By Amber, on January 24th, 2012 Anyone that knows me well knows that fresh bread and garlic are two of my favorite things. Rarely does a meal pass me by that does not have garlic and/or fresh baked bread involved with it in some way. Mix the two together and I am just in heaven.
I was first introduced to these rolls back in October 2008. I have since forgotten just how amazing they are and am just floored that it has taken me so long to make them again. Never again will I be that silly. I wouldn’t be surprised if these rolls make it back into a monthly rotation in my house. Yes, they are really that good. I recommend dropping what you are doing and making them now.
 www.sugaredwhisk.com Soft Garlic Knots
Ingredients
For the dough
3 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1-1/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup + 2 tablespoons lukewarm water
For the glaze
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons butter
Additional toppings
Italian seasoning for sprinkling, optional
Parmesan cheese for sprinkling, optional
Directions
For the dough – In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the dry ingredients together then add the olive oil, milk and water. Using the paddle attachment or dough hook, mix and knead to form smooth, elastic dough, adding additional water or flour as needed. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover it, and allow it to rise for about 1 hour, until it’s doubled in bulk.
Divide the dough into 12 pieces, and roll each into a rope about 10 inches long; tie each rope into a knot. Place the knots on a lightly greased or parchment lined baking sheet, cover, and let rise for 45 minutes to about an hour, until very puffy looking.
To make glaze - Place butter and garlic into small microwave safe bowl. Microwave 30 seconds or until butter is melted.
To bake – Bake the knots in a preheated 350°F oven for 15 to 18 minutes. They should be set, and lightly browned. Remove the knots from the oven, and brush or drizzle them with the seasoned butter. Sprinkle tops with Italian seasoning and/or Parmesan cheese if desired.
~yields 12 rolls~
As seen on I <3 food for thought adapted from King Arthur Flour
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By Amber, on January 19th, 2012 Winter here in northern Indiana has been pretty mild, with temperatures in the 40′s, up until the last few weeks. The last few weeks has been a complete different story, we have had temperatures drop into the single digits overnight and enough snow to make a family of snowmen. Until this recent snap of cold weather I was not really in the mood for cold weather comfort food, but now that the snow is falling and the temperatures are dropping everything has changed.
This is the perfect recipe to make on a lazy Sunday at home. The hands on portion takes 20-30 minutes, but then the stew simmers away in the oven for over two hours pulling double duty by heating up the house and making a delicious dinner the whole family will enjoy. Serve with cornbread or a fresh loaf of crusty bread.
 www.sugaredwhisk.com Hearty Beef Stew
Ingredients
3 pounds. boneless beef chuck
4 thick slices applewood-smoked bacon, chopped
2 tablespoons canola oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
5 carrots, cut into chunks
3 stalks celery, cut into 1/2-inch lengths
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablesoons unsalted butter
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups beef stock or broth
2 tablespoons. tomato paste
1 tablespoons. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
1 bay leaf
1 1/4 pounds yukon gold potatoes
Directions
Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 325°F. Cut the beef into 1 1/2-inch cubes and set aside. In a large Dutch oven, cook the bacon in the oil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is crisp and browned, about 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain and set aside. Pour the fat into a heatproof bowl. Return 2 tablespoons of the fat to the pot and heat over medium-high heat. Season the beef cubes with salt and pepper. In batches to avoid crowding, add the beef and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes per batch. Transfer the beef to a plate.
Add another 2 tablespoons of the fat to the pot and heat over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Stir in the butter and let it melt. Sprinkle with the flour and stir well. Gradually stir in the stock, and then stir in the tomato paste, the 1 tablespoons parsley and the thyme, rosemary and bay leaf. Return the beef to the pot and bring to a boil. Cover, place in the oven, and cook for 1 1/2 hours.
Cut the unpeeled potatoes into 1-inch cubes, add them to the pot, stir, re-cover and continue cooking until both the meat and potatoes are tender, about 45 minutes more. Season the stew with salt and pepper. Serve at once, garnished with parsley and the reserved bacon.
~Yields 6 servings~
Slightly adapted from Williams-Sonoma Comfort Food, by Rick Rodgers (Oxmoor House, 2009)
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By Amber, on January 15th, 2012 I must have been the slacker of the year in 2011, it has been so long since I logged into this site that I actually forgot my password! Wow, I am so ashamed. What is even worse is that this post was all typed up and ready to go for almost a month now, I just never posted it. So, with all my bad habits of 2011 behind, I give you crisp, buttery, melt in your mouth snickerdoodles.
It seems like Christmas just snuck right up on me this year. I should not make excuses, it is the same thing every year. I wait until the last minute to do everything; planning, baking, shopping, wrapping. Maybe I am just a professional procrastinator. Whatever it is that I am, it works for me because I seem to do it all the time.
