​If you have visited my site before, you know that I am not a baker.  But when I want something sweet and tasty I put my apron on and get busy.  Okay, maybe not an apron but you get the idea.  It was very cold this morning in Buffalo, like -6° cold, and I wanted something warm and comforting for breakfast.  These homemade cinnamon rolls are just that.  It is a few steps to get there, but worth it.  The sweet potato makes the dough nice and silky, and adds some fiber to your diet also!
 
I hope you give them a try and enjoy them as much as we do.

​Ingredients:
For the Dough
1 medium-sized sweet potato (not peeled)
¾ cup milk
4 tbsps butter
2 tbsps brown sugar
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 packet yeast
½ teaspoon salt
1 tbsp cornstarch
 
For the Filling
½ cup brown sugar
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
4 tbsps butter softened
¼ cup chopped walnuts (optional)
 
Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tbsps almond butter or peanut butter
½ tsp vanilla
2 tbsps milk
 
Directions
Scrub the sweet potato and remove any dark spots. Pierce it with a knife and cook in a microwave for 4 - 5 minutes. Test it wit ha fork and if it is still firm, cook it for another minute or so until the potato is tender.
 
Once the potato is cool, chop it into chunks. Place it in a food processor with the milk, butter, and brown sugar and pulse until smooth. Transfer this to a microwave-safe bowl.
 
In a large mixing bowl add the flour, yeast, salt, and cornstarch. Stir to combine. Heat the sweet potato mixture until warm to the touch and add to the flour bowl.  Stir to combine. Next knead the dough right in the bowl for 3 to 5 minutes. Add flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking to your hands.  Spray or rub the top of the dough with vegetable oil, cover with a towel or plastic wrap and set aside to rest for about 15 minutes.
 
Combine the brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon in a separate bowl.
 
Once the dough is ready, cover a working area with a sheet of saran wrap. Place the dough on top of the saran wrap and sprinkle with some flour.  Some people like to place another piece of saran wrap on top instead of flour, I have not mastered that technique yet, I add flour to the top :). Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out to approximately 14×9 inches.
 
Spread the filling over the rolled dough using a spatula, covering all of it except for about a half-inch of the long edge furthest away from you.  Take your time spreading it out evenly, it will be a thin layer.  Sprinkle with walnuts if you are using them.  Starting from the long end closest to you, roll the dough into a log. Cut the roll into 12 evenly sized pieces.
 
Spray a 9-inch round or square cake pan with nonstick cooking spray. Place rolls in the prepared pan. Cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and set aside to rise in a warm area until doubled in size, about one hour.
 
When the rolls have doubled in size, preheat the oven to 375°. When oven reaches temperature, bake the rolls for about 20 to 25 minutes or until the rolls are golden in color.
 
While the rolls are baking, prepare the glaze. In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, almond or peanut butter and vanilla. Once combined add the milk one tablespoon at a time until you reach a desired, spreadable consistency.
 
When the rolls are ready, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool for about 10 minutes before adding the glaze. Serve warm.
 
Store cinnamon rolls in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 7 days. To serve, heat in the microwave until heated through.

Like a mentioned, they are a few steps but they are delicious . . . Mangialicious!

​These muffins are full of zucchini which makes them truly moist and then when you get the “pop” of flavor from the cranberries, well that puts them over the top!  Yes, this is the perfect way to use up your left over cranberries after Thanksgiving, but why wait for Thanksgiving to buy cranberries, after all zucchini season lasts all through the summer.  

Ingredients:
​1 ½ cup flour
¾ cup almond meal
¾ cup turbinado sugar (you can substitute white sugar)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 egg
1/3 cup olive oil
2/3 cup milk
1 ¾ cup shredded zucchini
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
 
Topping:
¼ cup turbinado sugar (you can substitute white sugar)
¼ cup chopped almonds
1/8 cup flour
1/8 cup butter, cold
 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
 
Stir flour, almond meal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl.  In a separate large bowl add the egg, oil, and milk and mix together.  Next add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir well. Stir in the zucchini and cranberries until well combined. I used a muffin pan sprayed with cooking spray but you could use muffin cups if you would rather.  Fill the muffin tin ¾ of the way full with batter.
 
For the topping, mix the sugar, almonds, and flour together.  Then add the butter and smoosh it in with a fork until it is crumbly.  Top the muffins with topping mixture.
 
Bake the muffins for 24 – 27 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

​Cool 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack.  Next enjoy the deliciousness, warm or room temperature they you will definitely Mangialicious!  

