can i bribe you?

oh

my gawd...

life happens, right?

starting a new job was apparently much more tiring than i expected it to be...or rather time-consuming. b/c it's not like i haven't been baking...i've actually been baking quite a lot! especially after finding out that my new co-workers love to eat almost as much as i do! and baked goods go so nicely with one's tea time (which one of my co-workers religiously observes every day). =)

and this is a recipe i would definitely recommend for your afternoon tea...or morning coffee...or mid-morning second cup of coffee...or nightcap. it's that versatile and that good!

i was craving me some cinnamon bread. you know...the proper kind made with yeast and a beautiful swirl in the center a la sunmaid raisin girl. but i was tired after work...and all this eating meant i had to go work off them calories! and i'm sorry but when i am craving something...I WANT IT NOW.

i do not want to have to weigh the ingredients, knead the dough, proof the dough, go through a second rise AND wait for it to bake! and i was pleasantly surprised by how much i liked this recipe (although i had to make it twice!). the first time i made it for the MIL and uh, she liked it so much that she kept eating it without offering us any!! (which btw is very unlike the MIL).

so here ya go...

just be sure to make two just in case your MIL is anything like mine!

cinnamon swirl bread

(www.bhg.com) <-- that was a pleasant surprise too!

NOTE: this is the time to bust out the fancy cinnamon! and the first time, it was quite tasty even without the overnight rest. and i've used both whole and skim milk with no noticeable difference in the texture or taste.

1 1/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1 cup milk

1/3 cup canola oil

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease / flour the bottom and sides of a 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan.
2. in a small bowl, combine 1/3 cup of sugar with the pecans and cinnamon. set aside.
3. in a large bowl, combine the remaining cup of sugar, flour, baking powder and salt. whisk to combine.
4. in a medium bowl, beat egg with fork and add in the milk and oil.
5. add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just moistened. (the batter will be lumpy.)
6. pour half of the batter into the loaf pan. sprinkle 2/3rds of the cinnamon mixture over the top. pour the remaining half of the batter on top and sprinkle with the remainder of the cinnamon mixture on top. draw a butter knife through the batter in a circular motion - up and down the length of the batter.
7. bake for 45 to 50 minutes until a wooden toothpick comes out clean.
8. cool on rack for 10 minutes. remove from pan. cool completely on wire rack and wrap to store bread overnight before slicing.

the dog days of summer

and i've got the oven cranked up to 450 degrees!

but you can add me to the list...

there must have been countless blog posts after bittman wrote about the infamous no knead bread and yet, it didn't scream "MAKE ME!!" perhaps the lack of chocolate and sugar had something to do with that........??? hmm...

and then i caved after reading jaden's post that her 4-year-old cutie could show me up!

i'm so glad i did...because this was a gorgeous loaf of bread! rustic with beautiful cracks (even though i almost dropped it!) and it really does sing! (the crust crackles as it cools...)

try it...i double dog dare you. even a 4-year-old could do it!