Yes, you can have your cake and eat it too! We are sharing two delicious cake recipes from our Wisconsin Innkeepers that you can prepare easily. The Apple Bundt Cake is perfect for a snack or baked for breakfast. The Hummingbird Cake, is a southern recipe, and very rich and decadent! It is a must try!

The other "B" in our name is breakfast, but many of our Wisconsin Bed & Breakfast Association Innkeepers also enjoy serving up welcome treats in the afternoon, so delicious goodies are also our Innkeepers specialty. And, really, there are no strict rules, so sometimes a dessert is served after breakfast! So, you can bake these Innkeeper recipes and/or visit any of our Wisconsin Bed & Breakfasts for truly special breakfasts and homemade treats! Enjoy!

Apple Cake

Recipe by The Livingston Inn, Madison:

Ingredients:
1 cup oil
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 t. vanilla
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1 t. allspice
2 t. baking powder
2 cups peeled and chopped apples (approx. 4 small apples)
1 cup pecans or walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 cup chopped dates

Directions:
Beat oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla on low speed until creamy. Add dry ingredients a little at a time and beat well after each addition. Fold in fruit and nuts. It’s a very thick batter. Bake in Bundt pan for 45 minutes at 350 degrees and test cake.  Bake at additional 5-minute increments if cake is still not baked all the way through.

Hummingbird Cake

Recipe by Apple Tree Lane B&B, Waupaca:

Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups oil
1 (8 oz.) can crushed pineapple - do not drain
2 cups bananas, mashed, about 3-4 large bananas
1 cup pecans or walnuts chopped

Directions:
Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon. Mix together with whisk.  Add eggs, vanilla extract, oil, pineapple, bananas, and nuts.  Mix all until moistened. Spray 3 (9 inch) round cake pans or one 9x13 inch pan.  Bake in preheated 350 degree oven 30-35 minutes until cake is done in center.  Frost with Pecan Cream Cheese Frosting!

Pecan Cream Cheese Frosting:
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1 lb. box or about 3 2/3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

You can find more delicious recipes on our recipes page!

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Let’s set aside pancake, omelette and pastry recipes for some Christmas cookie recipes, shall we? We dug deep into our recipe archives for Christmas cookie recipes that guests love best. The greatest part of this is that they’re easy! Delicious results ahead.

We all have our favorite Christmas cookie recipes, the ones that the kids and relatives insist you make every year. Add to that collection with these favorites. P.S. While Santa will surely love these as a late night snack, we do give you permission to eat these at breakfast too. After, all, we are the bed and breakfast association!

Extra Special Gingersnap Cookies

Makes 4 Dozen

¾ cup butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
1 egg
¼ cup molasses
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon ginger

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the egg and molasses and beat well. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger. Gradually add the dry mixture to the creamed mixture; mix well. Chill the dough and then roll into 1 ¼ inch balls. Dip in additional sugar and place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 10 minutes, or until set and surface cracks. Cook on wire racks.

Santa’s Melt In Your Mouth Sugar Cookies

Makes Approximately 4 Dozen

2 ¼ cups flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup butter (no substitutions), softened
½ cup powdered sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1 egg
½ cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
Additional sugar to roll the cookies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. In large bowl, beat butter, powdered sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed about 2 minutes or until creamy. Reduce speed to low, beat in egg, then beat in oil and vanilla. Gradually beat in flour mixture just until blended, occasionally scraping the bowl. Place some additional sugar in small bowl or saucer. Shape dough into ¾ inch balls. Place balls 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Dip a glass with a cut design on bottom, or coarse side of meat mallet into sugar in bowl, use to flatten each ball into a 1 ½ inch ball. Bake 10-11 minutes until edges are golden. Transfer to wire rack to cool. Store cookies in tightly covered container. Please note: Frosting and sprinkles are always a good idea too!

Peanut Butter Cup Lovers Cookies

Makes 40 Cookies

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ cup butter, softened
½ cup white sugar
½ cup peanut butter
½ cup packed brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk
40 miniature chocolate covered peanut butter cups

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda; set aside. Cream together the butter, sugar, peanut butter, and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla, and milk. Add the flour mixture; mix well. Shape into 40 balls and place each into an ungreased mini muffin pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately press a mini peanut butter cup into each ball. Cool and carefully remove from pan.

