She thought of us when she saw it in a magazine and cut it out for me. It’s been laying on my desk patiently waiting.

The ingredients are quite basic, most well stocked pantries could handle. The instructions are straight forward, albeit there is yeast and resting/rising involved. However I’m certain most modest cooks could tackle this recipe.

Yet day after day, week after week, I avoided eye contact. What was it about this recipe that I was avoiding?

Oh I knew. Deep down I knew. And I’m here to admit to you.

I’VE NEVER MADE A CINNAMON ROLL.

Nope, not one.

Like you, I’ve seen hundreds of cinnamon roll recipes floating around the internet. I’m fairly sure there are Pinterest boards entirely dedicated to this delicacy. Yet I have managed to avoid making them until now.

Fear of failure is the only thing I can think of that has kept me from attempting this family favorite breakfast treat. But on this day I’m going in!

Making the Dough

Step 1 of the instructions is to “dissolve yeast in warm water and cream until foamy.” Sounds simple enough. The picture above is the 3rd attempt at foamy, which also included sending my husband to the grocery store to buy more heavy cream. That’s how committed I was to making this Giant Cinnamon Roll.

As it turns out the problem was not the temperature of my water and cream. Remember last year when covid first hit and everyone was home. We were all working on our honey-do lists, organizing closets, and baking bread. All that bread baking created a yeast shortage. Not sure the exact facts but my grocery stores were out for weeks, maybe longer. I finally broke down and ordered a 1 pound package of instant dry yeast online. That’s a lot of yeast and the same yeast I was using for this recipe, some 15 months later. There was no foamy action happening.

I thought about backing out. I mean this was part of why I have avoided making cinnamon rolls in the past. He must have seen the look in my eyes when he said “I’m going back to the grocery store to buy you fresh yeast.”

Bless him!

The moral of the story….face your fears & use fresh yeast.

As you can see in the above pictures I achieved “smooth and elastic dough” as Step 2 instructed. The dough also doubled in size and rolled out nicely into a 12″ x 15″ rectangle. The pizza cutter trick was brilliant too. Things were going my way. Confidence filled the air.

I rolled each 2-inch strip around the previous, creating a beautiful giant cinnamon roll, which doubled in size again! The magic that only fresh yeast can deliver (and an hour in a warm spot).

Making the Homemade Caramel Sauce

But then came the homemade caramel sauce. Good God. “Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan, cook over medium heat until it turns light amber.” Amber was no where to be seen. My sugar crystalized and turned to sugar concrete. Two batches in and we’re going with homemade “golden” syrup. It was buttery, sweet and delicious. One day caramel I’ll get you, but not today!

Recipe Note: because this recipe calls for caramel sauce I didn’t want to leave you hanging. But clearly I’m no expert. Here is a great link on how to make Quick and Easy Caramel Sauce. The trick….resist the urge to stir.

The Results

This iconic cinnamon bun, also known as a cinnamon swirl or danish was a giant hit with the whole family, including Ms. Pat. The dough was buttery crisp on the edges with a light center and a wonderful cinnamon flavor swirled throughout. I’m already thinking about my next attempt and how I’ll approach it with conviction.

Today marks what would have been my mom’s 90th birthday. Without question she would have loved this cinnamon roll. I have a folder of recipes cut, torn, rewritten from magazines and newspapers that mom knew I would like. It’s time for me to tackle the next one!

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram and Facebook! And check out our latest TikTok videos and Pinterest boards too!

All my best,
xo Libby

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How To Make a Giant Cinnamon Roll

This Giant Cinnamon Roll was a hit with the entire family. The dough was buttery crisp on the edges with a light center and a wonderful cinnamon flavor swirled throughout.

