Cinnamon-Sugar Almonds: More Versatile Than You'd Think

Cinnamon-sugar, almonds, butter and salt. The ingredients for a fantastic little sweet treat, which is just what I was in search of.

I had a choice of walnuts, pecans, cashews or almonds. The almonds were already slivered and raw, so I went with them. This recipe is really adaptable, you can use any kind of nut (although I'd stay away from peanuts).

While I was eating these I realized they could be an accompaniment for savory dishes as well as sweet ones. These cinnamon-sugar almonds would be great in oatmeal or included in a rice pudding. For a savory use, serve them up with a really crispy-skinned glazed chicken and roasted Brussels sprouts. To add some texture and another level of flavor, stir a portion of cinnamon-sugar almonds into saffron rice with shrimp.

Add in a variety of spices, experiment a bit to see what flavor mixes work well together for you. Smoked paprika would go nicely with the sugar and butter, alongside the cinnamon. Have some fun and enjoy!

Cinnamon-Sugar Almonds

Ingredients:

• 1 cup slivered raw almonds
• 1 tablespoon powdered cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons butter

Method:

1. Heat a small skillet over high heat.
2. Add butter, and swirl it around in the pan, until it is melted.
3. Pour almonds into the butter, stir them around until all are coated with the butter.
4. Cook for 4 minutes, stirring constantly, until the nuts begin to brown.
5. Turn off the heat and let the almonds sit in the hot pan for another 3 minutes, stirring to keep them from burning.
6. Pour the almonds into a serving bowl and add the cinnamon-sugar. Stir to coat all the almonds in the cinnamon-sugar.

Everybody Loves Gluten Free Pizza!

 I made pizza for my friends one night recently. Here's what we put on them....

 And let me show you a few of the other toppings we used, along with links to the recipes!

Make my vegan bolognese sauce for your pizza. One recipe will yield at least five pizzas with plenty leftover for a few bowls of pasta, too.

Gluten-free pizza dough can be made at home, following this recipe. Or, you can buy a ball of dough at your local pizza place. In San Francisco, there are several places that offer GF pizza dough.

Top your pizza with roasted veggies, anchovies, an egg, cheese, or anything else you can think of.

We used thisEnglish snap pea and lemon spread on a white pizza with an egg and some anchovies. Delightful!

Anchovies. Need I say more?

(the above pizza is made with regular pizza dough from the local pizza place)

Pizza can be made on the grill, for those of you in those super hot areas of the country right now. I hope you enjoy these topping ideas and please do share your own favorite toppings with me.

This pizza is made with the GF pizza dough recipe featured above and here.

Roasted Vegetables: Beets, Potatoes and Zucchini

 I know it's really hot outside, but if you can deal with it, you need to make some roasted vegetables. There are many great choices at the farmer's markets right now:  beets, potatoes, zucchini.

 The best part is, that once you make it through the roasting, you'll have plenty leftover for upcoming meals. You can serve these veggies as part of a green salad, as a pizza topping, or just on their own, cold with some salt and pepper.

Roasted Vegetables: Beets, Potatoes and Zucchini

You can cook all the veggies at once, but I prefer to do them individually so that they each keep their own flavor.

Ingredients:

• 4 to 6 zucchini sliced into rounds
• 8 to 10 beets, peeled and cut into chunks
• 10 yukon gold potatoes sliced into rounds
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees and place an empty jelly roll pan in to heat up at the same time.
2. Once the oven has preheated, carefully remove the tray from the oven, pour 1/4 cup of the olive oil onto the tray and place the zucchini on top.
3. Turn the zucchini slices over several times to coat in the oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until the pieces have browned and softened.
5. Repeat this process with the beets and the potatoes.

Glazed Cinnamon Rolls from The Breakfast Book

Glazed cinnamon rolls are so very tasty. Welcome to the first installment of my very first Cook the Book. The idea here is that I will cook a recipe every other week from Marion Cunnigham's The Breakfast Book. I'll give you a flavor of what the book is like and will inspire you to cook up some of the tasty breakfast treats yourself.

