Cinnamon Bread

A few weeks ago Donal Skehan posted a picture of some scrummy looking baked eggs on twitter.  I'm not a big egg fan and only eat them scrambled but knew my husband would like them.  I resolved to make him a special breakfast of them the following Sunday.  It didn't happen that weekend, or the one after that or the one after that.  I finally got round to making them for him this weekend.  We've had a pretty hectic few weeks so I decided on a lazy weekend with lots of time to bake and cook and eat. 

On Saturday I came over all domestic goddess and after scrubbing the house donned my apron.  I started the process for a sourdough bread starter (more to follow on this).  I then toddled off with my pretty floral shopping bag and filled it with all manner of yumminess so that I could cook a special dinner followed by a delicious breakfast the next morning.  Another recipe I had been meaning to make for Mr. Boo is The Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Bread.  He is a fan of all things cinnamon and he enjoyed a similar bread in Ruby's Diner in Huntington Beach, L.A., so much that he hasn't stopped talking about it since.  He had that bread six years ago!

The following morning my sister text to say she had some cakes from Roly's Bistro for me so I told her to join us for our late breakfast.  Donal's eggs went down very well with all at the table and his Spanish potato and chorizo hash (without the fried eggs) that I made to accompany them was positively hoovered up by my sister and the recipe requested.  After breakfast we managed to squeeze in some cinnamon bread and even a little cake or two.  A perfect Sunday morning.

These are the Roly's cakes that we didn't quite manage to finish off

for breakfast so Mr. Boo & I had a nice dessert.

While the end result for this bread was totally scrummy toasted and smothered in butter I did find it required a bit of effort to make.  The dough requires mixing with a dough hook for 10-15 minutes, not an issue if you have a freestanding electric mixer, but I was using a hand held so it took a little arm power.  I also felt that the dough was very moist and sticky, so much so that it was impossible to handle without it sticking to hands and generally making life very messy.  There is a note on the original recipe to add 30g of extra flour if this is the case.  I had to do that 3 times to get it to a manageable consistency.  It was most definitely worth it though and I think next time I make it I will have a better understanding so can add extra flour as I am kneading with the dough hooks to avoid extra kneading time afterwards.   Don't be put off by this though, it is a delicious bread, almost cake like, so definitely worth it for a weekend breakfast treat.  I found it similar to a brioche with a delicious swirl of moist, sweet cinnamon running through it.  Enjoy!

I have linked to the original recipe above but have converted it to g/oz measurements below. 

The Pioneer Woman Cinnamon Bread
(makes 1 x 1lb loaf)

240ml Milk
90g/3oz Unsalted Butter, plus extra for greasing
7g Sachet Yeast
2 Large Eggs
75g/2.65oz Caster Sugar
420g/14.82oz Plain Flour
1tsp Salt
1 Egg and some milk to glaze

For the filling
2tbsp Unsalted Butter, melted
75g/2.65oz Sugar
2tbsp Cinnamon

1.  Melt the butter and milk until very warm but do not allow them to boil.  Allow them to cool until still warm to the touch, but not too hot.  Sprinkle the yeast over the top, stir gently, and allow to sit for 10 minutes.
2.  Mix the eggs and sugar in the bowl of a free standing electric mixer until combined.  Add the milk mixture and mix until combined.  Sieve in half of the flour and salt and mix until combined, repeat with the remaining flour.  Alternatively you can do this in a large bowl using a hand held electric mixer.

3.  Switch to dough hook attachments and knead on a medium speed for 10 minutes.  If the dough is overly sticky at the end of this time add an additional 30g(a little over an oz) of flour and knead for a further 5 minutes.  Repeat this if necessary until you have a consistency that you can work with (I had to add 90g of additional flour in 3 stages as I found the dough very wet).
4.  Spray a bowl with a little oil.  Transfer the dough to the bowl and toss in the oil.  Cover the bowl with clingfilm and place in a warm, draught free place( I use my hot press) for 2 hours.

5.  Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.  Melt 2tbsp of butter.  Grease a 1lb loaf tin.
6.  Generously flour your work surface and turn the dough out onto it.  Flour your hands generously, then flatten with your hands and shape into a rectangle.  Measure the width against your loaf tin to ensure it will fit in.  When you are happy with the shape smear with the melted butter and sprinkle the sugar on top in an even layer.

7.  Roll from one end of the dough to the other keeping it as tight as possible.,, pinch the seam to seal.  Place into the prepared loaf tin, seam side down,  and flatten slightly to fill any gaps.  Cover with clingfilm and return to a warm, draught free place to rise again.

