Like many of you, I am a Pinterest fan. Okay, maybe stalker is a better word for it. This time of year we are a lot slower than the summer months so I have plenty of time to come up with some new creations and try many of recipes that I have been collecting over the year. I feel like its my responsibility (that could be a little strong) to try some of these Pinterest recipes and report back. This recipe does come from Pinterest, but I have changed it up since it just was not coming together the way I would like it to. In the last 3 days, I have made 5 loaves of this bread. The first loaf was too much for the loaf pan that I had, so most of ooey gooey cinnamon richness was in the bottom of the oven. It was still pretty good, but the presentation had a lot to be desired. I had the intention to cut the recipe in half, but I forgot, so I then I cut the dough in half and made two smaller loaves. This time it worked out perfect, but the flavor wasn’t there. Weird since all the cinnamon stayed right where it was supposed to. The final two loaves, I decided to switch up the ingredients and do things a little differently. The end result is as follows:

Cinnamon Bread – two loaves

1 TB instant yeast, 3+ C all purpose flour, 1 1/4 C warm water, 2 TB canola oil, 2 TB agave or honey, 3/4 tsp, butter, 1 C sugar and lots of cinnamon!

If you have a stand up mixer with a dough hook, this works nice and easy. Mix together the yeast and 3 C of flour in an electric mixture. on low speed. Pour in water, oil, agave or honey and salt. Mix on low speed about 10 minutes, until he dough is smooth and elastic. Add more flour at the end if you think it is too sticky.

Turn dough out on a floured surface and knead by hand a few times. Drizzle the inside of the mixing bowl with more oil. Roll the dough around in the oil and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size.

Butter two loaf pans and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Turn out dough on a floured surface and roll out into a long rectangle the width of the loaf pan.  The butter the surface. I don’t know how much, but a lot! Sprinkle 3/4 C sugar and enough cinnamon to cover the dough. Roll the dough up carefully and pinch the seam and sides to the cinnamon sugar doesn’t come out. Lay the dough seam side down in the loaf pan.  Slather more butter on top of bread and sprinkle with  more sugar and cinnamon. Cover with a clean towel  and allow to rise for 30 min or until almost doubled in size.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until top is golden brown. Allow to cool for 20 minutes and enjoy with some honey butter.

This recipe is probably something people have made in some form over the years since you can add whatever ingredients you have laying around that you like. I am a simple kind of girl that likes a hint of surprise. That is where the maple comes in here, but not too much. Just enough, to  make you wonder. Also, the bread is the key ingredient. Sorry Wonder bread lovers, but that just won’t cut it. Make sure your bread is firm and has a little bit of a snap to it. I really like sourdough or ciabatta, but don’t let those stop you. Experiment with what you like.

As a side note, this picture came off of Pinterest since I am still having issues downloading my own pictures, but this picture is pretty darn close to the real thing.

Two slices of bread( I used sourdough here), 2 slices of cheese I used American, but I have also used Swiss, Cheddar and apricot Stilton which brings it to a whole other dimension, maple flavored bacon (2 slices), and 2 eggs.

Brush the top of your two slices of bread with butter AND maple syrup. Set aside.

Preheat your skillet on low to med heat and fry your two eggs. I break the yolks, but don’t scramble. Leave them so they are flat and easy to handle and eat when laid on the bread.  Don’t clean your pan. Fry your bacon. Now, wipe out your pan with a paper towel. It doesn’t have to be perfect. You want your flavors to blend.

Heat your skillet again on low to medium and lay your bread, butter side down in the skillet. After about 30 seconds, add your eggs, bacon and cheese to one slice of bread. Put slices together for a sandwich and let sit for about a minute to let everything melt into each other. Cut in half and drizzle with more maple syrup if you desire. Serve with hash browns and fruit.

My hosting company is having some issues regarding me posting pictures. I apologize that I can’t show you how yummy this looks, so you will just have to make it yourself until they can get the bugs worked out.

I always seem to come across these recipes that claim to taste like a Cinnabon cinnamon rolls. I have to try it, but I am always disappointed. This recipe here, I think is pretty similar. I have been making it a long time. It doesn’t look like a Cinnabon, but he flavor is pretty close and super easy too. Tell me what you think?

