Roxana's Dinner Rolls

MY BROTHER IS HERE MY BROTHER IS HERE! Yippee skippy! My little brother (not so little...he towers over me at 5'9" but still, he's 2.5 years younger than I) hasn't visited me in like...3 years, and he's never visited by himself! We're gonna have so much fun! Yay yay yay!

When we first talked about what he'd want to do when he's here, all he said was, "I just want you to make me food." Ha! He was unlucky enough that I didn't really get into cooking until after I moved out, so he tends to get mightily jealous whenever I post yumminess that he can't have. This week(end) we are gonna remedy that.

Anyway, in the spirit of tasty food and celebration, I thought today would be the perfect time to share these dinner rolls. I made them for Easter because when Roxana says these rolls are the best, well, I had to try. That woman knows her breads. Essentially these rolls are somewhere in between a classic dinner roll and brioche. They're gorgeously golden on the outside, and fabulously fluffy inside. They're also not super difficult to make-it's nice to have a stand mixer but I made these fine by hand. 

And ahhh, they smell amazing.

Now, do these replace my current favorite dinner roll recipe?

No.

But that's me. I prefer that kind of roll. I still really loved these, and Michael raved about them. They're better for if you're looking for a more classy and classic roll. Seriously, if you're having a dinner party-serve these rolls.

Oh! And a major bonus-they freeze awesomely. I made these the day before needing them and froze em. They worked wonderfully. You can also make a double batch and just keep these babies frozen until a major roll craving strikes.

And let's face it, who doesn't get hit with the occasional roll craving?

(Unrelated note: Ooooh look! The blog looks all different! The blog redesign is finished people! Yayyyy! Do you like it? I hope you like it!)

Goat Cheese Drop Biscuits

This is like...my favorite breakfast that I've made in awhile.

I'm a big fan of biscuits.

You know what else I'm a fan of?

Goat cheese.

And Parmesan.

And garlic/herb stuff.

These biscuits have it all!!

Plus, they're pretty quick to throw together and don't like make a bjillion dishes. 

Something about these goat cheese biscuits (texture wise) reminds me of my other fave biscuits recipe, butter biscuits. They're just so fluffy and light, yet chewy and satisfying.

But then you get that amazing, rich, flavor of the goat cheese. Mmmmm...

I seriously ate these in less than 2 days. Poor Michael only got to eat a couple. Sorry babe...

My life has been sorta kinda getting crazy lately. On top of regular work stuff (but like...a lot of it), I've also got a film shoot coming up (nothing big but it's a paying gig and it'll take up a lot of time so, yeah), AND my little brother is visiting in a couple weeks. And I've just got more stuff coming up this summer, so, I'm attempting to keep on top of all this blog stuff so that even when I'm busy you'll all still have stuff to read. 

Plus...we still gotta eat. So I've still gotta cook.

And these biscuits are PERFECT for busy lil me.

I bet they'd be perfect for busy (or not busy) lil you, too!

Sandwich Rolls

Sandwiches aren't really my thang.

Except for burgers, I LOVE a good burger.

And you know what's crazy? I have a food blog and you guys probably aren't even aware of my deep and profound love of cheeseburgers. This is because...I can't grill. I can't make burgers or steak. Those are the areas where Michael shines, but as we currently don't have the ability to have a grill, I just get my fixes when we go out to eat.

But I recently decided to give burgers a try.

Yes. I realize this post is about sandwich rolls, not burgers (that's coming up on Friday)--but that's what these rolls are great for! Being buns! They're actually quite easy to make (even for the sad, non stand mixer owners such as I), are gorgeous, are (surprise surprise) great for sandwiches, and Michael realllly loved em.  

For the burgers (and just eating them plain, since I'm a carb-a-holic) I also really enjoyed cutting each roll in 2, buttering each half, and toasting them by placing them facedown on a skillet. Nom nom nom!

I know, this post is a little short and sweet, but we're all busy people, right? And let's face it, you just wanna get on to this amazing recipe!

Parmesan Breadsticks (Pizza Hut Copy Cat)

So...I hate Pizza Hut.

