Copycat Cheesecake Factory Squaw Bread

I'm obviously into copycat recipes lately.

Don't you think its the goal of a chef to be able to recreate some of the amazing things already out there? Why taint something that's already delicious? Plus, I kind of have a thing for breads...

A thing that has added to the size of my thighs...

Not cool.

But so darn delicious.

I don't see it stopping any time soon so, here's another bread recipe for the collection.

We are having this tonight with Pumpkin soup. The perfect meal for a snowy day. Yes, you heard me. Snow. It's already that time!

But like I really need a cold day to get me to eat bread. Pffffff.....

Squaw Bread:

2 cups warm water
1 packet active dry yeast

1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 Tablespoons molasses
1/4 cup honey

3 1/2 cups bread flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups dark rye flour
1/2 cup powdered milk
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 Tablespoons butter, melted
2 Tablespoons oats
1 Tablespoon milk

In a small bowl, mix together the water and yeast and set aside.

In your stand mixer with the paddle attachment, place 3 cups of the bread flour, wheat flour, rye flour, powdered, milk, brown sugar and salt. Mix on low until combined.

In a medium bowl,. mix the molasses, honey and vegetable oil. Turn your stand mixer on to low. Slowly pour in the yeast/water mixture. Then slowly drizzle in the molasses mixture. Mix thoroughly and then cover and let rest for 20 minutes. Dough will be very sticky.

When the 20 minutes is up, replace the paddle with your dough hook and add the remaining 1/2 cup of bread flour. Knead for 2-3 minutes until the dough starts to pull away from the sides. Remove the dough and place in a well oiled bowl. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes. Dough will still be sticky.

After 30 minutes, remove the dough from bowl and on a lightly floured surface knead the dough for 2 minutes until smooth and less sticky. Place back into the greased bowl and let rise for another 30 minutes.

Remove dough and shape into 4, 10-inch long, baguettes. Place on a large greased cookie sheet. Make several diagonal slices on the tops and brush with the melted butter. Combine the oats and milk and sprinkle over the tops. Let loaves rise in a warm place until doubled (about an hour).

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place a pan filled with 1 cup water on the bottom rack in your oven. Place the loaves on the middle rack and bake for 15 minutes. When the time is up, remove the pan with water and continue to bake the bread for another 15 minutes. Keep an eye on the bread, if it starts to get too dark cover it with aluminum foil.

Remove and let cool enough to not burn the roof of your mouth!

Slice and eat. Enjoy!

Copycat Starbucks Pumpkin Scones

Oh my word this recipe is good.

And I mean, GOOOOOD! (Did you see I used all of the type-features there. Yep. That's how good it is.)

Flaky, buttery, pumpkiny.... YUM!

I don't even want to taint this recipe with my witty banter.

Just make these.

Scone Dough:
(makes 6 scones)

2 cups all-purpose flour
7 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
6 Tablespoons cold butter, cubed
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
3 Tablespoons pumpkin pie creamer
1 large egg

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons whole milk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly grease a baking sheet.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and spices. Whisk together. Using your hands or a pastry fork, cut butter into dry ingredients until crumbly. Some large pieces of butter are OK here!
In a medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, creamer and egg. Fold pumpkin mixture into dry mixture until combined. Work with hands to form into a ball.
Lightly flour your surface and pat out dough into a 1-inch thick rectangle. This is about 9 inches long and 3 inches wide. Slice the dough into 6 even triangles.
Place on prepared sheet and bake for 14 minutes or until golden brown on tops and edges.
Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

Combine glaze ingredients and brush on to cooled scones.

Eat and enjoy these buttery, flaky, pumpkin scones.

Good riddance to dry scones!!

Count Chocula Donuts

I finally bought a donut pan!

I know... living in the dark ages over here.

So I had to bake something with it immediately...



Honestly, I'm way more of a cheeky Halloween person. Cute little ghosts and goofy faced pumpkins are far better than blood and guts.

So I just knew Count Chocula and I would be good friends this season and I had to giggle when my oldest called him G-Pa (my dad).

Throw cereal in any baked good and it becomes better to the umpteenth power! Make these for your kiddos Halloween party! You can make about 10 of them in 20 minutes or so.

Have fun!

Donut Batter:
(makes about 10 donuts)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Count Chocula cereal dust (grind up your cereal finely in a food processor or blender)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoon whole milk
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 Tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and lightly grease your donut pan.

Mix the dry ingredients together. Beat in the milk, eggs, vanilla and butter. Mix just until incorporated.

Pipe the donut batter into your prepared pan, about 3/4 the way full.  Bake the donuts for 10-12 minutes and allow to cool slightly. Remove from pan to a cooling rack while you make your glaze.

Chocolate Glaze:

3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
1 1/2 Tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar and cocoa. Slowly stir in milk and vanilla. Whisk until smooth and shiny. Add more or less milk/sugar to your desired texture.

