Cinnamon Sugar Biscuits

     Baking home-style classics like scones, cinnamon rolls, pie, or muffins, is something I always loved to make. And since my mom was born in Europe she usually bakes desserts and pasties only from that culture. Which is something I really love about her. If you don't yet know my family comes from Ukraine, a country in Europe. So I have a deep understanding of that food and culture. But to tell you the truth I don't really like savory Ukrainian dishes. Maybe because anything my parents wanted me to eat as a kid I didn't like. And me being someone that really loves classic recipes. What better idea then to combine the best baking combination. Cinnamon and sugar, with classic home style biscuits. These flaky buttery biscuits taste even more complete with a cinnamon and sugar filling. Enjoy!

-Daniel 

Ingredients :

Biscuit Dough

• 2 cups all purpose flour 

• 3 tbsp sugar 

• 3 1/2 tsp baking powder 

• 1/4 tsp salt 

• 1/4 cup softened unsalted butter 

• 1/4 cup vegetable shorting 

• 3/4 cup milk 

Cinnamon Sugar Mix 

• 2 tsp ground cinnamon 

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

• 2 1/2 tbsp melted unsalted butter 

Preheat  at 450 F and bake for 8-10 mins 

Directions

1  In a medium mixing bowl combine the flour,baking soda, salt and 3 tbsp of sugar. Then cut in the butter and shortening using two forks. Press into the mixture until it becomes crumbly, you can also use your hands if that's easier

2  Then pour in the milk and mix using a large spoon, until it becomes sticky. Place the dough onto a clean, lightly floured surface, and kneed for about 2 mins. Adding flour if needed.

3  In a small bowl combine the sugar,cinnamon and butter. Leave about 2 tbsp of just the sugar and cinnamon for the topping. 

4.  Roll out the dough until it's about a inch thick. Using a biscuit cutter press into the dough and cut out as much biscuits as you can. Then roll them out more with the roller and place about a teaspoon of the cinnamon sugar mix in the center. Cover that with another rolled out piece of biscuit dough. And pinch around the edges, then again cut out the center of the filled biscuits with the biscuit cutter. Kneed all the access dough together and repeat until no more dough is remaining.

5   Place the biscuits on a parchment lined pan and sprinkle with the dry cinnamon and sugar. Bake at 450 f for 8 - 10 mins or until golden brown. Enjoy them warm with butter.

Rustic Orange And Honey Crisp Galette

     If there's anything I love to bake its galettes, mostly because you can make them out of anything. My favorite is the apple galette, made with some amazing tart apples. Or when it's summertime a peach or black cheery galette is always a good idea. But winter is when theirs no fresh peaches or cherries around. So I though up this new recipe for orange and honey crisp galette. Fresh sliced oranges baked under a amazing layer of oatmeal crisp and topped off with honey. Sounds amazing right? Just wait till you try it, the flavors come together perfectly. 

ga·lette

ɡəˈlet/

noun

1. -a flat round cake of pastry or bread.

   • 
     

Hope you enjoy this Recipe 

-Daniel 

Ingredients

Crust :

• 1 1/2 cups flour 

• 2 tbsp granulated sugar 

• 6 tbsp cold unsalted butter

• 1/4 cup cold water 

• pinch of salt 

Filling: 

• 4 Oreages 

• 1/3 cup granulated sugar 

• 4 tbsp flour 

• 1/4 cup pure honey 

• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract 

• 1 tsp cinnamon

Crisp : 

• 1/2 cup quick cooking oats 

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar  

• 3 tbsp all purpose flour

• 2 tbsp softened unsalted butter 

• 1/4 tsp cinnamon 

Topping : 

• 2 tbsp  heavy cream

• 2 tbsp granulated sugar 

Directions:

Preheat the oven: 425 F  Bake: 45-50 mins 

1  Crust: In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, butter, sugar and salt. Then using 2 forks mix in the butter until the mixture becomes the size of peas. Add in the cold water and kneed the dough for about a minute. 

2  Roll out the dough into a 12 inch round piece. Cover with plastic wrap and set in the freezer on a pan for about 10 mins, for fast cooling. 

3  Filling: Cut up the oranges  into 1/2 inch slices, cut off the peel and gentle toss them in a bowl with the flour, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and honey. Set aside 

4  Crisp: In a medium bowl combine the Oats, sugar, flour, butter and cinnamon to make the crisp. Using your hands or a spoon press it together until well combined. 

5  Transfer the Oranges to the middle of the dough and top with the crisp. Now fold over the side of the dough about 1 1/2 inch to make a crust.