I do. I used to go there often when I was young (as a part of some sort of reading reward program), and I was never a huge fan. Now that I understand myself and my relationship with pizza a little better, I know why I don't like Pizza Hut: I don't like how thick their pizza is (I prefer thinner crusts) + it's greasy and cheap tasting (even Michael doesn't like it...and this is the boy who gets excited about Easy Mac). But-my one exception to the Pizza Hut hatred is their breadsticks. Ohhhh those breadsticks are DELICIOUS! Absolutely horrid for you, I'm sure, but sooo yummy!

Enter these breadsticks, which taste close enough that I think I need never go to Pizza Hut again (not that I went very often to begin with).

Now, truth time: I prefer the herbed oatmeal bread that I've made before to these, it has similiar flavors but is way easier to make and has a much better texture.

BUT, if breadsticks are what your heart is set on, definitely go for these! I made a few mistakes whilst making them, but I've changed up some of the instructions to help keep you from doing the same (I foolishly followed the directions to cover the dough with plastic wrap...and then it got stuck...*sigh*). They're actually not too bad for you (no butter, just some olive oil) and they are super flavorful and addictive!

Soft 100% Whole Wheat Rolls

Alright you guys, so far, so good on the no meat on Fridays front. Obviously, I am not posting meat recipes on Fridays also because...well that just seems like it's breaking the rules for some reason. Anyway, today I've got like bread for you. But it's like healthy bread.

It's rare to find a decent, 100% whole wheat, bread recipe. These rolls drew me in because of the promise of softness. And these rolls are soft. And they are nice. Michael was quite fond of them. I used them to make breadcrumbs for some things, which was great. But...for me, I just couldn't take all the wheaty flavor. Like I said, however, Michael did like them. He was raised with whole wheat bread whereas I probably never had any until I was like...20. So...take all that into consideration. You probably will like them. You'll especially love that you can feel all good about yourself when eating them.

I suggest honey and butter on these babies. Possibly even jam. 

They're good for breakfast as well as with your dinner.

And since you ate these, you can then have some crazy decadent dessert, right?

Fluffy, Buttery, Rolls (Texas Roadhouse Copy Cat)

So, these are the rolls I made for Thanksgiving.

And these are the rolls I intend to make for everything that I ever do, ever.

They are light, and chewy, and fluffy, and buttery, and ohhh so good.

When Michael had his first roll he was like...blown away. As was I. As shall you be.

Now, I don't know if you've ever been to a Texas Roadhouse, they're pretty much just a steak chain. Not even my favorite, I'm generally an Outback kinda girl. But the big draw to Roadhouse isn't their steak-it's their rolls. They have the most amazing, wonderful, buttery-goodness, rolls (and they come with cinnamon honey butter, although I'm a crazy person who prefers just regular butter). They are the best rolls I've ever had in my life. And these rolls are a PERFECT copy cat recipe. So, if you-like me-are a slave to the wonder that is a Roadhouse roll, then you are about to flip your lid: because you can now make those exact rolls (and that exact cinnamon honey butter), in the comfort of your home.

I'm not gonna tell ya what to do.

That's not what we do at this blog.

But I'm going to very strongly suggest that you make these rolls for the holidays.

Or just for a Thursday.

You know, whatever. Totally your choice. 

But believe me-you are gonna thank me. These rolls=game changers.

Quick Wheat Baguettes-King Arthur Flour Review

Tomorrow is my birthday! To celebrate, we've got bread (I love bread. Ask anyone) and a giveaway! Yay!

Tomorrow may be my actual birthday, but when I received 4 bags of King Arthur's organic flour to review-it certainly felt like that was my birthday! 

If you're not (for some crazy reason) familiar with the brand, King Arthur Flour is America’s oldest flour company, founded in Boston in 1790 to provide pure, high-quality flour for residents of the newly formed United States. More than 220 years later, they’re the nation’s premier baking resource, offering everything from top-quality baking products to inspiring educational programs—all backed by the passion and commitment of their dedicated employees and owners.

To learn more about King Arthur Flour, their philosophy and/or products, you can find them on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Pinterest.  You can also sign up to receive e-mail updates that include everything from recipes to their latest product offers.  And don’t forget to check out their recipe page for fabulous step-by-step recipe ideas that use many of King Arthur Flour’s products! Their website alone is fab-they have so many amazing products and resources! 

And um, yeah, now they have ORGANIC FLOURS! I attempt to incorporate a lot of organic into my diet, and I use flour a lot so I was pretty ecstatic at the opportunity to try out King Arthur Flour's varieties. 