​Let’s move away from that box of pancake mix this weekend.  It's time to take pancakes to the next level with these Apple Brûlée Pancakes.  These are fluffy and just the right amount of sweet, lip-smacking deliciousness!  It is the sugary crust that will have you adding them to your weekend rotation of pancake recipes.  Easy enough for a weekend breakfast, fancy enough to serve for entertaining a brunch.  Make them for your family or significant other and Wow them at the breakfast table. 

~ 12 Pancakes
 
Ingredients:
For the pancakes
2 cups flour
1/8 cup sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 cup milk
¾ cup apple cider plus 2 tbsps. (if you don’t have apple cider you can use apple juice)
¼ cup melted butter
2 tsps. vanilla
1 large egg
 
For the brûlée
1/4 cup Turbinado (raw) sugar (If you do not have turbinado sugar, mix half brown sugar with have regular sugar)
2 – 3 apples depending on the size, peeled and sliced
 
Directions
Combine together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large-sized bowl.
 
Put the milk, apple cider, slightly cooled melted butter, vanilla and egg in a small bowl and combine.
 
Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until smooth.  A few lumps are okay.  Set the batter aside while you slice your apples.  Peel the apples and cut into slices.
 
Heat a nonstick pan or griddle over medium-low heat and lightly grease pan with butter. Pour a generous ¼ cup of batter onto the pan.  Arrange the apple slice on top of the pancake and sprinkle with sugar (see picture below).  When the bottom of the pancake is golden and bubbles begin to appear on the surface, flip with a spatula and cook until golden brown. Repeat with remaining batter.

The sugar will form a delicious “brûlée” on the pancakes.  Serve warm with butter and syrup, although I have eaten these right out of the pan with nothing on them.  I ate them completely plain. As in, no butter, no syrup, no nothing.  Yes they truly are Mangialicious.    

This is how I top them once they are in the pan.  Then cook until bubbles start to form and the bottom is golden.  Flip them and cook until the sugar is golden brown and forms a light crunch.

​The famous family Blueberry Tea Cake.  Well that’s what I call it.  I can’t tell you how long Aunt Linnie has been making this tea cake, but I can tell you that it is my absolute favorite breakfast / dessert / snack cake that has ever existed.  Don’t get me wrong, her Italian Christmas cookies are also incredibly delicious and way more time consuming to make (and always wonderful to receive -hint, hint). Oh, and then there's Aunt Linnie's muffalotta sandwich which we look forward to each year at our family picnic under the Willow Tree!  But for me, this tea cake is what I could have with a cup of coffee every day!  

Today Sophia, our granddaughter, and I made this cake together.  Cooking with the grandchildren is special, I love that time spent together, making memories, creating new recipes and passing down the old family ones.  She did most of the work, well maybe all of the work :)  She is very talented and extremely artistic.  I would say she takes after her grandmother but I can't even color in the lines!  Her Blueberry Tea Cake came out just like Aunt Linnie's, I am quite positive that once you make this, you will be doubling the recipe for the next time.  It is that Mangialicious.

Aunt Linnie's Blueberry Tea Cake

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
¼ cup butter room temperature
¾ cup sugar
1 egg
½ cup milk
2 cups fresh blueberries (can use frozen)
 
Topping:
½ cup sugar
¼ cup flour
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ cup butter cold
 
Preheat oven to 375°
Grease and flour an 8 or 9 inch square pan.
 
For the tea cake:
In a large bowl add the flour, baking powder and salt.  Mix together and set aside.  Using a stand or hand held mixer, cream the butter until smooth.  Add in the sugar and continue to mix until all the sugar is blended in.  Add the egg and milk and mix until smooth.  Continue mixing and slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet until well blended.  Remove from mixer and fold in the blueberries.  If you are using frozen blueberries, toss them with a tablespoon of flour before adding to the batter.  This gives the blueberries a coating to help them from sinking to the bottom.  Spread the batter into an 8 or 9 inch square pan.
 
For the topping, mix together the sugar, flour and cinnamon.  Cut the butter in to make a course crumble.  A wide fork or your hand works best for this.  "Springle" (Aunt Linnie’s word not mine, although she says she did not write that :)) the topping over the batter.
 
Bake for 40-45 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

​This cake can be enjoyed for breakfast or dessert. Just add some whipped cream or ice cream for a sweeter bite.  It is best served with tea, okay I really prefer it with coffee, but we all know that tea cake sounds way fancier and well, we all deserve to be fancy every once in a while.  I hope you enjoy it.

Update: Blue Ribbon Recipe :) We are so excited that Just a Pinch gave these waffles a Blue Ribbon!!  Here is what they had to say:
​These carrot cake waffles have a few more steps than most, but they are fabulous and well worth the effort. This waffle's fluffy and tender on the inside but crisp on the outside. The flavor mimics a carrot cake with little bits of fruit that not only add flavor but texture. As if the waffle itself isn't good enough, the cream cheese butter makes these super special. When it melts on the warm waffle, pure heaven! Great for a special breakfast or brunch.

