Sunday happenings...

One of my favorite Sunday pass times is baking. I love to bake. LOVE IT. I love all sorts of cookies, cakes, muffins, breads and especially ROLLS. hmm...... I love rolls!

I decided to experiment with some of my favorite roll recipes, mainly because I thought it would be fun to dream up a BRAND NEW RECIPE. So..... drum roll please......

Here is my new roll recipe. It happens to be MINE. Or at least I hope so. Let me know if you've seen this recipe before. I think I'll name it "Julie's Crescent rolls". There.... that feels nice!

JULIE'S CRESCENT ROLLS

Makes about 50-ish rolls

4 T. active dry yeast

1/2 C. warm water

2 C. milk

4 eggs

2 C. mashed potatoes

1 C. sugar

1 C. oil

9-ish C. flour

2 t. salt

butter for melting on top of rolls

1. In a small bowl combine yeast and water. Whisk thoroughly and let sit for 5 minutes.

Heat milk in microwave for 1-2 minutes. Just until warm.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, oil and mashed potatoes. Stir in the milk and yeast mixture. Stir in flour, cup by cup until combined. Mix for about 5 minutes to kneed dough. Dough should be soft but slightly sticky.

Cover with plastic wrap sprayed with cooking spray. Allow dough to rise in a warm place for about 2 hours. Grease a jelly roll pan with cooking spray and set aside.

Punch the dough down and turn it onto a floured surface. Divide the dough into 4 chunks. Roll each chunk into a large pizza like circle. Cut with pizza cutter and make pizza slices. Roll slices starting at the fat end. Place the rolls point side down on the pan. Repeat with the remaining chunks.

Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise until double in size (about 20 minutes).

Preheat oven to 400. Bake rolls on bottom rack for 5 minutes then transfer to upper rack for another 8 minutes. Rolls should be golden on top but not doughy. Remove rolls from oven and slather with melted butter.

These rolls were so darn good if you ask me. They turned out better than I could have imagined. I'm so happy about this.... can you tell? Fluffy and delicate. Perfect texture and color. Give em' a try and see what you think.

For some reason we get a little goofy each and every Sunday. I'm not sure why, but it might be because we CAN. No one cares. It's a judge free zone. I LOVE Sundays. ahhh.....

Halloween party #1 and breadstick recipe

Halloween is a great excuse to get together with the cousins.

This year we gathered at Laura's place.

We had so much fun eating, crafting, playing games and enjoying our time together.

Thanks for offering up your beautiful home Ashby's!

Painting....

lil miss butterfly and mr. Penguin...

making spooky witches brew....

The Cousin Crew....

I made bread sticks for the party, so I thought I'd share the recipe.

If you like garlic, you'll love these breadsticks!

Soft Garlic Parmesan Bread sticks

2 1/2 cups bread flour

3 teaspoons instant yeast

1 Tablespoon white sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 Tablespoon minced garlic

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 Tablespoon butter, melted

1/4 cup hot water

1/2 cup milk

1 egg

1/4 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

1. Fit your food processor with a steel blade. Place the bread flour, yeast, sugar, salt, Italian seasoning, garlic, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese and softened butter in the processor; pulse to blend. Stir together hot water, milk and egg. Start the processor and slowly pour in the milk mixture into the feed tube until a ball forms around the blade. Run for 30 seconds to knead. Remove dough from processor and knead briefly by hand. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

2. Deflate the dough, and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a 10 x 12 inch. rectangle. Use a knife or pizza cutter to slice the dough length wise into ten strips, and then cut these strips in half. Brush tops of strips with 2 Tablespoons melted butter,and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Cover, and let rise until nearly double, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375.

3. Bake in preheated oven for 15-18 minutes, or until golden.

In the mood to BAKE.....

I'm in the mood to Bake....Bake....Bake....!

Yummy Banana Bread

1 Cup butter, melted

2 Cups white sugar

4 eggs

2 teaspoons Vanilla 

3 Cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 Cup sour cream

4 medium bananas, mashed

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 2 9x5 inch loaf pans.

In a large bowl, stir together the melted butter and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla, mix well. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt, stir into the butter mixture until smooth. Finally, fold in the sour cream and bananas. Spread evenly into the prepared pans.

Bake at 350 for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool loaves in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

ENJOY!