Here's a little run down about the flours I received and my (amazing) experiences with them:

King Arthur Organic (Unbleached) All-Purpose Flour: "A certified-organic all-purpose flour, produced from hard red winter & spring wheats. Slightly lower protein level of 11.8%." Obviously, all purpose flour is the go-to, it is the workhorse of flours in my kitchen. I've been using this flour like...almost daily, and everything turns out absolutely wonderfully!

King Arthur Organic (Unbleached) Bread Flour: "King Arthur’s organic unbleached high-gluten bread flour, milled from organically grown hard red spring wheat, is perfect for yeasted baked goods-bread, rolls, pizza, and more. 12.7% protein, a full point higher than other national brands. The higher the protein level, the stronger the rise. Use in recipes calling for bread flour, including bread machine recipes. Super when you're making rye or other whole-grain breads that have trouble rising their highest." Oddly enough, I've used this flour more in cookie recipes than bread ones (so far) but either way the cookies turned out thick and perfect, and the breads chewy and the whole wheat versions have a much higher rise than usual. Oh, and I used it for this bread recipe below. I'm officially in love with this bread flour :).

King Arthur 100% Organic (Unbleached) Whole Wheat Flour: "A certified-organic whole wheat flour produced from hard red spring wheat. King Arthur Organic Whole Wheat Flour works GREAT! Protein level: 14%. Ideal for all of your whole wheat baking." Whole wheat flour has been the 2nd most used flour in my kitchen, and I have absolutely loved the double layer of health (organic and whole wheat! woohoo!). And, this was another flour I used in the bread recipe below.

King Arthur 100% Organic (Unbleached) White Whole Wheat Flour: "King Arthur 100% Organic White Whole Wheat Flour, milled from a blend of hard white winter and spring wheats, tastes milder and bakes lighter than traditional whole wheat. Protein: 14.0%.Called "The new miracle flour" by First for Women: 'Bakers rejoice! Now you can make all your favorite recipes with white whole-wheat flour. Recently introduced by King Arthur Flour, 100% Organic White Whole Wheat tastes milder than traditional whole-wheat flour but incorporates the three key components of whole grains: bran (packed with fiber), endosperm (full of protein) and germ (rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber).'" This was probably my biggest surprise. I have been incorporating some white whole wheat flour into almost ALL of my baking--it barely (if at all) affects the flavor and texture, but I know that I'm getting the added nutrition! Possibly my new favorite flour, love love love it!

Now. About this bread.

It's perty.

And chewy.

And hearty.

And like...good for you n stuff.

Honestly? This recipe is very similar to that other baguette recipe I've shared. The biggest difference is that the bread flour combined with the whole wheat flour keeps it chewy and from getting too dense (like happens when you use too much whole wheat in the other recipe). But it's quick, tasty, and a perfect accompaniment to dinner, soups, chili, whatevs! Keep reading for the recipe, then after that the details on the giveaway(CLOSED)!

Homemade Flour Tortillas

YOU GUYS!

It's happening! 

This week I'm finally going to share with you the recipes for (most of) the stuff I made for Michael's birthday!

This week is all about these tortillas, because I used them to make the coming two recipes.

Turns out-homemade tortillas? SO EASY.

For serious.

The hardest part is rolling the tortillas into circles (*sob* I can't make pretty things!)

I'm sort of obsessed with how great they made the apartment smell.

And all the stuff I can maybe make with them.

Ohhh the possibilities.

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Swirl Bread

You guys.

I LOVE making bread.

There's something so satisfying about it-and I always am slightly in awe at the finished product, and quite proud of myself. Everyone is right when they say it's addictive. It totally is.

This is a bread that is perfect for breakfast-time. It has a cinnamon swirl, you see. A pretty, happy, delicious cinnamon swirl. And when you toast it and put some butter on it...oh yes. Or you could totally whisk a little milk and powdered sugar together and drizzle it over the bread, and you darn near have yourself a cinnamon roll. I may have even snuck a little whole wheat flour in there. Keeping us all healthy and what-not.*

I wish I could have made my mom some of this-she loves cinnamon swirl bread! She likes to make it into toast for breakfast, so I'm pretty certain she'd like this bread. She was certainly impressed when she saw the pictures. Funny story: on her last visit I was showing her some of the pictures that I've taken of food for the blog and on one of them she was all, "Ooh who took that?" and I was like, "Me, mom." and she was so pleasantly surprised and kind of proud, lol, it was super cute. She's been reading the blog more now. It makes me happy :). This bread makes me happy too. And it will make you happy. So you should totally make it. 