Note: These waffles fluff up and spread a bit, so do not overfill the waffle iron.  The Test Kitchen

​I love carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, I also love breakfast so how could I resist putting the two of them together.   

​These waffles are satisfying and delicious.  I actually made them three weekends in a row!  We have decided that these waffles are good for any meal of the day!  The first time we had them for breakfast, the next weekend I made them for brunch with the kids and the third time, well we had them for dessert.  The cream cheese frosting is the perfect accompaniment for these waffles, but if that isn't enough, feel free to top it with syrup also.  (I did!)  Leave a message and let me know what you think of them :)  

Makes 5 Belgian Waffles
 Ingredients
 For the waffle:
1¾ cups flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tbsp. sugar
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. salt
¾ cup carrots shredded
2 tbsp. shredded coconut
¼ cup walnuts chopped
2 tbsp. crushed pineapple drained
2 eggs separated (whites in one bowl, yolks in another)
½ cup butter melted
1 cup milk
¼ cup buttermilk
½ tsp. vanilla
 
For the butter:
½ cup butter (1 stick) softened
¼ cup cream cheese softened
1 cup powder sugar
¼ cup cream or milk
¼ tsp. salt
½ tsp. vanilla
 
Directions for cream cheese butter:
Beat the softened butter and cream cheese until fluffy.  Then beat in the sugar, milk, vanilla and salt.  Beat until smooth.  Set aside.
 
Directions for waffles:
In a large bowl mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.  Add the carrots, coconut, walnuts and pineapple.  Stir until everything is mixed well. 

In small bowl, beat egg whites until stiff.

In a separate bowl, mix the egg yolks, melted butter, milk, buttermilk and vanilla.  Add to this to the dry ingredients stir well.  Fold in beaten egg whites, stopping short of mixing them all the way through
 
Ladle mixture into hot waffle iron and cook approximately 4-6 minutes on medium high or until the waffle maker stops steaming.
 
Place the waffles on a baking sheet in a 200° oven to keep them warm and crisp until ready to serve.  

​These freeze real well.  I wrap them individually in plastic wrap and put them in the freezer.  To warm them you can put them directly into the toaster for a crispier waffle or put them in the oven on a baking sheet for a softer waffle.  There is always the microwave if you cant wait.  Either way, fresh from the waffle maker or out of the freezer, they are Mangialicious.

Autumn has always been our favorite season.  It is a time when nature seems to give it's last big burst of beautiful color.  Autumn's beauty includes the smell of the crisp leaves in the cooler air along with the vibrant fall colors.  Some of our favorite fall "colors" are pumpkin, cinnamon, brown sugar and apples. 

 Here is a sweet and savory brunch to reflect a perfect Autumn Sunday morning using the fresh harvest of apples, sausage and sage.  You may feel free to use your favorite apples in this recipe, but I like to use Granny Smith apples as they are a bit more tart. 

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
4 Links Sweet Italian Sausage
1 Small Vidalia Onion, thinly sliced
4 Fresh Sage Leaves, (whole, or chopped for more flavor)
3 Granny Smith Apples, peeled, cored and sliced thin
Salt & Pepper to taste
 
Belgian Waffles (or pancakes)
Maple Syrup, warmed for serving
 
Directions:
In a large skillet, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium high heat.  Add sausage links and cook about 5 or 6 minutes total, browning on all sides.  Remove sausage from pan and set aside.

Add thinly sliced onion to the skillet and cook until soft and almost caramelized, 5 to 6 minutes.  While the onions are cooking, cut the sausage into 1/2 inch thick slices.  Add sausage, along with the sage, back into the pan with the onions and cook another 5 or 6 minutes, stirring occasionally until sausage is cooked and crisp around the edges.
 
After sausage is cooked with crisp edges, this is where I cover the skillet and remove from heat while I make my waffles (or pancakes).  I do not want to over-cook the apples, as I like them to retain their shape.  Cook your waffles and place them on a baking sheet in the oven heated to 200° to keep them warm. 
 
Return medium high heat to your sausage onion skillet and add sliced apples to the pan.  Cook until the apples begin to soften, 4 to 5 minutes.  Season everything with a pinch of salt and pepper, and give everything a good stir. 
 
Serve over Belgian waffles or pancakes with warmed pure maple syrup.

Browning the sausage on all sides.

Add the sausage back to the cooked onions.

Add the apples and sauté.

Your family is sure to enjoy this for a perfect fall breakfast or bunch.  The will all say how Mangialicious this is!

