Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Cinnamon Rolls (Only About an Hour to Make!)

It tastes even better than it looks!

I'm a huge fan of cinnamon rolls. I have made a few different recipes over the years but  have now kind of combined the best things about all of them into my favorite Cinnamon Roll Recipe so far. I don't want it to take me all night or all morning, and it has to be tasty. So fast and delicious is the name of the game. My recipe is a combination of this one from our Our Best Bites for the actual rolls and this one from The Recipe Nut for the icing.



Savvy Stoker Sister Cinnamon Rolls
everything you need!

Dough:
Dough Ingredients

1 cup milk
4 Tbs butter, cut into chunks
3 1/4 – 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 (.25 ounce) package instant or ‘rapid rise’ yeast (about 2 1/4 tsp)
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg

Filling:
Filling Ingredients

1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, softened

Icing:
Icing Ingredients

8 T. (1 stick) butter, softened
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c. (2 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. salt

Directions:

Dough: Place 3/4 cup of milk and 4 Tbs butter in a microwave safe bowl. Heat on high for 1 minute and 30 seconds. Butter should be at least partially melted. Stir and add remaining 1/4 cup of milk to help it cool a bit and set aside.


 In the bowl of your mixer, whisk together 2 C flour, yeast, white sugar, and salt. 

When milk mixture has cooled to warm (not hot) add it to the flour mixture along with the egg while the beater (paddle attachment for those using a stand mixer) is running. Beat until well combined, about 1 minute.

Switch out the paddle to the dough hook now. Add remaining flour only until dough barely leaves the sides of the bowl. It should be very soft and slightly sticky so don't add too much flour. Continue to let the dough knead for 5 minutes or knead by hand for 5 minutes (you will get your arm workout in for the day if you don't have a mixer).  
 Wash your hands and make sure your counter is clean. Spray your counter, your rolling pin,  and your hands with Baker's Joy and take dough out of mixer and roll onto coutner.



I accidently made mine into a rectangle before resting. It didn't seem to hurt anything!

Turn dough out onto a floured surface and let rest for about 10 minutes while you make the filling.

Filling: make sure butter is softened well. Mix with brown sugar and cinnamon.

Assembly: Roll dough into a rectangle about 12 x 14 inches. Spread brown sugar mixture (it will be slightly thick, you might have to “crumble” it) over the surface and use your fingers or the back of a spoon to gently spread around. Roll up from the longer side of the rectangle and pinch edges closed. Score the roll into 12 equal pieces using a piece of dental floss and then cut into rolls by wrapping the dental floss around from the bottom and pulling closed together at the top of the scored lines. Place cinnamon rolls in a 9 x 13 pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray (I like to use Baker's Joy). Cover pan with a clean towel and let rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes. In the mean time, preheat oven to 350 degrees.





When rolls have finished rising bake for 15-20 minutes or until light golden brown.

They have risen!

Perfectly baked to perfection :)

While the rolls are baking prepare your icing. Cream together your softened butter, powdered sugar, softened cream cheese, vanilla, and salt until its a nice creamy texture. I used my sisters softening trick to soften my butter and my cream cheese quickly. See how here.
A hot steamy pyrex measuring bowl softened them up perfectly! Thanks, Judy!



Spread icing on cinnamon rolls while they are still warm. Makes 12 rolls.

Eat on a plate with a fork paired with a full glass of milk!
Eat while it's hot!!!
Here is just the recipe:

Savvy Stoker Sisters Cinnamon Rolls

Dough:

1 cup milk
4 Tbs butter, cut into chunks
3 1/4 – 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 (.25 ounce) package instant or ‘rapid rise’ yeast (about 2 1/4 tsp)
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg

Filling:

1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup butter, softened

Icing:

8 T. (1 stick) butter, softened
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c. (2 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. salt

Dough: Place 3/4 cup of milk and 4 Tbs butter in a microwave safe bowl. Heat on high for 1 minute 30 seconds. Butter should be at least partially melted. Stir and add remaining 1/4 cup of milk to help it cool a bit and set aside. In a large mixing bowl whisk together 2 C flour, yeast, white sugar, and salt. When milk mixture has cooled to warm (not hot) add it to the flour mixture along with the egg while the beater (paddle attachment for those using a stand mixer) is running. Beat until well combined, about 1 minute. (Switch to the dough hook now) Add remaining flour only until dough barely leaves the sides of the bowl. It should be very soft and slightly sticky so don't add too much flour. Continue to let the dough knead for 5 minutes or knead by hand for 5 minutes (you will get your arm workout in for the day).  Turn dough out onto a floured surface and let rest for about 10 minutes while you make the filling.

