This post is sponsored by Pacific Foods - a brand I've loved and used for many years! Thank you for supporting the brands who keep The Kitchen Paper up and running.

Cinnamon rolls are one of those things I rarely make, since it usually means making a huge pan of them. I just can't handle eating that many cinnamon rolls in one day, and you KNOW they're best eaten the first day! Enter: small batch cinnamon rolls. I've been wanting to figure this out for a while, and it turns out it's really pretty easy. More than just small-batch, these rolls are also vegan (but without all sorts of crazy ingredients you don't have!)!

The only changes I had to make to make this vegan, based of of my normal cinnamon roll recipe, were to omit the egg, use Pacific Foods Organic Oat Beverage instead of milk, and use coconut oil instead of butter. EASY! Oh also: if you want cream cheese in your frosting (as I always do), get some vegan cream cheese (it's really delicious and not much different than what you're used to!).

I've been making this recipe (to test, ya know!) every weekend for the last month and am REALLY into it. It takes just a few minutes to mix up the little ball of dough and knead it smooth. Let it rise for a couple of hours, then shape (again, quick and easy because it's so small), cut, rise again for 45 minutes, and bake! DONE!

Originally I was going to call this a recipe for two cinnamon rolls … but I kept on accidentally making three. My (two) roommates (husband & brother) don't seem to mind! That said, if you really only want to make two: make sure you roll the dough out in a really thin strip when shaping.

Vegan Small Batch Cinnamon Rolls

• Author: Mary
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 3 hours 5 minutes
• Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes
• Yield: 3 rolls

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Description

This small batch recipe yields 2-3 vegan cinnamon rolls without any unusual ingredients. They're light and fluffy, and take about three hours to make.

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Ingredients

Units USM

Dough

• ⅓ cup Pacific Foods Organic Oat Beverage (Original)
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• ½ tsp yeast
• 1 cup flour, divided
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp coconut oil, melted

Filling

• ⅓ cup (packed) golden brown sugar
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 Tbsp coconut oil

Glaze

• 3 Tbsp vegan cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 tsp Pacific Foods Organic Oat Beverage (Original)
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1+ cup powdered sugar

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Instructions

1. In a very small mixing bowl, heat the oat beverage to 115F (no hotter), then stir in 1 tablespoon sugar before sprinkling the yeast over top. Let the yeast proof for 5 minutes.
2. While the yeast is proofing, whisk together ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon of the flour, the salt, and remaining 2 tablespoon of sugar.
3. Once the yeast has proofed, add it to the flour mixture along with 2 tablespoon melted coconut oil. Mix to combine (I found my hands to be effective here), then begin kneading. Knead between your hands, or on a countertop, using as little flour as possible - you should not need to use more than 1 (maaaybe 1.5) tablespoon extra during this process.
4. Place the dough into an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel, and let rise until doubled in size: about 2 hours.
5. When the dough has doubled in size, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, and roll out into a long, thin rectangle (approximately 4"x12". If it is pulling back too much, let it rest for five minutes before trying again.
6. Pour 2 tablespoon melted coconut oil over the rectangle of dough, and spread it over the surface - leaving 1 cm at one short end dry. Spread the brown sugar and cinnamon evenly over the buttered area, and gently press into the dough. Roll the dough tightly, from the short side, into a log. Press the seam closed.
7. Cut the log in half, or into thirds, taking care not to squish it too much. I use dental floss wrapped around the entire log for this. Place the rolls into a lightly oiled pan, or individual muffin tin wells.
8. Let rise for 45 minutes covered with a kitchen towel.
9. Preheat the oven to 350F, and when the rolls are ready, bake for 20 minutes. The tops should be turning brown, but just barely so. Remove from the oven and let cool just a few minutes before removing from their pan (they will stick if you leave them too long).
10. To make the frosting, use a fork or small whisk to combine the vegan cream cheese, oat beverage, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Stir vigorously until smooth.
11. When the rolls have cooled slightly, liberally spread the frosting over the rolls.

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Keywords: vegan cinnamon rolls, vegan small batch cinnamon rolls, small batch cinnamon rolls

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Rhubarb Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

• Author: Mary
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 60 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

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Description

This flavorful cake has big crumbs, tangy rhubarb, and a delicious swirl of cream cheese throughout.

