a single layer, without touching. Freeze for 24 hours; then transfer banana slices to a ziplock freezer bag. Store in the freezer until needed. Use the frozen bananas in your next breakfast smoothie. Done and done.

BANANA-ANNA SMOOTHIE

Ingredients:

2 cups frozen banana slices

1/2 cup Greek yogurt 

1 cup unsweetened almond milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg, for garnish

Instructions:

Combine frozen banana slices, Greek yogurt, unsweetened almond milk, and vanilla extract in a high speed blender. Blend on High until smooth. Pulse, if necessary, to break up the chunks. Pour into a glass. Sprinkle with cinnamon or nutmeg and enjoy. 

Donut Muffins

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Graze or Gobble: Donut Muffins! I was tickled to pieces when my friend, Judy, gifted me with a spice jar of Vietnamese Cinnamon. I had never used it before, but being a fan of cinnamon, I thought I could do no wrong. I was right on the money. The intense flavor, baked into a luscious donut muffin and then rolled in a buttery cinnamon sugar coating, practically made my eyes roll back in sublime pleasure. Now that I have experienced the taste of imagination and exhilaration, how can I ever go back to ordinary cinnamon?

DONUT MUFFINS 

Ingredients for the Muffins:

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon Vietnamese cinnamon 

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup butter, melted

Ingredients for the Topping:

1/3 cup sugar

2 teaspoons Vietnamese cinnamon 

5 tablespoons butter, melted

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 12-count muffin tin with nonstick oil. Set aside. For the donut muffins, in a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, sea salt, Vietnamese cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside. In a small bowl, beat the egg. Add milk, pure vanilla extract, and melted butter. Mix well to combine. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Stir just until moistened. Do not over mix. Spoon batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling about 2/3 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Allow muffins to cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan. For the topping, in a shallow bowl, combine the sugar and Vietnamese cinnamon. In another bowl, warm the butter for 30 seconds in the microwave. Stir when melted. Carefully dip one donut muffin into the warm butter; roll the donut muffin in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place on a wire rack to cool. 

Yearly Cranberry Sauce

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food With Soul: Yearly Cranberry Sauce! When you are the only one who likes cranberries, one recipe can seem like a lot to consume. Go ahead and make the sauce anyway. Here’s why. It can be a special treat for other meals, besides Thanksgiving. Plus it freezes well. For example, swirl it into your morning yogurt, then top with crunchy granola. Or add a little maple syrup and slather it onto a stack of pancakes. Turn your morning fruit smoothie into a delicious beverage-on-the-go. As an appetizer or late night snack, toast baguette slices, smear on softened goat cheese, and add a dollop of cranberry sauce sprinkled with orange zest. Are you getting the idea? When the family asks what you’re eating, just smile and say, “Oh, don’t worry….you wouldn’t like it.”

YEARLY CRANBERRY SAUCE

Ingredients:

12 ounces fresh cranberries

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 cinnamon sticks

1 tablespoon Grand Marnier, optional

Instructions:

Rinse cranberries thoroughly. Drain; set aside. In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar, water, lemon juice, and cinnamon sticks. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Add cranberries. Return to a boil, stirring occasionally. Cranberries will soften as the skins begin to pop. Cook 10 minutes longer. Add Grand Marnier. Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool. Sauce will thicken. Remove cinnamon sticks; discard. Transfer cranberry sauce to a covered storage container. Refrigerate sauce until ready to serve.

Autumn Spice Banana Bread

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Palatable Possibilities: Autumn Spice Banana Bread! Whenever people want to give me a gift of a scented candle, I always choose bakery aromas over floral ones. Buttery Caramel Corn, Pumpkin Pecan Waffles, Vanilla Frosted Cupcake, to name a few. I confess, I could have a love affair with cinnamon, maple, ginger, or cardamom. My knees grow weak just thinking about it. Perhaps that is one reason Autumn spices make me crazy while throwing caution to the wind and willpower out the door. I scrape the bowl leaving just enough batter to taste in a teaspoon. It’s how you know the results will be amazing; at least that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

AUTUMN SPICE BANANA BREAD

Ingredients:

3 bananas, peeled and mashed

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 egg

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 cup coconut, flaked

1/2 cup carrots, peeled and shredded

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper. Set aside. In a bowl, combine mashed bananas, mayonnaise, and egg. Mix well. In another bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and sea salt. Stir in the banana mixture, just until moistened. Fold in flaked coconut and shredded carrots. Pour into prepared loaf pan. Bake 55-60 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Rest for 10 minutes. Remove banana bread from pan and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

Ingredients for Frosting:

2 ounces cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons butter, unsalted, softened

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

2-3 tablespoons light cream

Roasted pumpkin seeds and crushed pecans, for garnish

Instructions for Frosting:

In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese and unsalted butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar and sea salt. Whisk in 2-3 tablespoons light cream. Frosting will be thick, but spreadable. Spread the frosting over the completely cooled banana bread. Sprinkle generously with roasted pumpkin seeds and crushed pecans.