I love this roll recipe, although, I like to make cinnamon rolls out of the dough. They are to die for. Sometimes I like to split the dough in half and make half rolls, half cinnamon rolls.  If you decide to make cinnamon rolls, you'll need to follow these directions. Once you've punched down the dough for the second time, you'll roll out dough and spread 1/2 cup melted butter, 1 cup brown sugar and 2 tablespoons of cinnamon. Roll up, cut and lay on a sprayed baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled and bake. Spread your choice of icing over rolls when slightly cooled. Please feel free to call or email me with any questions you may have!

Crazy quilt rolls

2 Cups milk-scalded and cooled

1/4 cup sugar

1 rounded tablespoon SAF instant yeast

1/3 cup butter- cut into pieces and add to scalded milk when hot

4-5 cups flour to make soft dough

1 egg- room temperature

2 teaspoons fine sea salt

1. Scald milk and add butter and cool. 

2. Add yeast to 2 oz. warm water and stir to dissolve

3. Add 2 cups of flour into your Bosch mixer, then the milk mixture, sugar, yeast, egg; stir then add salt last.

4. Mix and combine all ingredients until wet and add enough flour for a sticky dough and mix on FIRST SPEED for 3 minutes then on SECOND SPEED for 3 1/2 minutes or until dough is soft and supple. Add only enough flour as needed. Scrap into a ball and place into a container that has been sprayed with cooking spray and cover with saran wrap. Let rise until almost doubled and punch down dough. Let rise again until doubled and then turn dough onto a floured surface and lightly roll out. Brush with butter and cut with pizza cutter. Place pieces on a cake pan that has been buttered well overlapping pieces of dough and drizzle with butter, cover with saran wrap until almost doubled.

5. Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes.

It'S a BaKiNg FrEnZy...

Are you ready for a carb OVERLOAD? 

I went to a great cooking class last night and brought home some fabulous recipes. I've decided to bake, bake, bake in the kitchen today because I have sick kids, yet again,  and nothing better to do.

 So, here's what's on the agenda for today.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

Crust:

2 T. yeast

3 C. warm water

2 T. honey

2 t. salt

2 T. malt

7 ½ C. flour

 Soften yeast in warm water. Mix in salt, malt and honey. Add 4 cups flour and mix until smooth. Knead in remaining flour one cup at a time.

Divide dough in half. Use half for pizza and half for breadsticks.

BBQ chicken Pizza:

Barbeque 3 chicken breasts. Cut into bite size pieces. Spray a large jellyroll pan with pam. Sprinkle with corn meal. Fit dough to pan (if this is difficult, let dough rest for 5 minutes).  Spread dough with BBQ sauce. Top with 1 lb. grated parmesan cheese. Top with chicken. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes.

Potato Rolls 

1 ½ C. warm water

1 pkg. or 1 ½ t. instant yeast

2/3 C. sugar

1 ½ t. salt

2/3 C. shortening

2 eggs

1 C. lukewarm mashed potatoes

7 -7 ½ C. flour

 Add wet ingredients, mix yeast with flour add 3 cups and then 1 cup at a time. Always add flour gradually, and keep dough as soft as you can handle it. Don’t use all the flour unless you need it.

Roll into balls and place on a jellyroll pan. Let rise until a little under double in size.

Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until browned to your satisfaction.

Baste melted butter on top of hot rolls. 

Coconut-Lemon Loaf

I found this picture and scrumptious recipe here with step by step instructions. I love this blog.

 1 cup granulated sugar

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

3 Tablespoons canola or vegetable oil

1-1/2 Tablespoons finely grated lemon zest

1 teaspoon lemon extract

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup milk

2 large eggs

3/4 cup buttermilk

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (2 ounces) sweetened flaked coconut

 Coconut-Lemon Glaze

 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon melted butter

1/4 teaspoon lemon extract

1/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.

 In a large bowl, whisk together granulated sugar, butter, oil, lemon zest, lemon extract, vanilla extract and milk.

 In a small bowl, whisk eggs and buttermilk until evenly blended.

 With a wooden spoon, stir about a third of the flour mixture into the sugar mixture, then alternately add half of the egg mixture and half of the flour mixture, stirring after each addition just enough to blend.  Stir in coconut.

 Pour batter into a 9 x 5 loaf pan lined with parchment paper (or greased and floured).  Place in a 350 degree oven on the center rack for about 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

 When it comes out of the oven place pan on a cooling rack for about 15 minutes before removing the loaf from the pan.