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Ingredients

Units USM

Crumbs

• ¼ cup dark brown sugar
• ⅛ cup granulated sugar
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground ginger
• 1 pinch salt
• ⅓ cup butter, melted
• ¾ cups all-purpose flour

Batter

• ¼ cup sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups cake flour
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¾ cup milk*
• enough rhubarb to cover the top of an 8x8" dish with a single layer

Cream Cheese Layer

• 8oz full fat cream cheese, softened
• 1 egg
• ¼ cup sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla extract

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F, and prepare an 8x8" baking dish with butter and parchment paper.
2. First, mix together all of the ingredients for the crumbs and whisk until smooth. Pat it down in the bottom of a bowl, and set aside to cool and harden.
3. To make the batter, cream the sugars and butter together in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, and then the vanilla, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the cake flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
6. Alternate adding half of the dry mixture and half of the milk to the wet ingredients in the stand mixer bowl. When everything has been added, mix just until incorporated (do not overmix).
7. In a separate bowl, whisk the cream cheese swirl ingredients together until smooth.
8. Spread ⅔ of the batter evenly in your prepared pan, then add the cream cheese layer, and top with the remaining batter. Use a butter knife to gently swirl the layers together, using an up-and-down movement as you move the knife around the batter.
9. Top with rhubarb (sliced however you'd like, or not sliced at all) in a single layer.
10. Use your hands to break the crumb into large chunks, and sprinkle those over the rhubarb.
11. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out without batter on it.

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Notes

I used Pacific Foods Organic Oat Beverage, but you could use any milk or milk alternative.

Keywords: rhubarb coffee cake, rhubarb crumb cake

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Oooh baby! It's been a while since I've made a pound cake! I love making/eating pound cake — but somehow I've forgotten about it for a while. UNTIL NOW! Welcome back with this beauty: orange rhubarb swirl pound cake. Exact same principle as my strawberry swirl pound cake: fruity puree swirled into rich buttery pound cake, baked into perfection and topped with a sweet fruity glaze. Dare I call this breakfast? It's fruit, so yeah. Or lunch. Or dinner. Or ANYTIME deliciousness.

I'll leave you with pictures and a recipe — I'm a woman of few words these days! xoxo

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Orange Rhubarb Swirl Pound Cake

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews

• Author: Mary
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 70 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Yield: 1 loaf

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Description

This sweet and tangy pound cake has swirls of rhubarb laced with orange, and is topped with a glaze made of rhubarb puree and powdered sugar.

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Ingredients

Units USM

• 1 ⅔ cups sifted AP flour
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup butter, room temperature
• 1 ¼ cups sugar
• 2 tsp orange zest, divided
• 3 large eggs
• ½ tsp of vanilla extract
• 1 Tbsp orange juice
• ½ cup sour cream
• 2 cups rhubarb slices (½" thick)
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F and prepare an 8″ loaf pan with butter and parchment paper.
2. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar, and 1.5 teaspoon orange zest together until light and fluffy.
4. Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
5. Add the vanilla, orange juice, and sour cream. Mix until smooth.
6. In two batches, add the flour to the wet mixture, mixing until just incorporated.
7. If you're using fresh rhubarb, cook it in a saucepan with 2 tablespoon water until it is very soft, but not mush. Drain off excess water, and blend into as smooth a sauce as you can. Add the brown sugar. Set ¼ cup of the pureed rhubarb aside for later. If you're using frozen rhubarb, microwave until thawed (it will be soft), drain the water, and follow the same instructions as above.
8. Fill the loaf pan halfway up with cake batter, then pour about ⅓ cup of the rhubarb puree on top. Pour the rest of the batter on top of the puree, and use a butter knife to swirl everything together.
9. Bake for 65-70 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. You may need to tent with foil to avoid too much browning. Let cool before mixing the remaining rhubarb puree with the powdered sugar and remaining orange zest. Pour over the loaf and allow to set before serving.

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OH HAAAY #CHEESEBABYSHOWER!

Some of you might already "know" Sarah of Snixy Kitchen, but if you don't... go check her out. Today is her virtual baby shower, since her #cheesebabygirl is due in a few weeks! If you know me at all you know 1) I love cheese, and 2) I love babies, so ... a #cheesebaby is pretty much the best thing I can imagine. (Backstory: Sarah's pregnancy cravings have been SUPER cheese-heavy, so she's been referring to the babe as her #cheesebaby! It seemed only fitting to make a bunch of cheesey recipes for her!)