Dip donuts into chocolate glaze and let harden for a couple of minutes in the fridge.

While the donuts are still wet sprinkle with cereal or sprinkles.

Enjoy!!

Cinnamon Roll Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

I'm going to keep it real with you all for a second... I have an adverse fear of dating.

Yes, I'm married and yes, we love each other.

But what if something freakish happened? (I'm totally bringing freakish back, and its going to catch on. Sort of like fetch).

Lets say he turns 60 and has a mid-life crisis and leaves me for a 22 year old? Or he's playing basketball and lightning strikes him. (HELLO: 1 in 600,000 people!!)

I'm telling you I'd be more likely to be alone with 40 cats and become a hoarder than join a dating site.

Have you seen eHarmony commercials? Or match.com? It's pure joy. Images of guys and girls walking in the door at a restaurant, saying just the right thing at just the right time and giggling.

I don't giggle.

I have a man laugh.

And most likely I'd be more inclined to say something inappropriate and be overly excited about the dessert menu.

And now that I have boys my paranoia is through the roof.

Every time we go to a new school or public place little girls flock to them. And I have to bite my lip and throw a smile on my face and push them along and say "Go play with them. Have fun!" while I'm secretly dying inside.

And I just want to scream "back off my boys you hussy!"

...OK, that was extreme. But it's the truth. Let a girl call my house when my boys are old enough.... "No Davin is NOT home! Back up!" but you know what's sad? We don't even HAVE a house phone. And my boys will have their own phones and who KNOWS what they will be using them for.

Thank goodness I have another 10 years for that. Fingers crossed anyways. I'm surprised they don't bring back Elimidate for 12 year olds these days....

Anyways, I'd like to think true romance still exists, and that my husband and I will grow old together and I'll still be asking him 100 questions a day and he will politely nod his head. Or just not hear me. Which is probably better for the both of us.

On to the recipe, because you've been patient enough with my ranting.

I kind of like to think that Pumpkin and Cream Cheese are meant to be together, like Allie and Noah from the Notebook. They are totally meant to be together but in the end, Cream Cheese kind of forgets about Pumpkin.

But pumpkin keeps coming back.

On my blog anyways...

For the Cinnamon Roll Crust:
(adapted from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody)
2/3 cup white sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temp
1 egg
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 Tablespoon vanilla
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling:
2 (8-oz) packages cream cheese, at room temp
1 cup sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree
3 large eggs, at room temp
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 Tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon salt

Cinnamon Swirl:
1/4 cup butter, melted
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 Tablespoons cinnamon

Cream Cheese Frosting:
2 ounces cream cheese, at room temp
3 Tablespoons butter, at room temp
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar
milk for thinning

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line with foil and grease a 9x9" square baking dish.

Cinnamon Roll Crust: In your stand mixer with the paddle attachment cream together the butter and sugar for a couple of minutes until light and fluffy. Add the egg, milk and vanilla and beat for another minute or so then scrape down the bowl. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Combine the sifted flour mix into the butter mixture and mix on low speed until thoroughly combined.
Spread 3/4 of the batter onto the bottom of the prepared baking dish and press down. The dough will be sticky and thick so do the best you can. Set aside.

For the Cheesecake: With a clean stand mixer, beat the cram cheese and sugar on medium speed until smooth. Beat in the pumpkin and then the eggs, 1 at a time. Beat in the vanilla, flour, spice and salt until just mixed and smooth. Pour the cheesecake mixture over the crust in the prepared pan.

Cinnamon Topping: In a small bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Drop spoonfuls over the entire cheesecake top.

Take the rest of the Cinnamon Roll batter and dollop large spoonfuls onto the top of the cheesecake also.

With a skewer or knife, swirl the ingredients together. This may be hard with the batter but do the best you can.

Bake for 50 minutes on the center rack or until puffed and the top browned. You will be looking for the edges to be set but the middle slightly jiggly.

Remove from the oven and let cool on the counter for 30 minutes then cover with plastic wrap and chill for 4 hours or up to overnight. Remove the cake and allow it to come to room temperature.

(look at that fabulous cinnamon-swirl top!)

Cream Cheese Frosting: Using your stand mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese for 2 minutes until combined. Add in the remaining ingredients and adding as much or as little milk to your desired consistency.

En-robe the cake with the thick icing, either by piping or spooning, and enjoy!

Candy Corn Cookies

I'm sure you have seen these cookies all over the Internets.

I wish I could say that I invented them, but I'm obviously not that creative.

But with Halloween only a little over THREE weeks away I had to do something of a candy corn theme in its honor.

I took a basic sugar cookie recipe and colored the dough using store brand food coloring. If you want to go to Michael's and pick up some Wilton's colors you are guaranteed to have more vibrant looking cookies, but I wasn't about to make another trip to the store.

You can whip these up for your child's Halloween party and the good thing is they make a LOT, around 4 dozen or so (but don't quote me because I honestly didn't stand there counting each cookie.)

