SWEDISH CINNAMON BUNS | FALL BAKING

When chilly fall evenings roll in you'll often find me in the kitchen with my hair lazily thrown up into a messy bun, with my favorite apron on, and listening to my fall playlist as I make food and baked goods inspired by the season. Honestly one of my main motivations to baking in the fall is for the cozy and comforting smell of cinnamon, cardamom and pumpkin spice scents that brew from the oven and travel through all corners and turns of the house. It's like burning a sweet cinnamon pumpkin candle from Bath and Body Works, only five thousand times better. So that, plus getting to eat them fresh and hot with a cup of coffee or hot tea - bliss. 

So I came across the video above recently and was immediately inspired to try and make Kanellbullar or Swedish cinnamon buns. After a second attempt at making them (the first time I overheated the yeast) they came out absolutely delicious and plump. After tasting these, I must admit I enjoyed them much more than their over glazed and sticky american style counterpart. I just love fall and all the sweet things that come with it. 

You can find the recipe I used here on Donal Skehans website.

BANANA NUT BREAD

Rather then throwing out your brown and bruised bananas because they sat out on the counter for too long, just take those mushy things and use them to make banana bread! That's what I always do. I took to google to get this simple recipe. But since you're already here, I'll save you the search and tell you how I made this.

Ingredients: 
3 or 4 smashed bananas | 1/3 cup melted butter | 1 cup sugar | 1 egg, beaten | 1 tsp vanilla | 1 tsp baking soda | pinch of salt | 1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour | pecan pieces

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla.  Next, mix in the baking soda and salt. Add the flour, mix. Sprinkle in some pecan pieces and combine. Pour mixture into a buttered 4x8 loaf pan. Add more pecans on top. Bake for 1 hour. Let the bread cool. Remove from pan and slice.