I had a few ideas swirling around in my head, but I've really been hankering for a dense, moist, citrusy cake. ENTER: CANDIED CITRUS RICOTTA CAKE! This sucker is relatively simple to whip up, even with the candied citrus. Sure, they take a little time, but the actual effort is minimal. I used a combination of meyer lemons, tangerines, and blood oranges. I put lemon and tangerine juice/zest in the cake, and left the blood oranges to shine on top! YUM! I've been eating this with my lunch (or for my lunch?) all week and LOVING it. I'm actually kind of blown away by the moisture in this loaf - it's so moist, without being soggy or under-baked, I'm super impressed. GOOD JOB, RICOTTA!

As with all good baby showers, it's actually a huge party! Huge thanks to Alanna and Todd for organizing - check out everyone who contributed something:

Cheesy Things

• the briny - Smoky beans n' Greens Enchiladas with Roasted Sweet Potato and Sunflower Seed Cheese
• Half Baked Harvest - Greek Falafel Melts
• Healthy Nibbles & Bits - Japanese-Spiced Goat Cheese Ball with Pistachios
• Just Putzing Around the Kitchen - Cheesy Fried Spinach & Artichoke bites
• My Natural Kitchen - Brazilian Cheesy Thyme Popovers
• Vanilla And Bean - Almond-Sage Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Gruyere
• Fix Feast Flair - Mixed Greens Salad with Lilikoi Vinaigrette, Honey Macadamia Nuts, and Goat Cheese
• FoodieCrush - Cheesy Sausage Pizza bread
• Foodness Gracious - Avocado Feta bowl with Couscous Grilled Chicken and Charred Corn
• Will Frolic for Food - Vegan Walnut Parmesan Zucchini Noodles
• Vegetarian 'Ventures - Pimento Mac & Cheese Bites
• MJ and Hungryman - Cheese Stuffed Kimchi Pancakes
• Savory Simple - Cheddar Chive Crackers

Sweet Things

• the pig + quill - Mini Vegan Pb+J Cheesecakes
• The Kitchen McCabe - Meyer Lemon Pudding Cakes + Honeyed Chevre Whipped Cream
• The Little Epicurean - Matcha Mochi Waffles Sundae
• Shared Appetite - Vegan Chocolate Raspberry Mousse
• The Pancake Princess - Vegan Aquafaba Lemon Meringue Pie
• The Food Charlatan - Lemon bars {gluten-free}
• Kale & Caramel - Spiced Caramel Chocolate Nut Clusters

Cheesy & Sweet Things

• The Bojon Gourmet - Blood Orange & Corn Flour Ricotta Cake with Whipped Mascarpone {gluten-free}
• HonestlyYUM - Sweet Cheese Puffs (for a Sweet Cheese baby)
• fit for the soul - Queso Mais Ice cream {No-Churn}
• Completely Delicious - Chocolate Orange Ricotta Scones
• Good on Paper Design - Citrus Ricotta Mini Cakes {gluten-free}
• Floating Kitchen - No-Bake Meyer Lemon Cheesecake with Chocolate Ganache Layer {gluten-free}
• Hungry Girl por Vida - Gluten-Free Pretzel Goat Cheesecake Bites
• Heartbeet Kitchen - Roasted Citrus bowls with Honey Mascarpone
• Salted Plains - Pavlova with Mascarpone Coconut Cream and Candied Citrus
• le jus d'orange - White Cheddar and Apple Mini Pies with Cinnamon-Infused Honey

A huge huge huge congrats to Sarah and her husband! When I met Sarah last spring I was blown away by her spunk and energy - #cheesebabygirl is lucky to have such a cool mom! Big hugs to all three of you! xoxo

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Candied Citrus Ricotta Cake

• Author: adapted from Bon Appetit
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 60 mins
• Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Yield: 1 loaf