Course Breads, Breakfast, Brunch

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Rise Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Author Leah Rekau, Milwaukee, WI

Ingredients

For the Dough

• 1 pkg. (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast be sure yeast is fresh
• 1/2 cup warm water 110° – 115° F.
• 1/2 cup warm heavy whipping cream 110° – 115° F.
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 3-4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 large egg beaten
• 3 Tablespoons butter melted

For the Cinnamon Filling

• 1/4 cup butter softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon

For the Caramel Topping

• 1 cup sugar
• 2 Tablespoons water
• 6 Tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Instructions

For the Cinnamon Roll

• Dissolve yeast in warm (110° – 115° F.) water and cream until foamy. I verified the temperature with my instant read thermometer. In a separate bowl, whisk together sugar, salt and 3 cups flour. Stir in yeast mixture, beaten egg and melted butter. Add enough remaining flour to create a soft dough.
• Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, adding additional flour if mixture is too sticky. Place in a greased bowl, turn once to grease the top. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean dish towel and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 12-inch x 15-inch rectangle. Spread softened butter over dough, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture. Using a pizza cutter, cut dough into (6) 2-inch wide strips. Roll one strip and place in center of greased 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. Wrap remaining strips around center. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, about an hour.
• Preheat oven to 350° F. Bake until golden brown about 35-40 minutes.

For the Caramel Sauce

• To prepare the topping, combine sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook undisturbed until it turns light amber, about 8-9 minutes. Resist the urge to stir. Add butter, stirring vigorously. Remove from the heat, add cream and continue to stir vigorously. Cool slightly. Pour 3/4 cup over cinnamon roll. Serve with remaining caramel sauce.

The post How To Make a Giant Cinnamon Roll appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Big bold flavors. Bright cheerful colors.

There’s nothing boring about these burgers.

I have a Jerk Marinade that I’ve used for Turkey Tenderloin, Turkey Meatballs, Caribbean Couscous Salad….

Its punchy, gently spicy, with bursts of citrus and herbs. There’s warmth from the spices balanced by the natural mildness of ground turkey. I’m addicted!

To make these burgers, mix up your spices and aromatics first then add them to the ground turkey. This insures the flavors are incorporated well without overworking the mixture.

Overworking = tough burgers.

When cooked properly Turkey Burgers are moist and juicy. Ground turkey is tender and can be tricky to cook on a grill. The secret I’ve found is to sear the patties in a hot pan, then finish them in the oven. They come out perfectly every time.

Turkey Burgers reheat beautifully too, so they are fantastic for meal prep and making lunches for the week! The flavors in these jerk burgers are even better the next day, warm or cold!

Juicy Jerk Turkey Burgers with Caribbean Coleslaw are fun for the weekend, but easy enough for a weeknight meal! Serve them on toasted burger buns or lettuce wraps, topped with Caribbean Coleslaw.

Are there recipes that remind you of a favorite vacation that you’d like to see us recreate? I’d love for you to comment below. Your feedback is so important to me (and keeps the recipe love fresh).

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram and Facebook! And check out our latest TikTok videos and Pinterest boards too!

All my best,
xo Libby

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Juicy Jerk Turkey Burgers with Caribbean Coleslaw

Juicy Jerk Turkey Burgers with Caribbean Coleslaw scream summer! Big bold tropical flavors. Bright cheerful colors. Smiles all around!

Course Burgers

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs use gluten free panko for GF version

Spices and Aromatics

• 2 Tablespoons soy sauce or coconut aminos
• 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger or 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 sprigs minced fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 scallion thinly sliced
• 1 small jalapeno fine diced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• oil for pan frying

For Serving

• 1 cup Caribbean Coleslaw recipe link in post
• 4 burger buns lightly toasted

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350° F.
• Mix spices and aromatic together. Add ground turkey, egg and panko breadcrumbs. Mix with hands until just combined.
• Form into 4 burger patties. Heat 1 Tablespoon cooking oil in oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Pan fry burgers 2-3 minutes per side, then transfer to oven. Cook for 10 minutes or until internal temperature of burgers reaches 165° F. Remove and allow to rest 5 minutes.
• To serve, place each burger on a toasted bun and top with 1/4 cup Caribbean coleslaw.

The post Juicy Jerk Turkey Burgers with Caribbean Coleslaw appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Startbuck’s drive thru speaker: “There’s a nationwide shortage of oat milk…

….and brown sugar.”

Me: What on earth??

Could this be true and if so, why?!!

So I ordered the Iced Chocolate Almond Milk Shaken Espresso instead.

It was good, but no where near as tasty as the Iced Brown Sugar Oat Milk Shaken Espresso.

The Oat Milk

Apparently when Starbucks rolled out their new Iced Coffee creations a couple months back they underestimated their popularity.

