It’s that time of year again.

The time of year where students all over the globe are picking out new backpacks, trying on new shoes, and getting back into the school routine. They begin wondering whose going to be in their class, what their new teacher will be, and most importantly, what are they going to wear on the first day of school.

I don’t have any children going off to school, but I can tell you what it’s like from the other side…

I am a teacher and I love the beginning of the school year. I too, get excited about new school clothes and finding the perfect lunch box. I love getting to see old friends and co-workers and making new ones. We spend an entire week learning new concepts and programs, planning curriculum, and setting up our classrooms before the children arrive.

We wonder what our new class will be like. Whether our new students will like us or not {because it does matter, even if we say it doesn’t}. And we hope everything will be perfect for the first day of school.

So to wrap up the end of summer and kick off the start of yet another school year, I made you coffeecake…

 More importantly, S’mores Coffeecake.

I took your everyday coffeecake and added a layer of ooey gooey marshmallow and graham cracker streusel with a chocolatey S’mores syrup drizzle. I found the most amazing S’mores Pancake and Ice Cream syrup at World Market the other day and thought it would go perfect for my coffeecake. It totally did.

It also did on my ice cream that night.

And my waffles the next morning.

The great thing about this coffeecake is that not only is it yummy delicious on the first day, but the syrup soaks into the cake and makes it even better the second day. That is not normally the case when we are talking about coffeecake.

Sunday marked the Hubster’s 38th birthday. In years past, we have packed up the car and spent his birthday week with family at the beach, however this year we decided to stay back and relax at home. To make his birth week extra special, I came up with a theme for each day leading up to his official birthday. On Monday, the hubs got a few of his favorite king size candy bars with a handmade card that read “You are my king.” Tuesday left him following clues all around the house leading him to a few little geeky gifts. And on Wednesday, I woke up in the wee hours of the morning to make him breakfast in bed…specifically, these decadent Chocolate Chocolate Chip Scones with homemade caramel sauce.

During the school year, I am always up and out the door by 6:45 and the Hubster is left to fend for himself for breakfast. So when summertime rolls around, I like to take the time every now and then to make him something extra special to make up for all the months of breakfast drive-thrus and microwavable biscuits.

If you’ve got a spare 30 minutes, then you have these rich, delectable chocolate scones. I had already planned to make them, however this recipe is so simple, that I already had everything to make them in my kitchen, so no need for a grocery trip. Bonus.

When I walked into my neighborhood grocery store last week, I never thought in a million years that I would find a fresh loaf of challah bread sitting there, winking at me, beckoning me, in the bakery section. I live in a fairly small town and the nearest grocery store doesn’t carry anything out of the ordinary, so I saw this loaf of challah bread as my baking destiny. As I put it into my basket, the heavens opened up, the sun shone down on me, and I declared(loudly): I shall make Chocolate Cinnamon French Toast with this challah bread, while onlookers froze in amazement.

Ok. So that didn’t happen. For the most part anyway. Truth, I have had this idea in my head for awhile, but I swear it was fate.

Anyway, this is a super easy breakfast that you can whip up any day of the week and make you look like a rock star at the same time.

This is the fateful challah bread loaf that brought cinnamon and chocolate together forever.

I like my french toast to be thick, so I sliced my loaf into 1 inch slices.

 I just love the fact that there are cinnamon flecks in my french toast.

So here is how last Saturday went.

Me: Honey, what do you want for breakfast? I was thinking muffins.

Hubster: Sounds good to me.

Me: What kind do you want? I have apples, bananas, raspberries…{voice trailing off to tackle mound of laundry}

Hubster: I don’t care. Whatever works for you?

Me: Banana muffins then. Banana muffins with rum. Banana muffins with rum and brown sugar. Banana muffins with rum and brown sugar and homemade caramel sauce.

And that’s how it’s done.

It is crazy how easy these muffins came together. I mean, I mashed the ripe bananas I had using my stand mixer and then piled the rest of the ingredients in, starting with the wet and ending with the dry. I put them in the oven for 15 minutes or so and while that was baking, I made the caramel sauce. The caramel sauce came together in 10 minutes and I cannot tell you how amazing it is. {That post is coming later this week, but I know for a fact that SprinkleBakes has a great recipe for Caramel Sauce too.} So within the hour, I had warm, ooey-gooey, pop-in-your-mouth Banana Fosters Muffins. Just because.

