Pumpkin Cinnamon Bun Recipe

Recipe from Kayla, PopCosmo’s Teen Chef: Everyone loves a good cinnamon bun. The combination of warm, soft bread and sweet, sticky cinnamon filling is perfect on a cool Fall day, and it is made even better by mixing in some pumpkin. First, however, we need to distinguish between sticky buns and cinnamon buns. Sticky buns are cinnamon buns baked in a pool of caramel and then drizzled with even more of it after they are baked. Cinnamon buns are served plain or with that delicious sugary icing. My pumpkin cinnamon bun recipe has elements of both; I don't bake them in caramel, but I do douse them with a few spoonfuls of mock caramel sauce.

The caramel sauce for these treats is not real caramel. Real caramel is tricky and dangerous; to make it, you boil sugar and water until amber and then whisk in cream and sometimes some other minor ingredients. It burns easily and you can get burned easily as well. Overall, it's not much fun to make but is definitely worth it, so I decided to make a topping that tastes just like it but is much faster and less painful. Instead of boiling the sugar and then adding cream, I combine brown sugar, cream, and butter and boil them all together. The brown sugar gives it color and a complex flavor from the molasses and the butter adds a nice richness. The cream, of course, makes it creamy and velvety. Best of all, you don't have to watch it constantly and add ingredients at just the right moment since you just let the mixture boil until it thickens.

My favorite part of cinnamon buns and sticky buns is the bread. Yes, it is bread; it has yeast and lots of flour and is kneaded. That, to me at least, is bread. Don't be intimidated, though, because this bread is exceptionally easy to make. It only proofs (rises) twice, and both times are relatively short. This is proof (no pun intended!) that not all breads require hours slaving away in the kitchen.

And finally, we have that signature swirl. Yes, the streusel. The main reason most people eat cinnamon buns and sticky buns. That spiral of yumminess and cinnamon and sugar and all that is good in this world. So simple, yet so good. The streusel perfumes the whole bun with cinnamon and gives it an extra punch of flavor. Honestly, I can't see pumpkin without cinnamon. The two just go together so well, so I actually doubled the amount of streusel the original recipe called for (don't judge me for that until you try it).

2 1/4 tsp Yeast 4-5 Cups Flour 3/4 Cup Pumpkin Puree 1/3 Cup Milk 4 T Butter, Melted 6 T Butter, Chilled 2 T Butter 1 1/4 Cups Dark Brown Sugar 1 1/4 tsp Salt 1/4 tsp Nutmeg 5 tsp Cinnamon 1/2 Cup Cream

Combine the yeast, 1 tsp sugar, and 1/4 cup warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer. Let stand for five minutes. Add 3 cups flour, pumpkin, milk, melted butter, 2 tsp sugar, salt, and nutmeg. Knead until smooth and elastic, adding more flour as necessary, leaving 1/2 cup.

Grease a large bowl and add the dough, turning to coat. Cover with plastic and let rise for 45 minutes or until doubled.

Meanwhile, combine the remaining sugar, 3/4 cup brown sugar, cinnamon, flour, and chilled butter.

Roll the dough out to an 11x15" slab. Spread on the streusel and press lightly to adhere. Roll up so that it is a 15" log and cut into 12 slices.

Place the slices in greased muffin tins, cover, and let rise for 25 minutes. It can be chilled overnight at this point.

Heat the oven to 375F. Bake for 20 minutes or until cooked through.

Bring the remaining brown sugar, cream, and butter to a boil in a small pot, whisking until sugar dissolves. Boil, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 8 minutes. Cool and drizzle on the buns.

Makes 12, Recipe Adapted from Back to the Cutting Board

For more delicious recipes by our Teen Chef, Kayla, check out her blog, The Nerdy Chef!

Granola

Recipe from Kayla, PopCosmo’s Teen Chef: Granola is the perfect snack because it is sweet, salty, and crunchy, making it both delicious and healthy. It is great on its own, but you can mix it into cereal, layer it with yogurt to make a parfait, sprinkle it on ice cream, or even make it without nuts, fruit and chocolate to use in fruit pie or yogurt pie.  This recipe is extremely easy to personalize; you can use any nut, dried fruit, and type of chocolate to fit your taste, and you can add spices and citrus zest to make the flavors more complex. I have included the basic ratio of ingredients in addition to one of my favorite variations, so get creative!

1/3 Cup Maple Syrup 1/3 Cup Light Brown Sugar 4 tsp Vanilla 1/2 tsp Salt 1/2 Cup Oil 5 Cups Rolled Oats (don't use instant; you'll end up with oatmeal) 1 1/2 Cups Chopped Nuts 1 1/2 Cups Chopped Dried Fruit 1 Cup Chocolate Chips

VARIATION: Pecan, Orange, & Cranberry Granola

1/3 Cup Maple Syrup 1/3 Cup Light Brown Sugar 4 tsp Vanilla 1/2 tsp Salt 1/2 Cup Oil 5 Cups Rolled Oats 1 1/2 Cups Chopped Pecans 1 1/2 Cups Chopped Dried Cranberries 1 Cup White Chocolate Chips 2 T Orange Zest 1 tsp Cinnamon

Heat oven to 325F and adjust rack to upper-middle position. Line cookie trays with parchment.