 While it's cooling, make the glaze.

 For the glaze, combine confectioner's sugar, lemon juice, butter and lemon extract.  Whisk to blend.  The glaze should have the consistency of heavy cream.  If needed, add more sugar to thicken it or more lemon juice to thin it.

 When the bread has cooled, spoon the glaze evenly over the bread and immediately sprinkle the coconut over the top.

Enjoy!

Valentine recipe of the week...

Are you salivating over these rolls? You should be because they are ..... 

Oh soooooo good!

I found this recipe the other day and decided Sunday was the perfect day to try it out. The vanilla pudding in the recipe caught my eye right away. Who would have thought vanilla pudding in a cinnamon roll recipe.....not me, but honestly, it makes the rolls. I decided to take this recipe one step further and turn them into hearts. It was really fun and my kids helped every step of the way, from rolling to sprinkling to frosting to cleaning up the giant mess. It was the perfect Sunday activity. We'll definitely make them again soon!

Vanilla Pudding Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting

Rolls:


½ cup warm water


2 tablespoons active dry yeast


2 tablespoons sugar


3 ½ ounce package instant vanilla pudding


½ cup butter, melted


2 eggs


1 teaspoon salt


6+ cups flour

Filling:


1 cup butter, softened to room temperature


2 cups brown sugar


4 teaspoons cinnamon

Frosting:


8 ounces cream cheese


½ cup butter, softened to room temperature


1 teaspoon vanilla


3 cups confectioner’s sugar


2-3 tablespoons milk

In a small bowl combine water, yeast and sugar. Stir until dissolved. Set aside. In large bowl, take pudding mix and prepare according to package directions. Add butter, eggs and salt. Mix well. Then add yeast mixture. Blend. Gradually add flour; knead until smooth. Do not over flour the dough! It should be very soft but not sticky. Place in a greased bowl. Cover and let rise until doubled. Then roll out on floured board to 34 X 21 inches in size. Take 1 cup soft butter and spread over surface. In bowl, mix 2 cups brown sugar and 4 teaspoons cinnamon. Sprinkle over the top. Roll up very tightly. With knife put a notch every 1 1/2 inches. Cut with thread or serrated knife. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet 1 inch apart. Cover and let rise until double again. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Remove when they start to turn golden (don’t over bake). Frost warm rolls with cream cheese frosting (combine butter and cream cheese and mix well, then add vanilla and sugar and mix again, then add milk for desired consistency). Makes about 24 very large rolls.

sprinkling...

rolling...
raising...

Enjoying...

Ta-DA

Here's the final (heart) product. I made a few changes to the frosting recipe. 

 I added pink food coloring and a little bit of almond

extract. (I'm in love with almond extract)

 It's amazing how something this beautiful can vanish so quickly.

Thanksgiving recipe of the week....

Have you ever eaten lunch or dinner at "The Inn at Temple Square"? Their dinner rolls are simply the best in town. This is their tried and true recipe including their famously delicious raspberry butter. I've made these rolls many of times and they are perfect every single time. Enjoy!

The Inn’s dinner rolls

2 ½ T. dry yeast

2 C. warm water

1/3 C. sugar

¼ C. butter, softened

1 T. salt

½ C. dry milk powder

1 egg

6 ½ C. flour

In a large bowl of an electric mixer, combine yeast and water. Let stand 5 minutes. Add sugar, butter, salt, dry milk, 2 C. flour and egg. Beat together until very smooth. Add 2 more C. flour, one at a time, until smooth. Add about one more C. of flour, ½ C. at a time (in your mixer if it will take it, or by hand) until it is well mixed. Turn dough onto a lightly floured board and knead until it is smooth and satiny. Gather dough into a ball and place into a greased bowl. Let rise in warm place until double in bulk. Use last of the flour as needed on the board for rolling a shaping the dough. ( don’t use it all unless you need it.) Cut or mold into desired shapes. Place on greased baking sheets or pans. Brush surface with butter. Let rise in warm place until ready for oven ( about 1 ½ hours.) Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes, or until browned to your satisfaction. Makes about 2 doz. Rolls.

The Inn’s raspberry honey butter

1 lb. butter, softened

8 oz. raspberry preserve

8 oz. honey

1 t. vanilla