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Ingredients

Units USM

• For the cake
• 1 ½ cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ¾ tsp kosher salt
• ½ cup butter, room temperature
• 1 ¼ cups sugar
• 2 tsp fresh citrus zest (I used a lemon/tangerine combo)
• 1 ½ cups ricotta
• 3 eggs
• 2 tsp fresh citrus juice (again, I used a lemon/tangerine combo)
• For the Candied Citrus
• 1 ½ cups water
• 2 cups sugar + extra for sprinkling
• 1 meyer lemon, sliced to ⅛" thick discs
• 1 tangerine, sliced to ⅛" thick discs
• 1 blood orange, sliced to ⅛" thick discs

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350F and butter a 9" loaf pan.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. Cream the butter, sugar, and citrus zests together with a mixer. When smooth, add the ricotta and again mix until smooth.
4. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until homogenous.
5. Mix in the citrus juice, then the flour mixture. Stir until combined, taking care not to over-mix.
6. Pour into the prepared pan (you can line it with parchment, if desired), and bake for 50-60 minutes. I tented mine with foil at 45 minutes, and baked until 60 minutes (when the cake-tester came out clean). When it's done, let cool completely.
7. While the cake is baking, you can make the candied citrus!
8. In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, combine the water and sugar. Stir until combined, then add as many discs of citrus as you can in a single layer. Bring the mixture to a simmer and let cook for 30-45 minutes. The rinds should become more transparent with time. At 45 minutes, or when the rinds are transparent, transfer them to a parchment-lined baking sheet and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Let them cool completely before proceeding, save the syrup leftover from the candying process.
9. When the cake and the candied citrus have cooled, use a toothpick to poke holes all over the top of the cake. Brush the leftover syrup along the top of the cake, letting it sink in as much as possible. Layer the citrus over the top of the loaf, using extra syrup as glue.
10. Serve at room temperature!

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Oh HELLOOOO fall flavors! Are you guys ready for this? Yeah, I AM!

One of the best things about moving to Portland (that sentence could end with pretty much ANY true statement about living in Portland...) has been connecting with other people in the food (blogging or otherwise) community. THERE ARE MORE FREAKS LIKE ME! People who drool over cute little ceramic dishes! People who stand on chairs at restaurants and make their companions move their hands to specific places! People who don't mind having tacos and then doughnuts and then more doughnuts and then cake, all before noon! People who stress out about photo backdrops and correct use of snapchat! My people! This is the first time I've ever lived, and connected with, other food blogger people... and I'm psyched!

Last week I rode my bike over to Cindy's house (and realized I desperately need some fenders/winter bike) where we talked about food blogger stuff (ad networks! social media! photography! brands! props! friends!) and made these scones that are fall as fall can be. Last week was cool and super autumnal in Portland, so it felt fitting. I got to cuddle Casper (which you saw if you follow me on snapchat: thekitchenpaper!) while I watched Cindy do all the work to make these scones in her gorgeous kitchen. And I munched on the toasted pecans and sipped my coffee, and nearly let Casper spill my coffee (clearly I am not a mom!).

You can find the recipe for these pretty scones over on Hungry Girl Por Vida! Go give Cindy some love! She's super fun and if you like food and/or babies and/or makeup and/or anything fun, she's your girl. Get at her on facebook and instagram and twitter and Pinterest, too!

Recipe is HERE!

The post Molasses Scones with Candied Ginger & Pecans is from The Kitchen Paper. Click over to see it on The Kitchen Paper!

1. How is it possible I have not yet posted a pumpkin bread recipe on TKP?
2. How is it possible that it's September? OMG.
3. How is it possible for this bread to be SO DARN PERFECT?!

I dunno how, but it totally is perfect.

That's it. That's really all I have to say. This bread is ridiculously perfect! The texture is spot on, super moist, not at all soggy. It's pumpkiny without being overwhelmingly spiced. The pecans are a great addition!

I got this recipe, which I followed almost to a T (subbed coconut for canola oil, and added frosting, duh), from Kristin Sollenne's new book Domestic Chic! The book is full of menu plans for entertaining by the seasons. If you want an easy plan for entertaining: here you go! Definitely check it out - it comes out today!

Making this bread made me, half-heartedly, re-assess my strict anti-roommate stance. This is *exactly* the kind of thing to win over your roommates hearts, and also the kind of thing that you will most certainly singly-handedly devour in an afternoon if you live alone. I'm speaking for a friend... obviously...