Filling: make sure butter is softened well. Mix with brown sugar and cinnamon.

Assembly: Roll dough into a rectangle about 12 x 14 inches. Spread brown sugar mixture (it will be slightly thick, you might have to “crumble” it) over the surface and use your fingers or the back of a spoon to gently spread around. Roll up from the longer side of the rectangle and pinch edges closed. Score the roll into 12 equal pieces using a piece of dental floss and then cut into rolls. Place in a 9 x 13 pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray (I like to use Baker's Joy). Cover pan with a clean towel and let rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes. In the mean time, preheat oven to 350 degrees.

When rolls have finished rising bake for 15-20 minutes or until light golden brown.

While the rolls are baking prepare your icing. Cream together your softened butter, powdered sugar, softened cream cheese, vanilla, and salt until its a nice creamy texture. If its too thick you can add a little milk.I used my sisters softening trick to soften my butter and my cream cheese. See how here.

Spread icing on cinnamon rolls while they are still warm. Makes 12 rolls.

Enjoy!


Sunday, December 18, 2016

Corn Chowder


This is my husband's hands down favorite soup of all time. His mom, Renee makes it and it is so delicious. I'm glad its finally soup season so we can eat it! Michael said this could possibly be a last meal request it is so yummy!



Corn Chowder
Ingredients:

1 lb. bacon (1/2 lb. for the soup, 1/2 lb. for individual bowl toppings)
1 onion
1 cup water
2 1/2 cups diced red potatoes
1 cup diced carrots
2 chicken bouillon cubes
3 cups milk
2 16 oz. cans of corn (or I prefer to use 32 oz. of thawed frozen corn)
12 oz. shredded cheddar cheese (plus more for topping)
3 Tb. flour

Directions:

Fry and cut up bacon:

I used 3 things to fry my bacon. The frying pan I was going to fry the onions in after, the soup pot I would later mix the ingredients for the soup in and I put the extra ones that wouldn't fit in the oven starting with a cold oven and preheating it to 400 degrees and cooking the bacon on the stove on medium. When the bacon was done cooking I put it on some paper towels and shredded when cool. I poured the bacon drippings from the soup pot into the frying pan when I was ready to fry up the onions.



While bacon is frying I chopped up my vegetables:

Chop onion and fry onion in bacon drippings until golden. Set aside.


Simmer together 1 cup of water, 2 1/2 cups diced red potatoes and 1 cup of diced carrots with chicken bullion cubes. Let simmer until veggies are done (about 10 minutes).

When veggies are ready add 3 cups of milk, corn, the onions and half of the shredded bacon.




Add 12 oz. of shredded cheddar cheese and some pepper to taste.


Add 3 Tb. of flour and stir and simmer until thickened.


Top individual bowls with the rest of the bacon crumbled, and some more cheddar cheese.

We had cornbread on the side with ours along with some yummy apple slices and caramel. I have a trick whenever I make cornbread muffins, cupcakes, or any kind of muffing. To prevent the bottoms from getting burned put a cookie sheet under your muffin tin! That extra layer of protection helps the bottoms stay perfect!




It was a tasty meal! I was in Fall Heaven!



Corn Chowder
Ingredients:

1 lb. bacon (1/2 lb. for the soup, 1/2 lb. for individual bowl toppings)
1 onion
1 cup water
2 1/2 cups diced red potatoes
1 cup diced carrots
2 chicken bouillon cubes
3 cups milk
2 16 oz. cans of corn (or I prefer to use 32 oz. of thawed frozen corn)
12 oz. shredded cheddar cheese (plus more for topping)
3 Tb. flour

Directions:

Fry and cut up bacon. Chop onion and fry onion in bacon drippings until golden. Set aside.

Simmer together 1 cup of water, 2 1/2 cups diced red potatoes and 1 cup of diced carrots with chicken bullion cubes. Let simmer until veggies are done.

When veggies are ready add 3 cups of milk, corn, the onions and half of the bacon.

Add 12 oz. of shredded cheddar cheese and some pepper to taste.

Add 3 Tb. of flour and stir and simmer until thickened.

Top with the rest of the bacon crumbled, and some more cheddar cheese.

Enjoy!