Chocolate Chip Bacon Surprise

¾ cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup granulated sugar
¾ cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups flour
2 eggs
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cornstarch
½ cup milk chocolate chips
½ semi-sweet chocolate chips
½ cup chopped bacon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Melt butter in microwave in 10-second increments until fully dissolved. Combine all dry ingredients in medium mixing bowl and whisk to combine, set aside. Cream butter and sugars 2 minutes until fully incorporated. Add eggs one at a time and mix until just combined. Add 2 teaspoons of vanilla. Gradually fold in flour roughly one cup at a time until dough is slightly tacky. Add chips and bacon and mix with wooden spoon until combined. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Bake cookies on lined baking sheet for 8-9 minutes, or until barely golden brown. Let cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Better Than Cereal Cookies

Makes Approximately 1 Dozen

½ cup rolled oats
½ cup applesauce or mashed banana
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¼ cup almond or cashew butter
1/16 teaspoon salt
2-3 tablespoons mini chocolate chips
2 ½ tablespoons freeze-dried raspberries
Optional 2 tablespoons sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mash the applesauce or banana with the nut butter until smooth, then stir in all other ingredients until well-combined. Shape into cookies and bake on a greased cookie sheet for around 15 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before removing from sheet. Please note: These cookies really are a wonderful breakfast cookie!

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We usually feature a recipe or two with each newsletter, but with this installment we thought, why stop there when garden plots and farm fields are bursting with ingredients covering the full spectrum of flavors.

Sweet Treat from Blacksmith Inn On The Shore in Baileys Harbor: Pumpkin Pecan Muffins Ingredients 1 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon cloves 1 cup flour 1 egg 1/2 cup oil 1 cup canned pumpkin 1/4 cup chopped pecans 1/4 cup raisins

Savory Breakfast from Cream Pitcher B&B in Blue River: Eggs Taos Ingredients 1 large clove garlic, minced ½ onion, chopped ¼ cup butter ¼ cup flour 2 cups milk, heated 1 7-oz. can chopped green chilies ½ tsp salt ¼ tsp pepper 10 eggs, whisked 2 avocados 8 flour tortillas 3 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese (and/or Cheddar) 1 cup sour cream 1 tomato, chopped or 1 cup salsa Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large skillet, sauté garlic and onion in butter over high heat. Stir in flour. Add heated milk and whisk constantly until thick. Add green chilies, salt and pepper. Remove sauce from heat and set aside. In a large skillet, scramble eggs, set aside. In a small bowl mash or slice avocados. Spoon 2 tablespoons sauce, ¹/8 of the eggs, and ¹/8 of the avocado on each tortilla. Sprinkle with cheese. Roll up and place seam down in a 9x13-inch baking dish. Spoon remaining sauce over tortillas and sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or until hot. To serve, top with sour cream and tomato or salsa.  

Sweet Breakfast from Red Forest B&B in Two Rivers: Baked German Apple Pancake Ingredients 3 eggs, separated 3 Tbsp flour 3 Tbsp milk Dash of salt 3 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced ¼-inch thick ½ cup sugar 2 Tbsp butter 1 tsp cinnamon (Penzy’s is the best) Preheat oven to 350°F. Place a 9-inch ovenproof glass pie dish with deep sides in preheated oven. Beat egg whites until stiff. Mix flour, milk, salt and egg yolks in separate bowl with hand mixer. Then gently fold egg white mixture in. Sauté apples, sugar, butter and cinnamon in a skillet for 2–3 minutes until apples are well coated. Pour apples into heated glass pie dish sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Pour the batter over apples slices. Bake for 20 minutes at 305°F until the pancake is brown and puffy. Remove from oven and loosen sides. Place a round plate over glass pie dish and flip over. Cut the pancake in wedges and serve with maple syrup and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.  