*(if I'm so healthy, why is it that my jeans are tighter than they were? HMM!?...sorry...dealing with some weight panic here. I think I need to start exercising. Ugh.)

Whole Wheat Double Corn Cornbread

So...it's like...cold here now. It actually feels like fall (blech).
We're using the comforter. I have a blanket on at all times. I even wore a *shudder* hoodie!

Do you know what I like to do when it's cold?
Eat comfort food.
"but Kayle you eat comfort food all the time-" Shush!

Cornbread. It's hearty and thick and is served with warm food that helps you chase away the chill.

I don't know about you but, I'd like to have my comfort food and eat it too-without gaining, like, hibernation weight. Because...I didn't really lose anything over the summer so...we just can't have me getting bigger.

 So, when I tackled making this cornbread, I decided to tweak it a smidge. Add more corn to up the veggie level. Sub out some of the AP flour for whole wheat. (I totally messed around with the flour to make it whole wheat-and so can you! You can try to make it all with whole wheat flour, use some white whole wheat flour for part/all of it, go crazy! Go nuts! Experiment!) You can even use coconut oil, if you want, or canola oil, or whatever your favorite healthier oil is. Honestly, there's not much that's bad for you here. It's a pretty satisfying and low guilt dish. And Michael liked it, and so did my cousin Amy (who was visiting after I'd made this and had a little leftover), and of course I did-so really, anyone should :)

Quick Baguettes

Baguettes.

They sound French and terribly complicated.

But they're not!

...Ok...well...they are French, but they're not complicated! At least, not if you use this recipe.

 It makes 2 baguettes and take around an hour (2 max) from start to finish. 1 hour and then you have delicious, fluffy, buttery bread. Some of the best bread I've ever had (not even mentioning made). And this is such a great, simple, base recipe that you can totally play around with it. I have made these baguettes with various ratios of whole wheat and AP flour (I've done entirely whole wheat, entirely AP, and everything in between. My favorite has about 1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour and the rest is AP.) I bet you can also experiment with putting cheese or other add-ins as well. All that matters is that this bread is golden and crisp on the outside, and incredibly fluffy and chewy and soft inside. Michael and I are crazy about this bread. I seriously just made it a few days ago. It's so good.

We've used this bread to dip in my spinach artichoke dip (in which case I make these mostly/entirely whole wheat) or soup, as toast, warm with butter (my favorite way), in sandwiches, French toast, or any way you can imagine! A couple days ago Michael had it for breakfast with cut tomatoes on top. He was so happy, lol. This recipe is a great idea if you're a beginner at baking yeast breads. It's nearly foolproof. And it's awesome so....yeah, duh. 

(Don't mind me, I speak fluent Valley Girl :P...I should probs. say something French but I am no good at it. Sooo...yah.)

Peanut Butter Banana Oat Muffins

A typical morning in my apartment:

Alarm clock wakes us up around 7 AM.

Michael and I trudge out of bed.

We sit down on the couch and get on the internet.

He then goes into the bathroom to shower and such.

I check my emails and facebooks, 

post a blog post if I have one for that day, 

do all the sharing, etc.

Then I pack Michael's lunch and get his breakfast ready, and mine.

I usually then eat my breakfast while watching some show on the computer.

 (Today that show is last night's True Blood). 

Michael gets out of the shower and gets ready.

 I get his breakfast on the table, then sit and talk with him while he eats.

Far too quickly 8:30 rolls around and we put his lunch in his backpack,

and he goes on his way to work.

And I miss him immediately.

But then I do dishes.

And grocery shop.

And probably cook something.

