Raspberry Pistachio Sweet Rolls with Lemon Cream Cheese Icing

Thank you to Feed Feed, Immaculate Baking, and Sprouts for sponsoring this post!

I’m bringing the bakery to my own kitchen with these jazzed-up spring cinnamon rolls made from Immaculate Baking and some help from The Feed Feed!

Story time! There is a new bakery and coffee shop in my neighborhood that I’m obsessed with. Their pastries are gorgeous, the coffee is so delicious, and the vibes are too good all around. I make sure to pass by on my daily walk to soak in the smells of buttery pastries and people watch the crowd who have stopped by for a croissant or kougin-amann on their patio.

I’ve taken inspo from my new neighborhood spot to create these bakery-level sweet rolls. It’s the easiest and most perfect way to take your cinnamon rolls up a springy notch! 

Raspberry Pistachio Sweet Rolls with Lemon Cream Cheese Icing
yields 5 sweet rolls

Ingredients:
1 tube of Immaculate Baking Organic Cinnamon Rolls
6 ounces organic raspberries
¼ cup shelled raw pistachios, chopped
zest of 1 lemon

Directions:
Following the directions on the cinnamon roll package, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8x8 or 9x9 square pan or baking dish. Open the cinnamon rolls, and set the icing package aside. One by one, unroll a cinnamon roll. Sprinkle the line of dough with chopped pistachios and place 5-6 raspberries evenly spaced down the row of dough. Then roll back up tight enough for the raspberries to stay in place. Repeat until all 5 cinnamon rolls are now filled with pistachios and raspberries. Arrange in baking dish.

Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until just, I mean just, golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool. While your rolls are cooling empty the contents of the icing package into a small bowl. Add the lemon zest and stir to incorporate. Drizzle over the top of your rolls, sprinkle with extra chopped pistachios, and enjoy! 

Check out my recipe on The Feed Feed here!

Annie

Healthyish Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins

Happy first day of fall! I’m really excited about these pumpkin muffins and fully expect I’ll be baking a few rounds of them during this new season. They took a few rounds of testing, but the end result came out just right.

I’m deeming them healthyish because they are just that. They are gluten-free, dairy-free and free of refined sugars. They are full of real whole ingredients. This doesn’t make them zero calories, but no one should be eating zero calories. Slather one up with some almond butter and serve with a side of fruit for a great balanced breakfast or snack.

Healthyish Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins
Yields 14-16 muffins

Ingredients:
3/4 cup coconut sugar
½ cup coconut oil, measured then melted and cooled 
2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree
¼ almond milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups gluten-free oat flour (see notes)*
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 ½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners or grease your tin and lightly flour with oat flour. If you don’t have muffin liners, I like to cut 3x3 inch squares of parchment paper and then press into each muffin space.

In a large bowl, whisk the melted and cooled coconut oil and 3/4 cup coconut sugar. Whisk in your eggs, one at a time. Add the pumpkin puree, almond milk, and vanilla extract, whisking to combine. 

With a spatula, stir the oat flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt into the wet ingredients. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop the batter into the muffin tin, filling to the top. Sprinkle a small amount of coconut sugar over the top of each.

Bake for 20-23 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan.

Notes:
Making oat flour at home is so easy and affordable. For 2 cups of oat flour, simply ground 2 1/2 cups of Gluten-Free Old Fashioned Rolled Oats in your blender. If you can’t find gluten-free that is totally fine your muffins will just not be free of gluten, but will turn out the same. I love this huge bag from Trader Joe’s which is only $3.99 in-store.

Annie

Hash brown Quiche

This recipe is a tried and true Tucker recipe. We’ve been making it for years and it’s one of all of our favorites. When you hear quiche you probably think breakfast or brunch, but we always ate this for dinner (and a leftover slice for breakfast the next day). I’m not sure the thought behind that, but point be that it is good any time of day! Mom and I made this together while I was in Oklahoma City quarantining, and it’s a recipe that honestly takes me back to being 10 years old. Make with your momma for Mother’s Day brunch this weekend and I know it will be a hit.

Hash Brown Quiche
serves 4-6 people

Ingredients:
24 oz frozen, uncooked, shredded hash browns, thawed
5 tbsps. unsalted butter, melted
3 eggs
3/4 cup half and half
3/4 tsp. seasoned salt (we use Lawry’s, if you don’t have Lawry’s this copycat recipe uses lots of pantry staples)
1 cup (4 oz) pepper jack cheese, shredded
1 cup (4 oz) gruyère or swiss cheese, shredded
1 cup diced ham*

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

Press the hash browns into a quiche or pie pan. Blot with a paper towel to remove all the moisture. Brush the hash browns with the melted butter. Bake for 25 minutes until lightly golden.

Remove the hash browns from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, half and half, seasoned salt, and set aside. Sprinkle both cheeses and ham over the hash brown shell. Then pour the egg mixture over the top. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and lightly browned. Garnish with fresh parsley and enjoy.