8.  Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4.  Mix 1 egg with a little milk in a small bowl.  Glaze the top of the loaf with the egg/milk mix and place into the preheated oven, below the centre, for 40 minutes.  Remove for the oven and allow to cool in the tin for a few minutes before turning out and transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Temple Street Launches 'The Great Irish Bake' Campaign 2011



Temple Street launches ‘The Great Irish Bake’ Campaign 2011


Proudly sponsored by Gem Pack Foods

Don your apron, grab your whisk and get ready to ‘Bake a Difference’ as Temple Street Children’s University Hospital launches the 3rd annual ‘Great Irish Bake’ Campaign proudly sponsored by Gem Pack Foods. This year, Temple Street and Gem want this national fundraiser to go even bigger and are hoping to raise €100k to go towards purchasing life saving pieces of equipment for the hospital.

‘Baking a Difference’ is simple when you know how. Simply log on to http://www.thegreatirishbake.ie/ where you will find hints, tips, recipes and much more! Register online to participate in this great cause and start baking and selling your tasty treats in work, school or college. The Great Irish Bake Campaign has proven to be a big hit with companies who gather together their very own baking committees to bake and sell at morning coffee breaks. To date, thousands have been generated for Temple Street through companies alone.

You can also become a fan of ‘The Great Irish Bake’ facebook page where you can keep up-to-date- on the latest baking news, exchange recipes and tips with fellow bakers, send Temple Street pictures of your creations and fundraising events to be uploaded to the page and let us all know how much you have raised. Search for ‘The Great Irish Bake’ on Facebook to become a fan.

Donal Skehan (Ireland's answer to Jamie Oliver!) is this years Great Irish Bake Ambassador and has created 4 recipes for the campaign which will be released over the course of 2011 to encourage people to roll up their sleeves and ‘Bake a difference’ for Temple Street. “I’ve seen first hand the importance of having life saving equipment at Temple Street. Baking for such a good cause is not only simple and inexpensive but it’s also a lot of fun! I urge everyone to give baking a go and raise as much as possible for Temple Street!” said Donal.

For every Gem ingredient used in Donal's recipes, Gem will place a donation sticker on these products with 5c per pack sold going directly to Temple Street. Sales & Marketing Director at Gem, Bobby Mulligan said “Temple Street Hospital is an extraordinary place that does fantastic things for children all around Ireland everyday. As an Irish Brand we are delighted to have the opportunity to work with our customers and the keen bakers of Ireland in generating funds for life saving equipment for Temple Street”.

“We are absolutely delighted to be in partnership with Gem for this coming year. Gem is dedicated to our cause and is enthusiastic about generating significant funds for the hospital. Temple Street believes that every child deserves access to the very best treatment and equipment available. With the support of Gem and people nationwide we are hoping to raise funds to ensure that the children in our care have the best possible chance of getting better. I sincerely hope that everyone will get behind this fun and worthwhile campaign and bake a difference for Temple Street” said Denise Fitzgerald, CEO Fundraising, Temple Street Children’s University Hospital.

Gem Stockists:


Gem products are available in Dunnes Stores, Tesco, Superquinn, Spar, Londis, SuperValu and independent stores nationwide - www.gempackfoods.ie/retail.htm

Great Irish Bake Fundraiser ideas:

Why not host a Teddy Bear’s picnic at your Crèche, hold a cupcake decorating competition at your school/college and sell your creations afterwards, get your co-workers to pay an entry fee for a ‘cake off’ – best cake wins, invite friends around to make a donation for a delicious home made brunch or afternoon tea or host a coffee morning at work or at home.

All donations made will make a real and lasting difference to the thousands of children that come through the doors of Temple Street Hospital every year. Groups and individuals all over the country are encouraged to raise funds by selling their wares for this great cause. The Temple Street Great Irish Bake is the ideal opportunity to raise much-needed funds while having lots of fun with friends and family.

Log on to http://www.thegreatirishbake.ie/  for baking tips and recipes from Donal Skehan, 2011 Great Irish Bake Ambassador, and fantastic free downloads such as event posters and signs to promote your event and make your Great Irish Bake fundraiser a piece of cake! Anyone can participate in ‘The Great Irish Bake’, all you need is a venue, cake and people!

Bord Bia Irish Food Bloggers Event

Last Thursday I attended Bord Bia (Irish Food Board) for the Irish Food Bloggers Event following an invitation from Donal Skehan.  The event offered a great opportunity for food bloggers from all over the country to meet for the first time. Now, I have to admit, I am quite new to this whole blogging lark having only started last year and as I am a novice in both the culinary and journalistic fields I was mighty surprised to be considered for the event.  As the say, never miss a genuine opportunity, so off I toddled on the first true summers day of the year.

On entering Bord Bia I was greeted by the lovely Klara Golez, Klara played a huge role in making the day happen, who presented me with a name badge and a folder.  The room was already a buzz with clusters of excited people as I entered.  Having met no one in person prior to this occasion I made my way towards the lovely Babaduck, whom I had had many online conversations with via Beaut.ie.  Some other beaut.ies in attendance included Reindeersp, Gee Gee and TrulyMiss all looking stunning as would be expected.

