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Cinnamon Swirl Bread

As a mom, one of the concepts I teach on repeat to my eldest is sharing. At two years old, my daughter already knows when she’s done wrong by refusing to share her toys, snacks, or even love and affection with others. I don’t expect her to master such a skill for quite some time, but I keep pushing her to do so, recognizing that learning to share from an early age will only benefit her.

Sharing is Caring

We adults, though…. man, we really suck at sharing sometimes. We love to make things all about ourselves, and often withhold love, time, energy, and tangible items from those around us who want to share in it. I know that degree of selfishness is all over my life, so I’m thinking I can’t possibly be the only one, right?

This blog is intended to be a platform for sharing. Of course I want to give you recipes and ideas, tips and techniques, how-to’s and pretty photos to look at. But I also want to share thoughts. I want to give you encouragement and laughter and joy via words on these pages, and although I’m sure I’m not always successful in that, I wouldn’t dare quit trying. What use are your passions if you don’t share them with someone? What use are your gifts if you don’t give them away?

So, a challenge to you: share with someone today. Spend yourself on someone else. Volunteer, give a compliment, go the extra mile. Share a coffee, a lunch table, or ANYTHING. Whatever it looks like, just share. I don’t think you’ll regret it.

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

And speaking of sharing, let’s talk about this cinnamon swirl bread. I have to tell you that my message on sharing comes with the most selfish of motives. A long time favorite of mine is the cinnamon swirl bread from Edgar’s Bakery here in Alabama. It’s perfect, and if you’ve had it, you know why I’m raving about it. A girlfriend of mine asked them for the recipe, and I have questioned them for tidbits on the bread on countless occasions, but CAN YOU BELIEVE THEY DIDN’T SHARE IT WITH ME?? Ok, that’s sarcasm. If I had that recipe and was willing to bake and sell to the masses, I would retire early and spend the rest of my days baking those sweet baby angel loaves for anyone who would buy them from me.

A Bread Months in the Making

I spent months trying to get the filling on this bread right. MONTHS. I’m talking at least 15-20 test bakes. The end result is worth it. This cinnamon swirl bread, made with butter, sugar, and eggs, is straight up magical. Similar to a babka, the dough for this bread is moist, buttery, and a bit stringy while being mixed up. After an initial rise, we roll it out super thin and spread it with a cinnamon sugar schmear that, if it weren’t entirely weird, I would consider scrubbing all over my bod. A few rolls, twists, and a rise later, the bread is popped in the oven until it’s dark, golden and fragrant enough to scent your entire home.

This cinnamon swirl bread is the most delicious thing that I know how to make. It’s not the easiest thing I know how to make, but you can bet every bag of sugar at the grocery store that it’s the tastiest. If you have free time this week, I really think you should make this bread. Read through the instructions carefully, set out enough time for the rising of the bread, and plan on being patient with the process. The end result is life changing delicious, and you’ll be glad you have an extra loaf to stick in the freezer. You can do the extra kind thing and share your second loaf with a friend… but even I might be selfish enough to save it for myself. No judgement.

Happy Tuesday, Happy Baking, and Happy Sharing! Cheers to you!

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 5 reviews

This cinnamon swirl bread recipe makes two loaves of fluffy, buttery bread that is spiced with cinnamon and swirled with brown sugar.

Author: Kate Wood
Prep Time: 90
Cook Time: 60
Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Yield: 2
Category: Bread

Ingredients

For the dough

3/4 cup warm milk (not hot or cold)
1/2 cup plus 2 teaspoons sugar
3 teaspoons active dry yeast
3 1/4 cups (about 1 lb) all-purpose flour, with more for flouring surfaces
2 eggs
1 egg yolk, white reserved
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

For the filling

8 tablespoons melted butter, slightly cooled
1 cup brown sugar
6 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons flour
pinch of salt
1 egg white

