Whole Wheat Walnut and Raisin Sandwich Rolls

Our Avid Baker's Challenge ("ABC") group is back in full swing. For our January challenge, the chosen theme is "BREAD". This can be a quick bread or a yeast bread and you can use any recipe you like! I opted to make a yeast bread.

Whole Wheat Walnut and Golden Raisin Sandwich Rolls

ABC - Deluxe Cinnamon Buns

Something I've wanted to try for a long time: custard filled cinnamon buns. So when I came across this recipe called Deluxe Cinnamon Buns on the Weekend Bakery blog, I knew I had to select it for one of our monthly ABC projects.

The other interesting thing about this recipe is the usage of low protein flour. Pastry flour to be exact. It's supposed to make the buns super light and fluffy. I was a bit skeptical but gave it a try anyway. I didn't have pastry flour, so I made my own using 2/3 all-purpose flour and 1/3 cake flour, by weight.

Deluxe Cinnamon Buns. Hubb's half had pecans on them :)

If you'd like to join the ABC bakers in their monthly baking adventures, please go to the ABC blog for more information.

ABC - Cinnamon-Swirl Pumpkin Rolls

I love cinnamon rolls. Homemade cinnamon rolls, that is (don't care much for the mass-produced ones you get at that famous Cinnamon Roll chain). When I came across a pumpkin version on the King Arthur Flour website, I knew I had to try it. I actually made these back in April of this year and after the first bite, I decided that these needed to be a recipe for our ABC club. And here we are making the Cinnamon-Swirl Pumpkin Rolls :o)

Soft and fluffy Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

If you'd like to join the ABC bakers in their monthly baking adventures, please go to the ABC blog for more information.

ABC - Buttery Pull-Apart Dinner Rolls

Doesn't that look soft and fluffy? :o)

Sixteen yummy rolls!

This month's ABC recipe was a wonderful yeast recipe: Buttery Pull-Apart Dinner Rolls from The Weekend Baker by Abby Dodge. The recipe has a "plain" version (which is what I made), a poppy seed version, a black pepper/cheese version, and an herb version. All of the varieties are worth trying out sometime.

If you would like to join the ABC baking club, please email me at HanaasKitchen [at] live [dot] com. You can find more info about our baking club on the ABC blog.

Soft Dinner Rolls

When Kim Ode shared a link to her Soft Dinner Rolls recipe on Facebook, I knew I had to give it a try. I made them at a girlfriend's house a couple weeks ago. They were such a big hit that I wanted to make them for our Thanksgiving table. And so I did :o)

Soft and yummy crescent rolls. Thanks Kim!!

BOM: Pumpkin Knotted Dinner Rolls

Light-as-air pumpkin dinner rolls

It's that time again. The Artisan Bread Bakers on Facebook are baking this month's BOM (Bread of the Month): Pumpkin Dinner Rolls. Our host, Phyl, could not have chosen a more appropriate Fall recipe for us to bake. I love anything pumpkin and couldn't wait to make these. The thought of cutting the recipe in half didn't even cross my mind, even though I had never used pumpkin and yeast together in a recipe. Several group members had already baked it and everyone raved about it. The recipe can be found here, although I used a slightly modified version which included weight measurements.

State Fair 2010 Baking Contest Results

Wow, I can't believe it's been so long since my last post. What can I say? Life happens (the good and the bad, but more on that in a future post).

Right now I would like to share with you the baked goods I made for this year's State Fair Baking Contest and how they fared at the Fair :o) I've been participating in this contest for the last 6 years or so. The very first time I entered this contest, I made an Almond Upside Down Cardamom Cake. I won 4th place and got a pink ribbon. I was ecstatic as I had just started getting my feet wet in this thing called "Baking" and this sure was a lot of encouragement to continue and get better. I'm lucky in that I inherited a good gene pool as my mom is an excellent baker (and so was my maternal grandmother) :o)

During this time of year, I receive lots of well wishes and support from not only my immediate family but also from my friends and coworkers. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all of them. Especially my husband for always providing me with honest and invaluable feedback.

Without further ado, here are the results. Drum roll please...

ABC - Cinnamon Bubble Buns

It's the first Tuesday of the month. Guess what that means? You got it! Time for another ABC of the Month. This month's recipe from Flo Braker's Baking for All Occasions is: Cinnamon Bubble Buns. Doesn't that name make you giggle? :o) When I read through the recipe the first time I envisioned muffin-style cinnamon rolls. Who can resist that? As you continue browsing through the book, you'll find a picture of these scrumptious treats. If that doesn't convince you to make them right away, maybe my picture will :o)

One dough, 4 different styles of cinnamon buns

As a side note, there have been some changes in the ABC group. Wafae and Chaya have left the group. However, two of my other friends have recently joined (welcome ladies!!):

• Shandy of Pastry Heaven
• Joy of Hot Oven Warm Heart

Open invitation - if you're a Flo Braker fan or you just like to bake, and you own or have easy access to "Baking for All Occasions", please feel free to join me and others in our monthly baking group. Just send me an email and let me know you'd like to join us (HanaasKitchen [at] live [dot] com). Click HERE for more details on the ABC of the Month baking group.