You can line your mini-muffin pan with muffin liners, like I did, or spray wells with flour spray to avoid wrappers altogether.

Sprinkle tops of muffins with brown sugar before they go in the oven to give them a sweet, crispy layer on top.

And so the perfect Saturday morning treat was born!

So yesterday I spent the whole day in my pajamas.

The WHOLE day.

I loved every minute of it.

I also spent the entire day watching Game of Thrones on HBO. I am late to the game when it comes to the whole seven kingdoms, protect the realm thing, but I am trying to catch up before Season 3 premieres next Sunday. Unfortunately, I will have to choose what I watch first –Game of Thrones, Season 3 premiere or The Walking Dead, Season 3 finale. They both air on Sunday at exactly 9:oopm EST. I hate it when that happens.

It looks like I watch a lot of T.V., but I actually don’t. I only have 7-8 shows in my T.V. viewing repertoire and they typically don’t overlap. But here I am, having to decide what to watch first next Sunday.

Anyway, I didn’t just watch T.V. I made you doughnuts.

These spicy vanilla doughnuts are not only baked, but I threw in whole wheat flour to the mix too! I used 2/3 all purpose and 1/3 whole wheat, but you could totally used 1/2 and 1/2 or even 2/3 wheat and 1/3 all purpose.

The spiced vanilla bean sugar I found is perfect for dipping my warm, butter drenched doughnuts in. I discovered it at my local spice shop, but you can order it online here.

I am dreading the day Starbucks revokes their seasonal Gingerbread latte.

DREADING IT!

I am absolutely in love with that steaming cup of gingerbread-y goodness. And after several trips to Starbucks this winter season, I finally have it down to a science – grande, non-fat, 1/2 syrup pumps (which is exactly 2 1/2 preferred), no whip, hot.

As nervous as I am about Starbucks pulling my gingerbread coffee salvation, I think I may have come up with a healthy breakfast substitution.

Whole Wheat Gingerbread Waffles.

Warm, fluffy, and HEALTHY Gingerbread Waffles. This is genius, people. Now I can get my gingerbread fix without the guilt, anytime I want. And for those of you who made the New Year’s resolution to lose a few pounds, this recipe is the perfect Saturday morning treat…next to Saturday morning cartoons, of course.

These cinnamon pumpkin muffins will mark the last post of the fall season. Just writing this post is giving me pumpkin withdrawals….

No, seriously. That is how big my love for pumpkins is. Think love for pumpkins multiplied by infinite to the furthest degree. My love runs deeper than that.

I came up with this muffin recipe last week after I had made the obvious, yet traditional pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving Day. I had half a can of pumpkin left and zero room in the fridge to put it thanks to the 15 lb. turkey that was thawing on the 2nd shelf. I also had several house guests who drove up from Florida that were in desperate need of some good home cooking. Let’s just say the Outback in their area knows them by name…first name.

This cutie pie was one of 4 house guests that came up for turkey day. He is my adorable nephew and I caught him setting the table for Thanksgiving dinner!

So I took the half can of pumpkin, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1 stick of melted butter, 2 eggs, and 2 heaping spoonfuls of sour cream and whisked it all together.

Then I mixed 2 cups of flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, and 1 tablespoon of baking spice. Savory Spice Shop has baking spice that is perfect for almost anything!

Finally I folded in the wet mixture with the dry ingredients, divided the batter among 12 standard muffin cups, and topped each one with toasted pumpkin seeds and Pampered Chef’s sweet cinnamon sprinkle.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

I can literally smell Fall in the air. I know. It sounds weird, but I promise you I can smell it and it is the most wonderful smell in the world.  It is that crisp, cool smell that infiltrates your home as you open the windows for the first time. It is the cinnamon and apples simmering on the stove. It is the pumpkin spiced lattes wafting through the local coffee shops. Yes, fall is my absolute favorite season. And I love everything that encompasses it.

I also have a deep love for cinnamon rolls. Did you happen to read my last post about my magical Saturday morning muffins? Well, muffins aren’t the only thing we eat on our perfect Saturday mornings. We also enjoy cinnamon rolls. Gooey, hot fresh-from-the-oven, icing all drippy, licking my fingers good cinnamon rolls. Now, normally, because I don’t want to wait all day for the dough to rise, my cinnamon rolls are the Pillsbury in-a-can kind my Mom used to make. (I remember quite vividly, fighting with my brother and my Dad over who got the middle roll because that was always the gooey-est). But with Fall tapping me on the shoulder, I thought, why not try a fall version of one of my favorite breakfast foods.

