This is one of my prize recipes! I worked hard to make the healthiest cinnamon rolls possible (so I can eat more of them) but they had to be soft and gooey and delicious. This is it. I tried using some whole wheat flour but they never turned out soft enough so it’s all-purpose flour but the good news is the entire recipe uses only two tablespoons of butter. Two. And now I have even better news: I usually make them with no butter at all. There’s so much flavor in the cinnamon and brown sugar filling that I often use a trans-fat free margarine and I defy anyone to tell the difference between that and the one with butter.
Make it either way. If you are concerned about saturated fat I promise that you will love these delicious buns without butter. If you use butter, it’s only 2 tablespoons so each roll has as little butter as a slice of toast. Two tablespoons divided by eight rolls equals 3/4 of a teaspoon of butter in each cinnamon roll.
Did you know that all cinnamon is not the same? The most popular kind is Ceylon cinnamon, which is what most stores sell but they usually also have Saigon cinnamon which I LOVE! It’s much more potent and fragrant, in fact I usually use less because it’s so powerful. If you use Saigon cinnamon, reduce the amount in the filling from 2 teaspoons to 1 1/2 teaspoons. It’s amazing cinnamon and really worth looking for. My store carries Spice Islands brand…
Now let’s talk about frosting. You can frost them in the baking pan but I like to transfer them first to a plate or pie pan before frosting so the sides also get some of that gooey frosting. Here’s how: After the 10-minute cooling period place a dinner plate on top and flip them over onto the plate. Then take another plate or pie pan and flip them back again and they will be right side up and still warm and ready to frost… all sides!
You don’t have to give up cinnamon rolls. Make your own with my healthy recipe and if you want, you can do the prep the night before, refrigerate overnight, then let them rise in the morning and bake. There’s no reason not to enjoy one of the best things in the world to bake. Your whole house will be filled with the intoxicating aroma of cinnamon! Click herefor the recipe. – Jenny Jones
Here’s an easy recipe for my pumpkin chocolate chip muffins. Even without the chocolate chips, they are still a great tasting snack. My recipe includes toasted walnuts and trust me, toasting the nuts first will send their flavor into overdrive. I use walnuts and pecans in lots of baking so I just toast a bunch of each one in the oven (see my video) and keep them in the fridge for baking.
It doesn’t have to be pumpkin season to make these yummy muffins, in fact canned pumpkin has more antioxidants than fresh. Orange and yellow vegetables like pumpkin, sweet potato, and carrots have lots of betacarotene which is good for your lungs and eyes and will give you healthy hair and skin.
The most important thing about making muffins is not to over-mix. Just fold the ingredients together gently with a spatula or spoonula – I love those! This recipe was in my first cookbook and I’ve updated it by increasing the whole wheat pastry flour a little and switching from canola to extra light olive oil but you can use any oil of your choice. I’m posting this recipe by request from a fellow baker (Rori) in Denver who lost the recipe. Here it is, Rori! Click here for the recipe.
If anyone else has a recipe request, just let me know….
There are many reasons to make your own homemade bread crumbs. First, you’ll save money. Second, they’ll taste way better than packaged ones. Third, they’ll be healthier. By using whole wheat bread, you’ll be adding beneficial fiber to your meal. And finally, it’s so easy!
Let me clarify: it’s easy if you have a food processor. But even if you don’t, you can still do this. Always start with fresh bread. Nobody wants to eat stale bread so why would you want stale bread crumbs? So fresh bread is a must. You can make crumbs with any kind of bread like white or sourdough, but whole wheat is the healthiest so look for 100% whole wheat bread with 3 grams of fiber per slice. Fiber is your friend.
Some recipes call for dry bread crumbs to make something crispy like breaded cutlets or chicken fingers. Others need soft bread crumbs, like a topping for mac & cheese. My recipe shows how to make both dry and soft crumbs, and also how easy it is to make your own super-crispy Panko crumbs, too!