Combine the maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, salt, cinnamon (if using), and orange zest (if using). Whisk in the oil, then stir in the oats and nuts.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared tray and spread into a thin, even layer. Press until compact, then bake for 40 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool to room temperature.

Break the granola into chunks and stir in the dried fruit and chocolate.

Recipe Adapted from Cook's Illustrated

For more delicious recipes by our Teen Chef, Kayla, check out her blog, The Nerdy Chef!

Breakfast Recipes when you are on the go!

Recipes from Kayla, PopCosmo’s Teen Chef who blogs at The Nerdy Chef. As you are heading back to school, getting up early may be an adjustment. Breakfast recipes that are quick and nutritious are important, and since breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day, you may also need a breakfast that is portable if you are rushing out the door. Kayla has two amazing recipes for us this month to help you get your breakfast AND make it to school on time! Strawberry Ricotta Scones Celebrate the end of strawberry season and the beginning of the school year with this delicious breakfast treat! These scones are not too sweet, but they are bursting with summery strawberries, hints of tart lemon, and tangy ricotta cheese. It appears to be an odd combination, but it definitely works! I recommend keeping a bowl of dough in the refrigerator and baking one or two each morning so that they are warm and fresh when you are ready to eat. They are also perfect for after-school snacks!

This recipe is fairly easy; you combine the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients separately, then whisk the two together before folding in the berries. However, there are a few tricks to make these some of the best scones you will ever have! I rub the lemon zest and sugar together so that you taste lemon in every bite. It works because the oils in the lemon zest perfume the sugar, giving it a subtle lemony flavor and pale yellow color. Another tip is to keep everything cold, including the butter, ricotta, berries, buttermilk, and the finished dough. The cold ingredients, especially the butter, steam in the oven to create a light, fluffy scone. My final piece of advice is to not overwork the dough. You want to have small nuggets of butter and ricotta, so don't worry about having a smooth, even dough.

I often find myself rushing out the door to get to school on time, so breakfast is usually overlooked. However, if I have a bowl of strawberry ricotta scone dough ready to bake, I never go hungry!

1 Egg 1/2 Cup Buttermilk 2 T Lemon Zest 2 T Lemon Juice 1 tsp Vanilla 1/2 Cup Ricotta 3 T Sugar 2 1/2 Cups Flour 2 1/4 tsp Baking Powder 1/4 tsp Baking Soda 1/4 tsp Salt 1 Stick Butter, Chilled & Cubed 1 1/4 Cups Chopped Fresh Strawberries

Heat oven to 375F. Line a cookie tray with parchment.

Combine the egg, buttermilk, lemon juice, and vanilla. Whisk in the ricotta.

Combine the sugar and lemon zest. Whisk in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in the butter, then stir in the liquid mixture. Fold in the strawberries.

Scoop the dough onto the prepared trays using a large cookie scoop. Bake for 15 minutes or until cooked through.

Makes 12, Recipe Adapted from www.twopeasandtheirpod.com

Lemon Poppyseed Muffins These muffins are one of my favorite on the go breakfasts because they are tart, tangy, and freeze well. I like to make a big batch and freeze them so that I can grab one when I need to eat quickly.

This recipe is very easy, but it is bursting with tart lemons and nutty poppy seeds. To make the flavors pop even more, I drizzle the muffins with a gooey lemon glaze and more crunchy poppy seeds. If you freeze the muffins, I would top them with the glaze and poppy seeds just before eating them instead of before freezing. It will make the muffins taste fresher, and the glaze will have a better texture.

Since these are lemon poppyseed muffins, you would expect a lot of poppy seeds. A tablespoon doesn't sound like much, but wait until you mix the poppy seeds in before increasing the amount. Remember, you want to have a lemon muffin studded with poppy seeds, not a mass of poppy seeds barely held together by some muffin batter. This applies to most recipes; personally, I stick with the original recipe the first time and adapt it to fit my taste once I make it again.

If I'm running late in the morning, I can only have breakfast if it's quick and easy, so I make sure I have a batch of these in my freezer. They are the perfect treat to wake up to!

2/3 Cup Sugar 1 Lemon 2 1/2 T Lemon Juice 2 Cups Flour 2 tsp Baking Powder 1/4 tsp Baking Soda 1/4 tsp Salt 3/4 Cup Sour Cream 1 tsp Vanilla 1 Stick Butter, Melted 1 T + 1 tsp Poppy Seeds 1 Cup Powdered Sugar Heat oven to 400F and line muffin tins with paper cups.

Rub the sugar and the zest of the lemon together. Whisk in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Whisk the sour cream, eggs, vanilla, juice from the lemon, and butter together in another bowl. Pour into the flour mixture and stir to combine. Fold in 1T poppy seeds.

Divide the batter between the cups and bake for 16-18 minutes or until cooked through.

Meanwhile, combine 1 1/2 T lemon juice and the powdered sugar. Gradually add the remaining lemon juice until it forms a thin glaze. Drizzle on the cooled muffins and sprinkle with remaining poppy seeds.

Makes 12, Recipe Adapted from Dorie Greenspan

For more delicious recipes by our Teen Chef, Kayla, check out her blog, The Nerdy Chef!