Usually at the weekend I try to do us some sort of breakfast treat . . .  something which is a bit out of the ordinary cereal that we have on weekday mornings.  We are not really heavy eaters so we never do the bacon and eggs thing for breakfast . . .  that's usually a dinner deal for us.  We do like pancakes, or french toast, muffins, cinnamon rolls, cinnamon toast . . . and when I saw this on Pinterest the other day . . .  Coconut Toast . . .  I knew that I wanted to make it.  It just sounded good, very good.

My Todd really loves a spice cake, and this applesauce cake is one of his favourites.   He loves apple anything to begin with, but when you combine the flavour of apples in a cake along with the warm baking spices, he is in cake heaven.  He would probably rather have an apple pie for sure, but this is a close second on his list of teatime loves.

I've been experimenting a lot with my baking since my Type2 Diabetes diagnosis, and I have to say in all truth a lot of my experiments have been quite disappointing . . .  it seems that when you take the sugar and fat out of things . . .  and pile in fibre, the results have been largely nothing to write home about.  One exception has been these lovely wholemean pumpkin pie rolls!

I've always liked to pull the boat out a bit at the weekend . . .  a nice leisurely breakfast, usually something which we wouldn't have any other day of the week.   Having been diagnosed as a Diabetic I thought those days would be over, but I'm happy to say that they aren't in the least.  They're just different.

When I was growing up I hated pumpkin pie.  I am not sure why.  It was just not something I enjoyed.  As an adult I have come to love it however, and every time I see tinned pumpkin in the shops here in the UK, I pick up a whole whack of it.  Because you can't ever have too much tinned pumpkin can you???  And also because it is also a very rare find over here.

Well, it's the weekend and we all know what that means.  It's baked treat in the kitchen time!  Oh, I try hard not to eat cakes and such during the week . . .  but at the weekend I like to pull out the stops and bake us something nice for a treat.   Tasty bakes like this Peach and Blueberry Breakfast Cake are something which we both enjoy!

  Usually at the weekend, I like to pull the boat out a bit and bake us something nice for our breakfast.  It could be muffins or scones, or even a nice tea bread or breakfast cake.   Today I baked us this lovely Twisty Fruity Bread!

I normally like to pull out the stops at the weekend and cook us something special for breakfast.  Normally during the week we have only toast and/or cereal, saving anything larger for Saturday or Sunday.   This is a bank Holiday here in the UK this weekend and so I decided that I would make us some French Toast for our Saturday breakfast . . . and not just any French Toast . . .  but  . . . Cinnamon French Toast Batons.

You would be forgiven for thinking this is a somewhat ugly dessert . . .  but this is one dessert where you don't want to judge the book by it's cover, for it's fabulously delicious!

If you are looking for something a little bit special for the weekend, or maybe even for Easter (albeit not a traditional Easter Roast) look no further.  This Pot Roasted Pork Loin will fit the bill perfectly.   Simple enough that just about anyone will be able to easily throw it together, and yet at the same time special enough that people will think you put a whole lot of effort into it.  Nobody would guess that you hadn't spent all day in kitchen!

I'm not sure what it is about the flavours of Toffee, Caramel  and Butterscotch that makes me go weak at the knees, but I know I am not alone in this.  They have long been favourites of many people and one only has to look at the proliferation of recipes for Salted Caramel anything on the internet these days to see just how popular that flavour is.

I think one of my absolute most favourite things is Gingerbread.  Gingerbread cake.  Gingerbread loaf.  Gingerbread Cookies.  Gingerbread Brownies . . .  and NOW these scrumptious Gingerbread Rolls!  Yes, Gingerbread rolls!

I had a tub of Vanilla Yogurt that needed using up yesterday and so I decided to bake it into a  cake.   A home must have a cake in it don't you think???  We were out of cake, so what's a gal to do but bake one!

I think my youngest son had to be the pickiest eater ever born.   The youngest of five he took on, not only all of his own food dislikes, but also the food dislikes of his older brothers and sisters.  Getting him to eat was somewhat of a nightmare. He went through periods of time where he would only eat hot dogs . . .  and then mashed potatoes . . .  peanut butter sandwiches . . .  corn and rice.  I used to really despair of him ever growing up to be healthy . . . thankfully my fears were for naught and he is now a pretty healthy eater and normal in every way!



He used to love pizza pockets and those Pillsbury Toaster Strudels.  I think he practically lived off them for a time.  I do confess that I kinda liked them too . . .  but only in a lazy, "I can't be asked to cook  and yet I am starving" kind of a way.   I only mention this because these delicious Easy Cheese Danishes I am showing you here today almost remind me of those toaster strudels, except  . . .  of course they are better.  Because you make them yourself.



And oh how very easy they are to make.  With just a bit of ready roll puff pastry, some cream cheese, a few store cupboard essentials and some jam . . .  and less than half an hour later you can be munching on one of these very delicious pastries.



