| |
Baking Expert
Catherine Christiansen
Breakfast!
Granola, Scones and Cinnamon Rolls
As I write this here in Colorado, another blizzard is getting ready to dump a load of marshmallow snow. With skiing, snowshoeing and sledding in the forecast, stocking up on satisfying breakfast treats is a top priority. Active (or lazy) winter weekends cry out for the decadence of cinnamon rolls and buttery scones, while weekday breakfast is a snap with easy homemade granola.
People have been known to shed a tear when our local café runs out of the scones made from the recipe below. Subtly sweet, delicately textured and full of fruit, they’re perfect for dunking. The biggest secret for scones is processing in the butter when it is cold. Just like piecrust, scone dough should be pebbled with lumps of cold butter that melt in the heat of the oven, creating steam pockets that “puff” the dough into a tender, flaky finished product.
The cinnamon roll recipe is a true keeper. These giant whorls have no need for icing (or kneading!). Butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and nuts fill a rich cream yeast dough that can be made a few days in advance. I’ve yet to find a simpler yeast dough; it’s silky, luxurious and fun to work with.
Homemade granola can be customized with your choice of sweetener, nuts, seeds and fruit. Yesterday at the bakeshop, a luscious mixture of ginger, pecans and dried apricots had us all swooning. A few weeks ago cinnamon, toasted almonds and cranberries offered sweet bliss. Below is a basic granola recipe that can be doctored as you like, with just the right amount of sweetness and lots of flexibility.
Raspberry Walnut Sconessrecipe
Cinnamon Rolls
recipe
Basic Killer Granola
recipe
Read more about Catherine Christiansen.
|