For the loaves

1 egg, lightly beaten with two teaspoons of water
parchment paper

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Instructions

To prepare the dough

In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together the warm milk and 2 teaspoons of sugar. Evenly sprinkle the yeast over top of the milk and allow the yeast to activate, about 5 minutes. The mixture should froth and foam slightly. You can stir it gently to make sure all the yeast has been moistened, but if the yeast does not foam, dump it out and start over. Once yeast has been activated, beat 1/2 cup of the flour in to the milk mixture using the paddle attachment. Once combined, add the remaining sugar, eggs, egg yolk, vanilla, and salt, and beat the mixture on medium speed until combined. On low speed, add the remainder of the flour, 1/2 cup at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Once evenly combined, increase the speed to medium (I use speed number 4 on my Kitchen Aid stand mixer) and add the softened butter 1 tablespoon at a time. Scrape the sides of the bowl and then continue to beat on medium speed for an additional 4 minutes. The dough will be quite moist and sticky, and will hold together in long strands when you attempt to scoop it from the bowl.
Lightly grease a large bowl and place the dough inside, covering it tightly with a piece of plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rest until it has approximately doubled in size, about 1-1/2-2 hours. Once the dough has nearly doubled in size, prepare the filling.

To prepare the filling

Combine the cooled, melted butter, sugars, cinnamon, flour, and salt, stirring until combined. Add the egg white, stirring just until combined. You will use approximately ½ cup of filling for each loaf.

To prepare the loaves

Once the dough has doubled in size, line 2 loaf pans (8 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ x 2 3/4″) with parchment paper. Cut two sheets of parchment paper- one to fit the pan lengthwise and one to fit widthwise- with some extra paper to hang over the sides.
Generously flour your work surface and rolling pin. Prepare your egg wash by whisking together the egg and water. Set aside.
Gently punch the dough down into the bowl once and divide the dough in half. Take one half of the dough and lay it on your floured surface. Generously dust the top of the dough with flour as well. Using your rolling pin, roll your first piece of dough as evenly as possible into a 22″x10″ rectangle. (I even use a ruler!) You may need to re-flour your work surface if the dough begins to stick. Using a pastry brush, lightly paint the outside 1/2″ edges of your dough with your egg wash. Spread half of the filling (about ½ cup) evenly inside the egg wash border.
Standing with one of the long edges closest to you, begin to tightly roll your dough away from you, forming a 22″ long roll of dough. Gently pinch the dough together at the seam to seal the filling inside the roll.
Spread about 1-2 tablespoons of filling on the top of the roll of dough and then fold it on top of itself, forming an 11” long folded roll of dough. Shape the loaf, by pulling the ends of the dough roll together to form a “U” shape. Twist the two ends over each other twice to form a figure 8 shape and tuck the end pieces under the dough. Place your rolled loaf in one of the prepared pans and repeat the entire process with the remaining half of dough. Once both loaves have been formed, cover again with plastic wrap and allow to rise again for about 1-1/2-2 hours. The dough should rise about 1/2-1″ over the top of the pans. Do not let them over-rise.
When the dough is nearly risen, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and brush the remaining egg wash over the tops of the loaves. Bake in the preheated oven for about 40 minutes, or until the tops are a dark golden brown and no longer squishy or underbaked looking. Look especially for underbaked parts in the creases of the twists on top of the loaves. Allow to cool in the pans on a cooling rack for about 20 minutes and then remove from the pan to cool completely.

Recipe Adapted From: NYT

Pecan Toffee Blondies

12 Comments / Cookies and Bars

Happy November to you from Alabama where it’s still hot as fire and we’re all frying eggs on the pavement. The only time nowadays that I don’t sweat like a baby gorilla is if I’m sitting inside or standing in front of an open refrigerator. And don’t judge me, but I do that a lot.

Last week, we celebrated my birthday with friends over a meal of stone crabs and layer cakes. I’ve only cracked crabs one other time in my life, back when Brett and I were dating and I was still trying to prove I was adventurous and fun. I typically don’t like food that requires you to work for it, but the stone crabs turned out to be a blast. Were it not for the bloodied knuckles, broken nails, and overall brute strength that was required for breaking through the shells of those tough little buggers, I probably would have cracked all night long. Plus, there was an abundance of crabs jokes, and even though lice in the nether-regions is not something to laugh about, I found it hysterical. So basically the night was a success.

Birthdays are always a big deal in my book. Even though I relish any moment for a celebration, birthdays somehow take the proverbial (and literal) cake. Any chance to celebrate people that I love with music and laughter and dessert is a winning event, if you ask me.

These pecan toffee blondies are not a birthday cake. These weren’t even served at my birthday party. But they are good and fall-ish and ridiculous easy to make so let’s dive in, shall we?