Topping: Then mix the cream and sugar in a cup and spread it on top of the crust using a brush. 

6  Cool the Galette in freezer for about 10 minutes before baking. Bake for 45 - 50 minutes, let it cool for 15 minutes before serving. 

       
Another fruit tart recipe from the blog: Fresh Peach Crostata

Cilantro, Avocado And Tomato Salad

       Every New Year there's always talk about New Year’s resolutions. And this year mine was to be more creative with my photos and recipes on the blog and on Instagram. I hope I'll be posting more recipes this year with creative photos that will inspire, every one of you to bake and cook more often. And as always I hope you take a little time for yourself and relax in this New Year. Sometimes all you need in life is to simplify everything. Because everyday life, can get to complicated and stress you out.

      I've been wanting to share this salad recipe on the blog for a long time, but have never gone around to taking the photos. This is truly my favorite salad, which I eat several times a week and never get tired of. It goes best with steak and a side of potatoes or rice. And sometimes I add new ingredients to it, to change up the flavor. Like adding arugula or a spicy jalapeño sauce, which goes well with the cilantro. Any way you make it, the cilantro will always be the star of the salad...and that's how I love my cilantro. 

Enjoy this recipe and happy 2015 

- Daniel 

Ingredients: 

• 1 bushel of Green leaf lettuce 

• Half bunch of Cilantro 

• 1 Avocado 

• 2 Tomatoes 

• 3 tbsp. Olive oil 

• 1 ½ tsp Sea salt 

Optional:

• Arugula 

• Spicy Jalapeño sauce (in a bottle) 

• Or use red leaf lettuce instead of green 

Directions: 

1   Chop up the lettuce and cilantro and toss them together in a large bowl. Along with the olive oil and salt. (Mix together well.)

2   Then cut up the tomatoes and avocado, add it to the bowl, tossing them a little. 

3   Serve and Enjoy!

Chocolate Salted Caramel Pretzel Cookies

     The first day of winter just happened and we are a few days from Christmas. Winter is always a great time of year, mostly because it's the time to reflect on the year that passed and what you accomplished. This year was an amazing year for me because I started this blog and grown a lot as a person. Going into 2014 I didn't know what lay ahead, I guess going into a new year with no exceptions is what makes a great year. Setting goals and boundaries for yourself will only hold you back. If you focus too much on your goals i'll only hide your creativity and new ideas. So in the coming year I hope you take some time for yourself and do what you love and are passionate about. 
    This recipe for Chocolate Salted Caramel Pretzel Cookies came out of my love for Chocolate and Caramel candy. Whats not to love about this combination everything go's together perfectly. Over the last month this recipe has become my official Christmas cookie recipe, I hope it becomes yours to.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A  HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
-Daniel

Ingredients : 

Caramel 

• 1 cup granulated sugar 

• 10 tbs unsalted butter, cold, cut in cubes  

• 1/2 cup whipping cream minus 2 tbs 

Cookies

• 1 cup unsalted butter 

• 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar 

• 2 eggs 

• 2 tsp vanilla 

• 2 1/3 cups All Purpose flour 

• 2/3 cup unsweetened coco powder 

• 1 tsp baking soda 

Topping 

• For each cookie : 1/8 tsp or less salt and a pretzel on top  

Directions:

1. Caramel: Heat the cream until it just begins to steam and then set aside. Place the sugar in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, and heat without stirring until sugar dissolves and gets a caramel color. 

2. Remove the pan from the heat and add in the hot cream. It will bubble a little bit. Cook for about 1 minute stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until smooth.

3.  Remove from heat, and add butter. Stir well until smooth. Pour into a bowl and let it cool.

4.  In a mixer bowl beat the butter and sugar until creamy. Then add in the eggs and vanilla and mix together. 

5. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda and coco powder. Then add it in 1/3 portions to the wet Ingredients. 

6. Then roll 1 1/4 inch dim. dough balls with a 1 tbs amount of Caramel in the center. Place them 2 inches apart on a parchment lined cookie pan and top with a pretzel and 1/8 tsp or less salt. Then flatten them halfway for more spread while baking. 

7.  Bake for 8-10 mins @ 350 F, let them cool for 8 minutes before storing or eating. 

Truly Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake

       Every year when fall comes around, I have mixed feelings about it. The color of the leaves and crisp cool air is amazing. But that means that the hot weather and sun is gone...because I live in Portland OR where it's cold and rains all the time. Summer and the end of spring is the only time of year I get to enjoy the sun and go outside with out freezing. But on the other hand I would not be able to enjoy all the delicious food. Like the always amazing thanksgiving meal and pumpkin spice everything. Plus if it wasn't for the colder weather and changing of the seasons. I would not realize the wonderful family, friends and time I have while living life.