Have a wonderful weekend, my loves! Hopefully you have a fun holiday weekend planned! xoxo

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Pumpkin Bread

• Author: adapted from Domestic Chic
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 90 mins
• Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
• Yield: 2 loaves

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Ingredients

Units USM

• Bread
• 3 ½ cups AP flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp ground allspice
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground cloves
• 3 cups sugar
• 1 cup canola oil*
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups pumpkin puree
• ⅔ cup water
• ½ cup candied* pecans
• Frosting
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp pumpkin puree
• ¼ tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1.5 Tbsp milk

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350F and grease two loaf pans.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, sea salt, baking powder, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, and cloves. Set aside.
3. In a seperate bowl, whisk together the sugar, canola oil, and eggs. Add the pumpkin puree, whisk until smooth.
4. Combine the wet and dry ingredients, and gradually add the water as you mix everything together.
5. Divide between the prepared loaf pans, and sprinkle the pecans on top.
6. Bake for 90 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. (I had to tent with foil after 60, and my loaf was done after 80).
7. Let the loaves cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan. Let cool completely before whisking all of the frosting ingredients together and drizzling evenly over the loaves.

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Notes

I made ½ recipe, which was perfect for one loaf pan!
I used coconut oil (refined, so it doesn't taste like coconut) instead of canola, and it worked perfectly!
I didn't have candied pecans on hand, so I used regular. They were great, but candied would be amazing, I'm sure!

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Since I've been stuffing burgers down my hatch like nobody's business, I've not actually been very hungry for anything else. I wake up, eat some berries, and pray I'll be hungry before lunchtime. And then go into burger coma while I try to talk myself into being ready for burger dinner. #toughlife

I did, however, have a zucchini I really needed to use up. AND I've been wanting to make zucchini bread french toast (YAH I DID! WAIT FOR IT! COMING SOON!). As I was digging through my baking cabinet, which is kind of hard to see into, I noticed a bag of coconut... so obviously had to throw some of that in! Look at that toasty goodness up top! It's like frosted tips, only in reverse and not 15 years out of fashion.

This zucchini bread is pretty straightforward. Nothing crazy. I basically took my whole wheat chocolate zucchini bread recipe and took out the chocolate, used normal flour, added coconut ... and that's it. Voila! Easy peasy. It puffs up perfectly! And slices so clean! And makes damn good French toast (YEAAAAH KEEP WAITING FOR IT!!).

I'm off to shower myself in vegetables and not eat meat for the next EVER. I feel like I need to run a marathon offset my week, but if we're being honest: I'll probably just take a nap and drink some coffee. #realtalk

HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND! Get outside! Make some food! Go barefoot! See you back here on Monday! xoxo

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Coconut Zucchini Bread

★★★★★ 4.6 from 5 reviews

• Author: by Mary
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 60 mins
• Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
• Yield: 1 loaf

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Ingredients

Units USM

• 2 cups shredded, unpeeled zucchini
• 2 cups AP flour
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ⅔ cup sweetened shredded coconut*
• 2 large eggs
• ¼ cup milk
• ½ cup melted butter
• ½ cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350F and butter an 9x5 loaf pan.
2. Wrap the shredded zucchini in cheesecloth and squeeze as much liquid out as you can. Set aside.
3. Whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and coconut (save a small amount to sprinkle on top of the loaf). Set aside.
4. Whisk together the eggs, milk, melted butter, brown sugar, and vanilla extract. Add the zucchini and dry ingredients, mix until combined.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, top with extra coconut, and bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. You'll likely need to tent the pan with foil after 30 minutes, so the coconut doesn't brown too much.
6. Let the loaf cool for 15 minutes in the pan before removing it. Serve warm or cooled!

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Notes

If you use unsweetened coconut, up the brown sugar to at least ⅔, if not ¾ cup.

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Oy. Are we ready for a Wednesday brain dump? I HOPE SO because here's one coming your way.

This week is a battle of the conflicted emotions. Not necessarily in a bad way, and certainly not in a dramatic way, but just in a "I need to figure this stuff out" kind of way. Mostly this is in reference to my trip to Europe. I am PSYCHED to be going. BEYOND psyched! But also, kind of bummed to be leaving Portland just as I get in the swing of my "new" life here.