Autumn Inspired Fruit from Cameo Rose Victorian Country Inn in Belleville: Black Raspberry & Chambord Poached Pears Ingredients Black Raspberry Chambord Sauce (Can be prepared ahead—stores in fridge for weeks and can also be prepared without the alcohol) 2 cups fresh or frozen black raspberries ²/³ cup water + ¼ cup water to mix with cornstarch ½ cup sugar 1 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice 2 Tbsp Chambord (raspberry liqueur) 1 Tbsp cornstarch Place raspberries in a blender with the water to purée and then strain mixture over a small saucepan to remove the seeds. Add remaining ingredients to saucepan, except for the cornstarch, and bring to a low boil over medium heat, stirring often to prevent sticking. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30–40 min. Stir cornstarch into the ¼ cup of water until completely dissolved and then add to the berry mixture. Cook and stir until the sauce thickens. Serve warm over cooked pears. Poached Pears 8 fresh firm pears 2 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice ½ cup sugar Using a large kettle with the capacity of covering the pears with water while cooking, add water and place on the stove. Core pears using an apple corer and peel completely. Use a knife to trim the bottoms if necessary so that the pears will stand upright when served. Bring the water, sugar and lemon juice to a boil and then turn down to low until pears are fully cooked—slightly firm, but tender enough to cut with a butter knife—approximately 45 minutes, depending on how firm the pears are to begin with. Test pear texture with a toothpick. Remove from heat and rinse with cold water. Drain and place in bowls—one per guest. Ladle 2–3 tablespoons of the Black Raspberry Chambord Sauce over the top. Garnish with a dollop of whipped cream and shaved Ghirardelli Chocolate, using approximately 1 tablespoon per serving.

