SANDRA'S HOMEMADE CINNAMON-RAISIN SWIRL BREAD

A quick 5-minute no-knead dough to prepare the night before,
then easy to roll out and add swirl filling upon waking the next morning
to enjoy throughout the day...

Yield: (1 loaf)

O/N Prep: 5 Mins./Overnight rise time: 9 -12 hours

Next Morning Prep: Roll/Add Spiral Filling: 10 Mins.
2nd Rise 1 Hr.
Bake 35 to 40 Mins.

INGREDIENTS

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon active yeast (not rapid or instant)

1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1-1/2 cups slightly warm water (tepid)

--2 teaspoons Mazola oil

(For top and bottom of dough ball so it doesn't stick or form crust while rising in bowl)

Swirl filling
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup raisins

Brushing top
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

METHOD

Add flour and sugar to a medium-size bowl. Add yeast and kosher salt and stir thoroughly. Add barely warm (tepid) water, then stir thoroughly. The dough will look rough and shaggy.

Lightly oil top of dough using a paper towel, then oil your hands (to prevent dough sticking to them); turn dough in the bowl so the whole ball of dough is slightly coated with the oil.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Throw a kitchen towel over top and underneath of bowl and set it in a warm corner. Leave it alone for 9-12 hours. (Save plastic wrap).

When risen, roll dough into a 8x12" rectangle, sprinkle with ground cinnamon, then raisins. Use the rolling pin to roll these ingredients into dough by pressing across them.  Start at the short end of the dough rectangle and roll into a loaf, and pinch final rolled edge to seal.  Place loaf seam-side down into sprayed loaf pan.

Cover dough with same plastic wrap and let it rise for 1 hour.

About 15 minutes before the hour is up, preheat oven to 375F.

After the full hour, the dough will have risen and nearly doubled in size.

Use the tip of a sharp knife to score loaf top down the middle. Brush loaf with melted butter. Bake for 15 minutes, turn in oven, then bake for a final 20 - 25 minutes (until internal temp reaches 190F).

Remove bread from oven. Brush a final time with melted butter. Remove to a baking rack and wrap loaf in a clean kitchen towel to cool. Slice and serve! ~ Enjoy!

SANDRA’S ULTIMATE APPLE ZUCCHINI CINNAMON SWIRL CAKE

One of my favorite creations...

Servings: (14-16)
Prep: 15 Mins. |
Bake: 50 to 55 Mins.

Posted by Sandra

INGREDIENTS

***Bundt Cake:
--Granulated sugar, for dusting sprayed bundt pan
1 (12 oz.) zucchini, shredded (1 large, or 2 medium)
1/2 cup raisins
1/3 cup walnuts, finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Sinfully moist and spicy

1 teaspoon ground cardamom (I used 20 whole green cardamom pods, cracked with seeds removed, and ground in a spice grinder)
1-1/2 cups dark brown sugar, packed, and divided
3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon double-acting baking powder (or regular)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 medium red apple (I used Fuji), cored, unpeeled, and shredded
1 cup sour cream

Wet, dry, and swirl ingredients

4 large eggs, beaten
1/4 cup safflower oil
2 large whole vanilla beans, split, and seeds removed (save scraped beans in an airtight jar to flavor sugar to be used later on in baking recipes, tea, and so on, if desired.)

***Icing:
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1-1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temp
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 to 4 tablespoons milk

Cooling in bundt pan 
for 10 minutes

METHOD

Shred zucchini into colander, and set aside. In small bowl, combine walnuts, cinnamon, and ¼-cup packed dark brown sugar; mix, and set aside. Spray a 10” bundt pan with nonstick butter cooking spray, and lightly dust with white sugar, including around inner tube, and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In large bowl, sifted flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, and set aside.

Removed from bundt 
pan to fully cool

Shred unpeeled apple, and set aside.

In medium bowl, with a hand mixer, beat sour cream, beaten eggs, safflower oil, vanilla bean seeds, and 1-1/4 cup packed brown sugar, until smooth. Stir in with a wooden spoon the shredded zucchini, apple, and raisins until blended, and then add to the large bowl of flour mixture; blending just until moistened.

Pour half of batter into prepared bundt pan; sprinkle evenly with all the walnut mixture, and top with remaining batter; tap pan on counter to release air bubbles. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Release edges of cake with a paring knife, including around edge of inner tube, and remove cake from pan to completely cool on wire rack.

While cake is cooling, sift confectioners’ sugar, and add remaining icing ingredients in medium mixing bowl, and beat with a hand mixer until smooth. Adjust for spreading consistency, if necessary, by adding more milk, or more sifted confectioners' sugar. Drizzle and gently spread icing on cake. – Enjoy!


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Tip:  I provided links to the whole green cardamom pods and vanilla beans where I purchased them via mail order from the locally owned Red Onion Organic Spice and Tea Company.