And if I'm lucky, our breakfast would have been something great like these muffins. Although Michael's not a big fan (he doesn't love banana). They're a really nice, healthier muffin full of banana, peanut butter, and oats. A winning combo, in my opinion. (Kind of like Michael and I :) )

Whole Wheat Biscuits

My biscuit recipe collection is nearing rivalry of my chicken collection.*

(Not really, it's not even close)

There's just nothing like waking up in the morning and biting into a warm, delicious biscuit with butter...Mmm. But you know, sometimes...I worry about my waist-line. So I hunted down a whole wheat biscuit recipe-made entirely with whole wheat flour. The biscuits are great. They're hearty, but delicate, and are amazing with jam, honey, and, of course, butter. They'd even be great to dip into a soup or stew. They're pretty quick and simple to make, and you can go about your day knowing you started it right!

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Oat Scones

Scones--they evoke imagery of having an English tea on floral patterned, Victorian, furniture and talking about the "Queen Mum". (Who...I...suppose...is this Queen's mom? Yes?).

In my never-ending quest to make more new and delicious breakfast foods (because I have a hard time eating normal, quick, breakfasts for some reason), I decided it was time for scones to make an appearance. And these looked like such a yummy way to introduce myself to them! Brown sugar-yum. Cinnamon-yum. Oats-I'm a fan. Whole wheat-woo hoo! Admittedly, I had a smidgen of a hard time with these. The dough was so wet I wasn't really able to separate/move them to the baking sheets without causing most of the scones to become horribly misshapen. I'm unsure how to solve this issue/what I did wrong. Perhaps I should have put more flour in. However, since this was my first foray into scones, I thought perhaps they were supposed to be that way? But if they are...how in heaven's name can you get them to the baking sheet/separate them from each other after cutting? All my scone making friends-I'd love any feed-back!

Anyway, technical issues aside-these tasted phenomenal! Satisfying, hearty from the wheat and oats, and with just the right amount of sweetness. Definitely one of my favorite things I've made for breakfast...honestly I even ate some as snacks because I had such a hard time keeping myself away from these. They really are so delicious! I suggest you give these a try, they make morning times happy :).

Herbed Oatmeal Bread

I love baking bread.

It's hilarious that, not too long ago, I was terrified of it.

Now I'm a lean(ish), mean(ha!), baking machine!

This herbed oatmeal bread is one of the best breads I've had the pleasure of making! 

And...now...this is going to sound strange but...it tastes sort of like Pizza Hut's breadsticks. But not like greasy. Just delicious. I don't like Pizza Hut's pizza (because it's disgusting, and this is one area where Michael agrees). I used to have to eat at Pizza Hut fairly often, because of some sort of school-related reading program (you read a certain amount and your reward was a personal pan pizza--did anyone else do this/remember this?), so I'm sure that has contributed to my aversion to Pizza Hut, and then there's also the fact that it is the opposite of everything I like in a pizza (I prefer thin crust, not a lot of sauce, and I think Pizza Hut's cheese is one of the grossest things in the world). But, I have always had a weird soft spot for their breadsticks. This bread is a beautiful, fluffy, delicious version of that taste--it's the herb butter, I'm sure, that accounts for the similarities in flavor. I'm not complaining.

This bread is great on the side of a delicious dinner (if you wanna be Italian about it, eat it with some pasta and use it to sop up the sauce), dip it in soup, or just eat it by itself (my preferred method)! The oatmeal in it gives it a nice hearty quality, in addition to the fluffiness, and you get the explosion of flavors from the cheese and herbs that have been baked on top. Magnifico! 

Sour Cream Cinnamon Rolls

Hey look! A breakfast recipe on a Monday, it's just like old times. :)

This is the first time I have ever made any kind of (non-Pillsbury) cinnamon rolls! I have a bunch of cinnamon roll recipes, but I knew I wanted to start with something a little on the easier side. These were a perfect first effort! They were fairly easy, and only required 1 hour and 15 minutes for rising time. They taste amazing, too! I love the glaze, especially. I'm not a huge fan of thick frosting on cinnamon rolls, and tend to err towards glazes just like this one :). Oh, and they make your house smell amazing. So, you know, there's that.

Anyway, try these cinnamon rolls! The sour cream gives them a little something special, Michael and I loved them, and they're pretty simple to make!

