Cinnamon Rolls, really good Cinnamon Rolls

So I have FINALLY mastered a Cinnamon roll recipe. I have tried many many different recipes, but this is it! Also, the frosting I use on these is so flipping good it's a wonder how any ever makes it on the rolls.
I don't have a bread machine. It's on my Christmas list that I'm sending to Santa. But there's a lot on my list, so if I don't get one there's always next year. I don't mind doing it the old school way. And that's just how this recipe goes.


You'll need:
1/4 cup warm water
1/4 cup softened butter, unsalted
1 small pkg. instant vanilla pudding mix
1 egg
1 cup warm milk
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
4 cups flour
1 pkg. (.25 oz.) active dry yeast

filling-
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
4 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 cup raisins
Mix the butter, sugar, and cinnamon, and set aside.

frosting-
2 oz. cream cheese
7 tbsp. salted butter, softened
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tbsp. milk
1.5 cups powdered sugar
1/4 sp. salt

To get started, Dissolve the 1 tbsp. sugar in the warm water, along with the 1/4 butter. Add the yeast and set side.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the pudding mix, egg, and milk. Stir together. Add the yeast mixture (once it's foamy) to the pudding mixture. One cup at a time, mix in the flour. Mix just until a ball has formed. It will be a little sticky. If it's too sticky to handle, add a little more flour. I then remove the dough, and in the same bowl, I drizzle in some oil. Place the dough back in the bowl and turn to coat. Cover the bowl with a towel and let the dough rise until doubled, about an hour.
I've made these a lot, and when I made them this weekend, it was extremely humid out, and so it took my dough more like an hour and a half to rise. Just keep that in mind, if you're making these when it's humid.
Once the dough is doubled, roll it out onto a floured surface. You want a rectangle shape, about 10x17 inches. Spread the filling all over the top of the dough, going as close to the edge of the dough as you can. Sprinkle with raisins. Starting on a long side, roll the dough up into a long log. Slice into 12 rolls (about an inch thick). Place in a greased 9x13 pan. Cover with a towel again and let rise until doubled, about 45 min.
Preheat oven to 350.
Once they're risen, bake for 20 minutes. Keep an eye on them, everyone's oven is different. Mine bakes fast and high.

While the rolls are baking, prepare the frosting.
Beat together the cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer in a large bowl until creamy. Mix in the vanilla and milk, then gradually mix in the powdered sugar and salt until smooth and fluffy. Spread over rolls.

Enjoy!!!

                                                                      

Sweet Rolls

In my opinion, bread baking is the best smell ever. I don't use air fresheners, candles, etc. I bake bread.
I got this recipe online a long time ago. Maybe from allrecipes.com, maybe Taste of Home, I don't remember. It has become a staple in my kitchen though.
The recipe makes about 16 rolls and they stay good for a few days. Usually, the day after I make them, I split them open and place a slice of provolone cheese and ham in the center and nuke it in the microwave. Perfect lunch.

You need:

1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)                                                    

1/2 cup warm milk                                                                     
1 egg                                                

1/3 cup butter, softened         

1/3 cup white sugar                                                    

1 teaspoon salt                                                                     

3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour                                                                     

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast                                                                     

In a large bowl, or bowl of your electric mixer, combine the water and milk, then stir in the sugar until it dissolves, then stir in the yeast. Once yeast starts to foam, mix in the salt, butter and egg. Then, add the flour a half cup at a time, continuously stirring.
Cover and let rise for about 45 minutes in the bowl.
Punch the dough down and divide into 16 pieces. Form your rolls and let rise again, for about 45 minutes again.Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden.

Enjoy!

Breadsticks with Parmesan Butter

I love love love breadsticks. Is there anyone that doesn't though?
This recipe makes about 30 sticks, so plan on eating them for days...or freezing some dough...or having me over for dinner :)

You need:
2 pkgs. active dry yeast
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups warm water
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 egg
1 tsp. salt
4.5-5 cups flour

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 tbsp. grated parmesan
1/2 tsp. garlic powder

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 tbsp. of sugar in 1 cup of water.
Once dissolved, add the oil, egg, salt, 2 cups of the flour, remaining sugar, and remaining water.
Beat until smooth. Stir in enough flour now to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface and knead 6-8 minutes, til elastic-like. (If you are freezing half of this recipe, freeze after kneading)
Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease entire ball of dough. Cover and let rise til doubled, 40 min.
Punch the dough down and turn onto floured surface again. Divide into 30 pieces and shape each into a 6 inch rope. Place 2 inches apart on greased cookie sheets. Cover and let rise again til doubled, 25 min.
Bake at 400 for 10-12 min.
In a small bowl, cream together butter, parmesan, and garlic powder. Brush over sticks while they're still hot, or serve on the side.
Enjoy!