Giant Cinnamon Danish – Serves 6-8 depending on the size you cut

1 Can (17.5) oz Pills Grands biscuits with cinnamon roll icing, 8oz. cream cheese, softened, 1/2 c sugar, 2 tsp. sour cream, 1 tsp. lemon juice and 1 tsp. of vanilla

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9″ pie plate or cake pan. Separate dough into 5 rolls. Set icing aside. Unroll 1 roll into a long strip. Re-roll loosely and place in center. Repeat with remaining rolls until you are around the entire pan. Replace any cinnamon that may have fallen off.

In a small bowl, combine and beat the remaining ingredients until smooth. Spook cream cheese mixture into a pastry bag. Pipe mixture between strips of dough starting in center. Use all. It will seem like a lot, but trust me@!

Bake 25-35 minutes until center is done. Cool 5 minutes and then drizzle warm icing over rolls. Cut into wedges. Yum!

This recipe is a little putzy and you do have to give yourself enough time, but the end result is pretty darn good. It takes about 2.5 hours from start to finish if you do it all at once, but if you don’t have the time, you can always come back to it and do it in steps. I think they are even better than the real thing.

Homemade Candy Bars

8oz milk chocolate, 3/4 C sugar, 1/4 C water, 1/3 C heavy cream(at room temp), 6 oz. white chocolate, 1 tsp. salt, and 1 C salted peanuts.

To  make the Snickers bars, line the bottom and sides of an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2″ loaf pan with parchment paper. Lightly butter the paper.

Place milk chocolate in a double boiler and stir until chocolate is smooth and completely melted. Pour half of the chocolate into the loaf pan and spread it evenly. Place the loaf pan in the freezer until the chocolate is cold to the touch (about an hour). Set aside the rest of the melted chocolate for later.

Once the milk chocolate is cold and firm, make the next layer. In a sauce pan over low heat, combine the sugar and water. Cook, stirring occasionally until the sugar is dissolved and the liquid is clear. (about a 1 min). Increase heat to med. high and boil without stirring for about 5 minutes until sugar begins to turn a light golden color on the edges. Cook for 2-3 min more tilting the pan to make sure the color becomes even and turns a deep amber.

Immediately remove pan from the heat and slowly add the cream. Be very careful to do this slow as it will splatter. Stir until blended. Add white chocolate and salt and stir until chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Add peanuts and stir until blended. Set aside for 5 min to cool slightly.

Pour the cooled peanut/caramel mixture over the cooled milk chocolate in the loaf pan and spread it evenly. Freeze until cold and firm, about 1 hour.

Once the layer is cold, make the next layer. Gently reheat the remaining milk chocolate in a double boiler and pour it over the peanut caramel layer and spread evenly. Refrigerate or freeze for 20-30 min until cold.

Pull the parchment paper out of the loaf pan and peel away. Trim the uneven edges and cut lengthwise into bite size pieces. You can store them in an airtight container and leave out. They should last about 5 days.

Similar to a peanut butter bar, but made with Pillsbury sugar cookie dough. I would consider this a pumped up Peanut Butter bar. I cut them in small squares since they are pretty sweet. They were perfect over Christmas for family.

Peanut Butter Caramel Candy

1 package Pillsbury ready to bake refrigerator sugar cookies, 1/2 c butter, 1 can condensed milk, 1 C light brown sugar, 1 C sugar, 1 3/4 graham cracker crumbs, 1 bag of milk chocolate chips, 1/2 C creamy peanut butter and 1/2 C finely chopped dry roasted peanuts.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 13×9″ pan with parchment paper and lighlty spray or butter it. (You will be happy you did). Evenly arrange cookie round in the pan.

Bake 25 minutes until light brown. Cool 15 minutes.

In a large saucepan, melt butter over med. heat. Stir in condensed milk, brown sugar and sugar until blended. Add graham cracker crumbs. Mix well (will be thick). Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low and cook another 5 minutes, stirring constantly until thickened. Pour caramel mixture over warm cookie crust and spread evenly.