Brown Butter Biscuits

This is going to be the last recipe you see from me for about a week. As I've mentioned, I leave tomorrow for a visit home to Ohio. I haven't been there since Christmas (and since my mom sold my childhood house and bought and moved into and decorated a brand new one!) so I am so excited and ready for this visit. There's so much stuff I'll be doing and so many people to see, and my laptop will be staying in NY so, I won't really be able to do any blogging. Never fear, though, I am not leaving you alone! I have two fabulous guest posts from two of my favorite food bloggers (and friends)-trust me, after you read their posts, you'll be so over reading mine (but still please come back and read mine anyway). I might not be able to post next Monday, either (or possibly not until evening/night-time) since I will be en route back to NY + it'll be mine and Michael's 3 year anniversary :).

But, TODAY I do have something for you! Yes, I know, they're biscuits. Yes, I just shared a biscuit recipe with you a couple weeks ago. But, you guyyys, these are different! But also super delicious! These biscuits have BROWNED BUTTER in them! And they're tall and flaky and buttery and everything a biscuit should be, but also kind of complex and gourmet and special. And pretty, too, don't they look pretty?

Butter Biscuits

Yay! Another Monday morning breakfast recipe!

I'm so happy this Monday. (I don't have a normal job so...Mondays don't have the same sadness for me as most). I worked a lot last week, which was great and all, but...I'm so happy to be able to do my house-wifey* duties today and other days this week. I'm going to go grocery shopping! I'm going to cook! And bake! And clean! And do laundry! (and sit and write blog posts and watch a lot of TV...)

*even though I'm totally not even married yet. Whatevs.

Anyway! About these biscuits...

This is one of my FAVORITES, I've made it a few times already since discovering it. These biscuits are genius. GENIUS I say! They are big and fluffy, and taste so buttery you really don't need to put anything on them (and this is coming from a gal who enjoys herself some butter). It's so interesting because, generally, when it comes to biscuits you want tiny little pieces of cold butter in the dough to create pockets which make them fluffy when they bake and melt and stuff. But with these biscuits you make a completely butter-less dough, and then have all of it sit in a baking pan full of melted butter. I'm no scientist, so I don't know why this works-I only know that it does! PLUS-the whole process of the melted butter baking in the oven also seems to brown some of it, so then we also get that delicious browned butter flavor we all love. This recipe is so quick, so easy, and so crazy delicious, I know it's going to be one of your favorites too!

Daring Bakers Challenge-Challah Bread (Whole Wheat)

May’s Daring Bakers’ Challenge was pretty twisted – Ruth from The Crafts of Mommyhood challenged us to make challah! Using recipes from all over, and tips from “A Taste of Challah,” by Tamar Ansh, she encouraged us to bake beautifully braided breads.

Have I mentioned I'm addicted to baking bread?

'Cuz I am.

It's forreals.

So, I was ridiculously excited when I saw this month's Daring Bakers Challenge was to bake challah bread! Challah bread is special braided bread from the Jewish culture. Even though I'm not Jewish, I had already been completely on the challah train! I'm not sure if you knew this, but challah bread makes THE BEST french toast, and can also be used in some other great bread-based recipes. It's also delicious all by itself :). Plus, if you want, you can easily fold mix-ins into this recipe and have like chocolate challah, etc. You can read more about that in the recipe, though :).

On a side note: challah. Say it. It's fun to say.

Now say it in baby talk.

Because everything sounds funnier in baby talk.

Michael and I speak baby talk to each other pretty much all day every day. It drives everyone crazy. Makes certain people uncomfortable. But we find it "hilawium". 

It am be hawd to twanslate baby talk into da witings of da blog. Youse just has to twy to heaw it, tay?

Anyway.

Challah.

don't judge me too much. Please come back and read again. I promise I'll refrain from the baby talk :P.

Whole Wheat, Thin Pizza Crust

Prepare for some blasphemy: 

I was never super into pizza.

I know! I know, it's ridiculous! Take comfort in knowing that I have converted! Turns out, I was eating the wrong kind of pizza. When I moved to NY I learned-I love thin crust! But still, pizza wasn't a thing I ate very often-so unhealthy! Then, I realized how easy it was to make homemade pizza. But still, I was nervous to try homemade dough.

BUT NO MORE! 

This is my go-to pizza dough recipe. Not only does it make delicious, thin crust pizza-but it's also made with whole wheat flour! Yay for it being healthier! During Lent I made this virtually every Friday.

I kid you not.
So, I figured I'd share this with you today. Happy Friday!! :)