Winter Baking

Warm up with comforting classics

When the temperature drops, there’s nothing quite like the smell of fresh baking filling the kitchen. From warm muffins to soft dinner rolls, winter is the perfect time to turn on the oven and embrace the cozy joy of baking.

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Cheddar Cheese
Biscuits

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
    1 tbsp baking powder
    ½ tsp salt
    ½ cup butter, cold and
    cut into small cubes
    1 cup old cheddar cheese, grated
    2 tbsp fresh herbs (such as parsley
    or chives), finely chopped
    ¾ cup milk

  • Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a bakingsheet with parchment paper.
    In a large bowl, combineflour, baking powder and salt.Stir until well combined.
    Add butter to flour mixture.Using a pastry cutter, cutbutter into flour until mixtureresembles coarse crumbs.
    Stir in cheese and herbs,making sure they are evenlydistributed. Pour milk and stiruntil a soft dough forms. Becareful not to overmix. The doughshould be just combined.
    Place dough onto a lightly flouredsurface. Gently knead it a fewtimes to bring it together.
    Roll out the dough to ½” thickness.Use a round cookie cutter or aglass to cut out biscuit shapes.
    Transfer to the prepared bakingsheet, leaving about an inchof space between each.
    Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, oruntil golden brown. Removefrom oven and let cool on awire rack for a few minutes.

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Easy Dinner Rolls

  • 1¼ cups warm water
    ¼ cup sugar
    2 tbsp active dry yeast
    ⅓ cup vegetable oil
    1 tsp salt
    1 egg
    3¾ cups all-purpose flour

  • Line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper, or lightly grease.
    In a large bowl, combine warm water, sugar, and yeast. Allow to proof for approximately 2-5 minutes.
    Add in oil, salt, egg, and flour, 1 cup at a time. Mix with by hand until combined. Remove from bowl and place on alightly floured board. Knead dough for about 4 minutes. The dough will be fairly soft and sticky. Mix in just enough flour so that you can form it into balls with greased hands.
    Grease your hands with butter or baking spray and shape dough into 15 individual balls. Place dough into prepared pan and cover with a dish towel.
    Preheat oven to 375˚F and place pan on top of oven and let dough rise while oven is preheating. Bake for 20 minutes or until rolls are golden brown.
    Remove from oven and brush tops with melted butter.

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Gingerbread Muffins

  • 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
    2 tsp baking soda
    1 tbsp ground ginger
    2 tsp cinnamon
    ½ tsp ground cloves
    ½ tsp salt
    ½ cup butter
    ⅔ cup sugar
    2 large eggs room temperature
    ¾ cup molasses
    1⅓ cups cold water

    Crumble Topping
    1 cup all-purpose flour
    ½ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
    2 tbsp granulated sugar
    1 tsp ground ginger
    ½ tsp cinnamon
    ½ cup butter, melted

  • Preheat oven to 425°F. Spray 18 muffin cups (regular size) with baking spray or line with paper liners.
    In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, salt and cloves until combined. Set aside.

    In a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer, beat together butter and sugar until combined. Beat in eggs and then molasses until combined.

    Add half of flour mixture and mix just
    until most of the flour disappears. Add
    remaining flour and mix until most of the flour disappears. Do not overmix. Gradually add water and beat until blended. Scoop batter into prepared muffin pan.

    In a small mixing bowl, combine flour, sugars, ginger, cinnamon, and salt. Add the melted butter and mix with a fork until large crumbs form. Sprinkle muffin tops evenly with crumb mixture, gently pressing it into the batter.

    Bake for 5 minutes then reduce the temperature to 350°F and cook and bake for another 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

    Place pans on rack and cool 10 minutes.
    Remove muffins from pan and place
    on wire rack and cool completely.

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Cinnamon
Pumpkin Loaf

  • 1 cup butter, softened
    1 cup sugar
    3 large eggs
    2 tsp vanilla extract
    1 tsp baking powder
    2 tsp cinnamon
    ½ teaspoon salt
    1½ cups all-purpose flour
    1 cup pumpkin puree

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x5 loafpan with parchment paper leaving atleast as inch overhang on the long sides.Lightly grease pan with baking spray.
    With a mixer, cream together softenedbutter and sugar sugar until light and fluffy (about 1-2 minutes). Beat in eggs, one at a time, then beat in vanilla extract.
    Add baking powder, cinnamon, salt and flour. Mix on low speed just until incorporated.
    Add pumpkin puree and beat untileverything is evenly combined butbeing careful not to overmix.
    Spoon batter into prepared loafpan and spread evenly.
    Bake on centre rack for 55-60 minutes or until toothpick in center comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 15 minutes then remove to wire rack and cool completely.

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