I had first thought about making apple cinnamon rolls, but I had forgotten I had used up all my mountain apples on the several apple pies I had made the weekend before (mountain day-cation post coming soon). Then I realized, I had just picked up my very first canned pumpkin of the season the day before and that pumpkin cinnamon rolls were totally the way to go! I also thought I could make a yummy cream cheese pumpkin icing to top my ooey, gooey pumpkin cinnamon rolls.

Now I will say that I spent the better part of the day waiting for these puppies to rise, but that was ok with me because I was watching a Firefly marathon on Netflix to pass the time. Plus, by the time the rolls were baked and iced, they were totally worth it. This is not as hard as it looks folks. You can do this! You want to do this! It has to be done…

Pumpkin Pie Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients:

Dough:

1/2 cup milk

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter at room temperature

1/2 cup warm water (about 110 degrees)

1 envelope (about 2 1/4 teaspoons) instant yeast

1/4 cup sugar

1 large egg plus 2 large egg yolks

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

4-4 1/4 cups all purpose flour, plus more for work surface

Filling:

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

1 tablespoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon salt

Icing:

12 ounces cream cheese, softened

4-5 tablespoons corn syrup

3 tablespoons canned pumpkin

2 cups confectioners sugar

sprinkle of cinnamon, nutmeg, and pumpkin pie spice

Directions:

For the dough:

1. Heat the milk and butter in a small saucepan or in the microwave until the butter is melted. Remove from heat and set aside until the mixture is lukewarm (about 1oo degrees). I used a thermometer to double check.

2. In the bowl of your standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the water, yeast, sugar egg, and yolks at low speed until well mixed.

3. Add the salt, lukewarm milk mixture, and 2 cups of the flour and mix on medium to low speed until well blended, about 1 minute. Switch your attachment to the dough hook and add another 2 cups of flour, and knead at medium speed, adding up to 1/4 cup of flour, one tablespoon at a time, until the dough is smooth and freely clears the sides of the bowl, about 10 minutes.

4. Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a round. Place it into a lightly oiled bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Leave in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 – 2 hours. Watch Firefly…

For the icing:

1. While your dough is rising, combine all of the wet ingredients in the bowl of your standing mixer. Blend together at low speed until roughly combined, about 1 minute. Add your confectioner sugar 1/2 cup at a time until blended. Increase the speed to high and mix until the icing is smooth and free of cream cheese lumps, about 2 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Roll and Fill:

1. After the dough has doubled, press it down and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Using a rolling pin, shape the dough into a 16 by 12-inch rectangle, long side facing you. In a small bowl, mix the filling ingredients and sprinkle the filling evenly over the dough, leaving a 1/2 inch border at the far edge. To roll the dough, begin with the long edge closest to you and using both hands, pinch the dough with your fingertips as you roll. Moisten the top border with water and seal the roll. Lightly dust the roll with flour and press the ends to make a 16-inch cylinder.

2. If you have gotten this far, then you are in the homestretch. Grease a 13 by 9 baking dish. Cut the roll into 12 equal pieces using dental floss. I start by cutting the roll in half, then each half in half, and so on. Place the rolls, cut side up, into the baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap, and place in a warm, draft free spot until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 -2 hours.

3. BAKE! When your rolls are almost fully risen, heat the oven to 350 degrees and place your oven rack to the middle position. Bake the rolls until golden brown, about 25-30 minutes. Invert the rolls on a wire rack and cool for 5 minutes. Place rolls upright and frost those babies with your cream cheese icing! Serve/Gobble immediately!!

Saturday mornings are quite magical in our house…

There are NO alarms buzzing…

We wake up to the sun shining bright and cheerful (we have no kids…we ARE the kids)…

We leisurely find our way to the couch, still in our pajamas, total bed head, cup of coffee in hand and watch Doctor Who reruns or play Lego Harry Potter…

It really isn’t until after 10 or so that we really decide what we are going to do with our day. (Although lately, my 15K training group has decided that an 8am run is ABSOLUTELY necessary.) Then I usually mosey my way into the kitchen and whip up a batch of something sweet and gooey.