In a microwaveable bowl, microwave chocolate chips for about 90 seconds, stirring until smooth. Stir in peanut butter until blended. Spread evenly over caramel layer. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts. Refrigerate one hour until chocolate is set. Cut bars in rows and store in the refrigerator.

This probably would be a better summer recipe than winter recipe, but I think it combines the comfort food of potato skins with the thought of summer with the avocados and salsa. I served this with wine and cheese the other night. It was the perfect little appetizer for our group. I hope you enjoy it too.

Serves 20

Potato skins  - 10 small (2″) red or white potatoes, 2 TB olive oil, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper

Salsa Fresca - 1 lg. tomato, seeded and diced, 1 TB finely chopped cilantro and 1 TB chopped onion

 Avocado Salsa - 3 avocados, pitted, peeled and diced, 2 TB lemon or lime juice and 1/2 tsp. ground cumin

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

To make potato skins, toss together all the ingredients in a bowl and stir well to make sure the potatoes are coated well. Spread potatoes on a baking sheet and bake approximately 45 min until tender. Cool until easy to handle. Halve potatoes and scoop out centers. (you can save potato flesh for hashbrowns if you want for another day).

Increase oven temp to 400 degrees. Place potato skins cut side up on baking sheet, and bake 15 minutes until crisp.

To make Salsa Fresca: combine all the ingredients in a small bowl.

To make Avocado Salsa: Mash together all ingredients in a bowl. Stir as much Salsa Fresca in with the avocado as you would like.

Stuff each potato skin with the Avocado Salsa mixture.

I am not a coffee drinker. I never have been. I do drink a little bit of tea occasionally, but I love hot chocolate. I think this will be the best hot chocolate you will ever have. Its super easy to make and is available anytime you want it after you make a big batch. (That is, is everyone else doesn’t drink it first).  Now, I will warn you. This is NOT the healthiest recipe ever, but it is really creamy, not too chocolatey, and rich, but not so much that you won’t want a second cup. If you have a better recipe, I challenge you to send it to me. I would love to try it. I made mine with skim milk, but that is what we drink, but whatever you use will work just fine. I have also tried semi sweet chocolate chips, dark chocolate and a combination of all of them, but personally, I feel the milk chocolate is the best. Have fun and try different ones for yourself. I bet even  mint chips would be wonderful.

Crock Pot Hot Chocolate

1.5 C Whipping Cream, 1/14oz. can sweetened condensed milk, 6 cups milk, 1 tsp. vanilla, 2 C milk chocolate chips and a dash of cinnamon.

Stir together everything in a crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 2 hours, stirring occasionally until mixture is hot and the chocolate chips have melted. Stir again before serving and garnish with whipped cream,  marshmallows or just plain like I did here.

One piece of advice though. Do not leave on all day, as it will curdle a bit. It tastes fine, but the consistency is a bit strange. I would recommend when done serving, put in the refrigerator and bring out again when ready to use. Heat up again in the crock pot or warm in the microwave.

I have tried many different varieties of this recipe, but this is the one I like the best. I did add walnuts, but its pretty good without them too.

Cranberry Oatmeal and White Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 stick butter, 1 1/2 C sugar, 2 lg eggs, 1 tsp. vanilla, 2 C flour flour, 1 C old fashioned oatmeal, 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1 C craisens, 2/3 C white chocolate chips, and a handful of walnuts coated in 1/4 brown sugar and 1 TB butter.

Cream butter and 1 1/2 C sugar until blended. Beat in eggs and vanilla.

Combine flour, oats, baking soda and salt and add to butter mixture until well blended. Fold in cranberries, white chocolate chips and nut mixture. Chill dough about 30 minutes.

Shape into 1″ balls, pat down slightly and bake for 10 minutes. Let cool before removing.

This is a fairly new recipe for me, but it is defiantly a hit with my daughter, sister, husband and guests so I think you are really going to like this. Yes, its another cookie recipe, but if you like the salty craze right not, you are going to love it with the conjunction of the chocolate chips and peanut butter chips. Yummmm!