There are reports that a widespread shift to plant-based diets has created an increase in demand for non-dairy milk. In this case oat milk, but the particular shortage mentioned was for OAT-LY! brand.

Trust me, I didn’t waste any time on my mission to source the ingredients needed to make Iced Brown Sugar Oat Milk Shaken Espresso at home.

Imagine my delight when I found a long row of oat milk readily available at the market for just such a need.

The oat milk is one of the star ingredients in this iced coffee.

Having tried both, I actually prefer Califia brand over OAT-LY!, it’s much creamier. It’s creamy full texture and oatmeal-like flavor pairs really nicely with the remaining ingredients.

But you do you.

Just be sure to choose an unsweetened Oatmilk. PS. try Oat Milk poured over your favorite granola/cereal. It’s delicious!

The Brown Sugar Simple Syrup

The next key flavor in this iced coffee comes from the brown sugar simple syrup. You make it from equal parts water and brown sugar aka ‘simple’ syrup.

One cup of each will yield enough simple syrup to make 12 grande Iced Brown Sugar Oat Milk Shaken Espresso.

Bring the water to a boil, add the brown sugar, whisk to combine, return to a boil to dissolve sugar, then remove from the heat and allow to cool.

For the Espresso

For a grande (16 ounce) Iced Brown Sugar Oat Milk Shaken Espresso you’ll need 3 shots (or 3 ounces) of espresso.

The Starbucks website says they use a blonde espresso, which you can find at local retailers. But I say use your favorite espresso that’s available for your type of coffee maker.

Tips

When I’m making Iced Coffees, I like to cool down my brewed coffee before adding it to the ice so it doesn’t become too diluted.

For this recipe, combine 3 ounces of espresso, 1 ounce of brown sugar simple syrup, and 1/8~1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (the 3rd star ingredient) in a jar with a lid and shake, shake, shake.

Shaking is the key to incorporating the cinnamon flavor throughout the drink (not just a sprinkle on top).

Pour the sweetened cinnamon espresso into a tall glass of ice, then top with oat milk and stir to combine.

Grab yourself a straw and prepare to be delighted.

The warm familiar flavors of creamy oat milk with the brown sugar syrup and aromatic cinnamon scream fresh baked oatmeal cookies.

I’m on my second batch of simple syrup in three days, which tells you precisely how much I (and my friends & family) love Iced Brown Sugar Oat Milk Shaken Espresso.

I have a standing monthly coffee date with a friend (and former colleague). Today is Earth Day so we decided to take it to the woods for a nice 3 mile hike.

Much to her delight I made us two Iced Brown Sugar Oat Milk Shaken Espressos and had them in a cooler waiting for us when we were done. I got two thumbs up on this one!!

I’d love for you to comment below. Your feedback is so important to me (and keeps me seriously motivated). Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram and Facebook! And check out our Iced Brown Sugar Oat Milk Espresso video on TikTok!

xo Libby

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Iced Brown Sugar Oat Milk Shaken Espresso

The warm familiar flavors of creamy oat milk with the brown sugar syrup and aromatic cinnamon scream fresh baked oatmeal cookies.

Course Beverage

Servings 1

Calories 120kcal

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

For the Brown Sugar Simple Syrup

• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup water

For ONE Iced Brown Sugar Oat Milk Shaken Espresso

• 3 ounces espresso preferably cooled
• 1 ounce brown sugar simple syrup cooled
• 1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup unsweetened oat milk or to fill glass

Instructions

For the Brown Sugar Simple Syrup

• Bring one cup of water to boil in a small saucepan. Add the brown sugar, whisk to combine, return to a boil to dissolve sugar, then remove from the heat and allow to cool. Yields 12 ounces.

For ONE Iced Brown Sugar Oat Milk Shaken Espresso

• In a jar with a lid (a 16 ounce mason jar works well) combine espresso, simple syrup and cinnamon. Shake well. Fill a tall glass 3/4 full of ice. Pour espresso mixture over ice, top with oat milk. Stir to combine.

Notes

For fun I calculated what this cost me to make at home.  Here’s the breakdown.