The blondie dough is made just the same as your average drop cookie recipe. We start by creaming the butter and brown sugar for a while until it’s light and fluffy. Next comes a few eggs followed by a dusting of flour and salt. Things get real at the end when we bring in our guests of honor: pecans and toffee bits. The sweetness from the brown sugar and toffee is offset perfectly by the pecans and salt and if you really like to get down and dirty, I’d recommend adding an extra sprinkle of each once the dough has been pressed out in the pan.

Pecan toffee blondies are one of those foods that you need in your arsenal of recipes. You can file this recipe under “fall recipes to make for a crowd” or “pecan desserts to go nuts for” or “blondies that really do have more fun.” This is the bar I’d be making every week if it weren’t still Africa hot here in the South. I’d eat them for dessert, or afternoon snacks, or even for breakfast if you swore you wouldn’t judge me. But who am I kidding- they’re worth even that.

These pecan toffee blondies are a cinch to make and are a terrific dessert for any occasion. If you get a chance to try them out, let me know what you think in the comments section below!

Cheers to you!

Pecan Toffee Blondies

Print Recipe

These pecan toffee blondies are a brown sugar blondies speckled with toasty pecans and toffee bits. They make a terrific treat to share and store well in the freezer.

Author: Kate Wood
Prep Time: 10
Cook Time: 30
Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1–1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons salt
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1–3/4 cups pecans, chopped and divided
1–1/2 cup toffee bits
Kosher salt for sprinkling, if desired

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spray a jelly roll pan with baking spray or line with a Silpat or parchment paper. Set aside.
Cream the butter and sugar on medium speed in the bowl of a stand mixer until light and fluffy, about 10 minutes. Scrape the bowl throughout this process as needed to ensure that all of the butter and sugar is evenly incorporated.
Add the eggs one at a time and beat until each are well incorporated. Add the vanilla and mix until combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add these dry ingredients to the butter mixture and beat on low until just combined. Add 1-1/4 cups of pecans and the toffee and stir to combine.
Gently spread the mixture evenly into the bottom of your prepared jelly roll pan. If you don’t have a jelly roll pan, a foil lined 9″x13″ casserole dish can be used as well. Sprinkle the remaining pecans on top. If you like extra salty desserts, feel free to sprinkle another teaspoon or two of kosher salt over top of the bars. Bake in the oven at 325 degrees for about 25-30 minutes or until the blondies are golden brown on top and no longer jiggly in the center. Allow the blondies to cool completely prior to cutting.

Recipe Adapted From: Anne Thornton

Brown Sugar Shortbread Cookies

4 Comments / Cookies and Bars

My husband says I have a Type A personality. While I would suggest that I’m somewhere between a Type A and Type B personality, I do see some inclinations that support his thinking. Time urgency, impatience, and a short-fused temper are all tendencies that I wear frequently like a behavioral scarlet letter, however, this is often offset by a sprinkling of Type B attributes.

One area I typically lean a little Type A heavy? Decluttering.

I love a good clean-out. I love a freshly organized drawer. I love a trip to Goodwill with a car full of stuff. It’s kinda like when you get a new manicure or like that first day of school when you get to crack open that box of pens and write for the first time in a crisp, new notebook. It’s a new lease on life!

Over Christmas, my friend Jesse told me about a book by Marie Kondo, “The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing.” Curious, I purchased a copy, and after a fairly substantial skim of the book, I was in. I drank the Kondo Kool-Aid. The next day, I began to tidy.

To say that this method of cleaning was life-altering is an understatement. Whole-heartedly, unabashedly, I will tell you that this book has changed my home and life, maybe forever.

Kondo’s method of “tidying” (or as I would describe it, total-home overhauling) is a systematic process of sorting through categories of items in your home by discarding any belongings that don’t spark joy. Yes, I actually handled nearly every item in my home and asked myself the question, “Does this item bring me joy?” Quite often, the answer was no. That item got the boot.
Of course, there were exceptions. Hammers and dental floss and pencil sharpeners aren’t among things that bring me an abundance of happiness, but they do help to achieve other things that I do enjoy- art hanging on the walls, satisfactory gum health, and a newly sharpened pencil so that I can jot down thoughts to share with you kind folks. So those necessary, everyday items sometimes got to stay.