Once seated Maeve Desmond, Bord Bia Marketing Services, welcomed us all and introduced David Owens who spoke about the Bord Bia Quality Mark and its importance for Irish pork.  Next up, Lorraine Fitzmaurice of Blazing Salads, demonstrated a quick and easy recipe for some delicious Organic Spelt Soda Bread (the ingredients for which have been purchased and a recipe should appear later this week).  Slices of the bread were passed around for the group to sample and from what I could see all devoured it.  In addition Lorraine spoke about Miso and its importance in vegetarian diets as a rich source of protein.  A Migu Miso Pesto was prepared and tossed with some tagliatelle and again a sample was sent around for everybody to try.  It is something else that I will be trying out this week as it offers a healthier, low fat alternative to regular pesto, without any compromise on taste.

Following on from Lorraine the hilarious Pat Conway, GMIT, demonstrated his skill in butchering a pork loin.  Let me tell ya, don't for the love of Jesus cross this fella in a dark alley if he happens to be brandishing a saw cos he is pretty nifty with the aul cutting clean through flesh and bone!  Pat sliced the loin into it's various cuts and gave some wonderful tips on how to ensure that you always cook a beautifully tender piece of pork by following some simple steps and guidelines.

Maire Dufficy, a Bord Bia Food Advisor, took over from Pat to demonstrate some quick and healthy recipes using pork.  The aromas that wafted their way through the room from her cooking had us all drooling and she armed us with a myriad of recipes to try at home.  Maire also gave out her top tip, and it is one of the best cooking tips I have heard yet.  If you are buying meat from your butcher to marinade, bring the marinade to the butcher and ask them to vacuum pack it with the meat.  Vacuum packing will completely seal in both the flavours and the aromas of the marinade so no longer will I have to spend the day worrying that the smell of my main course is permeating my dessert!

While lunch was being prepared, Damien Mulley spoke about blog marketing.  As with all who spoke before him Damien shared some great advice on networking and how to improve blog readership.  Lunch followed and was delicious; yes you guessed it, pork.  I had some yummy pork belly, complete with crackling, accompanied by roast vegetables, salsa and noodles.  Once that lot had been scoffed plates appeared before us baring the most wonderful light strawberry tart (if I track down a recipe it will be posted without fail).  As time was running over slightly Eoin Purcell spoke on the process of transitioning from blog to book as we licked our plates clean.

Following lunch Erica Ryan and Jocasta Clarke spoke about food styling and photography and doled out some indispensable tips.  Erica spoke about the use of glycerine, super glue, WD40 and many other unlikely items you would never even contemplate using with food.  Jocasta advised on the ideal light to use for photographing dishes and also about how to arrange displays to maximise visual impact.  I hope to put these tips to good use and produce a higher standard of pictures for the blog.  I desperately wanted an upgrade on my camera prior to the event, having listened to Jocasta I now desperately NEED one, so I shall be throwing all of my spare euros into Percy for the foreseeable future. 

Now, you would think that all of that would be enough for one day but oh no.  We had been told in advance to bring a bag for some swag and boy were they needed.  Once the day's talks had drawn to a close we were invited to mingle and to load up with lots of scrummy freebies.  I did things in the wrong order so missed out on what I hear was some top notch cheese but none the less I left with a bag heaving full of yummies.  Below is a list of what I nabbed:

Mint plant courtesy of Living Flavour
Alfalfa, Broco Shoots & Smart Seeds Sunflower Mix courtesy of Good4U
Chutney for Cheese courtesy of Sheridan's (as I said I missed out on the cheese also)
Biltong Beef
Smoked Trout courtesy of Goatsbridge
Pu-Erh & South African Rooibos Tea courtesy of Barry's
A Macroom Oatmeal Ginger Biscuit courtesy of Lilly Higgins
A melon salad, the name of the supplier I have since forgotten, soz.

Most of the above has been sampled already.  The melon was eaten when I returned home from the event and was exactly what was required on such a sticky day.  Lilly's scrummy biscuit was practically inhaled the following morning and the rest was dipped into over the weekend.  On Saturday and Sunday numerous mojitos were mixed up using Living Flavours mint plant.  On Sunday whilst relaxing in my back garden with my hubby, his brother and his wife I rustled up a salad with some spinach, all of the goodies from Good4U and the lovely Goatsbridge Smoked Trout.  To accompany this I made a honey mustard dressing, sweet potato wedges and a salad of mozzarella, tomato and basil. Yum yum yum!  Below is a snap of the trout salad but as I had hungry people waiting to be fed I was only granted permission for one quick snap.

Thank you to Donal Skehan, Bord Bia (especially Klara and Maeve), all of the guest speakers and all who provided swag for a truly wonderful day.  Looking forward to the next one already, and to meeting more lovely food bloggers as I really only skimmed the surface this time.  To those of you that I did manage at least a quick hello, it was lovely to meet you.  To those that I did not have a chance to meet, I hope to meet you in the future.

P.S. I didn't take too many photos on the day as my camera felt a little shy and intimidated when it saw all of it's bigger, shinier cousins around.  See, I really do need a new super dooper camera.