Winstead Wandering

Prone to Wander

blueberry lemon pound cake with lemon glaze

by

I don’t remember fully appreciating the culinary combination that is lemon and blueberries when I was younger. Sure, I loved a good glass of lemonade, and I never turned down a blueberry muffin. But neither flavor was my favorite, and I certainly didn’t willingly pair the two together.

That’s all changed. Now, I actively seek out foods that marry the lovely sweet-tart flavor of berries and the refreshing citrus zest of lemons. And if that food is also topped with a rich glaze flecked with ribbons of lemon zest? Well, then I have to make a pan. Or two.

A moist and sweet pound cake, dotted with blueberries and smothered with a rich lemon glaze. This lightened up version swaps some of the butter for Greek yogurt and calls for less sugar. You'd never know by the taste, though!The original version of this recipe called for more sugar and butter than I felt was necessary. I’ve been known to bring the butter when the recipe really calls for it, but in this case, I felt certain that the whole thing could be lightened up without sacrificing moistness or flavor.

Don’t get me wrong; this recipe is in no way light and healthy. It’s just lighter and healthier than the original version.To make it that way, I took out a stick of butter and used Greek yogurt instead. I also reduced the sugar by a half cup.

The pound cake, on it’s own, is buttery and moist and studded with juicy blueberries. It can hold it’s own as a stand alone treat. But when adding a glaze is an option, I always choose it. Which is why these little guys were finished off with a glaze of powdering sugar, lemon zest and juice, vanilla, and milk. The glaze is just rich enough to stand out against the moist cake, but not so decadent as to overpower it. They play well together.
A moist and sweet pound cake, dotted with blueberries and smothered with a rich lemon glaze. This lightened up version swaps some of the butter for Greek yogurt and calls for less sugar. You'd never know by the taste, though!

[Read more…]

quick and easy cinnamon roll bread

by

Sweet quick bread is topped with rich brown sugar cinnamon swirl & drizzled with sweet powdered sugar icing; classic cinnamon roll flavors without the work. Cinnamon roll bread is a quicker, lighter, healthier alternative to traditional cinnamon rolls. No yeast required- it's so easy! It’s no secret that I love an easy take on a classic cinnamon roll. My cinnamon roll bars with cream cheese frosting are one of my favorite treats. They’re dense and chewy and smothered in a decadent amount of fluffy frosting. Sometimes, though, I want something a little lighter, both in calories and in texture. When I do, I make this cinnamon roll bread. It’s a light bread with a touch of cinnamon and a rich brown sugar cinnamon swirl. Instead of traditional cream cheese frosting, it’s topped with a powdered sugar glaze. While I wouldn’t try to classify this bread as healthy, it is much lighter than most alternatives. The bread itself contains no butter or oil; it uses plain Greek yogurt and just a half cup of sugar. The ribbon of rich cinnamon and brown sugar adds just the right level of sweetness without overpowering the subtle flavor of the bread. And then- because, let’s be real, we can’t call it cinnamon roll anything without frosting- the whole thing is drizzled with a powdered sugar glaze. Cinnamon roll bread is a quicker, lighter, healthier alternative to traditional cinnamon rolls. No yeast required- it's so easy! cinnamon roll bread adapted from Center Cut Cook for the bread 2 cups flour 1 tablespoon baking powder (nope, not a typo) 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup sugar 2 teaspoons cinnamon 1 egg 3/4 cup milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt for the swirl 3 tablespoons sugar 3 tablespoons brown sugar 2 teaspoons cinnamon 1 tablespoon water for the glaze 1/3 cup powdered sugar 1 tablespoon milk Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, add all of the dry ingredients for the bread and mix well. Add all of the wet ingredients, and then stir until everything is combined. Pour the bread mixture into a greased bread pan (8×4 or 9×5 work best). For the swirl, combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix until combined. Plop spoonfuls of the swirl on top of the bread and use a knife to work the swirl into the bread. You want the swirl to be sitting on top and mixed just below the surface; you don’t want it to be completely incorporated into the bread. Cinnamon roll bread is a quicker, lighter, healthier alternative to traditional cinnamon rolls. No yeast required- it's so easy!   Bake the bread for 37 to to 42 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes of clean (the toothpick might have some of the swirl on it, but it shouldn’t have any bread). Allow the bread to cool slightly in the pan. When it’s cool enough to handle, remove the bread from the pan and allow it to finish cooling. Meanwhile, make the glaze by beating the powdered sugar and milk together (a fork works fine for this). When the bread has cooled completely, drizzle the top with glaze. Or, if you’d rather, just poor the glaze on top of the bread and use the back of a spoon to smooth it around. What decadent treat would you like to see lightened up? Cinnamon roll bread is a quicker, lighter, healthier alternative to traditional cinnamon rolls. No yeast required- it's so easy! (this post contains an affiliate link; to learn more, read my disclosure policy)