• $2.00 2-coffee pods/capsules
• $0.06 1 ounce brown sugar simple syrup
• $0.01  1/8 tsp. cinnamon
• $0.30 1/2 cup OAT-LY! oat milk

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$2.37 for a Grande Iced Brown Sugar Oat Milk Shaken Espresso

---

vs. Starbucks grande @$5.95

The post Iced Brown Sugar Oat Milk Shaken Espresso {Starbucks Copycat} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Since breakfast is my favorite meal of the day it was only fitting that before March Meatball Madness came to a conclusion that we come up with a Breakfast Meatball.

I stumbled on this idea quite by accident.

When ALDI delivered my sister’s groceries, they inadvertently substituted frozen breakfast meatballs for frozen breakfast sandwiches.

Who knew such a thing even existed?!!

I mean we’ve all heard of sausage balls, but to incorporate French toast to the mix….brilliant!

Minimal ingredients and a very simple process make these French Toast Breakfast Meatballs a wonderful school or work day breakfast.

Of course no one would turn them down on the weekend either!

If you cook up a batch of Buttermilk French Toast over the weekend, save a couple slices to incorporate into your meatballs during the week or pop them into the freezer to pull out when needed.

The Meatball Ingredients

• For the meatballs I combined a pound of all-natural ground sausage
• An egg
• 2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon of ground sage
• 1/2 of teaspoon of salt & pepper
• 2 cups of small cubed (1/4-inch) prepared French toast

The Process

• Roll the mixture into balls about 1 1/2″ in diameter. I made 32 meatballs.
• Bake on a parchment lined baking sheet at 400 degrees F. for 15 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and serve with warm pure maple syrup.

Growing up in New Hampshire made me a bit of a maple syrup snob.

Once you’ve had ‘real’ maple syrup there’s no turning back. Every year, just before spring, I buy my maple syrup from Ben’s Sugar Shack, located just a few miles from my hometown.

Their prices are reasonable, they ship quickly, their bottles are gorgeous, and their syrup is delicious!

Speaking of delicious :)

French Toast Breakfast Meatballs were definitely a hit! You totally get the French toast taste and feel, which makes them nice and soft with hints of cinnamon, but the combination with the sausage makes them savory and very juicy.

It’s a wonderful flavor fusion!

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram and Facebook! And check out our latest TikTok videos and Pinterest boards too!

All my best,
xo Libby

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Libby with Lemony Thyme

French Toast Breakfast Meatballs have the French toast taste and feel, which makes them nice and soft with hints of cinnamon, but the combination with the sausage makes them savory and very juicy. It's a wonderful flavor fusion!

Course Breakfast

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Ingredients

For the Buttermilk French Toast

• 6-8 slices french bread, sliced 1-inch thick you'll want 2 cups once cooked and cubed
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 Tablespoon butter for pan frying French toast

For the French Toast Breakfast Meatballs

• 1 pound all-natural ground sausage
• 1 large egg
• 2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon ground sage
• 1/2 teaspoon salt optional
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper optional
• 2 cups 1/4-inch cubed prepared French toast see above

To Serve

• 1/2 cup warm maple syrup for serving

Instructions

For the Buttermilk French Toast

• In a shallow bowl, beat eggs with buttermilk and cinnamon. Dip bread slices in egg mixture, turning several times so they absorb some of the liquid. Heat butter in a skillet over medium heat. Pan fry the dipped bread slices until golden brown on both sides. Cool slightly then chop into 1/4-inch cubes.

For the French Toast Breakfast Meatballs

• Preheat oven to 400° F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine ground sausage with egg, maple syrup, sage, salt & pepper. Then mix in the chopped French toast until thoroughly incorporated. Make 1 1/2-inch diameter meatballs and place on parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes. Serve with warm maple syrup.

The post French Toast Breakfast Meatballs appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

This spice blend goes perfectly in muffins, pies, granola, oatmeal and cider.

I make this blend with ground cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. You’ll sometimes also find ginger and/or cardamom included. It’s similar in profile to Pumpkin Pie Spice which also contains ground ginger and cloves.

I’m curious. Are you team apple or team pumpkin? I have to say I’m very fond of pumpkin, especially in baking and soups. Have you tried our Pumpkin Morning Glory Muffins? Or Pumpkin Acorn Squash Soup?