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    We really can’t help ourselves when it comes to fall and food. After all, Wisconsin is tops in cranberry production and cheesemaking, to say nothing of potatoes, corn, apples, beer, and more. So it seemed only right to dedicate a story to the cornucopia of innkeepers whose cooking talents are top-notch. While mere mortals may dabble in cooking and baking, our innkeepers are gods and goddesses of the kitchen. Which, of course, means an incredible food experience when you stay at a Wisconsin B&B. Here are some of our picks for “top chef.” [caption id="attachment_2676" align="aligncenter" width="384"] Bowman's Oak Hill Wild Rice Cranapple Bake[/caption] When innkeepers get together for a cook-off, you can be certain they will put their best foot forward. At Bowman's Oak Hill B&B in Wisconsin Dells, innkeeper Nancy Bowman was a grand prize winner for her Wild Rice Cranapple Bake. Here's what you need to do for this delicious breakfast treat: Number of Servings: 4 generous or 8 side dish sized portions Baking Time: 30 minutes Baking Temperature: 350°F Ingredient List: 1 ½ c. cooked Wild Rice ¾ c. raw oatmeal 2 large red apples ¾ c. dried Cranberries ½ c. raisins ½ T. cinnamon ½ c. chopped nuts (you can use either walnuts, pecans or a mixture of the two) 2 c. milk ¼ c. brown sugar ¼ tsp salt 2 T of butter Preparation: In large bowl Mix: rice, oatmeal, thinly sliced apples (Not peeled), cranberries, raisins, cinnamon and nuts. Heat in microwave oven until hot: Milk, brown sugar, salt and butter Mix into rice and fruit mixture. Put into buttered 2 qt. casserole. Cover and Bake @ 350°F for 30 minutes How served / presentation: Garnish with: A dollop of low fat vanilla yogurt and drizzle of pure Wisconsin Maple Syrup. For my meat lovers I add a side of sausage with whole grain English muffin. This recipe makes 4 generous servings or 8 side dishes to be served with an egg dish and sausage. [caption id="attachment_2709" align="aligncenter" width="399"] Dinning Area of Fountain Chateau B&B - Hustler[/caption] Suzanne Soltvedt of Fountain Chateau B&B in Hustler was also a winner in a cook-off for her Wild Rice Pancake, Cranberry Delight. This recipe may look long, but with homemade chutney, cran-raspberry syrup, and browned sage butter, it is well worth the time and care for this delicious delight: Number of Servings: 8 Necessary Utensils: 1 large sauce pan, 2 small saucepans, mixing bowl, measuring cups and spoons, strainer, grater, paring knife, griddle and small fry pan Ingredient List: Whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, eggs, honey, buttermilk, olive oil, orange zest and orange half. Water, sugar, cranberries, apples, vinegar, raisins, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves. Cran-raspberry juice, sugar, light Karo syrup. Unsalted butter, sage leaves, chicken broth Preparation: Pancakes: 1. In a large sauce pan place ½ cup wild rice in 2 cups boiling water and cover; cooks in about 45-55 minutes but check the water doesn’t cook dry. 2. To make the pancakes, place 2 cups whole wheat flour, 2 tsps. baking soda, ½  tsp baking powder, in mixing bowl.  Add 2 eggs, 2 tbls. Honey, 2 ½ cups buttermilk, 2 tbsp. Olive oil and mix 3. Add 1 ¼ cup cooled wild rice 4. Add the zest of one orange grated 5. Add 1 cup minced craisins or raisins or dried cherries Mix until moistened; place about ¼ cup of batter on hot griddle; turn when top bubbles. Continue until all the batter has been used. Chutney: 1 cup water ¾ cup sugar ½ tsp. Cinnamon ¼ tsp. Ginger ¼ tsp. Allspice 1/8 tsp. Cloves 1/2 cup vinegar ½ cup craisins or raisins 1-16 oz. Package of cranberries or 2 cups 1 cup apples, peeled, cored and diced Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes Cran-raspberry Syrup 1 ½ cup cran-raspberry juice 1 ½ sugar ¾  cup Karo syrup Bring to a boil for about 10 minutes Browned Sage Butter 5 T. Unsalted butter 15-18 sage leaves broken into small pieces ¼ c. low sodium chicken broth Heat the butter on high heat in a frying pan.  As soon as it gets hot, add the sage leaves and swirl to coat. Keep cooking until the butter turns brown and the sage leaves begin to turn brown. Immediately remove from the heat. Hollow out an orange half How served / presentation: Place two pancakes on plate Fill the hollowed out orange with chutney Fill a small pitcher with cran-raspberry syrup – serve on the plate Drizzle browned sage butter over pancake   [caption id="attachment_848" align="aligncenter" width="357"] Lindsay House B&B - Manawa[/caption] Owner of the Lindsay House B&B in Manawa, Judy Trull, was recently featured on Living With Amy with Fox 11 - she whipped up her recipes for Panetonne French Toast & Dreamscicle Scones. Take a peek at the recipes and the segments of the show below: Panetonne French Toast with Cinnamon Cream Syrup Dreamscicle Scones   Innkeepers at Jay Lee Inn in Elkhart Lake, Garden Gate B&B in Sturgeon Bay, and Hamilton House B&B in Whitewater have all had recipes published in the Wisconsin Bed & Breakfast cookbook, as well as many other innkeepers across the state! Here's a sample of what they offer: [caption id="attachment_2695" align="aligncenter" width="366"] Jay Lee Inn - Elkhart Lake[/caption] Jay Lee Inn: Swedish Flop 1 cup butter, divided 2 cups flour, divided 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp water 1 tsp vanilla 1 cup flour - shouldn’t this be deleted? 3 eggs Chopped nuts and/or shredded coconut Confectioners’ Sugar Frosting: ¾ cup powdered sugar 1 heaping Tbsp butter 1 heaping Tbsp Crisco ½ tsp vanilla extract 2 Tbsp milk Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut ½ cup of the butter into 1 cup of flour and mix to make coarse crumbs. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons water over the flour mixture and blend quickly with a fork. Roll or pat out dough into two long strips (about 10–12 inches) on an ungreased cookie sheet. Combine 1 cup water and the remaining ½ cup butter in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the vanilla. Remove from heat and beat in the remaining 1 cup flour, stirring by hand with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Spread the dough over the pastry strips and bake 55–60 minutes, or until lightly browned. (It will flop at this point.) Allow to cool slightly before drizzling with frosting. Sprinkle with your choice of nuts, coconut, or sprinkles. For the frosting: Mix together all ingredients, adding just 1 tablespoon of milk at first. Add additional milk to make frosting of desired consistency. [caption id="attachment_2696" align="aligncenter" width="377"] Garden Gate B&B - Sturgeon Bay[/caption] Garden Gate B&B: Brunch Strata 3 cups sliced mushrooms 3 cups chopped zucchini 2 cups fully cooked ham, cubed 1½ cups chopped onions 1½ cups chopped green peppers 2 garlic cloves, minced ¹/³ cup vegetable oil 3 8 oz. pkgs cream cheese, softened ½ cup half & half cream 12 eggs 4 cups day old bread, cubed 3 cups (12 oz.) shredded Cheddar cheese 1 tsp salt ½ tsp pepper Sauté mushrooms, zucchini, ham, onions, green peppers and garlic in oil until vegetables are tender. Drain, pat dry and set aside. In mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and cream until smooth. Beat in eggs and stir in the bread, cheese, salt, pepper and vegetable mixture. Pour into 8 individual ramkin dishes. Bake uncovered at 350°F for 35–40 minutes or until knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. [caption id="attachment_2697" align="aligncenter" width="402"] Hamilton House B&B - Whitewater[/caption] Hamilton House B&B: Breakfast Meatloaf 1 lb. ground chicken 1 medium Granny Smith apple, grated 1 medium onion, grated 2 cups plain stuffing croutons (I like Pepperidge Farm) 2 large eggs Parsley, thyme, and rosemary Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray pie pan or loaf pan with cooking oil. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Press evenly into pan. Sprinkle top with parsley, thyme, and rosemary. Bake for 50–60 minutes until browned. Cut into wedges and serve— good warm or cold. Variation: Can be made with any combination of ground chicken, pork, or veal.   [caption id="attachment_2701" align="alignleft" width="283"] Old Rittenhouse Inn - Bayfield[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1920" align="alignright" width="178"] White Gull Inn - Fish Creek[/caption]               Did you know that many Wisconsin B&B have chefs on staff? Inns such as Old Rittenhouse Inn in Bayfield, where they showcase the regional harvest of the Bayfield Peninsula and offer cuisines that are organically grown and locally raised, or White Gull Inn in Fish Creek, where they use only the freshest of produce and other ingredients, preparing each meal carefully to order, are just a couple of examples of inns that showcase their top-notch culinary skills. Now, if all that has made you hungry, jump to our expanded recipe section in this enewsletter and get cookin’ yourself!  