I realize this is a very trivial thing to be conflicted about, and I really am grateful for the opportunity - this trip has been planned for well over a year (I use the word "planned" very loosely here… tickets were bought, but plans for most of it remain very vague). Originally, I thought I might be in Bali until now - doing a 500 hour teacher training that would end mid-June and send me straight to England, where I'd meet my family. Obviously, my plans changed. Everything changed! I'm home, in a new apartment, new situation, new life altogether, and finally feeling like it really is my life.

Living in my apartment, now for nearly two months, it finally feels like my apartment. Not having a car, and being "that person" who always bikes or busses, feels normal and achievable. Teaching yoga feels normal, and comfortable. Being single feels real, and frankly: exciting. Living near my family is introducing all sorts of new norms into my life - mostly, just seeing them on a regular basis! I have my neighborhood coffee shop and dive bar - where baristas and bartenders know my name and ask for updates on my life. I belong. So, for those reasons, leaving this week has me a little bit conflicted.

I know it will all be here waiting for me when I get back, but I've spent so much time in the last few months focusing on being present and moving FORWARD, that to put everything on pause feels off. I am so so so looking forward to 10 days in England with my family (extended, SO MANY OF US!), then a week alone in Scotland, and finally a week with my BFF in Iceland - but also to coming home and having some uninterrupted time in Portland to solidify my life: personal, social, career, etc.

I very nearly deleted all the words in this post because I realize I'm so lucky to have this "problem" in the first place. I am grateful! I am! But one of the biggest things I've learned in the last year, which keeps me sane and peaceful, is to let myself feel my emotions. Not suppress them or discount them, or tell myself I "shouldn't" feel a certain way. Let them come up. Let them be felt. Don't judge them, but just observe. So, here we are observing my emotions together. Thanks, guys!

Should we move onto muffins? These are way WAY more exciting on every level than anything else we could ever talk about: they are BROWN BUTTER RHUBARB MUFFINS! Need I say more? Seriously. So good!

I used my go-to brown butter blueberry muffin base, slightly modified, omitted the streusel (because HELLO pretty rhubarb strips!), and added rhubarb. And obviously omitted the blueberries (although now I think blueberries AND rhubarb in one muffin sounds uh-mazing)! I made mine in big muffin tins, so depending on your tin size you'll need to adjust baking time. GO MAKE THESE! BEFORE THE WORLD RUNS OUT OF RHUBARB! Oooh what a sad day.

Love you ALL! Thanks for being here and listening to me ramble, and hopefully going to your kitchen to make something tasty. I'm off to try packing for weather much colder than anything I've experienced recently… xoxo

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Brown Butter Rhubarb Muffins

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews

• Author: by Mary
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 6-10

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Ingredients

Units USM

• 8 Tbsp unsalted butter
• ⅓ cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 ⅔ cups flour
• ¾ cup + 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• ¾ tsp salt
• 2 cups chopped rhubarb*

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375, and prepare a muffin pan with either butter or liners.
2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.
3. Continue to cook the butter, as it crackles and pops, until the crackling stops and the solids have turned a medium-brown color.
4. Remove from heat and pour the putter into a separate dish, as not to burn it.
5. Let the butter cool at least 10 minutes.
6. Whisk together milk, eggs, and vanilla until fully combined. Add the brown butter and whisk together.
7. In a separate bowl, combine flour, sugar (except for 1 Tbsp), baking powder, and salt. Mix to combine, then add the wet ingredients all at once. Stir gently to combine.
8. Toss the chopped rhubarb with the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar, then fold into the dough. Divide the dough equally among your muffin tins.
9. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Muffins should be golden and crisp on the top, and a cake-tester will come out clean.
10. Let the muffins cool 15 minutes in the pan before removing.

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Notes

If you want the same rhubarb-strip-look, take a vegetable peeler and carefully peel a thin layer off of one of your rhubarb stalks before cutting it. Then, cut into lengths the width of your muffin tins, and lay one or two on top of each unbaked muffin.

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Guys. I'm gonna let these bars do most of the talking today - I'm short on words and these bars are NOT short on awesome. So much orange zest! Tangy cream cheese frosting! Crunchy pecans! I'm calling these carrot cake BARS because they're more dense than a normal carrot cake. Just how I like my "cake" - DENSE. Pay no attention to my weirdo cutting here... I have no clue what I was thinking/trying to do, but it clearly did not work.