My husband is an apple freak! He loves everything from simple cinnamon apples that fill our home with the most wonderful aromas to apple pies that delight all the senses. As apple season approaches we’ll be heading to the North Georgia Mountains to do a little picking.

Stay tuned for apple recipe overload. In the best way possible.

You’ll find this homemade apple pie spice blend in recipes like Dutch Apple Pie Muffins or Salted Caramel Apple Dumplings. Plus you can sprinkle it on oatmeal or granola for warm flavor boost.

What are your favorite apple recipes? I’d love for you to share in the comments below. Your feedback keeps the fall baking love alive!

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram and Facebook! And check out our latest TikTok videos and Pinterest boards too!

All my best,
xo Libby

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Apple Pie Spice

Making Homemade Apple Pie Spice is an ideal way to incorporate spices likely already in your cabinet. This spice blend goes perfectly in muffins, pies, granola, oatmeal and cider.

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon groud nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

Instructions

• Combine spices in an air tight jar.

The post Homemade Apple Pie Spice Blend appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

I am in sweet heaven. 

I sweetened the softened cream cheese with a little sugar, vanilla, and almond extract. 

For the blueberry syrup I simmered pure maple syrup with a handful of blueberries. 

The roll-ups are pan browned then rolled in cinnamon sugar. 

Lovefest I tell you.

I’m already dreaming of the next batch of French Toast Roll-Ups.  Perhaps a savory filling is in order.  Ah the choices.

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram and Facebook! And check out our latest TikTok videos and Pinterest boards too!

All my best,
xo Libby

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Blueberry Cream Cheese French Toast Roll-Ups

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

For French toast roll-ups…

• 4 slices white sandwich bread crusts removed
• 2 ounces cream cheese softened
• 1 Tbl. sugar
• 1/4 tsp. vanilla
• 1/4 tsp. almond extract
• 1/2 cup blueberries fresh or frozen
• 1 egg
• 1 Tbl. milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• butter

For blueberry syrup…

• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/2 cup blueberries fresh or frozen

Instructions

For French toast roll-ups…

• Using a rolling pin, flatten each slice of bread.
• In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and almond extract. Spread 1/4 of mixture on half of each of the bread slices. Place a row of blueberries across the lower edge of each roll-up; roll tightly.
• Combine sugar and cinnamon in small dish. Beat egg and milk in separate shallow dish. Dip each roll-up in egg mixture. Heat 1 Tbl. butter in a skillet over medium heat. Cook roll-ups in skillet turning until browned on all sides. Remove from skillet and roll in cinnamon/sugar. Serve immediately.

For blueberry syrup…

• In a small skillet warm maple syrup with 1/2 cup blueberries.

The post Blueberry Cream Cheese French Toast Roll-Ups appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

I find extreme satisfaction from really bold flavors. Not only do they excite my taste buds but they wake up my senses. This punchy Jamaican Jerk Marinade will leave your tongue dissecting the layers of flavors. It’s spicy, slightly sweet, and over the top with aromatics.

The ingredient list is rather lengthy but each element contributes to this classic Jamaican flavor profile. I call this a marinade but it also makes a wonderful dressing.

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Jamaican Jerk Marinade

The ingredient list is rather lengthy but each element is necessary to build this classic Jamaican flavor profile.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup soy sauce or coconut aminos
• 3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 3 Tablespoons olive or avocado oil
• 2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 Tablespoons brown sugar optional
• 1 Tablespoon orange zest or 1 Tbl orange marmalade
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1/2 small sweet onion diced
• 1-2 jalapeno or serrano pepper seeds removed fine diced
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme leaves
• 3 scallions sliced
• 2 cloves fresh garlic minced
• 1 Tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 2 teaspoon allspice
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 generous handful fresh cilantro leaves and stems

Instructions

• Combine all ingredients in a small bowl or zipper top bag. Use as marinade or dressing. Can store in refrigerator for up to one week.

The post Jamaican Jerk Marinade appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Pumpkin Pie Spice is a fall baking staple. All those warm sweet smelling aromatic spices bring a cozy element to muffins, pies, coffees and cookies.

I’m a fan of making my own spice blends, mostly because it gives me a chance to include some less frequently used jars from my already crowded spice cabinet.