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  We rounded up a few rhubarb recipes that will have your mouth watering in no time. Technically a vegetable but legally a fruit, this spring/summer darling is a delight in pies, tarts and crumbles. Whether the star of a recipe or paired with berries, rhubarb is remarkably tasty. Don’t believe us? Try these recipes from our member innkeepers and you’ll be craving something rhubarb-y every year. [caption id="attachment_2529" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins[/caption] The first is a tasty treat from White Lace Inn, Sturgeon Bay, WI: Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins Ingredients: 3 cups flour ¾ cup white sugar 3 ¼ teaspoons baking powder 3 eggs ¾ cup milk ¼ cup oil ¼ cup sour cream 2 cups chopped rhubarb 1 cup chopped strawberries Chopped nuts, (optional) Directions: Preheat oven to 425°F and line muffin cups. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, and baking powder. In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs, milk, oil, and sour cream. Add the creamed mixture to the dry ingredients and blend well. Fold in the rhubarb and strawberries. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, filling about ¾ of the way. Sprinkle additional sugar and chopped nuts over the tops of the muffins and bake 20 minutes.   [caption id="attachment_2530" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Rhubarb Coffee Cake[/caption] The next is a recipe from Angel Inn, Green Lake WI: Outrageous Coffee Cake Ingredients: 1 cup buttermilk ¼ - ½ cup melted butter 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 3 cups chopped rhubarb 2 ¾ cups flour 1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt 1 cup brown sugar ½ cup chopped pecans Topping: ½ cup butter ½ cup cream or half & half 1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Directions: Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. In a medium bowl, mix together the buttermilk, melted butter, egg, and vanilla; stir in the rhubarb. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until just combined. Spread the batter in the pan and sprinkle with brown sugar and pecans. Bake 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes away clean. Stir and heat the topping ingredients in a small saucepan. When the coffee cake comes out of the oven, poke deep holes over entire surface of the cake using a meat fork or skewer. Drizzle the warm sauce over the cake, cool, and serve.  

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