If you don’t have a food processor, you can finish the dry crumbs in a blender or by putting the dried bread in a plastic bag and rolling with a rolling pan, or even smacking it with a small pan. Soft bread crumbs can be made using the large holes of a grater, but carefully! So whatever kind of breadcrumbs you need, dry ones, seasoned crumbs, fresh or Panko, remember that homemade is always better. Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones
Note to self: “Pick up two lemons at the grocery today… and some buttermilk… and oh yes: blueberries!” That combination will make the most delicious lemon blueberry muffins you’ve ever had. I’m a big fan of muffins because they’re quick and easy to make and you also have a portable snack. I takes just 30 minutes to make these healthy muffins made with lots of fresh lemon peel and that well known brain food… blueberries.
Blueberries are one of the top antioxidant-rich super foods so I put lots of them in this easy muffin recipe. Then I boosted the health benefits even more by using whole wheat flour and heart-healthy olive oil. Yes! I do lots of baking now with extra light olive oil but you can also use canola or another oil of your choice. There’s no butter in this healthy recipe since I’m always working on baking without butter.
Now that berries are in season (and you don’t need a loan to buy them!) is the best time to try these easy and healthy muffins. Have them as part of a healthy breakfast or a mid-day snack with a cup of green tea. They are really, really good! Click here for the recipe.
Whenever I have a taste for something a little sweet, this is it. There’s no butter in my healthy version of an old fashioned marble cake – I use heart-healthy olive oil so there’s no guilt when I eat it. And that’s good because whenever I make it, I can’t stop eating it! It’s light and moist and goes perfectly with a cup of my green tea. I’ve made it without the orange zest when I didn’t have an orange but I can tell you it’s definitely better with the orange (or even tangerine!).
It’s a pretty easy recipe if you’re looking for a healthy dessert. It’s sweet enough for dessert but also perfect for afternoon tea. Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones
If you’ve ever baked bread or anything with yeast you know that it helps to have a warm spot to help the dough rise. Some things that work are a warming drawer, placing the dough under a lamp, or heating the oven for a minute and then turning it off (but then you need to preheat the oven). But here’s a way I never thought of… a heating pad. Whaddya think? Good idea? Or do you have something better?
For someone who likes crunchy food, my sesame seed breadsticks are a must. You simply cannot buy breadsticks like this anywhere and when they’re fresh out of the oven (after they stop their snap, crackle, and popping) it’s hard not to eat half the batch right there. I make 15 at a time and when there’s only one left, I make more. If you haven’t tried this easy recipe, you’re missing out. I was out of whole wheat flour so I made this batch with just all-purpose flour. To see the video and printable recipe, click here. – Jenny Jones
Weekend breakfast is the perfect time to make these fantastic, healthy apple muffins. People have asked me for this recipe so many times, or they just ask me to make them some of my delicious apple muffins. With lots of apples, they could even BE breakfast in a pinch. The batter is easy to make and you will have to peel and slice apples but it’s really worth it. I’m pretty sure if you make these apple muffins once, you will make them again and again. Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones
Attention bread bakers: I’ve been using this yeast for years because it doesn’t require proofing but I never read ALL the information on the back. Duh!! I just saw that this yeast eliminates the first rise so you save almost an hour off baking anything with yeast. So… I get cinnamon rolls an hour sooner! Yay!! And here we thought it was MEN who never asked for directions! 😉
This is one of my prize recipes! I worked hard to make the healthiest cinnamon rolls possible (so I can eat more of them) but they had to be soft and gooey and delicious. This is it. I tried using some whole wheat flour but they never turned out soft enough so it’s all-purpose flour but the good news is the entire recipe uses only two tablespoons of butter. Two. And now I have even better news: I usually make them with no butter at all. There’s so much flavor in the cinnamon and brown sugar filling that I often use a trans-fat free margarine and I defy anyone to tell the difference between that and the one with butter.
