Oven Baked Bacon

Easy way to make straight bacon stripes. 

Steps

1. Preheat your oven to 400F.

2. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay the bacon slices on the baking sheet.

3. Cook the bacon for 18-20 minutes or until it’s as crispy as you’d like. Remove the bacon from the oven and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.

Blueberry Scone

I tried scones for the first time following this recipe. I skipped the topping, used fresh blueberry. They were buttery fluffy delight with juicy burst of blueberry. 

Ingredients

All-purpose flour - 2 cups, plus more for hands and work surface
Granulated sugar - 1/2 cup
Baking powder - 2 and 1/2 tsp
Ground cinnamon - 1 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Unsalted butter - 1/2 cup, frozen
Heavy cream - 1/2 cup, plus 2 TBSP for brushing
Egg - 1 large (used egg replacer)
Pure vanilla extract - 1 and 1/2 tsp
Fresh or frozen blueberries (do not thaw) - 1 heaping cup
Optional topping: coarse sugar and vanilla icing

Steps

1. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt together in a large bowl. 

2. Grate the frozen butter using a box grater. Add it to the flour mixture and combine with a pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingers until the mixture comes together in pea-sized crumbs. Place in the refrigerator or freezer as you mix the wet ingredients together.
3. Whisk heavy cream, egg, and vanilla extract together in a small bowl. Drizzle over the flour mixture, add the blueberries, then mix together until everything appears moistened.
4. Pour onto the counter and, with floured hands, work dough into a ball as best you can. Dough will be sticky. If it’s too sticky, add a little more flour. If it seems too dry, add 1-2 more Tablespoons heavy cream. Press into an 8-inch disc and, with a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut into 8 wedges.

5. Brush scones with remaining heavy cream and for extra crunch, sprinkle with coarse sugar. (You can do this before or after refrigerating in the next step.)
6. Place scones on a plate or lined baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes. (I left it in the fridge overnight so that I can bake it fresh in the morning)
7. Preheat oven to 400°F.
8. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. After refrigerating, arrange scones 2-3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet(s).

9. Bake for 22-25 minutes or until golden brown around the edges and lightly browned on top. Remove from the oven and cool for a few minutes before topping with vanilla icing.

Leftover iced or un-iced scones keep well at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for 5 days.

Notes

• Freeze Before Baking: Freeze scone dough wedges on a plate or baking sheet for 1 hour. Once relatively frozen, you can layer them in a freezer-friendly bag or container. Bake from frozen, adding a few minutes to the bake time. Or thaw overnight, then bake as directed.
• Freeze After Baking: Freeze the baked and cooled scones before topping with icing. I usually freeze in a freezer-friendly bag or container. To thaw, leave out on the counter for a few hours or overnight in the refrigerator. Warm in the microwave for 30 seconds or on a baking sheet in a 300°F (149°C) oven for 10 minutes.
• Overnight Instructions: Prepare scones through step 4. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Continue with the recipe the following day.
• Over-spreading: Start with very cold scone dough. Expect some spread, but if the scones are over-spreading as they bake, remove from the oven and press back into its triangle shape (or whatever shape) using a rubber spatula.

Easy Cinnamon Rolls

Followed this easy cinnamon roll recipe to make this for breakfast. I made the dough to step 5 and covered with plastic wrap  to let rest in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning, removed from the refrigerator and allow to rise in a warm environment, about 1 hour. Then continue to step 7.

Ingredients

Rolls
All-purpose flour - 2 and 3/4 cups
Granulated sugar - 1/4 cup
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Active dry yeast - 2 and 1/4 tsp
Whole milk - 1/2 cup
Water - 1/4 cup
Unsalted butter - 3 TBSP
Egg - 1 large (used egg replacer)
Filling
Unsalted butter - 3 TBSP, at room temperature
Ground cinnamon - 1 TBSP
Granulated sugar or packed light or dark brown sugar - 1/4 cup
Icing
Confectioners’ sugar - 1 cup
Pure vanilla extract - 1/2 tsp
Strong brewed coffee or milk - 2–3 TBSP

Steps

1. Whisk the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast together in a large bowl. Set aside.
2. Combine the milk, water, and butter together in a heatproof bowl. Microwave until the butter is melted and the mixture is warm to touch (about 110°F). Pour into the dry ingredients, add the egg, and stir until it forms a soft dough or use your mixer.

3. On a lightly floured surface using floured hands, knead the dough for 3 minutes. Place in a lightly greased bowl, cover loosely, and let rest for about 10 minutes.
4. Roll the dough out in a 14×8 inch rectangle. Spread the softened butter on top. Mix together the cinnamon and sugar. Sprinkle it all over the dough.

5. Roll up the dough tightly to make a 14 inch log. Cut into 10-12 even rolls and arrange in a lightly greased 9-inch round cake pan or pie dish.

6. Tightly cover the rolls with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm, draft-free environment for 60-90 minutes.

7. After the rolls have doubled in size, preheat the oven to 375°F. Bake for 25-28 minutes until lightly browned. If you notice the tops are getting too brown too quickly, loosely cover the rolls with aluminum foil and continue baking.

8. Whisk the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, and coffee/milk together. Drizzle or spread over warm rolls.

Cover leftover frosted or unfrosted rolls tightly and store for up to 3 days at room temperature or up to 5 days in the refrigerator.