Up first is a very good glazed cinnamon roll recipe. I'm not much of a baker. I fully acknowledge my shortcomings in this area. The requirement to follow an actual recipe with precise measurements is next to impossible for me. I've been at this recipe since 7:30am this morning. The rolls went into the oven at 5:15pm. To be fair, the dough rested for six hours in the refrigerator.

I chose to do the cinnamon rolls because I have the fondest of memories of Gran Fran whipping these up for us on weekends. I now have an even greater respect for the process she went through to give us fresh baked pastries. Gran Fran was known for being up at all hours of the day and night cooking and baking. I'd come home well after midnight to be greeted with the smell of beef stew or foccacia bread with garlic and rosemary. Gran Fran was to be found somewhat asleep, sitting up on the couch with the TV on. She'd awake with a start saying "Oh, I was just resting my eyes. Let me make you a plate." It was never asked as a question. It was a given that when you came in she'd feed you.

Why'd I wander off on that tangent? Because I just figured out that she must've been up making the dough so it could rest in the fridge overnight to be ready for baking soon after we got up. I wasn't that smart. Isabella will be having cinnamon rolls as her dessert tonight (with many more leftover for breakfast). Regardless of when we eat them, they are amazing, and I am proud to say that I made my first successful batch of glazed cinnamon rolls (it only took me 42 years!).

As per Isabella's instructions, I made one dozen with the glaze and dusted one dozen with cinnamon-sugar.

I'm doing this project along with five other wonderful food bloggers: Rachel of Ode to Goodness, Sammy of Rêve du Jour, Emily of The Bon Appetit Diaries, Aimee of Homemade Trade and Claudie of The Bohemian Kitchen.Click on through to their sites to see which recipes from the Yeast Breads chapter they made.

Glazed Cinnamon Rolls

from Marion Cunningham's The Breakfast Book, copyright 1987, Alfred A. Knopf

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1 package dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon plus 1/4 cup sugar
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, chilled [I used unsalted, recipe didn't specify]
• 3 eggs yolks
• 1 cup milk

Filling Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted [I used unsalted, recipe didn't specify]
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Glaze Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter, room temperature [I used unsalted, recipe didn't specify]
• 1 tablespoon water (a trifle more mat be needed to make a manageable glaze)

Method:

1. Put the warm water in a small bowl and sprinkle the yeast over. Add 1 teaspoon sugar, stir, and let dissolve for 5 minutes.
2. In a large mixing bowl stir together the flour, 1/4 cup sugar, and salt with a fork to mix them well.
3. Cut the butter into pieces the size of small grapes and add to the flour mixture.
4. Using either you hands or a pastry blender, rub or cut the butter into the flour mixture until it is distributed and there are coarse little lumps of butter throughout.
5. Stir in the yeast mixture, the egg yolks, and the milk. Beat until blended [I used my Kitchen-Aid stand mixer with a dough hook].
6. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator at least 6 hours (this dough can be refrigerated for 12 to 14 hours).
7. Divide the dough in half. On a lightly floured board, roll out half the dough into a rectangle about 10 by 12 inches.
8. Spread 2 tablespoons of the melted butter over the rectangle.
9. Mix the remaining 6 tablespoons sugar and the 1 teaspoon cinnamon together in a small bowl. Sprinkle half the sugar mixture evenly over the rectangle.
10. Starting with the wide side, roll up the rectangle like a jelly roll. Divide the roll into 12 pieces by first cutting the roll into 4 equal portions, the cutting each portion into 3.
11. Put the rolls cut side down in a greased muffin tin. Repeat these steps with the other half of the dough.
12. Cover loosely and let rise for 1 hour.
13. Bake in a preheated 400 degree F oven for 20 to 25 minutes
14. Remove the rolls and out them on a rack set over a piece of waxed paper.
15. To make the glaze, sift the confectioners' sugar into a small bowl, then beat in the butter and water until smooth.
16. Spoon a little of the glaze one reach roll while still hot.