Chocolate, Peanut butter and Pretzel Cookies – Makes 24

1 1/2 C flour, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. baking soda, 1/2 butter at room temp, 1/2 C tightly packed light brown sugar, 1/3 c sugar, 1 egg, beaten, 1 tsp. vanilla, 1 C milk chocolate chips, 1/2 C peanut butter chips, 1/2 C broken up pretzel pieces and pretzel salt or sea salt.

In a med. bowl sift together flour, baking soda an salt. Set aside.

In  large bowl, beat butter and sugar(s) together until light and fluffy. On low speed, slowly add the beaten egg and vanilla. Beat to combine and scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Add the flour mixture. Stir in both chips and pretzels. Cover and refrigerate for about an hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Scoop out well rounded tablespoons of dough and sprinkle with pretzel salt. Pat down slightly. Bake 10 minutes. Allow to cool before removing.

No, its not Thursday. I decided to post this on Wednesday this week. I figured everyone would be so busy on Thanksgiving either eating or preparing or both and then of coarse there is shopping on Friday that there would be no time to read blogs or looks through a ton of Facebook posts.

I cannot believe I have never posted this recipe. I make it a lot and it is always a hit. In fact,  I always get asked for the recipe which is why I probably thought it was already posted to my blog.  The recipe is on our website under “whats for breakfast”, but this is so good, I have to post it here as well. I really enjoy this one and try to make an extra one for myself since they are so tasty right out of the oven.

Chocolate Cheesecake Muffins – 6 Jumbo Muffins

1 C Flour, ½ C Sugar, 3 TBSP Unsweetened Cocoa, 2 tsp. Baking Powder, ½ tsp. Salt, ½ C Chocolate Chips, 1 Egg beaten, ¾ C Milk, 1/3 C Canola Oil, 4oz. Cream Cheese, and  2 TBSP Sugar

Preheat oven 375 degrees.

Mix all the dry ingredients and chips if using in a bowl.

Mix egg, milk and oil in separate bowl.

In a small bowl, blend cream cheese and ½ C sugar until fluffy.

Make a well in the center of dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients all at once to dry mixture, stirring until moistened.  Batter should be a little lumpy.

Fill Muffin Cups with 3 TBSP batter, then 1tsp. cream cheese mixture and top with 2 TBSP batter.

Bake 20 minutes and sprinkle with powdered sugar when done.

This recipe is so decadent that a lot of our guests ask what kind of drug is in this piece of work to make it so darn addicting. When I say bourbon, they all say, aaaaaah, yes. WOW!  This is similar to a mouse texture, but you just can’t get enough of it. I thought this would be the perfect pre Thanksgiving recipe to post. It  will give you some time to try it before  Thanksgiving if you want. Use it as dessert or a fruit cup like we do before breakfast. Either way, I hope you enjoy. This is one of my favorite recipes to make this time of year.

Pumpkin Pie Parfaits – 12 small glasses

Graham cracker crumbs or 7 gingersnaps ( like graham cracker best), 1 TB melted butter, 3/4 C and 1 TB powdered sugar, 1/2 C canned pumpkin, 2 1/2 tsp(total) bourbon, pinch of nutmet, 1/2 C white chocolate chips and 2 C cold heavy cream (total)

Crush 7 cookies  or graham crackers. Brush the bottoms and up the sides of 12 parfait glasses with melted butter. Add a spoonful of crumbs to each and roll to coat bottom and sides. Pour out excess and reserve for later. Refrigerate glasses.

Put 3/4 C  powdered sugar, pumpkin, 1 1/2 tsp. bourbon and nutmeg in a food processor and pulse until smooth.

Microwave white chocolate chips until melted, stirring 1/2 way through. Add to pumpkin mixture until smooth and combined. Transfer to a large bowl.

Beat 1 1/2 C cream until soft peaks form. Fold into pumpkin mixture. Divide among glasses and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Beat remaining cream until foamy. Add 1 TB powdered sugar and 1 tsp. bourbon until soft peaks form. Top parfaits with whipped cream and reserved crumbs.