At least they taste AAAMAZING!

Have a wonderful Wednesday! xo

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Orange Carrot Cake Bars

• Author: by Mary
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 40 minutes

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Ingredients

Units USM

• Carrot Cake Bars
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp orange zest
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• ¾ cups brown sugar
• ½ cup sour cream
• ⅓ cup melted butter
• ¼ cup milk
• ½ tsp vanilla
• ⅔ cup finely shredded carrots
• ½ cup chopped pecans
• Cream Cheese Frosting
• 8 oz. cream cheese (room temperature)
• ½ cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 Tbsp fresh squeezed orange juice
• 1 Tbsp fresh grated orange zest

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease and line an 8x8" pan with parchment.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, orange zest, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. Whisk the eggs together with the brown sugar, then add the sour cream, melted butter, milk, and vanilla. Whisk until smooth, then whisk in the shredded carrots.
4. Combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix until partially combined, then fold in the chopped pecans. Spread evenly into the prepared pan, and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before frosting.
5. To make the frosting, cream the cream cheese and butter together in a mixer until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, orange juice, and orange zest. Slowly mix until smooth. Frost the bars in an even layer!

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The post Orange Carrot Cake Bars is from The Kitchen Paper. Click over to see it on The Kitchen Paper!

Throwback Thursday! This is perfect timing: BERRY SEASON IS FAST APPROACHING! I've been stocking up on all sorts of sale items this week at the grocery: cheap strawberries and cheap avocados! My guacamole consumption at the moment is obscene. In a wonderful way. AS IS MY STRAWBERRY SWIRL POUNDCAKE INTAKE! Oh man. I actually need help - anyone in PDX want some pound cake? I have most of this one in the freezer now, to prevent me from eating all of it in one sitting! Oof.

This is a post from way-back-when, so the rest of the post is from the original! Enjoy! xo

Have you guys heard that new(ish) Mariah Carey song, Beautiful? Decently catchy, kinda; however, WHAT THE HELL IS SHE THINKING!? The first time I heard her say "I love [it] when you run red lights" I thought, "She couldn't have really said that, right? That'd be crazy." No, she says that. Girl: did your mama never teach you about SAFETY? Running red lights (especially whilst on the back of a motorcycle) just doesn't sound safe, nor smart, nor even FUN to me. Yikes.

Am I crazy? I'll take my law-abiding safety-conscious self over a flattened pavement decoration any day. It's seriously distracting to listen to the song, because I just can't help but lecture her in my head!

Onto other smart choices: strawberry swirl pound cake! OH YES. This stuff is pretty darn addicting, especially with the strawberry glaze - the flavor is pretty intense strawberry.

The recipe makes two large loaves - I should admit that these pictures are of only ½ recipe. I'm a big fan of sour cream pound cakes, so that's what I did for this one! It is SO moist!

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Strawberry Swirl Pound Cake

★★★★★ 5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Mary
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 60 mins
• Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
• Yield: 2 loaves
• Category: adapted from [url href="http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-classic-sour-cream-pound-cake-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-189175" target="_blank"]The Kitchn[/url]

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Ingredients

Units USM

• 3 ¼ cups sifted AP or cake flour
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 cup butter, room temperature
• 2 ½ cups sugar
• 6 large eggs
• 2 tsp of vanilla extract
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 cups strawberries
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1-2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F and prepare two 8" loaf pans with butter and flour.
2. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
4. Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
5. Add the vanilla and sour cream. Mix until smooth.
6. In two batches, add the flour to the wet mixture, mixing until just incorporated.
7. With a hand blender, puree the strawberries until smooth. Add the brown sugar. Set ¼ cup of the pureed strawberries aside for later.
8. Fill each loaf pan halfway up with cake batter, then pour about ⅓ cup (half of remaining for each pan) of strawberry puree on top. Pour the rest of the batter on top of the strawberries, and use a butter knife to swirl everything together.
9. Bake for 65-70 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. You may need to tent with foil to avoid too much browning. Let cool before mixing the remaining strawberry puree with the powdered sugar and pouring over the loaves.

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The post Strawberry Swirl Pound Cake is from The Kitchen Paper. Click over to see it on The Kitchen Paper!