The post Pumpkin Pie Spice appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Let me talk quickly.  We are currently experiencing unseasonably cold temps with wind gusts in the….well below our comfort level.  My computer has been off and on again with power outages and server issues.

Before we move on.  Did I not score the cutest loaf pan EVER?  Straight off the thrift store shelf, still inscribed with $2.47 on the bottom.  Steal!!

Back to this super moist, ultra flavorful Carrot Cake Breakfast Bread with pecan crumble topping and hints of coconut…. what more can I say, other than you are going to love it!!

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram and Facebook! And check out our latest TikTok videos and Pinterest boards too!

All my best,
xo Libby

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Carrot Cake Breakfast Bread

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 55 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 2 medium carrots shredded
• 1 medium zucchini shredded
• 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
• 1/4 cup coconut oil warmed
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup shredded coconut unsweetened
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg

For pecan crumble topping…

• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 2 Tbl. flour
• 2 Tbl. brown sugar
• 2 Tbl. melted butter

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter loaf pan.
• Roll shredded carrot and zucchini in paper towels to remove excess moisture. Then in a medium bowl, combine carrot and zucchini with next six ingredients, through vanilla.
• In a separate bowl whisk together remaining dry ingredients (excluding pecan crumble topping). Stir dry ingredients in wet until just combined. Pour batter into buttered loaf pan.
• Combine pecan crumble topping ingredients. Sprinkle on top of batter.
• Bake for 50 – 55 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center of bread comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.

The post Carrot Cake Breakfast Bread appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Char Sui is Chinese BBQ Pork.  Don’t let the word BBQ fool you.  This isn’t your typical southern pulled pork BBQ (albeit we love that).  No, the flavors and cooking method for Char Sui is quite different.  And the results…phenomenal.  Juicy, melt-in-your-mouth pork infused with a sweet & sticky marinade.  Let us not pass over what makes Char Sui dreamy good.  Crispy. Pork Fat. Rules!!

Our new pellet smoker has been fired up almost every weekend.  We’ve had some combination of meats/seafood slow roasting in the smoky love tank.  If Boston Butt Pork Roast is on sale, we’re buying it.  Just so happens, we scored an 11 lb. roast.  Mind you we are two people and that’s a lot of pork.  So we decided to divide and conquer.  One pound for me to make Char Siu, a 5 lb. roast for the smoker and a 5 lb. roast for the freezer.

Recipe Note: depending on what kind of pork roast you begin with, you’ll want to cut 3-4 slabs to put into the marinade.  We got three out of our roast that were each about 1-inch thick and maybe 3-inches X 5-inches in overall size.  Once fully cooked, we further cut each slab into 1/2-inch cross-sections.

Ingredient Note: Once we got home with our ginormous pork butt, we weren’t going back to the grocery store.  So when we realized we probably needed Hoisin Sauce and Chinese 5-Spice Powder…we improvised.  Our ingredient list yielded the right balance of sweet and spice.  Feel free to improvise.

You’ll want to serve your Char Sui with white rice or perhaps our Shrimp Fried Farro.

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Char Siu Roast Pork

Prep Time 8 hours hours

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 8 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 1 lb. Boston Butt Pork Roast cut into slabs about 1-inch thick; about 3-inches X 5-inches.

Char Sui Sauce…

• 2 Tbl. soy sauce
• 2 Tbl. maple syrup
• 1 Tbl. ketchup
• 1 Tbl. sriracha sauce
• 1 Tbl. rice wine vinegar
• 1 Tbl. honey
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/8 tsp. ground clove
• 1/8 tsp. ground star anise

Instructions

• Combine sauce ingredients and pour into a zip top bag. Add pork and marinate overnight in the refrigerator; or for at least 4 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line shallow rimmed baking sheet with foil. Place a wire rack in pan and lay pork slabs on rack. Bake for 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, pour marinade into a small saucepan and bring to a boil for one minute. Remove pork from oven after 20 minutes; turn over pieces. Baste with char sui sauce. Return to oven for an additional 20 minutes.
• Remove from oven and slice each slab into 1/2-inch slices.
• Delicious served with white or fried rice.

The post Char Siu Roast BBQ Pork appeared first on Lemony Thyme.