    I have to confess that I'm really not a fan of  the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte. I don't enjoy it because of its bad representation of pumpkin and fall flavor. To me it just Tastes like cinnamon coffee not pumpkin spice. So I came up with a recipe that has a more complete pumpkin spice flavor. My Recipe for Truly pumpkin spice bundt cake has three components to it. First the bundt cake is moist and full of  pumpkin flavor.  Then the pumpkin seed streusel gives it a tasteful lift. And then topped with a pumpkin spice glaze which tastes amazing.

Happy Thanksgiving!!! 

Ingredients  

Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake : 

• 1 cup vegetable oil 

• 2 cups granulated sugar 

• 3 eggs 

• 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour 

• 2 tsp baking soda 

• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

• 1/8 tsp nutmeg 

• 1/2 tsp ginger 

• 1/2 tsp all spice 

• 1 tsp cloves 

• 1/2 tsp salt 

• 1 15 oz can pumpkin 

• 1 tsp vanilla 

Pumpkin Seed Streusel Filling 

• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds 

• 6 tbs butter 

• 1 tbs cinnamon 

• cup brown sugar or half 3/4  

• 1/4 cup all purpose flour 

Pumpkin spice glaze 

• 1 cup powdered sugar 

• 4 tbs butter 

• 4 tsp milk 

• 1 tsp vanilla 

• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp ground cloves 

• 1/2 tsp all spice 

• 1/8 tsp nutmeg 

Ingredients: 

1  Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake : 

In a mixer bowl with the paddle attchement mix in the sugar and oil. Mix it together about 1 minute or until creamy. Then add in the egg and vanilla for about 30 sec. Then add in the can of pumpkin and mix for another minute. 

2  In another bowl mix together the flour, baking soda, cloves, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, nutmeg, salt. 

3  Add the dry ingredent bowl in Portions of 1/4 until mixed together. 

4 Pumpkin Seed Streusel Filling :

Melt the butter until softened for the strudel and mix it with the sugar, pumpkin seeds and cinnamon. 

5  Oil up the bundt cake pan with cooking  spray and spoon in the batter about 1 inch into the pan, then layer in all the strudel into the center and cover it with more batter. Depending on the kind of pan you use their may be too much batter. Bake for about 55 - 65 mins at 350 or until toothpick comes out clean.

6  Pumpkin Spice Glaze:

 In a medium sized bowl mix in the powdered sugar, vanilla, milk, butter, cinnamon, cloves, all spice and nutmeg. Until mixed together well. 

7  After the bundt cake it baked and cooled for 15 minutes. flip over the pan and pour over with the glaze, Slice and Enjoy!

Banana and Coconut Pancakes With a Chocolate Caramel Sauce

  
































   

    

      Everyone has their own way of eating pancakes the right way. For me its always lots of butter and syrup. But this time I'm doing something different by making banana and coconut pancakes with a chocolate caramel sauce. Even though I'm more of a waffle person, I eat pancakes more often. I don't know why that is? Maybe because the waffle iron is a mess to clean up. Or because every Saturday morning I wake up to the smell of my mom making pancakes....and so then all I need to do is enjoy them. Not go threw that hassle of making waffles early Saturday morning. 
   This recipe for pancakes started out with a gluten free recipe that I learned in my culinary class which was Bananas and eggs. But later when I was trying it at home I added flour to give it more form...which made it not gluten free. Then I added some shredded coconut and coconut oil for a more complex coconut flavor. As Always I hope you enjoy this recipe and ready to cook up some amazing pancakes!

Ingredients : 

Pancakes :

• 2 Eggs 

• 2 Bananas 

• 3/4 Cup milk 

• 3/4 Cups all purpose flour 

• 1/2 Cup shredded coconut 

• 3 tbs Coconut oil 

• 2 tsp Granulated sugar 

• 1/2 tsp Baking soda 

• Dash of salt 

Chocolate Caramel Sauce : 

• 1/2 Cup granulated sugar 

• 3/4 Cup milk 

• 4 tsp Unsweetened coco powder 

• 3/4 Cup powdered sugar 

• 4 tbs Butter 

• 1 tsp Vanilla 

• dash of salt 

1  Sauce: In a medium sized pot, heat the the granulated sugar on high heat. In a other pot heat the milk until hot and steaming ( not boiling ) Don't mix the sugar until it starts bubbling and is almost melted with steam rising. 