This past Saturday morning I was recovering  from, to quote Alexander, “a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day” the Friday before. The hubster had truly come to my rescue, saving me from near disaster on many varying levels. He was able to not only put out a few fires with his super hubby strength, but deal with my near breakdown from it all…

So to honor my Super-Man, I made him the Magna Carta of muffins. A muffin so infamous, it belongs in the Muffin Hall of Fame. A true tribute to all that is sacred and holy to the traditional blueberry muffin. This past Saturday, I baked super-sized cinnamon-sugar-dipped organic blueberry muffins.

Cinnamon-Sugar-dipped Organic Blueberry Muffins

Makes 12 standard muffins or 6 super-sized muffins

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

1 cup sugar

1/2 stick butter, melted and cooled slightly

1 cup sour cream

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 1/2 cups organic fresh blueberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and make sure you adjust an oven rack to the middle position. Grease 12 cup standard pan, or be brave and grease a super-sized 6 cup pan.

2. Combine together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl until combined. In a separate bowl or in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whisk the egg until well-combined, about 30-45 seconds. Add the sugar and blend for another 45 seconds. Add the butter slowly and then add the sour cream and heavy cream, whisking until just combined.

3. Using a 1/4 cup of the dry ingredients, gently toss the organic blueberries until completely covered. Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and combine until smooth. Gently fold in the blueberries. Be careful not to over-mix.

4. Divide the batter among the greased muffin cups and bake until the muffins are light golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffin comes out clean. For standard muffins, bake for 25 to 30 minutes. For super-sized muffins, um, well….I forget…so you will need to check periodically after 30 minutes or so. Sorry!

5. Pop out your muffins and let them cool on a wire rack for about 5 minutes. While they are cooling, mix 1/2 cup of sugar and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon in a small bowl. Melt 4-5 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan or microwave. After the muffins have cooled, dip the top of each muffin in melted butter and then roll in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Enjoy while still warm! It is the perfect treat for the Super-Man in your life….or Wonder Woman.

I just love the summertime! Forget about the fact that us teachers have summers off. Or that we finally get to catch up on all the recreational reading we have postponed during the school year. Or that we get to sleep in as late as we want on a Monday. My favorite part of summer is all the  fruits and veggies that pop up at all the local farmer’s markets and fruit stands.  Just down the road, I am able to pick fresh blackberries or choose my own corn at the local family farm. How cool is that!?

The other day, I stopped by my friend H’s house and she told me about the recipe below that was made up of mostly summer squash and zucchini. She had pulled it out of this month’s Food Network magazine and made it for her and her husband. Now normally I would steer clear of any kind of squash because I know it is not one of my husband’s favorite foods, but I thought why not…he might even, dare I say, LIKE IT!  This dish is more appropriate for a leisurely Sunday brunch that it is for a weeknight dinner, but I had most of the ingredients on hand and I thought, who hasn’t had breakfast for dinner? I know I have!

The quickest way to get this dish from start to finish is using a food processor. It literally took minutes to shred all the summer squash and zucchini and than the rest was quick and easy. I also used Boar’s Head Sharp White Cheddar to top this dish and I think it paired quite nicely. The eggs cooked perfectly in the oven and had a good runny consistency of that of sunny side up eggs. In short, this dish is the perfect breakfast comfort food giving it a cheesy and summery taste that lingers on into fall. Even my husband loved it! Now that is saying something.

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds (6 medium) summer squash and/or zucchini
• Kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 6 large eggs
• 1/2 cup grated pepper jack or sharp white cheddar cheese

Directions:

Grate the squash into a colander using the large holes of a box grater (or use a food processor fitted with the shredding attachment). Toss with 1 tablespoon salt, then let drain in the sink, 30 to 40 minutes. Squeeze the squash to remove as much liquid as possible.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Set aside 3 tablespoons scallion greens. Add the remaining scallions (white and green parts), the jalapeno, and salt to taste and cook until the scallions are soft, about 3 minutes. Add the shredded squash and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 7 minutes. Stir in the parsley, nutmeg, and pepper to taste. Cook until the mixture is slightly dry, about 1 more minute. Remove from the heat and let cool, 5 minutes.

Spread the squash evenly in the skillet. Make six 2 1/2-inch-wide indentations in the mixture with the back of a spoon; put 1/2 teaspoon butter in each one. One at a time, crack each egg into a small bowl and pour into an indentation. Season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with the cheese.

Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the egg whites are set and the yolks are cooked to desired doneness, 10 to 12 minutes. Scatter the reserved scallion greens on top.