Bake it at home

It’s August, children are on vacation for at least three more weeks, some may be on vacation away and some are at home with you.

Baking has proven to be quite a therapeutic experience, so this year rather than rush out to purchase a sweet treat, why not try to create it from scratch in your home kitchen with your children.

First choose the recipe together, shop for the ingredients and let the magic begin.

Bon Appetit!

Most delicious cinnamon rolls

For the dough:

1 tbs instant yeast

½ cup warm water

½ cup milk

¼ cup sugar

⅓ cup butter or shortening, melted

1 tsp salt

1 egg

3½ to 4 cups all-purpose flour

Filling:

½ cup melted butter

½ cup sugar

2 tbs ground cinnamon

Glaze:

4 tbs butter

2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 to 6 tbs hot water

Heat oven to 350F.

Generously butter the bottom and sides of a 9x12 inch baking pan.

In a large bowl mix yeast, milk, water, sugar, melted butter, salt and egg.

Add 2 cups of flour and mix until smooth. Mix in remaining flour until dough is easy to handle.

Knead dough on lightly floured surface for 5 to 10 minutes.

Place in well-greased bowl, cover and let rise until doubled in size, usually 1 to 1½ hours.

When doubled in size, punch down dough.

Roll out on a floured surface into a 15x9 inch rectangle and spread melted butter.

Mix sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over buttered dough.

Beginning at the 15-inch side, roll up dough and pinch edge together to seal.

Cut into 12 to 15 slices.

Place cinnamon roll slices close together in the pan and let rise until dough is doubled, about 45 minutes.

Bake for about 30 minutes or until nicely browned.

Meanwhile, mix butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla.

Add hot water a little at a time until smooth, spread onto rolls.

Makes 15

Coffee cake scones with pecan streusel crunch

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tbs baking powder

¼ cup granulated sugar

½ cup butter, unsalted

1 egg

½ cup evaporated milk or pourable cream

Preheat oven to 375F.

Combine flour with baking powder and sugar.

Add butter and cut into flour until mixture is the texture of small peas.

Combine beaten egg, with milk and bitters, add to flour and bring together with your hands.

Press onto greased cookie tray cut into eights.

Lightly brush with milk, and press streusel onto scones.

Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until golden.

Makes 8

Streusel crunch

⅓ cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup brown sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

¼ cup chopped pecans or mixed nuts

2 tbs cup butter, unsalted

Combine all ingredients until mixture is clumpy through your fingers.

Cocoa swirl banana bread

2 large, over ripened bananas

½ cup coconut oil

2 large egg

¾ cup brown sugar

1½ cups all-purpose flour

½ tsp sea salt

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp grated nutmeg

½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp grated tonka bean

½ cup cocoa powder

Pre-heat oven to 350F.

Line an 8x4 loaf tin with parchment paper.

Mash bananas and beat in coconut oil, eggs and brown sugar with an electric hand mixer, beat until light.

Combine flour with salt, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon and tonka.

Stir this into the banana mixture.

Remove about ½ cup batter and place into a small bowl, stir in cocoa powder.

Spoon batter into prepared pan and swirl the cocoa mixture into the banana mixture.

Bake for 40 minutes until cooked.

Makes 1 loaf

Cranberry orange walnut cake with orange glaze

½ cup butter

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

½ cup milk

½ cup rum

1 tbs lime juice

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp grated orange zest

½ cup cranberries, dried

½ cup walnuts

Preheat oven to 350F.

Cream butter with sugar until light and fluffy

Add eggs one at a time beating well between additions, combine milk with lime juice let stand for 10 mins.

Chop walnuts and cranberries.

Combine flour, baking powder and soda, add chopped cranberries and nuts.

Fold flour mixture into butter mixture alternately with milk and rum, adding flour in 3 additions and milk and rum in 2.

Spoon batter into a greased and floured bundt pan.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool and drizzle with glaze.

Glaze

Combine 2 cups sifted icing sugar with about one tbs orange juice or rum, stir until thick and pourable.

Pour onto cake.

Serves 8 to 10

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