breakfast

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, stir together 4 cups flour, white sugar, yeast, and salt.
• Using a saucepan or the microwave, heat 1 cup water and 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter until it is 120 to 130-degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Pour the water mixture into the flour mixture. Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. Add one egg and egg yolk, and beat for another 2 minutes. Beat in a 1/4 to 1/2 cup more flour until a soft, sticky dough forms.
• Switch to the dough hook attachment. Beat at low speed until dough is soft, smooth, and elastic, 6 to 8 minutes.
• Add nonstick spray to a large bowl. Shape dough into a smooth ball, and place in bowl. Roll it briefly to coat in oil. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
• Use nonstick spray on a 12-cup muffin pan.
• In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt 1 Tablespoon butter. Add to it the cookie butter, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla, stirring until smooth.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into roughly a 20x12-inch rectangle. Spread cookie butter mixture onto dough. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Fold rectangle crosswise into thirds as if folding a sheet of paper for an envelope, forming a smaller rectangle, about 12x6 inches.
• Cut rectangle crosswise into 12 (about 1 inch) dough strips. Gently stretch and twist one to coil it inside a prepared muffin cup, tucking the end inside edge of cup to create a rounded top. Repeat 12 times. If desired, press a couple of additional chocolate chips into the top of each babka, but try to place them so they won't melt off the pan during baking.
• Cover and let rise in a warm spot until they are puffed, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 325-degrees.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the last egg with 1 Tablespoon water. Brush tops of dough with egg wash.
• Bake until babkas are golden brown, about 17 to 25 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted in center should register 190-degrees.
• Babkas are much better served warm--eat them fresh, or heat up later with a 20-30 burst in the microwave! This makes the dough soft and the chocolate gooey. They keep well sealed at room temperature for up to 3 days, but can also be frozen and thawed later.

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• Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Line a 9x9 pan with foil and apply nonstick spray or butter.
• In a small bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
• In a medium saucepan, melt the butter, and continue to monitor a few more minutes, stirring often, to brown the butter. It should have a fresh, nutty smell. Remove from heat. Stir in the brown sugar and vanilla until the sugar is less grainy. Let the pan cool for a few minutes. Beat in the eggs until smooth. Stir in the dry ingredients next, followed by the apple pieces. Fold in the chips last.
• Pour the batter into the pan and smooth out the top. Bake for about 25 minutes, until the middle passes the toothpick test.
• Cool to room temperature. Use the foil to lift the contents onto a cutting board to slice up. Store the bars in a sealed container, with waxed paper or parchment between stacked layers.

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• Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Cut a piece of parchment to fit long-ways in the loaf pan, extending up either side. Grease the pan, place the paper inside, then grease again. Set aside.
• If using a 12 ounce jar of marmalade, measure out two ounces to set aside.
• In a large bowl, beat together butter and brown sugar until blended. Add eggs, one at a time. Gradually mix in the 10 ounces of marmalade.
• In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
• Slowly beat the dry ingredients into the wet, until just combined. Fold in the pecans.
• Pour batter into the loaf pan. Bake for 45 minutes; check on bread, and cover with foil if it is becoming too browned on top. Continue baking for another 15 to 20 minutes (that is 60 to 65 minutes total), until the very middle passes the toothpick test. Let rest in pan for about 10 minutes, then use the parchment sling to pull the bread out to set on a cooling rack.
• After the bread cools completely, mix together the remaining marmalade and the confectioners' sugar to form a thick glaze; alternatively, if a smaller jar was used, add orange juice by teaspoons into the sugar until a thick glaze is formed.
• Let set for 20 minutes before slicing in. Store at room temperature in a sealed beg or plastic wrap. Bread can also be sliced and frozen for later enjoyment.

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• Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Cut parchment paper to fit in the base of a 9-inch springform pan. Apply nonstick spray with flour to bottom and sides of pan. Add parchment and spray again. Set aside.
• In a big bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, ginger, and cloves.
• In another bowl, whisk together the sugar, applesauce, buttermilk or soured milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Gradually pour the wet ingredients into the dry, mixing well.
• Pour batter into the pan and smooth out with an uneven spatula. There will likely be bubbles in the batter. Gently tap the sides of the pan and thump it on the counter to get them to rise and burst. Using a spoon, sprinkle the coarse sugar all over the top as evenly as possible.
• Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the middle passes the toothpick test. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then release sides. Let cake cool completely on base for several hours.
• Slice into wedges and serve. Cake keeps well in a sealed container at room temperature and pieces can also be wrapped individually and frozen for later enjoyment.

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• Wash, dry, and zest both lemons and orange. Set aside the fruit for another use.
• Preheat oven at 325-degrees. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit into a loaf pan and extend up the long sides, like a sling. Apply nonstick spray in pan, then press in parchment and add more spray. Set aside.
• In a big bowl, beat butter, sugar, and zests together until they are fluffy, scraping the sides of the bowl often. Add eggs one by one, followed by the vanilla paste. The batter may look a bit curdled.
• In a separate medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking powder. Gradually add it into the butter mix along with the milk. Batter will now be thick.
• In a small bowl, toss together the candied orange bits and the teaspoon of cake flour to coat. Fold it into the batter.
• Pour everything into the prepared loaf pan and even out the top.
• Bake for 40 minutes. Rotate pan in oven. Bake for another 40 minutes. Test the middle with a toothpick for doneness, and bake for another 5 to 20 minutes, until the toothpick comes out clean.
• Let loaf cool in pan for 10 minutes, then use the parchment to lift it onto a rack to cool completely.
• Make the vanilla glaze by mixing together all the ingredients until they are smooth and at a thick, pourable consistency. Immediately drizzle and smear over the top of the cake, letting excess artfully drip over the sides. Let glaze set for 30 minutes, then slice in.
• Wrap cake and keep at room temperature. It can also be cut into individual slices and frozen for later enjoyment.

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• Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Line a 9×9 pan with foil and apply nonstick spray.
• Peel and core the apples, then slice to about 1/4-inch thickness. Place slices in a large bowl and toss them with lemon juice and 1 Tablespoon white sugar, until apples are coated. Set aside.
• In a big mixing bowl, beat butter and white sugar for several minutes, until blended and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing in well and scraping bowl afterward. Add vanilla. The batter may look curdled, but that’s okay.
• In a separate bowl, stir together flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and allspice. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet.
• Spread about half of the batter into the pan, using an uneven spatula to form an even layer. Arrange apple slices, flat side down, to cover the batter entirely. Top with the remaining batter, using the uneven spatula again to even out as much as possible. Sprinkle turbinado sugar all over the top.
• Bake until the middle of the cake passes the toothpick test, which will be from 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes. Cover pan with foil about halfway through to prevent it from browning too much.
• Let cool in pan for an least 10 minutes, then use foil to lift cake onto a cutting board. Slice into squares. Tastes best warmed and at room temperature. Pieces can also be shrouded in plastic wrap and frozen for later enjoyment.

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