*We grew up making Hash Brown Quiche after Thanksgiving or Easter knowing we will have leftover ham from the holiday. If you are stuck with leftover ham, dice up a cup of ham and freeze it until you want to make quiche. If you don’t have a stockpile of ham in your freezer like my family does (ha), go to the deli counter and ask for 2 slices of ham cut about 1/4 inch thick. Once you get home, dice up the slices and you are good to go.

Annie

Best Breakfast Casserole

I originally published this post in November 2018. After partnering with Happy Egg Co. I knew this was the perfect recipe to use with their Heritage Breed Eggs. I kept the post the same, but the recipe and photos have been updated. Enjoy!

With her permission, I’m so glad to be sharing the recipe for one of my best friend's family’s breakfast casserole. Madeline first introduced our group of friends to this casserole at our other great friend’s bachelorette trip in Austin back in May. It feeds a bunch (especially if you double it!!) and it is simply a crowd pleaser. I quickly asked for the recipe and have made it 4 times since.

We then made it for our big friend Memorial Day Lake trip, I made it again for a family trip to the lake, and then again for an early morning breakfast tailgate. And yet again this past weekend, for another early morning breakfast tailgate. It’s clearly great for all occasions. I must add that on the image of the recipe Madeline sent me, written above the recipe, the word Christmas is added to the title. “Christmas Breakfast Casserole.” Without a doubt this would make for the best holiday breakfast. Before the big meal on Thanksgiving or before the presents are opened on Christmas!

I’ve made just a few adaptations since making it multiple times now. I know butter the bread before slicing, use spicy sausage, and I’ve taken the mushrooms down from 4 oz to 2 oz. I love mushrooms, but not everyone does, so just a few here and there are perfect. Do not omit the mustard powder, I swear it’s the secret ingredient. And add a pinch of pepper, because I never make eggs without pepper!

Breakfast Casserole adapted from The O’Connors
serves 8

Ingredients:
1 lb. spicy sausage
6 eggs
2 cups whole milk
6 slices of white sandwich bread
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (Colby Jack, Mexican Blend or Cheddar will work, Pepper Jack would be great too!)
2 oz mushrooms, stalks removed and thinly sliced
4 tbsp. salted butter
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dry mustard powder
pinch of pepper

Directions:
In a pan over medium, cook the sausage until brown. Drain and set aside. Beat eggs and milk together. Add salt and mustard powder and beat again. Spread 3 tablespoons of butter over the 6 slices of bread. Cut into cubes and add to wet ingredients and stir until bread is coated. Stir in the cheese, mushrooms, and sausage.

Butter a 9x13 baking dish with the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight. Bake at 350 for 40 to 45 minutes. Let stand for a few minutes before serving.

Perfect with a cup of coffee and as the original recipe states, “good with hot biscuits and fresh fruit!”

Annie

Thank you Happy Egg Co. for letting me work with you. While I was compensated for this post, all thoughts and words are 100% my own. Grab a coupon for their heritage breed eggs here.

Bites of My Life

Back to school for some, back to the same for me. Adult life is slightly depressing this time of year without the excitement of back to school shopping, new teachers and the first day of school. But them I'm reminded that summer doesn't end so abruptly, I'm getting paid for how I spend my day instead of having to study and I love what I do, and let's be honest, I didn't love school. So all is still right in the world. 

Bites last week consisted of chili, a steak (YUM <--especially from this veggie loving gal), toast ;), salmon, breakfast foods, a grill out and ice cream! Non edible bites included finishing another book and starting a new one (follow me on goodreads!!), rain, and more rain and one last pool day of the season.

-It's been raining cats and dogs in Oklahoma (which I've been loooooving). It's giving us a taste of fall and cooler wedding, which quickly meant chili night in our house! P.S. top your chili with a dollop of guacamole instead of sour cream and thank me later. 
-Morning mirror selfie to show off my new Made By Maddie earrings. Loving this red and turquoise combo! 
-If you follow @themorningtoast on instagram, this was my picture they reposted. If you know you know, if you don't, don't worry. 
-Spent too much on this salmon. Baked it, made a mustard sauce, roasted asparagus, got real excited... only to be let down real quick. It tasted fishy and gross and now I probably won't eat salmon for at least 3 months. Let alone buy it. 
-Book 11 out of my 12 in a year goal! I'm crazy! PSA: this book will make some heads turn if you read in public. I had too many people comment on it while I was reading on the elliptical. All boys too on that note. Just beware you will have to explain yourself if caught in public reading Lauren Weisberger's new book aka the author of The Devil Wears Prada.
-This mix >>>> almonds, pistachios and dark chocolate covered espresso beans. Killer afternoon slump snack. 
-This muffin mix has been sitting in my pantry for too long. Woke up Saturday morning with an itch to bake and I was very pleased with how these Gluten Free Blueberry muffins from Brandless turned out. I'm also nostalgic to muffins from a box. That's how it was done when I was little, and sometimes food from a box just needs to happen.
-My first attempt at protein pancakes. Look amaze tasted ehhhh. I got some tips after sharing this photo on social media, so another go will be happening soon.
-A ice cream craving cured with the OG. Frozen yogurt twist on a cone from Braum's. My order since I was little. 

Annie