Occasionally we like to get up extra early on a Sunday morning and have family over for breakfast or brunch.  We like to serve a lot of different foods so that no beloved family member ever leaves feeling hungry.  Whenever any of them are given a choice, they always seem to choose my deliciously light and crispy waffles. 

 I find it funny, as Laura always hopes that someone will choose pancakes over waffles, as she prefers a nice warm stack over a crisp waffle.

They always choose waffles!  But be assured Laura does get her pancakes made for her plenty of Saturday mornings along with her coffee. 

Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups flour (I use 1 cup unbleached flour, and 1/3 cup wheat flour)
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
2 eggs, separated
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 3/4 cups milk
 
Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients.

Separate the eggs, adding the yolks to the dry ingredient mixture, and placing the whites in a small mixing bowl.
 
Beat egg whites until soft peaks form; set aside.
 
Add milk and melted butter to dry ingredient mixture and blend together with whisk.
 
Fold stiff egg whites into the mixture.
 
Ladle mixture into hot waffle iron and cook.
 
I like to place the waffles on a baking sheet in a 200° oven to keep them warm and crisp until ready to serve.  Serve with butter and warmed maple syrup.

For an extra special sweet and savory topping, try it with our Apple Sausage Hash!

Although I like a good blueberry pancake, my favorite breakfast / brunch items are savory.  Hash brown potatoes with onions, bacon, mushroom and cheese omelets, eggs benedict, just to name a few.  That is where this recipe comes in.  

The other morning, after Tonia had picked some hot peppers out of the garden, and I was starving, I had to make some savory concoction to cook them up.  After all they were calling my name, Laura . . . Laura . . .  Now I love a good scrambled egg and hot pepper sandwich but we make them a lot so I decided to go fancy and make a spread out of the peppers and put that on my egg sandwich.  Well it turned out a little grander than just a sandwich but it was well worth it.  You know something is a winner when you eat it for brunch two weekends in a row.  It’s so good, like I want to go make it right now!  Although hot peppers inspired the dish, the finishing touch of salsa on top brings it all together.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

7 large eggs
5 slices provolone
2 ½ tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper
Salsa (Garden Fresh Salsa)
2 ciabatta rolls cut in half the long way (if you cannot find rolls you can use a loaf cut into thick slices)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Hot Pepper Spread (recipe here)

Directions
Drizzle the cut sides of the ciabatta with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Put on a baking sheet under the broiler and cook until toasted.  Watch them carefully so they do not burn.  Remove from oven and set aside.

Scramble the eggs in a bowl until light and fluffy.  Tear up 3 slices of the provolone and add them to the eggs.  Add salt and pepper and scramble to mix in.

Heat the butter in a large nonstick sauté pan over medium heat (it may seem like a lot of butter but trust me, your scrambled eggs will be delicious).  Pour the egg mixture into the pan stirring constantly until soft curds form.  Continue to cook over medium low heat until eggs reach your desired consistency.  Right before you pull the pan off the heat, when the eggs are almost done but not quite, add the additional 2 slices of provolone torn up and stir for a few seconds to melt.

To serve, spread 1 tablespoon (or more to your liking) of the hot pepper spread onto the toasted side of the ciabatta, mound the eggs on top of the spread.  Top with a heaping spoon of salsa and serve immediately.

You can serve this with sautéed greens or even a small arugula salad on the side to make it fancier if you are having guests.  Although I suspect that they won’t need any sides as it is satisfying just the way it is.  I served to my family, both weekends, and they really enjoyed it.  I am sure your family will also agree that it is Mangialicious.

Having one of these good old fashion muffins for breakfast is a great way to start a busy day.  They are a quick and delicious thing to bake if you have some ripe banana's that you need to use.  I make these with or without nuts, depending what I find in my cupboard. Once in a while some wayward chocolate chips even make it into the batter.  Banana's and peanut butter... How can it not be mangialicious?

Ingredients:
2 ½ cups Flour  (2 cups white flour, ½ cup wheat)
½ cup Oats
1 TBSP Baking Powder
½ cup Walnuts, chopped (optional)
2 Eggs
½ cup Light Brown Sugar 
2 Bananas, mashed
½ cup Peanut Butter
¼ cup Melted Butter
1 cup Milk

Directions:
Preheat Oven to 375° F
Line 12 muffin cases with papers.
Mix Flour, oats, baking powder and walnuts (if using) in a bowl and set aside.
In a separate bowl – whisk eggs and then stir in sugar, mashed bananas, ½ cup peanut butter and the melted butter.
Add  1 cup milk and stir to combine.
Gently fold in the dry ingredients until just combined – do not over mix. 
Spoon the mixture into muffin papers and bake 18-20 minutes. 
Allow to stand for a minute before turning out onto rack.