It took me 6 days, 20 garbage bags, and 2 trips to the massage therapist after I overdid it with my large, pregnant self before I was able to phone Goodwill to pick up my load. And ohhh, it was a load. 98% of the items in those bags were mine; I was living in such excess and I didn’t even realize it. Years of buying new storage bins and more plastic hangers and new drawer organizers was like trying to put a band-aid on the huge, gaping wound that was simply TOO. MUCH. STUFF.

The week long clear-out rid me of piles of things I no longer cared for, and likely, an infinite amount of future purchases I am now less likely to make. While I didn’t follow every facet of the book’s proposed methods, I can tell you that the ones I chose to utilize brought me an incredible amount of joy and lifted a burden of “stuff” that I didn’t even know I was carrying. I have recomended this book to countless people over the past month and now I’m passing this tidbit along to you: DO IT. It’s fantastic. Bless someone else with your stuff and see how much easier it is to breathe when you don’t have piles of “unnecessary” staring at you in every closet.

Another tidbit? These shortbread. Ohhhhh, these shortbread.

Buttery, rich cookies that are addictive and practically beg for a cup of coffee. You cannot eat just one, but take it from my personal experience: you don’t want to eat more than three at a time unless you want a bellyache combined with an irrational desire to EAT. MORE. COOKIES.

This is a recipe adapted from Emeril Lagasse, and it’s one of the first things I remember baking as a teenager. Emeril’s recipe calls for baking a very similar dough in a springform pan (so delicious), but I find cookies are easier to share with friends. I’ve included two variations for these cookies: one with a cinnamon sugar topping and one drizzled with chocolate. I lean more towards the warm cinnamon flavors for this cookie, but certainly chocolate is never a bad choice. I’ll also mention that I prefer the thicker, smaller cookies as descibed in the instructions, although you’ll notice I went thinner and wider for the cookies I photographed. Either way, these cookies are incredibly worthwhile and a must-have in your arsenal of shortbread cookies. (Sidenote: if you’re the type of person who has arsenals of things like cookies, I want to know you. Let’s be friends).

Check out Marie Kondo’s book while you’re at it.

Brown Sugar Shortbread Cookies

Print Recipe

These buttery brown sugar shortbread cookies are sweet, rich, and perfect for dessert or with an afternoon cup of coffee.

Author: Kate Wood
Prep Time: 30
Cook Time: 30
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: 20

Ingredients

2 1/4 cup flour
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into chunks
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup sugar, reserved (optional)
1 tablespoon cinnamon, reserved (optional)
chocolate ganache, chocolate melting wafers, or melted semisweet chocolate chips for drizzling (optional)

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Instructions

In a food processor, pulse flour brown sugar, and salt together until well combined. Add butter chunks and vanilla to dry ingredients and pulse together until a dough forms into one ball. Try not to overwork the dough, but keep in mind this dough is dry and will take more time to come together than some. Flatten dough out into a disk and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 325 degrees and roll dough out to 1/4″ thickness. (See notes) Using a biscuit cutter or a 2 1/2″ round cutter, cut out cookies and place on a parchment lined baking sheet at least 2″ apart. If desired, combine cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle over cookies. This will turn your regular old brown sugar shortbread to cinnamon sugar shortbread! If your dough has gotten warm or soft, pop in the freezer for 5 minutes to set cookie’s shape.
Baked for about 12 minutes or just until edges have set. Cool on a cooling rack and if desired, drizzle with warmed chocolate.

Notes

For cinnamon brown sugar shortbread, sprinkle cookies liberally with cinnamon and sugar mixture before baking. If chocolate dipped brown sugar shortbread cookies is what you’re after, apply after cookies have been baked and cooled.
The cookies as photographed were rolled to 1/4″ thickness and cut with a 2-1/2″ biscuit cutter. For a more traditional shortbread cookie shape, roll a smidge thicker and cut with a smaller 2″ round cutter. Any shape cookie cutter will do. Baking time will differ based on cookie shape so keep an eye on them in the oven and remove when edges are set and are just barely beginning to brown.

Recipe Adapted From: Emeril Lagasse

brown sugar

Sharing is Caring

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

A Bread Months in the Making

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Ingredients

For the dough

For the filling

For the loaves

Instructions

To prepare the dough

To prepare the filling

To prepare the loaves

Pecan Toffee Blondies

Ingredients

Instructions

Brown Sugar Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients

Instructions

Notes

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