Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

My Holiday baking this year has been different from previous years. I usually make an assortment of baked goods, but this year we had family in town for the past few weeks, which has cut down my time in the kitchen quite a bit, but no complaints here. This year I decided to make cinnamon rolls as gifts for the folks in the office. I liked this idea because everyone likes a cinnamon roll and they can be frozen and saved for later in case anyone wants to stay away from the overdose of sugar for a while! This recipe makes anywhere from 40 to 50 cinnamon rolls, perfect for gift giving and it does not skip on anything. There is a lot more than just dough and a few sprinkles of cinnamon and sugar. They were quite good and hard to eat just one!

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

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For the dough:

1 quart (4 cups) whole milk

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup sugar

2 packages active dry yeast

9 cups all-purpose flour, divided

1 heaping teaspoon baking powder

1 scant teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoons salt

For the Filling:

2 cups melted butter

2 cups sugar

1/4 cup cinnamon

For the Icing:

1 bag powdered sugar

1 tablespoon maple flavoring (or vanilla extract)

1/2 cup milk

6 tablespoons melted butter

1/4 cup strong brewed coffee

a dash of salt

To make the dough:

Mix the milk, vegetable oil, and sugar in a pan. Scald the mixture (heat until just before the boiling point). Turn off heat and leave to cool 45 minutes to 1 hour. When the mixture is lukewarm to warm, but not hot, sprinkle both packages of active dry yeast. Let this sit for one minute. Add 8 cups of all-purpose flour. Stir mixture together. Cover and let rise at least 1 hour.

After rising for at least an hour, add additional cup of flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir mixture together. (At this point, you could cover the dough and put it in the fridge until you need it, punching down as needed.)

When ready to make rolls:

Sprinkle rolling surface generously with flour. Take half the dough and form a rough rectangle. Roll the dough into a thin rectangle measuring approximately 30 x 10 inches. Drizzle 1/2 cup to 1 cup of melted butter over the dough. Sprinkle 1 cup of sugar over the butter followed by 1/8 cup of cinnamon.

Starting at the opposite end from you, begin rolling the dough in a neat line toward you. Keep the roll relatively tight as you go. Next, pinch the seam of the roll to seal it.

At this point, you can place melted butter in a seven inch round foil or pie pan. Cut the rolls approximately 1 1/2 inch thick and lay them in the butter pans, being careful not to overcrowd. Repeat the process with the other half of the dough.

Let the rolls rise for 20 to 30 minutes, then bake at 375 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes, or until light golden brown.

To make the frosting:

While the rolls are baking, mix together powdered sugar, maple flavoring, milk, butter, coffee, and salt. Stir until smooth.

Generously drizzle over the warm rolls.

Source: The Pioneer Woman

Ginger Scones

So I’ve already told you before that our household loves ginger. I enjoy it most in marinades, or in recipes where it is used for small, subtle punches of flavor. I knew my family would love ginger scones, but I was a little worried that the candied ginger would be too strong of a flavor profile for me. I am glad I went ahead and tried the scones. They were fabulous. My favorite way to eat them was with a little bit of butter and some raspberry jam. While I won’t be snacking on the leftover candied ginger, which oddly enough I don’t like by itself…I will be using it make the scones again!

Ginger Scones

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2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into 1 inch cubes and frozen

4 1/2 oz candied ginger, finely chopped into 1/4 inch pieces to equal 2/3 cup

3/4 cup heavy cream, plus extra for brushing the tops of the scones

Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade or in a bowl of an electric mixer attachment, combine the flour, sugar, and baking powder, and pulse or mix on low to incorporate. Add the lemon zest and butter, and pulse on and off, or mix on low, until the mixture is pale yellow and the consistency of fine meal.

Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and stir in the ginger. Make a well in the center and pour in the cream. Using one hand, draw in the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. (Do not over mix.)