It had been quite a while since I last made snickerdoodles, but with a new bottle of Cinnamon from Penzey’s and a bag of cinnamon chips laying around I knew exactly kind of cookie would be next on my list to make. This is a very basic easy cookie recipe that yields a nice crisp yet soft and buttery cookie that is perfect for the holiday season. The addition of the cinnamon chips makes these cookies just that much more better. Definitely give these cookies a try soon, you will not be disappointed.
 www.sugaredwhisk.com Snickerdoodle Cookies
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups plus 4 tablespoons sugar, divided
2 eggs
2 teaspoons cinnamon
optional: 1 cup cinnamon chips
Directions
Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium sized bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cream of tartar. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the 1 1/2 cups sugar and butter until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Slowly stir in the flour mixture. If using the optional cinnamon chips, stir them in at this time.
Form dough into balls. In a wide bowl, combine the 4 tablespoons sugar with the cinnamon. Roll the dough balls in the cinnamon and sugar mixture, then place on baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes. The cookies will flatten as they bake and set as they cool.
~Yields 3 1/2 dozen cookies~
Recipe from Pennies on a Platter
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By Amber, on December 8th, 2011 Remember all those extra bananas that I was talking about not to long ago? Well, they struck again, except for this time I actually managed to pull some of my stockpile out of the freezer and used them. Yeah, I was pretty proud of myself that I actually used some that were stored in the freezer.
Baking with whole wheat is always a healthier option, but how does the taste match up to baking with AP flour? This bread was just as moist as a banana bread baked with AP flour, and rose up just as high too. The only difference that I noticed was a slight nuttier taste and texture to the bread. If you do not really dig the taste of whole wheat flour then use half whole wheat and half AP flour, and if you really hate the taste of whole wheat flour go ahead and use all AP. I would definitely make this bread again. It is simple to whip up and a nice healthy spin on the traditional banana bread.
 www.sugaredwhisk.com
Heavenly Healthy Banana Bread
Ingredients
1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) butter
1/2 cup brown sugar, light or dark, firmly packed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon banana flavor, optional
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 medium to large bananas, cut into chunks; about 1 pound, before peeling (as weighed at the grocery store)
1/4 cup honey
2 large eggs
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Directions
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ or 9″ x 5″ loaf pan.
In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until smooth. Add the vanilla, baking soda, salt, and bananas, beating until well combined. The mixture will be fairly smooth, with some scattered small chunks of banana. Beat in the honey and eggs. Add the flour, then the walnuts, stirring until smooth.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top. Let it rest at room temperature for 10 minutes. Bake the bread for 50 minutes, then gently lay a piece of aluminum foil across the top, to prevent over-browning. Bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, then remove the bread from the oven; a long toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center should come out clean. Allow the loaf to cool for 10 minutes; then remove it from the pan, and set it on a rack to cool completely.
~yields one loaf~
Recipe from King Arthur Flour
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By Amber, on November 20th, 2011 Every week I buy a bunch of bananas for my husband to take into work for a mid-morning snack. It never fails that there are always bananas left over at the end of the week. No matter if I buy 3 or 6, I always buy too many. Perhaps I should take this as a hint. A sweet little hint from my husband that I should be making him banana bread more often.
I am not sure why I got the thought in my head to make pumpkin banana bread but I am glad that I did because this bread was wonderful. The banana was the prominent flavor that I tasted but others said that they could easily taste the pumpkin too. Regardless, this is a must try quick bread recipe. Do you remember the KAF dough whisk that I was talking about in my post the other day? I decided to use it to mix this batter and it worked like a champ. It was way more fun to use than a spatula and it combined everything quickly and effortlessly.  www.sugaredwhisk.com Pumpkin Banana Bread (Low-fat)
Ingredients
1 medium very ripe banana, mashed
1 cup pumpkin purée, homemade or canned
1/4 cup canola oil
1 large egg
2 large egg whites
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
pinch freshly grated nutmeg
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350º F. Spray a 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch baking pan with non-stick baking spray; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the banana, pumpkin, oil, egg, egg whites, sugars, vanilla, and vinegar. Using a hand held mixer, beat on low speed until smooth and thoroughly combined.
3. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Using a rubber spatula, fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until combined.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean, about 50-60 minutes. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Invert the loaf from the pan onto the rack and cool completely.