You can use whatever kind of jam you want . . .  I have a penchant for  strawberry and cherry . . .  today I used blueberry because I didn't have any cherry . . .  apricot would be very tasty as well.   Just pick your favourite flavour!  mmmmm ..... plum preserves would be gorgeous.



It's as simple as cutting your puff pastry into rectangles, dolloping on a simple to make cream cheese filling . . .  swirling it with a bit of jam and baking.  Oh . . .  there are a few other little steps in there as well, but nothing too complicated.  I hope you'll give them a go and that you enjoy them as much as we do!  I do like to pull out the stops at the weekend and make us a breakfast treat now and again!  I haven't had any complaints yet!

 

Whisk the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and cream together.   Set aside.  Unroll your puff pastry.  Cut it into 8 rectangles.  Place four on each baking sheet, leaving lots of space in between.  Using a sharp knife, and taking care not to cut all the way through, score a border all the way around each, about 1/2 inch deep.  This will help the edges to rise and create an edge to help keep the filling in.  Place 1/8 of the cream cheese mixture in the centre of each.   Spread it out almost to the border on each.  Top each with a few dots of jam and swirl it a bit with the end of a toothpick.  Brush the border of each with the beaten egg yolk mixture and sprinkle with some sugar.



Bake for 13 to 14 minutes, until golden brown on the edges and nicely risen.   Remove from the oven and lift off carefully onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Once the pastries are cold, whisk together the icing sugar and enough lemon juice to make a thickish drizzle.  Using a spoon, drizzle some of this decoratively over each pastry.  Allow to set and then serve.

 


Oh, I do love the weekend.  I know that I don't work outside the home anymore, but that doesn't mean that my Saturdays and Sundays are not still special to me in the way that they always were.   I still use the weekends to relax and kick back . . .  and to bake and do all the things that I enjoy but don't have time to do during the week.  I don't know how I ever managed to get everything done that I did when I was working full time . . .  because my time seems to evaporate like water these days!  Anyways, I suppose what I am trying to say and saying very badly is . . .  I love baking special things at the weekend!

In America there is a debate between bakers in the south and bakers in the north about whether there is sugar in a proper cornbread or not.  Up north, and in Canada actually, we use some sugar in our cornbread and our corn muffins.  Down south they do not.     In their eyes, once sugar is added . . .  it becomes a cake.

One day recently I found out that our little Spanish girl loves pancakes.  It just slipped out in a conversation as these things do . . .  and so I decided to treat her to a lovely batch of them one morning.   I know . . .  I am spoiling her, but it's just so darned nice to have a young person around.  I truly am enjoying the experience and her! 

I usually like to bake something scrummy for our weekend breakfasts.  A breakfast cake of some sort, scones . . .  tea loaves, muffins.   What I bake depends totally on what I have to hand and what kind of a mood I am in.   This week I had some bananas that needed using and so I decided to bake these delicious Banana, Coconut and Macadamia Nut Muffins!

I was recently sent a lovely selection of the Nielsen Massey flavored extracts to use in my baking.  I have long been a fan of their Vanilla extract.  It's one of my favorites and it's been nice trying out some of the other flavours such as the Lemon, Peppermint, Almond and Chocolate!    I decided to make some waffles using the chocolate and vanilla flavors, along with a salted caramel sauce, also using the vanilla.



This is just my regular waffle recipe with a few additions.  One this lovely Nielsen Massey Chocolate extract, to give it a bit of chocolate ooomph!  And some pure chocolate chips.  I used my heart shaped waffle iron because I was making these for my sweetie pie and I do like to remind him of how much I love him every chance I get!



These are the perfect waffle.  Crisp and light, slightly moist.  The chocolate chips melted perfectly into them . . .  kind of making them taste like big crisp buttery chocolate chip cookies, except better . . . because they're waffles.



The salted caramel sauce was the perfect go with . . . sweet and a little bit salty and oh so caramel rich.  Chocolate and salted caramel . . .  the perfect combination.  



Just look at how it hugs all those crisp little waffle nooks and crannies . . .  crevices and corners . . . deliciously oozing over that buttery goodness . . .



The most difficult part was in trying to decide if these were breakfast or dessert???  With just the caramel sauce . . . breakfast . . .



A bit of squirty cream and they became dessert.   Breakfast or dessert . . .  hmmm . . .  the choice is yours!  I loved them both ways!  But then again . . .  I am somewhat of a glutton.  Good thing this is a once in a blue moon treat!



*Chocolate Chip Waffles with a Salted Caramel Sauce*












 Nielsen Massey Extracts and Flavorings are enjoyed by restaurant and bakery chefs, manufacturers of premium foods, gourmet food shops and grocers and discriminating home consumers looking to enhance their fine cooking and baking.  Family owned and now being operated by a third generation  of Nielsens they are available at fine shops all over the UK and throughout the world. They use the finest ingredients and methods to produce what I think is an excellent and quality product.   I have long used their vanilla and am now a big fan of their other flavors as well.  Watch this space!

Many thanks to Joanna for sending me this lovely selection and to Nielsen Massey.

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