Irish Apple Cake

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Bright Ideas: Irish Apple Cake! I can practically hear your first question: How is this cake different from a traditional one? Well, as you mix the ingredients, you may notice the batter is pretty thick and dense. It’s not pourable like a cake mix, that’s for sure. I guess you could compare it somewhat to a sponge cake…..with apples. Plus topping. Streusel is what makes it extra-special, if you know what I mean. When it’s all said and done, you can definitely justify eating it as an early breakfast, a midday brunch, an afternoon pick-me-up, or a late night dessert. If you were at my house, you’d see my husband keeps a spoon propped inside the cake dome. Because, sometimes…you know, you just can’t resist one bite.

IRISH APPLE CAKE

Ingredients for Streusel Topping:

3/4 cup flour

1/4 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup sugar

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

6 tablespoons butter, cold

Instructions for Streusel Topping:

In a medium bowl, combine flour, rolled oats, sugar, and sea salt. Mix well. Add the cold butter, using a fork. Blend the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Set bowl aside in the refrigerator.

Ingredients for Irish Apple Cake

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 1/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

3 tablespoons milk

3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced thin

Instructions for Irish Apple Cake:

Preheat oven to 350°. Butter and line a 9” round baking dish. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla extract. Beat eggs, one at a time, and add to creamed mixture. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and sea salt. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Gradually add milk while mixing as the batter forms. Transfer batter to the prepared baking dish. Arrange a single layer of sliced apples over batter. Cover the apples with the streusel topping. Bake 60-65 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Apple Dumpling Dreams

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Bright Ideas: Apple Dumpling Dreams! There’s something special about an apple dumpling, don’t you think? Perhaps it reminds you of the changing seasons. Perhaps it conjures up childhood memories. Perhaps the earthy spices and syrupy sweetness crank up your comfort level. No matter the hypnotic effect, apple dumpling dreams can reflect the way we look at our lives. Do we deny sweets or do we nourish our bodies? “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”. It’s all about perspective, moderation, and control. Thank goodness we have freedom of choice. When it comes to apple dumplings, especially now, dreams really do come true.

APPLE DUMPLING DREAMS

Ingredients:

4 Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored

1 package refrigerated pie crusts

4 star anise pieces

Ingredients for Syrup:

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup water

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

2 tablespoons butter

Ingredients for Apple Filling:

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1 tablespoon butter, room temperature

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375°. Lightly grease a 9” square baking dish; set aside. To make the syrup, combine sugar, water, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a saucepan. Bring to boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in 2 tablespoons butter. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, combine ingredients for apple filling. Mix brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and butter until consistency is crumbled. Cut each pie crust in half. Form each half into a ball and place on a lightly floured surface. Roll into 8-inch circles. To assemble, place an apple in the center of a dough circle. Fill the empty core with crumb filling. Fold the dough over the apple, pinching at the top to seal. Transfer apple dumplings to the baking dish. Drizzle with syrup. Place a star anise on each apple. Bake for 40-45 minutes until crust is golden brown. Tent with foil, if necessary, to prevent over browning. Serve warm.

Xtreme Frosting Cinnamon Rolls

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Stir. Spread. Flip. Repeat: Xtreme Frosting Cinnamon Rolls! Does anyone, besides me, often wish there was more frosting in the prepared tube of cinnamon rolls? I mean, who doesn’t want more of the lusciously rich and fluffy sweet mixture? By doubling the amount of frosting per cinnamon roll, there’s never a debate over who is left craving more.

XTREME FROSTING CINNAMON ROLLS

Ingredients:

12-ounce tube cinnamon rolls

2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup butter, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1-2 tablespoons milk

Instructions:

Bake cinnamon rolls according to package directions. Set aside. While cinnamon rolls are baking, prepare the buttercream frosting. In a medium bowl, combine powdered sugar and butter on low speed with a hand mixer. Stir in vanilla extract and one tablespoon milk. Gradually beat in remaining milk to make frosting smooth and spreadable. Pour over freshly baked cinnamon rolls and serve immediately.

Double-Shot Espresso Whip

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Stir. Spread. Flip. Repeat: Double-Shot Espresso Whip! Are you tired of the calorie-laden coffee drinks that leave you sluggish from a sugar high instead of energized for your next project? Perhaps it’s time to fall in love with an espresso machine that delivers rich flavor along with a frothy texture thick enough to handle a whipped cream crown. You’ll never find anything better than this. But it’ll cost you in time and money, initially. The challenge lies in finding the right espresso machine for you. The rewards are totally worth it.

DOUBLE-SHOT ESPRESSO WHIP

Ingredients:

2 double shots espresso toast coffee

Whipped cream

Pinch cinnamon

Ingredients:

Fill two demitasse cups with double shots of freshly brewed espresso. Top with swirls of whipped cream. Sprinkle cinnamon powder over all. Serve immediately.