~makes 1 loaf~
Recipe from The Galley Gourmet
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By Amber, on November 15th, 2011 Many of you might not yet know this about me but I absolutely LOVE baking with yeast. I find great satisfaction in taking simple ingredients such as flour, butter, water, yeast, and salt and baking them into wonderful loaves of bread or rolls. The smell that wafts through the house when bread is baking is just intoxicating. It is enough to lift me straight up into the air and make me float into the kitchen on a cloud. I will admit that I mostly use my Kitchen Aid mixer to mix and knead my dough but I will definitely be using my KAF dough whisk more often. It’s unique design glides through doughs with ease. I also think that this tool would be great for biscuits, scones, muffins, and quick breads. I can’t wait to see all the things that I can use this whisk for!
King Arthur Flour (KAF) just so happens to be one of my favorite companies. Not only do they offer quality flours but they also offer many other essential baking products. Along with great products, they also provide wonderful support for all your baking questions by offering a baking hotline and an online chat feature. They are always very helpful and they definitely know what they are talking about.
I know you are all hyped up for the giveaway but please don’t forget to scroll down and check out the recipe. This bread is a really great (and simple) bread recipe that packs a slight hint of a nutty flavor from the oatmeal. This bread would make some killer turkey sandwiches. Ok, now for the fun stuff, the giveaway!
Giveaway Details
The winner will receive one 5 pound bag of King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour and one KAF exclusive Dough Whisk -OR- one $20 virtual gift card to spend online at the KAF online store.
How to Enter
1) Leave a comment on this post telling me what your favorite kind of bread is. If you don’t like bread, well then you just can’t enter. I kid, I kid, you can still enter, just tell me your favorite color instead.
2) Become a fan of Sugared Whisk on Facebook. Come back and leave an additional comment letting me know when you have done so.
3) Become a fan of King Arthur Flour on Facebook, sing up for their newsletter (link in bottom right corner of the page), or join their online baking community. Come back and leave an additional comment letting me know when you have done one or all of the above.
The Nitty Gritty
-There is a maximum of three entries per person. Note - one comment counts as one entry, in order to get three entries you must leave three separate comments.
-Giveaway will be open until midnight (eastern time) Sunday November 20th, 2011. A winner will be chosen at random and announced Monday November 21st. The winner will be emailed on Monday therefore a valid email address with your comment would be greatly appreciated.
- This giveaway is sponsored by the wonderful people at King Arthur Flour
This giveaway is now closed. Thank you to all who have entered. The winner of this giveaway is…
Melissa, “After reading the other comments, I would have to say that I can’t think of any breads I DON’T like! Oh wait… not a fan of rye bread. Yuck!”
Congratulations Melissa, I will be contacting you shortly.
 www.sugaredwhisk.com Oatmeal Toasting and Sandwich Bread
Ingredients
3 cups King Arthur unbleached bread flour
1 cup rolled oats (old-fashioned oats)
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons brown sugar or honey
2 teaspoons instant yeast OR 1 packet active dry yeast*
1 1/4 cups lukewarm milk
*If you use active dry yeast, dissolve it in the warm milk before combining with the remaining ingredients.
Directions
In a large mixing bowl, or in the bowl of an electric mixer, combine all of the ingredients, mixing to form a shaggy dough. Knead dough, by hand (10 minutes) or by machine (5 minutes) till it’s smooth. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover and allow it to rest for 1 hour; it’ll become quite puffy, though it may not double in bulk. Shape as directed below.
Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled surface, and shape it into a log. Place the log in a lightly greased 9″ x 5″ loaf pan, cover the pan (with an acrylic proof cover, or with lightly greased plastic wrap), and allow the dough to rise for 60 to 90 minutes, till it’s crested 1″ to 2″ over the rim of the pan.
Bake the bread in a preheated 350°F oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 190°F. If the bread appears to be browning too quickly, tent it with aluminum foil for the final 10 minutes of baking.
~Yields 1 loaf~
Recipe from King Arthur Flour
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By Amber, on November 14th, 2011
It seems as though there is one recipe that everyone seems to have in their arsenal no matter if they are an avid baker or not, and that is a recipe for chocolate chip cookies. I would love to call this recipe a classic chocolate chip cookie recipe but I just am not sure if it is possible to do with all the variations out there. That means one thing, you will have to give it a try and figure out for yourself what you think of this tried and true Cook’s Illustrated cookie recipe. This recipe has become a favorite in my house so I can pretty much bet that you won’t be disappointed. 
 www.sugaredwhisk.com Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
2 1/8 cups bleached all-purpose flour (about 10 1/2 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), melted and cooled slightly
1 cup brown sugar (light or dark), 7 ounces
1/2 cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 – 2 cups chocolate chips or chunks (semi or bittersweet)
Directions
1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions. Mix flour, salt, and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.
2. Either by hand or with electric mixer, mix butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Mix in egg, yolk, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients; mix until just combined. Stir in chips.