Homemade French Bread

The best part about baking your own bread, is the way it makes the whole house smell. It's raining outside and I have hot, fresh bread. Ahhhh, what a perfect day. All I need now is a good chic flick.
This is a super easy bread to make. No bread machine needed!

You need:
2 cups warm water (110 degrees)
1 tbsp. active yeast
1 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
5 cups bread flour
cornmeal, for sprinkling cookie sheet

Dissolve yeast in warm water, with the sugar. Let sit for about 10 minutes to foam up.
Add 3 cups of flour, the vegetable oil, and the salt. Mix well for 2 minutes. (I used my kitchen aide stand mixer)
Stir in the remaining 2 cups of flour and pour onto a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes, until smooth.
Place the dough into a well-oiled bowl and cover. Let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.
Punch dough down and divide in half.
Grease a cookie sheet and sprinkle with cornmeal.
Shape each halve into a loaf form and set on cookie sheet.
Make 3-4 diagonal cuts into each loaf.
Cover again and let rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
I sprayed some spray-butter on each loaf before baking to give the crust a little extra crunch, and for some nice color.
Bake at 375 for 30 minutes.

Garlic Monkey Bread

Hot Damn these are good! I saw these little cuties over on Life As A Lofthouses's blog, and I just had to make them. At first, I wanted to wait til this weekend when I had time to make my own dough, but I decided to try them the way they were presented, with Rhodes frozen dinner rolls. Glad I did! Rhodes dough is sooooo light and fluffy, they're perfect for these. They're so fun to eat too, like monkey bread, they just pull apart.

You will need: (for 8 "muffins")
12 frozen Rhodes dinner rolls
1/2 cup butter
3 cloves of garlic, minced
4 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
fresh parmesan cheese, about 4 tablespoons or so
garlic powder, for sprinkling
muffin pan

Follow instructions on the Rhodes bag for thawing out your rolls...I did the 5 hour defrost.

Once they are thawed, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Spray your muffin pan with cooking spray.

Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the minced garlic and the parsley, stir...

Take each roll and cut it ito 4 pieces...

Dip each piece into the melted butter mixture and place 6 pieces into each muffin cup...

Once you've got your 8 muffins done, sprinkle the fresh parmesan over them all...

Bake at 400 for 12 minutes, or until golden brown. When they come out, season with garlic powder if you want :)

Enjoy!







Homemade Bread

I make a few loaves of this every couple weeks. I usually eat one loaf right away, and freeze the other. It makes the BEST grilled cheese sandwhiches! My husband likes it warm with butter. We ate an entire loaf yesterday just watching Mad Men LOL.
No fancy bread machine needed, just takes a little time is all.

3 pkg. active dry yeast
3 tbsp. white sugar
2.5 cups warm water
3 tbsp. butter flavored crisco
1 tbsp. salt
6.5 cups flour

Preheat oven to 425.
In a bowl. dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water (4 min). Stir in crisco, salt and 2 cups of the flour. (I use my kitchen aid stand mixer). Stir in remaining flour, a half cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. Once the dough pulls together, turn onto a lighly floured surface. Knead the dough until smooth, abiut 5 minutes.
Lightly oil a large bowl, and put the ball of dough into it, turning to coat in oil. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and let rise til doubled in size, bout 45 min.
Punch the dough down to deflate and separate it into two pieces. Place into two greased bread pans, turn oven temp down to 375 and bake for 30 min. Enjoy!

Blueberry Banana Bread

I bought a lifetime supply of frozen blueberries at costco last week, so I have been experimenting with new recipes. This one is a keeper for sure. Banana bread has always been a favorite of mine, and adding the blueberies just makes it that much better. I didn't have any nuts on hand, but pecans or walnuts would go great in it too.

You will need;
1 cup frozen blueberries
2 mashed bananas
1.5 cups flour, plus 2 tbsp
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup butter-flavored shortening
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a bread pan.

In a bowl, coat your berries with 2 tbsp. of flour..

In another bowl, combine the oats, the 1.5 cups flour, the salt, and the baking soda. Then fold in the berries.

In another bowl, mix the shortening, sugar, and vanilla together. Add eggs one at a time.

Add the mashed bananas in...

Now gently add the flour mix, careful not to over stir or you will break all the berries up (like I did)

Pour into the greased bread pan

Bake for 55-60 min, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean :)

Eat it while it's warm, with butter, lots and lots of butter. I love butter.