I love hearing what everyone else makes during this time of year so tell me, what do you traditionally whip up for the haunting season?

Sugar Cookie Dough:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup room temperature butter, unsalted
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Yellow and Red Food Coloring

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking soda and set aside. In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs, vanilla and almond extracts until mixed. Add the flour mixture to butter mixture in 3 additions and mix until a dough forms. 
• Separate your dough into 3 equal portions.
• Leaving one plain, dye the second yellow and the third orange. 
• Line a large (9") loaf pan with plastic wrap. Press your "white" dough into the bottom. Lining the bottom completely is NOT necessary. You are looking for 1/2-3/4" height. For mine, this was about half way in the pan. Next press the orange dough onto the top, using the plastic wrap when necessary to help lay flat, making it the same height as the white and do the same with the yellow. You will now have three layers from bottom to top (white, orange, yellow...). Press the edge, if not lining the whole pan to make flat as well as the top, like this...

Cover completely with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill for 2 hours.

Once chilled, unwrap and, using a sharp knife, cut 1/4-1/2" slices.

Trim the yellow to make an even square and cut triangles out of the dough, you should have two scraps at either end. You can bake these up too! They wont be as pretty but will taste just as delicious.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray and place the cookies 1 inch apart.

Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden, transfer to a cooling rack and enjoy. Prior to baking you can sprinkle some coarse sugar on the top and after cooled, cover with sprinkles, or dip in white chocolate, I just left mine plain.

Enjoy!

Monster Munch and a Halloween Party!

I can't help but say the title in Dracula's voice.

Happy Halloween everyone! OK, so I know it's only the first, but my VERY best friend and I are hosting a Halloween Party! We pulled a couple of old blogs and compiled them together to make one awesome link party!

Lets start off with this fun Halloween Crack, er, Monster Munch. It makes the perfect scary movie snack or a little something extra on your haunted holiday table. Or just make it every night from now until the 31st, I'm cool with that (just share with the witches because it makes a lot, and we all know how they can be.)

It's the sweet and salty snack everyone will crave, plus who doesn't love edible bugs!? Michael's has some awesome sprinkles this time of year (Check. It. Out.)

Anyways, let's get this party started! Please follow the links at the end of this post for some more hauntingly awesome treats and crafts! And don't be afraid to let your little witches and ghouls in the kitchen with you for this one...

Monster Munch:
2 bags microwaveable butter flavored popcorn, popped
1 1/2 cups peanuts
1 1/2 cups candy corn
1 cup Reese's Pieces
1 bag of white Candy Melts
Halloween Sprinkles

Grab the biggest bowl you have and pour in the popped popcorn. Top with the peanuts, candy corn and Reese's Pieces.
Melt the candy melts according to package directions. Pour over the popcorn mixture and stir gently until everything is coated.
Pour on to a large foil lined cookie sheet and sprinkle with bugs, eyes, bones, or the like.

Place in the fridge until set. Break into large pieces and enjoy! It is the perfect salty and sweet snack to scare up some fun this Halloween season!

Looking for some more spooooky Halloween ideas? Don't be afraid, here they are...

Scare the Trick-or-Treaters at the door with a Gaudy Halloween Wreath

Conjure up some fear this season with a  Halloween Boo Sign

Whoooo wants some creative Owl Cupcakes?

I just love this hauntingly cute Halloween Wreath! With interchangeable flowers to use any season.

Looking for an easy treat to cure that pumpkin craving? How about some delicious Pumpkin Frozen Yogurt

A mummified treat will do the trick at this years Halloween party, try these Mummy Cupcakes

• Thank you for coming and partying with us! Feel free to leave a comment with a link of YOUR favorite Halloween trick or treat! Enjoy the season. 

Gaudy Halloween Wreath

I just love this little wreath!! And do you know how much it cost me... 8 whole dollars!! Everything was purchased from the Dollar Tree, the only extra you need is a glue gun!

I'm actually amazed at what cute Halloween things they have at Dollar Tree and now that you can use in store coupons... CHA-CHING!

So lets get the party started. This wreath can definitely be made with little pumpkin balls, a different sign and of course, something other than a centipede and roach. But I really just love how it evokes the spirit of Halloween!

This is definitely a Trick for the Treaters this year!!

Have fun and Happpppy Halloween!!

What you will need:

And of course your handy-dandy glue gun.

I first wrapped the wreath with the black ribbon. It actually fell a little short so pretend like you don't see the wooden wreath sticking out the top. I then placed the sign where I wanted it and glued the corners and then sporadically placed the eyeballs on the top and bottom. I finished with the bug accents. And there ya have it! In total I used 4 bags of eyeballs (I actually would have liked one more), the sign, a Bag-O-Bugs, black glitter ribbon and the wooden wreath!

These directions are really simple but trust me, so is the project!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!