3. Form scant 1/4 cup dough into ball. Holding dough ball using fingertips of both hands, pull into two equal halves. Rotate halves ninety degrees and, with jagged surfaces exposed, join halves together at their base, again forming a single cookie, being careful not to smooth dough’s uneven surface. Place formed dough onto one of two parchment paper-lined 20-by-14-inch lipless cookie sheets, about nine dough balls per sheet. Smaller cookie sheets can be used, but fewer cookies can be baked at one time and baking time may need to be adjusted. (Dough can be refrigerated up to 2 days or frozen up to 1 month—shaped or not.)
4. Bake, reversing cookie sheets’ positions halfway through baking, until cookies are light golden brown and outer edges start to harden yet centers are still soft and puffy, 15 to 18 minutes (start checking at 13 minutes). (Frozen dough requires an extra 1 to 2 minutes baking time.) Cool cookies on cookie sheets. Serve or store in airtight container.
~ yields 1 1/2 dozen cookies ~
Recipe from Cook’s Illustrated
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By Amber, on October 28th, 2011 Before I get everyone excited thinking that they are going to find a delicious recipe for Spiced Pumpkin Fudge here I better let you know that this recipe is actually a guest post from me today on Beantown Baker! How this works is that I type up a post, just like I normally do, but instead of posting it here on Sugared Whisk I am actually going to let Jen post it on hers. Weird concept I know, but in the long run we are helping each other out by sending visitors to each other sites. So do us both a favor and head on over to Beantown Baker to check out my guest post of Spiced Pumpkin Fudge.
Ok, I will tease everyone with a picture but you have to visit Jen’s site to get the recipe. Trust me, you are definitely going to want to go get the recipe. This fudge is quite easy to make and takes remarkable!
 www.sugaredwhisk.com
By Amber, on October 25th, 2011 October seems like it has become the month of all things Pink. There are males, both young and old, walking around in pink shirts, there are females wearing pink feathers and/or extensions in their hair, and there is  much talk about that little pink ribbon and what it symbolizes. That pink ribbon signifies breast cancer awareness. Many people are not aware but there are actually many other forms of cancer that have an awareness ribbon color and their own month to spread awareness.
To do my part in spreading awareness and supporting a good cause I am submitting this post to Beantown Bakers 4th annual Power of Pink Challenge. Be sure to check out her site at the beginning of November for the round up of all the pink items that many bloggers have baked up over the past month.
I have made these cupcakes for several different occasions with different colored sprinkles and frosting and they are always a hit. What is not to love about a delicate white cake speckled with colored sprinkles. I chose to top these cupcakes with a pink cream cheese frosting but you can use whatever suits your tastes.
 www.sugaredwhisk.com Funfetti Cupcakes
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 large egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup sprinkles
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the wells of 12 standard muffin tins with cupcake wrappers.
2. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir together and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg whites to the bowl and beat until combined. Add in the vanilla and almond extracts and mix until incorporated. Mix in the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix just until incorporated. Fold in the sprinkles with a spatula.
3. Divide the batter evenly between the 12 muffin tins. Bake for 20 minutes or until the top springs back slightly when touched. Remove cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely. Frost cooled cupcakes as desired.
~yields 12 cupcakes~
Adapted from Annie’s Eats
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By Amber, on October 24th, 2011 I know you are thinking that I am crazy, posting a recipe for a ham and cheese sandwich, but I am not. Hear me out on this one. This is by no means a cold, boring, ham and cheese sandwich. This is ham and cheese to the next level. We are talking about a warmed mini sandwich drizzled with a buttery rich sauce and topped with poppy seeds for the ultimate cute factor.
Next time you are planning a party and want something easy and delicious to make I strongly suggest giving these sliders a try. Football game, birthday party, or even a quick lunch, these sliders won’t disappoint.
 www.sugaredwhisk.com Ham and Cheese Sliders
Ingredients
For the sandwiches
24 mini sandwich rolls (slider rolls)
48 slices (1 1/4 pounds) thinly sliced honey ham
24 small slices Swiss cheese
Mayonnaise
For the sauce
1½ tablespoon yellow mustard
1 stick butter, melted
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon worcestershire sauce
Poppy seeds, for sprinkling
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Split the slider rolls and spread the insides lightly with mayonnaise. Fold two slices of ham, one piece at a time, to fit on top of the bottom bun and top with a slice of Swiss cheese. Replace the top bun to assemble the sandwiches. Place the sandwiches closely together on a baking sheet.
To make the sauce, combine all ingredients except the poppy seeds in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Drizzle the sauce over the tops of the slider buns. Sprinkle with poppy seeds. Cover with foil and bake 10 minutes, until the
cheese is melted. Remove the foil and bake 2 minutes longer. Serve warm.
~makes 24 sliders~
As seen on Annie’s Eats
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