Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting

 

  Who doesent love the smell of walking by Cinnabon, and smelling those delicious pastries. Cinnamon Rolls are a sweet delicacy for breakfast. Most the time, it's Pillsbury Grands in our house, homemade are very time consuming. Although there's nothing wrong with a Pillsbury Cinnamon Roll, these are over the top, and may make you never turn back. 

For the dough: 

3/4 cup warm water

2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

1 tbs sugar

  

  Whisk these ingredients together and let the yeast proof, it will look frothy after 10 minutes. That means it is proofed and ready. 

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/3 plus 2 tbs vegtable oil

1 large egg

1/3 cup buttermilk

4 to 5 cups flour

  Whisk together the egg, oil, and buttermilk and add to the yeast mixture. Mix until combined. Now with your dough hook attachment add the rest of the ingredients, the flour one cup at a time. Knead on low until well combined. Kick it up to medium and let it go for about 5 minutes, the dough will start to pull clean from the sides of your bowl. It will be sticky, but not so sticky that it making a huge mess. Butter the sides of a large bowl, place the dough in the middle, and let rest covered with plastic wrap, for 4 hours. (The waiting game is the worst.) I made my dough, and let it rest while I'm off to work at my real job and did the next steps when I got home. 

For the filling

1 cup room temp butter

2 tbs cinnamon powder

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla 

1/2 tsp nutmeg

Mix all ingredients together to form sweet spread. 

Time for the the fun part! I let my dough, double in size. 

 Punch the dough down, and drop it onto a clean, floured surface. Begin working and rolling the dough into a rectangle shape.

  Now spread the sweet, loaded with cinnamon buttery spread on the dough, leave about a half inch on all sides clean. 

  Now sprinkle a little more cinnamon, on top of it. (We really like cinnamon in our house) You could also add pecans or maybe even walnuts at this step, if your info that sort of thing. Now it's time to get this slab of deliciousness rolled up. It's easier than you would expect, just start at one end, keep the dough tight, and roll into a log shape. 

 Now cut the dough every 2 inches. I got 10 rolls out of my cinnamon roll log. Now place them in a greased baking pan, cover it with plastic wrap, and you guessed it. More waiting. Let the rolls proof, until they are double in size and touching each other. This step has to happen, I put mine in the microwave, safely hidden from the 3 stooges (aka, my counter surfing pups) and let them sit for 6 hours overnight. Normally I require atleast 8 hours, but 6 sufficed knowing I was waking up to soon be put into a cinnamon roll coma.

Here is a picture before resting. 

 

Look at the little guy, isent he sweet?

 And here is one from after, I mean it when I say this step is nessasary. Look how plump and beautiful they look after rising. 

 Now these buns are ready for the oven! Literally, preheat to 350 and bake for 15 to 17 minutes. Do not overbake, they are ment to be ooey-gooey and delicious! While they are baking, it's time to make the frosting. It's a simple cream cheese butter cream and tops these off so wonderfully. 

1 8 oz package cream cheese

1/2 stick room temp butter

1/2 tsp vanilla 

1/2 tsp cinnamon 

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar 

2 tbs heavy cream

  Whip everything together until, smooth and silky. 

  When the buns are cooked through and ready to exit the oven, immediately top them with frosting. Let it melt and ooze all over the tops and sides. 

  Once they have cooled enough to remove them from the pan, top each with another small ( or if your adventurous, large) spoonful of more frosting. 

  Now enjoy, and slowly be engulfed into a cinnamon cream cheese coma, and if your lucky, unlike I was, go back to sleep for another 2 hours of sweet dreams. 

  

Meat Lovers Lasagna

This lasagna will make any meat loving man fall face forward into the table. Three  words, sausage, pepperoni, BACON. This dish was made specifically for Anthony, you will notice there is no ricotta cheese. I love ricotta cheese. Anthony hates ricotta cheese. Anthony won on this one. I will say it's the 1st lasagna I've ever made, or had with no ricotta, and it passed my standards. I think the bacon was the final factor! 

1 box lasagna noodles

2 cups of your favorite sauce

( I'd give you mine, but it's different every time I make it, it's one of those throw together what we have kinda things) 

Fresh mozzarella 

Italian Sausage links (sliced) 

Pepperoni

Bacon

More bacon

More fresh mozzarella 

Assembly Line

Sauce

Noodles

Sausage 

Pepperoni

Bacon 

Cheese

Repeat

Top with another layer of noodles, and of course, more cheese. 

Here are some photograph steps... 

  Bake at 350 for 45 minutes, after 20 minutes, cover with foil and continue until time is up (you don't want crispy noodles and burnt cheese)

Let cool and you will have a slice of meat lovers paradise, on a plate! 

Greek yogurt Mac n' Cheese with Vegtables

  

   Today is an accomplishment. I've never made anything without butter, until today. This Mac and Cheese has NO butter, but it it's still equally delicious. I think it's because the 2 and a half cups of assorted cheese. It's still kinda healthy, healthier than any other Mac and Cheese I've ever made. Super easy, super delicious, and kinda super healthy. (Hey I tried) 

3 cups elbow macaroni ( I used whole wheat) 

10 oz shredded cheese ( I used an assortment of extra sharp cheddar, and Swiss) 

1 cup plain Chobani Greek yogurt

1 cup fresh Kale

1 cup Roasted Broccoli Florets 

1/4 tsp paprika

2 tsp garlic powder 

Salt and Pepper  

  Cook the noodles in water until al dente. Al dente is not cooked all the way. You don't want the noodles to end up overcooked once you add all the goodies. Drain noodles but keep 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Now sauté the kale with a little olive oil and some water, when slightly soft, add the paprika.

  To roast the broccoli, crank your oven to 450 degrees. On a baking sheet spread out the broccoli and sprinkle with, olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes until soft, and broccoli has a light char on the florets. 

Now for the cheesy part! Aka, the best part! 

That's a lot of cheese. Ok now add the noodles, water, cheese, Greek yogurt, and garlic powder to a large saucepan. Stir and melt until it turns into a smooth, cheesy deliciousness. Add the sautéed kale, and Roasted broccoli and stir until combined. Ta-Dah! Now it's finished and ready to stick a fork in it! 

Peach Cobbler Cupcakes

         Peach Cobbler Cupcakes

   I've been thinking about these cupcakes for a week, finally I figured everything up and made them on Saturday for a 4-H fundraiser. They were a hit, and only lasted on the table for 30 minutes. Luckily I left 3 at home for me and Anthony. Deffinatley will be dessert tonight. They are an awesome combination of moist cupcakes, and peachy cobbler, with a hint of cinnamon. I love to use cinnamon in anything, it just reminds me of cool fall evenings. Ok maybe just in my dreams anyways because south Florida doesent get many of those! These cupcakes are a bit of a process and may seem scary, but once you jump in they are pretty simple and I'm confident any of you can give them a shot. Enjoy! 

Ingredients 

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 cups cake flour 

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbs baking soda

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 cup room temp salted butter

1 3/4 cup granulated sugar

4 eggs 

1 tsp vanilla 

1/2 cup smashed peaches with syrup

1 cup milk

  Preheat oven to 350. Sift the dry ingredients. Cream butter and sugar in electric mixer until fluffy, add eggs one at a time and beat after each addition. Add the vanilla. Add 1/2 the flour mixture, beat on low until combined. Add the milk, mix until combined. Add the rest of flour scraping down sides of bowl, so everything is mixed together evenly. Add the peaches and stir by hand ( you don't want to over mix the batter. Bake in cupcake liners for 12 to 14 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. 

Peach Filling 

6 fresh peaches

1 tbs ground cinnamon 

3 tbs brown sugar 

Pit the peaches and boil until soft and cooked through, the skin will start to wrinkle and come off, that's when the peaches are done. Let cool, and peel the skin off the peaches. Purée the peaches, cinnamon and brown sugar until combined, but still slightly chunky. 

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Frosting

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup water 

1/2 cup corn syrup

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 

5 egg whites

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp meringue powder 

Whip the egg whites and meringue powder on high until stiff peaks form 

On med high heat, melt the brown sugar, water, corn syrup and cinnamon until bubbly. Reduce to med heat, simmer and whisk for about 6 minutes. 

Remove from heat and while mixer is on high, drizzle the sugar into the egg whites. Nice and slow, please use your patience here! 

Your finished product will look like this, and taste absolutely heavenly! 

   Smooth and glossy, and so yummy. 

Assembly Line

   When the cupcakes are cool, they are ready to fill. Use a filler tip and fill a piping bag with the peach filling, stick it right in the middle of the cupcake and squeeze gently until the middle is full. Continue with all the cupcakes, my batch made 26. Also but the frosting in a piping bag, with tip of your choice and pipe some of the delicious frosting right on top! Yum! 

 

Roasted Smashed Feta Potatoes

 

    

    There's a million and 1 ways to make potatoes, I never get tired of eating them, mmm carbs. These are so simple, but have lots of flavor, and are an easy extra to any dinner. 

6 red skinned potatoes

1 lemon

1/3 cup feta cheese

Salt

Pepper 

2 tbs butter 

Parboil the potatoes until they are half cooked. Then toss them in the oven on a roasting rack, or baking sheet and roast at 400 for 20 minutes. When the taters are cooked through, simply lightly smash them with, well, whatever strikes your fancy. I used a meat mallet ( I know a little over the top) When they are all smashed, top each with a small dollop of butter, then sprinkle with the salt, pepper, and feta cheese. Top with some fresh lemon juice and, voila! Your finished.

   What a quick delicious, side that pairs well with most any meals! 

I topped mine with some sliced green onions :) 

Herb and Lemon Roasted Chicken Thighs

   A lot of people are scared of dark meat chicken. I am not one of those people. A chicken thigh is more moist and flavorful than any breast ever thought about being. We've been eating these for months, ever since my best sister friend Kara started sending me fresh dried "Herbs de Provence" straight from the Pikes Place Market in Seattle, Washington. Kara no longer lives there, and I'm almost out of my blended spices. Luckily it's a blend of basil, oregano, rosemary, tarragon, and lavender, things that can also be found at the Fort Pierce Farmers Market. Hopefully they taste just as we'll as they do shipped when they are shipped across the country :) 

    Add a little fresh lemon and rosemary and these jewels are one of my go to, easy dinners. A hit every time!! 

4 skin on chicken thighs

1 tbs olive oil

1 1/2 tbs Herbs De Provence

Fresh Cracked Black Pepper

Kosher Salt

Juice of 3 Lemons

1 sprig fresh rosemary 

Combine all ingredients and coat the chicken thighs. Let marinate for at least 2 hours, 4 or 6 or heck even overnight will also work. 

  I sear my chicken before I roast it. It amps up the flavors, and makes the skin nice and crispy (yes it's the best part.) Fire up an iron skillet, nice and hot, spray with non stick cooking spray and place the chicken skin down. Sear for about 10 minutes until skin is golden brown. 

   Remove from pan and place, skin up, on a roasting rack. Add a lemon slice on top and roast at 400 for 35 minutes until chicken reaches a temperature of 165. Yes, that is the temp of fully cooked chicken, for all of you who did not know. It's a great fact to remember for the rest of your life. 

   Let sit for about 5 minutes before serving. I mean it when I say these are always a hit for dinner at my house. Simple and Easy but packed full of flavor.  Excuse me while I go eat dinner.... 

 

Loaded Popcorn Cookies

   Who doesn't every time they go to the movies, mix the popcorn and the m n m's together? It's the ultimate movie night snack food. Think about that, and fresh baked cookies, even better right? These cookies, are the perfect mix of sweet, salty and colorful. Very kid friendly, plus the adults like them too. 

2 sticks room temp butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup speculoos cookie butter 

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour 

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking soda

5 cups popped buttered popcorn

1 cup m n m candies. 

Beat butter and sugar on high until smooth, add eggs, one at a time until fully incorporated. Now add the cookie butter. I know most of you may not know of this modern day delicacy. 

(Me buying my cookie butter in Chicago) 

    Do yourself a favor. LEARN ABOUT IT. It's hard to find in our neck of the woods. My 4 jars came strait from Chicago's own Trader Joes ( I wanted it so bad, I checked my carry on bag for the plane, just to bring it home.) If your willing, order some offline at www.traderjoes.com. Now if you don't want to go to that extreme, the cookies will be fine without it, it's just an added hint of flavor, that I love. Ok, add the vanilla. Now add the flour and mix until combined.

   Mix the popcorn and m n m's in by hand. Don't use a mixer it will crush the popcorn. 

 Preheat your oven to 350 and spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Form your cookies (whatever size you please) and make sure there 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. I top mine with a few extra pieces of popcorn, and some m n m's so there nice and pretty on top :) 

 

  Now bake for 8 to 12 minutes until cooked through, and a light golden brown. These cookies are so fun and delicious, for any age. There's not a person on this planet that does not like popcorn, m n m's and cookies. There even better all mixed together and baked until golden and delicious. Enjoy these on your next "Movie Night"

Pumpkin Streusel Muffins

 

 Remember when I said I am pumpkin obsessed. I really meant it. I mean you can make anything pumpkin flavored and it will be awesome. Summer, Spring, Fall,  Winter, any season and I'm up for using pumpkin in the kitchen. I am great fully thankful Libby's Pumpkin is available year round. Pumpkin+Muffins=you cant go wrong, but add a buttery walnut filled streusel to the top, and why yes, it's almost as decadent as a cupcake. Don't let these little baby's make you feel guilty, they are muffins, NOT cupcakes! 

Pumpkin Streusel Muffins

1 1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp cinnamon 

1/2 tsp carmel extract 

1/2 cup milk 

1/2 cup + 2 tbs Libby's Pumpkin 

1/2 cup melted butter

1 egg       

  As much as I love my twins( and by that I mean my 2 kitchen aid stand mixers, Well 1 is my own and the second I legally adopted the 1st day I realized Anthony had one as well.) Love at first sight. Anyways, no need for a mixer here, dump all those ingredients into a big ole bowl and mix until combined. Lumps are perfectly ok, you don't want this batter to be silky smooth. Line 12 muffin cups and, scoop the batter one by one until they are all full ( leave room on top for the streusel)  Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

Streusel Topping

Half a stick melted butter

1 cup rolled oats

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/3 cup copped walnuts

Melt the butter in a microwave safe bowl. Cool for 5 minutes, then add the Oats, Cinnamon, Walnuts and Brown sugar, mix until combined. 

Assembly Line

Ok this is an easy one. Top each one of the muffins with a spoonful of this deliciousness, try not to eat it all before topping the muffins, but the leftovers, their fair game! Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until a knife comes out clean.  

  

Filet and blu cheese pizza with Horseradish Cream

   Everyone loves pizza, when most people go out for pizza it's the standard, sauce, and toppings. I don't like standard   I like,what can I throw on top of this pizza that's gonna make it crazy different, but crazy good. I love steak, and everything that goes with it, so this pizza was then born. 

  

Pizza Crust

3 1/2 cups bread flour 

1 tbs honey 

1 envelope instant dry yeast 

1 1/2 cups warm water 110 to 120 degrees

3 tbs olive oil 

 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt

Combine the bread flour, honey, yeast and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and combine. If you have a dough hook attachment, now is the time to use it. While the mixer is running, slowly add the water and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and beat until the dough forms into a ball. If the dough is sticky, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough comes together in a ball. If the dough is too dry, add additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead into a smooth, firm ball. Grease a large bowl with the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil, add the dough, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put it in a warm, calm area to let it double in size, about 1 hour. ( Which in my house, is somewhere far away from the dogs) When the dough has doubled in size, turn it onto a floured counter and form into a round pizza crust. When done, cover it with a clean kitchen towel and let them rest for 10 minutes. Now your pizza is ready for toppings. While the dough is rising and resting, get everything ready to load up the pizza. For the filet and blu cheese pizza, I use a 14 oz Filet Mignon, blu cheese crumbles, a red onion and mushroom sauté, and white cheddar. 

1 large red onion

8 oz sliced mushrooms

4 cloves chopped garlic

Salt 

Pepper

Olive oil

    

   I love onions. I really love caramelized onions, it brings out the sweetness, which I love for this pizza. Slice the onion really thin and add to a hot skillet with the garlic and olive oil. Low and slow so the onions don't burn, cook the heck out of these things on med low heat. It's not the  quickest process, but you have time since the dough is rising. 

   Just when you think they start to look done, add the mushrooms and a dash of salt and pepper. Sauté for another 5 to 8 minutes. 

   

   Now for the steak, we like ours rare, so  in order for it to not overcook in the oven I seared this huge filet on an iron grill skillet to get a char on the outside. Take it off, and let it rest for 5 or so minutes. I chose a filet for the tenderness, so you wouldn't be taking a bite of pizza and one bite of a slice of steak would pull off all the toppings. After resting to keep in the juices, I sliced the steak as thing as Anthony's Henkel kitchen knife would allow! I love his knife set :) 

   Assembly line. 

   Top the crust with a handful of blu cheese, scattered all the way across. Then top with the onions and mushrooms, and a few more blu cheese crumbles after that to top it off. 

  It's gonna look something like that. Then pop it in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes. Yes I know, the steaks not on there yet, remember we like our steak rare around here, med rare at the most. Take the pizza back out of the oven and top with the sliced steak and the rest of the blu cheese, I also added a handful of Cabot Vermont White Cheddar to tie it all together, pop it in the oven for another 10 minutes to combine it all together.  When the pizza is crisp and melted, take it out. We are not finished yet, it looked a little bare, with no color. So I added a handful of fresh arugula on top and a horseradish cream...it's super easy to make, plus the little bite it gives to pizza works perfect with the sweet onions, and the tangy blu cheese. 

Horseradish Cream 

1/2 cup mayo

2 tbs horseradish

1 tsp Lea and Perrins Worcestershire 

Salt 

Pepper 

Whisk all ingredients until combined. 

  There you have it. Anthony was skeptical of my idea and worried putting a filet on pizza, would ruin the steak. Much to my enjoyment it was delicious, and he devoured 2 large slices, leaving no room for dessert. Everything you would want on a steak, except on a buttery crisp pizza, how could it have went wrong? You will never want boring ole pizza again. Look out pepperoni, there's a new topping in town. 

Pumpkin Pancakes

   You know fall is right around the corner when you see the glorious advertisements for Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks that say, "Pumpkin Spice is Back" It's the holy grail of coffee for me, this week I indulged in 3 pumpkin Carmel lattes from Dunkin, and 1 Pumpkin Frap from Starbucks, that Anthony so graciously brought to me, mid shift at work :) 

   This long Labor Day weekend, I knew would involve something pumpkin involved in the kitchen.  Here they are.. 

Pumpkin Pancakes

1 1/4 cup flour 

1 tsp. white sugar 

2 tbs brown sugar 

1 tsp baking soda

1 tbs cinnamon powder

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1 large egg

1 1/4 cup buttermilk 

1/2 tsp vanilla 

1 cup Pumpkin Puree 

   Combine all dry ingredients and whisk together until combined, form a well in the middle of the flour mixture. Add the egg, buttermilk, vanilla, and pumpkin until combined. Do not over mix your batter, lumps are ok. Over mixed batter results in flat, floppy, lifeless pancakes. 

   Heat a griddle skillet ( another one of my best friends in the kitchen) to 300. Melt a pad of butter over skillet. You can make your pancakes, as big or as little as you like. Cook on one side until batter has small bubbles, then flip and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes until cooked completely. 

   I topped mine, with some sweet cream butter, powdered sugar and cinnamon, and a little bit of maple syrup. Some fresh whipped cream would also be great. 

   This is just the beginning of my fall pumpkin adventures, I'm a little obsessed with fall so keep posted for more fall treats, crafts, and cooking as I start celebrating my favorite season a little early.... Now only if the weather would cool off! 

Happy Labor Day folks, ill be in a pumpkin coma from these pancakes all afternoon.