A Special Baking Day

This weekend is a very special, very special indeed.  You see, this weekend is the very last moments of my baby boy, Superman's third year.  On Monday he will turn four.  Do you hear me?!  I said four!

(((Enter here: Silent Screaming)))

Superman is a very special boy, too.  He was a surprise for me, a gracious gift from God during the most turbulent years of my failing marriage.  And, when my world collapsed three years ago, he was young enough to really need me.  You know, diapers, feeding, watching after, and cuddling and kissing, too.  I didn't have the luxury to check out of my life, which I sooo wanted to do, if only mentally and emotionally.  No, although living with family, with whom I recently had a very strained relationship, and then near-strangers with whom I couldn't quite connect, Superman wouldn't let me check out.  He needed me.  I know the other kids needed me, too, each in their ways, but they also were old enough to revel in cousin play every new day and then the excitement of a new "Uncle" and "Auntie."  Not Superman.  He clung to me and, due to the cramped living arrangements, even shared my bed.  He was my earthly retreat whilst I too clung...to my heavenly Savior.

All this to say, I'm baking Superman a very special cake today as well as our weekly breakfasts, which were all carefully chosen to please him during his very special birthday week:

Last night, I got things started with applesauce in the slow cooker.  I found two bags of organic Golden Delicious and Granny Smith apples on sale at our roadside fruit stand.  Cha-ching!  Into the cooker they went with a cup of water, so that this morning I could kick off my baking day with:

Spiced Applesauce Bread

3-cups applesauce

1-cup raw sugar ((we prefer it on the not-so-sweet side; you could add more sugar if you prefer quick breads more sweet))

1/2-cup butter, melted

4-eggs

1/3-cup buttermilk

4-cups whole wheat flour

1 1/2-teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2-teaspoon baking soda

2-teaspoons cinnamon

1-teaspoon nutmeg

1/2-teaspoon allspice

1/2-teaspoon salt

1-cup chopped walnuts

~In a large bowl, beat together the wet ingredients.  Stir in the dry ingredients.  Fold in the nuts.  Pour batter into two greased loaf pans, and bake at 350*F (175*C) for 50-60 minutes.  Makes two loaves...obviously.  :D

Oatmeal-Coconut-Sunflower Seed Cookies

1-cup butter

1/2-cup brown sugar

1/2-cup white sugar

2-eggs

1-Tablespoon vanilla extract

1-cup raw coconut

1-cup raw sunflower seeds

1 1/4-rolled oats, chopped in the food processor ((not too finely; more like quick oats))

1 1/4-cups rolled oats

2-cups whole wheat flour

1 1/2-teaspoons baking powder

~Cream butter and sugars.  Add eggs, vanilla and salt.  Stir in coconut and sunflower seed.  In another bowl, combine oats, flour, and baking powder; slowly add to butter mixture until combined.  Drop by tablespoon-fulls onto lined baking sheets.  Bake at 375* for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned and cooked through, whichever comes first.  Makes four dozen ((I'm bringing two dozen to our church luncheon and freezing the other dozens separately for the week's snacks)).

Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls

2/3-cup milk

1/4-cup unsalted butter

1-cup sweet potato, mashed

4-Tablespoons honey, or sugar

1-teaspoon salt

2-eggs, beaten

2-Tablespoons yeast

4 to 5-cups whole wheat flour

butter for rising dough

~Heat milk and butter in microwave or over stove until butter is almost completely melted ((you don't want the milk to be too hot and kill the yeast)).  In a large mixing bowl whisk together milk, butter, eggs, sweet potato, honey or sugar, and salt until combined.  Add 2-cups flour and yeast and stir until smooth.  Continue to add flour until a dough forms.  Grease up the dough with butter and cover to rise, one hour.  

Filling: 

2/3-cup brown sugar

1-Tablespoon cinnamon

1-teaspoon nutmeg

4-Tablespoons butter, melted

Cut raised dough in half.  Roll each out into large rectangles, about 1/4-inch thick ((the thinner the dough, the more layers of cinnamon-sugar you get)).  Brush with melted butter, and cover with cinnamon-sugar.  Starting from the longest side, roll dough and press outside edge.  Slice into 1 1/2-inch segments and place into a buttered baking dish for a second rise ((or, like me, you could put one dish into the refrigerator for the morning's breakfast and freeze the other dish for another morning; OR raise one or ALL now in a warm place)).  Brush rolls with butter and allow to rise again 45-minutes to an hour, or until doubled and lookin' all deeeelish.  Bake at 350* for 25-minutes.

Glaze:

1/4-cup cream cheese, softened

3-Tablespoons milk ((or cream :D))

1 1/2-cup powdered sugar

Whisk cream cheese and milk together until smooth.  Add sugar; whisk until all lovely glazey-like.  Pour or brush over rolls.  Eat warm or cold!  

These are so good, and not terribly bad for you, that I could barely get a picture of the finished product before husb'd ran off with two for himself and one for his partner in food-crimes galore, our Newshound 'bout Town!  

The kids decided to bake cookies tonight so we could get some present shopping done today, and I have a lot more work to do for the birthday cake, so I'll be posting pics of those after Monday, his actual birthday.

Have a blessed and rested weekend!