Wash and dry your hands and dust them with flour. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and gently knead a few times to gather it into a ball. Roll or pat the dough into a circle about 3/4 inch thick. Cut out the circles, cutting as closely together as possible and keeping the trimmings intact. Gather the scraps, pat and press the pieces back together, and cut out the remaining dough. Place the scones 1 inch apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. (I formed mine into squares to save some time.)

Brush the tops with the remaining cream. Bake for 12 to 16 minutes, until the surface cracks and they are slightly browned.

Source adapted from: The Food Librarian, originally from Nancy Silverton’s Pastries from La Brea Bakery

Almond Coffee Cakes

I made these little cuties over the weekend. It’s been a while since I’ve made this recipe and I’m kicking myself now for forgetting about them! They have the perfect layers of flavor with the streusel topping cutting through the middle  and tops of the cake. I also really enjoy the moistness that the sour cream provides to the batter. Overall the taste and texture is the perfect morning treat to enjoy with a cup of coffee.

Almond Coffee Cakes

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For the Crumbled Almonds:

1/3 cup sugar

1 cup almonds

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon


For the Coffee Cake Batter:

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 large egg

1 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

Pinch of salt

Combine the ingredients for the crumbled almonds in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Set
aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 10 molds of a 12-mold mini square pan.

Combine butter and sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat at high speed until light and fluffy.

Continue beating at medium speed and add egg, beating until combined. Add sour cream and vanilla extract and beat until combined.

In a small bowl, sift together flour, baking powder. and salt. Mix the dry ingredients into the butter and egg mixture just until combined.

Scoop about 2 tablespoons of batter into each mold. Spread 1 tablespoon of the crumbled almonds on top, followed by about 2 additional tablespoons of batter. Finish with a sprinkling of crumbled almonds. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until cake tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean.

Cool on a wire rack for 10 to 20 minutes before turning the cakes out of their pans. Once turned over invert immediately to keep the crumbled almonds on top of cake.


Source: Little Cakes from the Whimsical Bakehouse: Cupcakes, Small Cakes, Muffins, and Other Mini Treats by Liv and Kaye Hansen

Sticky Buns

Who can resist this caramel toffee sticky bun? So soft, flaky, and buttery. On my last visit back home my brother and dad kept going on and on about how they wanted my mom to make these sticky buns. I just couldn’t imagine why they would choose to have this sticky bun over my mom’s famous mini cinnamon rolls. And then she made them and they were wonderful. I will say that I still love my mom’s cinnamon rolls, but I wasn’t disappointed when the sticky buns were served instead. The puff pastry sheets used in the place of making a dough make this recipe so simple to throw together. I recommend you make them soon! After all, who can say no to this?

Sticky Buns

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12 tablespoons ( 1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/3 cup brown sugar, lightly packed

1/2 cup pecans, chopped

1 package frozen puff pastry (2 sheets), defrosted

For the Filling:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2/3 cup brown sugar, lightly packed

3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 cup raisins (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place a 12 cup muffin tin on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, combine the 12 tablespoons butter and 1/2 cup brown sugar using a hand or stand mixer. Place 1 rounded tablespoon of the mixture in each of the 12 muffin cups. Distribute the pecans evenly among the 12 muffin cups on top of the butter and sugar mixture.

Lightly flour a wooden board or stone surface. Unfold 1 sheet of puff pastry with the folds going left to right. Brush the whole sheet with melted butter, leaving a one inch border of the puff pastry. Sprinkle each sheet with 1/3 cup of the brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon, and 1/2 cup raisins. Starting with the end nearest you, roll the pastry up snugly like a jelly roll around the filling, finish the roll with the seam side down. Trim the ends of the roll about 1/2 inch and discard. Slice the roll into 6 equal pieces, each about 1 1/2 inches wide. Place each piece, spiral side up, in 6 of the muffin cups. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry to make 12 sticky buns.

Bake for 30 minutes, until the sticky buns are golden to dark brown on top and firm to the touch. Allow to cool for 5 minutes only, invert the buns onto the parchment paper (ease the filling and pecans out onto the buns with a spoon) and cool completely.

Source adapted from: www.foodnetwork.com, Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics