Flaky Dinner Rolls

These rolls were so amazing. The recipe only makes 12 rolls, definitely not enough! It would be wise to double it.

These rolls seem special. Like the type of rolls that only come out on holidays. That's really not fair.

I hereby grant permission for these rolls to be served anytime of year, regardless of the festivity level. Serve them on Arbor Day. Serve them for Daylight Savings Time. Serve them on Tuesday.

Just do it.

3 tablespoons sugar
1 package dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 cup warm fat-free milk (100° to 110°)
3 cups flour, divided
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter, softened
Cooking spray

Dissolve sugar and yeast in warm milk in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add 2 3/4 cups flour and salt to yeast mixture; stir until a dough forms. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface (or use the dough hook in your Kitchen-Aid). Knead until smooth (about 5 minutes); add enough of remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands, or the sides of the bowl (dough will feel slightly sticky). Cover dough with plastic wrap, and let rest for 10 minutes.

Roll dough into a 12 x 10-inch rectangle on a lightly floured baking sheet. Gently spread butter over dough. Working with a long side, fold up bottom third of dough. Fold top third of dough over the first fold to form a 12 x 3-inch rectangle. Cover with plastic wrap; place in freezer for 10 minutes.

Remove dough from freezer; remove plastic wrap. Roll dough, still on baking sheet (sprinkle on a little more flour, if needed), into a 12 x 10-inch rectangle. Working with a long side, fold up bottom third of dough. Fold top third of dough over the first fold to form a 12 x 3-inch rectangle. Cover with plastic wrap; place in freezer for 10 minutes.

Remove dough from freezer; remove plastic wrap. Roll dough, still on baking sheet, into a 12 x 8-inch rectangle. Beginning with a long side, roll up dough jelly-roll fashion; pinch seam to seal (do not seal ends of roll). Cut roll into 12 equal slices. Place slices, cut sides up, in muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Lightly coat tops of dough slices with cooking spray. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 45 minutes or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 375°.

Bake dough at 375° for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan, and cool for 5 minutes on a wire rack. Serve rolls warm.

Recipe from Cooking Light

Meringue Coffee Cake, March Daring Baker's Challenge

The March 2011 Daring Baker's Challenge was hosted by Ria of Ria's Collection and Jamie of Life's a Feast. Ria and Jamie challenged The Daring Bakers to bake a yeasted Meringue Coffee Cake.

For the dough:

4 cups flour

1/4 cup sugar

3/4 tsp salt

1 pkg. yeast (2 14/ tsp.)

3/4 cup whole milk

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature

2 large eggs at room temperature

For the filling:

1 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

For the meringue:

3 large egg whites at room temperature

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup sugar

To make the dough:

In a large mixing bowl (I used my Kitchen-Aid), combine 1 1/2 cups of the flour, the sugar, salt, and yeast.

Combine the milk, water, and butter and heat just until the butter is mostly melted. (I used the microwave but you can also do this in a saucepan on the stove.)

With your mixer on low speed, gradually add the warm liquid to the flour/yeast mixture, beating until well blended. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes. Add the eggs and 1 cup of the flour and beat for another 2 minutes.

Using a wooden spoon, stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a dough that holds together. Switch your whisk attachment to your dough hook. (You can also hand knead the dough on a well-floured counter.) Knead the dough on low for 8-10 minutes adding as much of the 1 1/2 cups of flour as necessary to keep it from sticking. The dough should be soft, smooth, and elastic.

Place the ball of dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turning to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about 45-60 minutes.

To prepare the filling:

Chop the nuts and set aside. Combine the sugar and cinnamon and set aside. Measure your chocolate chips and set aside.

To prepare the meringue:

Once the dough has doubled, make the meringue.

In a clean plastic or metal bowl combine the egg whites and salt and beat on low for 30 seconds. Increase speed to high and beat until foamy and opaque (several minutes). Add the vanilla and the 1/2 cup of sugar--1 tablespoon at a time as you beat--until very stiff, glossy peaks form.

To assemble the coffee cakes:

Line 2 baking/cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Punch down the dough and divide in half. On a lightly floured surface, working with one piece of the dough at a time (keep the other half of the dough covered in plastic wrap), roll out the dough into a 20 x 10-inch rectangle. Spread half of the meringue evenly over the rectangle up to about 1/2-inch from the edges. Sprinkle half of your filling evenly over the meringue (half of the cinnamon-sugar followed by half the chopped nuts and half of the chocolate chips).

Now, roll up the dough jellyroll style, from the long side. Pinch the seam closed to seal. Very carefully transfer the filled log to one of the lined cookie sheets, seam side down. Bring the ends of the log around and seal the ends together, forming a ring, tucking one end into the other and pinching to seal.

Using kitchen scissors or a sharp knife, make cuts along the outside edge at 1-inch intervals. Make them as shallow or as deep as desired but don’t be afraid to cut deep into the ring.

Repeat with the remaining dough, meringue and filling.

Cover the 2 coffee cakes with plastic wrap and allow them to rise again for 45 to 60 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Brush the tops of the coffee cakes with an egg wash:

1 egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water

Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes until risen and golden brown. The dough should sound hollow when tapped.

Serve by cutting into slices and sprinkling with powdered sugar and cocoa powder (optional).

This is best served the same day.

Yeasted Belgian Waffles

Do you waffle much? I highly recommend it if you don't. I had these amazing waffles for my birthday breakfast this morning. They were so good. I savored each bite.
This is a great recipe for me because I can make the batter before I go to bed and then just heat up the waffle iron in the morning and cook them.
These waffles NEED to be made the night before so they can fully develop the rich, yeasty flavor.
I suggest doubling the recipe because five waffles just doesn't seem like enough.

1 1/2 cups milk
6 tablespoons butter
2 to 3 tablespoons maple syrup
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups All-Purpose Flour
1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast

Heat the milk till it’s very hot. Place it in a large mixing bowl (you’ll need lots of room for expansion), and add the butter, maple syrup, salt, and vanilla. Stir till the butter melts and the mixture has cooled to lukewarm. Add the eggs, flour, and yeast, stirring to combine; it’s OK if the mixture isn’t perfectly smooth. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rest at room temperature for 1 hour; the mixture will begin to bubble. You can cook the waffles at this point, or refrigerate the batter overnight to cook waffles the next day. (Make SURE it’s in a bowl large enough for it to at least double in size!)

Preheat the waffle iron. Spray with non-stick vegetable oil spray, and pour 2/3 to 3/4 cup batter (or the amount recommended by the manufacturer) onto the center of the iron. Close the lid and bake for the recommended amount of time, till the waffle is golden brown. Serve immediately, or keep warm in a 200°F oven. Serve with berries and whipped cream, if desired.

Yield: about five 7" round Belgian waffles.

Recipe from kingarthurflour.com

Chocolate dipped shortbread

Okay, this post comes a little late as it is something I make during the holidays but it's simple enough to enjoy all year round.

1 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
dash of salt
5 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons fat-free milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine flour, sugar and salt in a bowl, stirring with a whisk.
Place butter in a medium bowl and beat with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add flour mixture, beating at low speed. Add milk and vanilla; beat until blended.
Pat the dough into a 4-inch circle; wrap in plastic wrap and chill 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Unwrap and place dough on plastic wrap. Cover dough with another piece of plastic wrap. Roll dough, still covered, into an 8-inch circle. Place dough on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray (or just use a Silpat mat-my best friend). Cut dough into 16 wedges, cutting into--but not through--dough. Pierce dough several times with a fork.
Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on pan 5 minutes. Cut into wedges. Cool completely (especially if you plan to dip in chocolate).

To dip your shortbread:
I melted a bag of bittersweet chocolate chips in the microwave in a glass dish, stirring every 15 seconds. Once it is mostly melted you want to stir, stir, stir and stir some more until you have tempered the chocolate. Once the chocolate is tempered, dip away.

Recipe courtesy of Cooking Light magazine

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Recipe from Cooking Light magazine
Buns:

1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)

1/4 cup warm water (100-110 degrees)

2 3/4 cups flour, divided

1/2 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 cup 1% milk

1/4 cup butter, melted

1 tablespoon sugar

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (freshly grated has way better flavor than the stuff in jars)

Filling:

3 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons flour

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces

Glaze:

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon hot water

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water in a large bowl; let stand for 5 minutes. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cups and level with knife. Add 2 cups flour, pumpkin, and next 5 ingredients (through nutmeg); beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Turn dough out onto floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes); add enough of the remaining 3/4 cup of flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel tacky).

2. Place the dough in a large bowl, coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, for 45 minutes or until doubled in size. Press two fingers into the dough. If an indentation remains, the dough has risen enough.

3. Combine the sugar, brown sugar, flour and cinnamon for the filling. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal.

4. Punch dough down; cover and let rest 5 minutes. Roll the dough into a 12X10-inch rectangle on a floured surface. Sprinkle with filling mixture. Roll up the rectangle tightly, starting with a long edge, pressing firmly to eliminate air pockets; pinch seam and ends to seal. Cut roll into 12 1-inch slices. Place slices in a 13X9 inch pan coated with cooking spray. Cover and let rise for 25 minutes or until doubled in size. *Tip: Use plain dental floss to slice through dough cleanly.

5. Preheat oven to 375. Bake the rolls for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 15 minutes in pan on a wire rack.

6. To prepare the glaze, combine all ingredients in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Drizzle glaze over buns. Serve warm.

*Note-You may want to double the glaze if you have frosting lovers in your house.

Sweet Potato Biscuits with Maple Butter

Recipe courtesy of Cooking Light

These turned out quite delicious and I look forward to making them again. They are especially good with ham and pork and really make a dinner special.

For the biscuits:

2 cups flour

1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup pureed cooked sweet potatoes, cooled (I used canned, shhhh)
1/3 cup fat-free milk (I used 1% and nothing bad happened!)

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal-do not overwork the dough. Combine sweet potato and milk in a small bowl; add potato mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface (it will be a little crumbly); knead lightly 5 times. Roll dough to a 3/4-inch thickness; cut with a 2-inch biscuit cutter. Place biscuits on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.

Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm.

*Tip*: The key to flaky biscuits is to keep them cold. Make sure your butter stays cold and keep your baking sheet cold, I refrigerated the baking sheet with the biscuits for a while before I baked them.

For the maple butter:

6 tablespoons butter, softened
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1/8 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed 1 minute or until smooth. Cover and chill until use. Mmmmm!

Bananas beware!

If I see three bananas sitting on my counter not getting eaten, I secretly hope they don't get eaten so I can turn them into this luscious bread. Add in the fact that everyone in my family is crazy about this bread and--bananas, your counter-sitting days are numbered!

Marbled-Chocolate Banana Bread

2 cups flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups mashed banana, about 3 medium

1/2 cup egg substitute

1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt ( I prefer Greek)

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

• Combine flour, baking soda and salt, stirring with a whisk. Set aside. If desired, this is where I usually add in 2 tablespoons of ground flax seed.
• Mash the bananas in another bowl. Set aside.
• Place sugar and butter in a large bowl ( I use my Kitchen-Aid); beat until well blended-about a minute. Add banana, egg substitute and yogurt; beat until blended.
• Add flour mixture; beat on low just until moist.
• Place chocolate chips in a medium bowl and microwave in 15-second intervals, stirring in between, until melted and smooth. Cool slightly.
• Add 1 cup of batter to the melted chocolate, stirring until combined.
• Spoon chocolate batter alternately with plain batter into a loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Swirl batters by running a knife lengthwise and then from side to side.
• Bake at 350 for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan and then remove and cool completely on a wire rack. Yield:16 slices

Tip: Don't cover the top of the bread, it will cause the delectable top crust to become soggy.

Guilty pleasure: Toast a slice of the bread and slather with peanut butter...you must try this, it is such a treat!

Sorry this is post is all centered...having technical difficulties!

Monkeyin' around

Monkey Bread (Pull-aparts)

This photo looks like it was taken in 1978; however, in my defense, I made this at the cabin and the kitchen looks like it is from the 1970's as well as the plate it is sitting on....so it all works.

This satisfies the kids (and Ryan's) requests for cinnamon rolls and it is way less effort.

• Thaw 24 Rhodes white dinner rolls, this takes about an hour. Cut each roll in half.
• In a medium bowl, mix 1 cup brown sugar with 3 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 cup chopped pecans, if desired.
• In another bowl, melt 1/2 cup butter.

Spray a bundt cake pan with Pam. Dip the roll halves in the melted butter and then in the cinnamon sugar and put in the bundt pan. Spray the tops of the rolls with Pam and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in size (2-3 hours). Remove wrap and bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes. Cover with foil the last 15 minutes of baking. Immediately after baking, loosen the edges with a knife and invert onto a plate.

Quadruple Chocolate Loaf Cake

Recipe courtesy of Nigella Lawson

Warning: for chocolate lovers only

Cake:
1 2/3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup cocoa
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 1/2 sticks soft unsalted butter
2 eggs
1 tablespoon good-quality vanilla extract
1/3 cup sour cream
1/2 cup boiling water
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Syrup:
1 teaspoon cocoa
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1-ounce dark chocolate (from a thick bar if possible), cut into splinters of varying thickness, for garnish

Special equipment: 2-pound loaf tin (approximately 9 1/2 by 4 1/2 by 3 inches deep), lined with greased foil, pressed into the corners and with some overhang at the top.

Directions
Take whatever you need out of the refrigerator so that all ingredients can come room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F, putting in a baking sheet as you do so.
Put the flour, baking soda, cocoa, sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla, and sour cream into the processor and blitz until a smooth, satiny brown batter. Scrape down with a rubber spatula and process again while pouring the boiling water down the funnel. Switch it off, then remove the lid and the well-scraped double-bladed knife and, still using your rubber spatula, stir in the chocolate chips or morsels.
Scrape and pour the batter into the prepared loaf tin and put into the oven, cooking for about 1 hour. When ready, the loaf will be risen and split down the middle and a cake-tester will pretty well come out clean.
Not long before the cake is due out of the oven (when it has had about 45 to 50 minutes), put the syrup ingredients of cocoa, water and sugar into a small saucepan and boil for about 5 minutes, to give a thick syrup.
Take the cake out of the oven and sit it on a cooling rack, still in the tin, and pierce here and there with a cake tester. Pour the syrup over the cake.
Let the cake become completely cold and then slip out of its tin, removing the foil as you do so. Sit on an oblong or other plate. Sprinkle the chocolate splinters over the top of the sticky surface of the cake

Father's Day scones

I made these when we were living in Provo quite a bit but I haven't made them since. Ryan has asked for them from time to time so I surprised him by making them on Father's Day for breakfast. Oh, and bacon too, of course.

1 3/4 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
3 tablespoons orange juice

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. With a pastry blender or a large fork, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the chocolate chips. Mix in the orange juice to form a dough.
Turn out the dough on a floured surface. Pat or roll into a 9 inch circle about 1/2 inch thick. With a 2 1/2 inch fluted biscuit cutter, cut out 12 scones, pushing the dough scraps together for the last few, if necessary. Transfer the scones to the baking sheet.
Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Move to wire racks to cool.