2  When all the sugar is melted take the pot off the heat and pour the warm milk into it. It will steam and bubble, start mixing it with your wooden spoon Until  incorporated. Then add the coco powder and butter, mix with a whisk for about 30 secs. Next add the powdered sugar and let It simmer for about 2 mins. Don't over do it or your sauce will be to thick. Then add in vanilla and salt, whisk it together well. If your sauce turned out to thick just add in some more milk.  Let it cool or serve warm, Make the sauce before the pancakes.

3  Pancakes: Cut bananas into slices and in a mixer bowl whip them up using the paddle attachment. change the attachment to a whisk and beat the eggs in. 

4  Next add in the flour, baking soda,coconut, coconut oil, sugar and salt. Whisk together well.

 5   Then pour out pancake shapes on a skillet or griddle, heated on medium with a tsp of butter and another of coconut oil. Cook for about 2 mins on both sides, until dark gold/brown. Enjoy!

Prosciutto And Fresh Arugula Pizza

  When it comes to rolling pizza dough, I feel like I have the bragging rights. Mostly because that's my specialty, I rolled countless numbers of pizza dough. Over  my 3 years of high school culinary class. I would look forward to every Thursday and Friday because that was the pizza making days in my class. We made about 50 pizzas both days and then they would be sold to the students at my school for lunch. So during the last couple of years I learned a lot about the basics and tricks of rolling pizza dough. 

      In honor of feedfeed's Instagram contest for making original pizza ideas. I though up this recipe for prosciutto and fresh arugula pizza. This amazing pizza is a favorite of mine because of the fresh arugula, prosciutto, creamy white sauce and thin crust. Giving it rustic taste and flavor.  

My Tips For Making Better Pizza 


1  Always use a pizza stone, Preheat the oven at 500 F and preheat with the pizza stone in the oven for about 30 mins.

2  Kneed the dough with cornmeal for extra texture and flavor, plus easier to roll out.

3  When rolling out the dough add most of the flour and corn meal to the top of of dough to insure easier rolling, flip the dough often this will make it more flexible and easier to work with. 

4  All purpose flour will give you a Chewier crust, but bread flour will make a crispier crust. 

5  You can add spices like garlic powder or dry oregano to your crust to give it a unique flavor. 

Ingredients:

Crust: 

• 1 1/2 and 1/2 cups flour 

• 1/2 tsp sugar 
• 1 1/4 tsp yeast
• 1 tsp kosher salt 
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 tbs olive oil 
• corn meal 



White sauce: 

• 2 tbs unsalted butter

• 1 large shallot 

• 2 cloves Garlic 

• 1 tbs all-purpose flour 

• 1 cup heavy cream 

• 1/2 fresh or dried thyme 

• 1/2 fresh or dried oregano 

• salt and pepper 

Toppings: 

• 2 medium sized tomatoes 

• 4 white mushrooms 

• 1 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese  

• 1 to 3 cups Arugula 

•  half of a small purple onion 

• 6 slices prosciutto  

Other items:

• pizza stone 

• parchment paper ( For the top of the pizza stone)

1. Sauce: First mince the garlic and shallot, very fine. Then in a large skillet add butter and the shallot, cook on low heat until it becomes transparent. About 5 mins  

2. Add the minced garlic and season with salt and pepper, cook for 30 secs. Next add the flour and stir until mixed. Turn up the heat on medium and cook for about a min.

3.  Warm up the cream and stir it in slowly, keep siring. Bring the cream to a slight simmer and until it thickens. When it is about the consistency of gravy, add in the thyme and oregano. Stir it in and then set it aside to cool. 

4  Crust: Combine the 1 1/2 cups flour, sugar, salt and yeast in a stand mixer. Then warm up the water to 110 F. While the mixer is on, pour out the water and oil. Mix until dough forms in a ball, add additional flour 1 tbs at a time until it does. Then cover the mixer bowl with a towel and place it in a warm dry place until it doubles in size. 

5  Toppings: Cut up all topping, tomatoes (Very Thin), mushrooms, purple onion and prosciutto . Then roll out the dough with a flour and corn meal. Until its the size of the parchment paper, place it on top of the paper and spread a thin layer of white sauce on top.

6  Then cover the white sauce with a layer of shredded mozzarella cheese. Evenly add the tomatoes, onions, mushrooms and prosciutto . Place in the oven on top of the pizza stone and bake for about 10 - 15 mins until it has a crispy baked crust. 

7  let it cool for about 5 mins, then add fresh arugula on top, cut and serve.