Fear Not the Sticky Sweet

A while ago I had a slight cinnamon roll obsession but was too afraid of yeast to make the real deal. I ended up with several batches of mediocre cinnamon roll muffins (one batch of which suffered from burning oven debris and came out with an odd smokey flavor) and eventually gave up, dissatisfied. Later on I found a recipe which promised "Cinnabun Clones," but it required a bread machine: a kitchen gadget which I lacked. I stowed away the recipe anyway in case I ever happened upon such a machine (so far, no cigar). Finally, finally, I found a recipe. Someone had the sense to adapt the very bread-machine-making recipe I'd saved and had posted it to the interwebs (yay interwebs!). And by that point, I'd overcome my fear of the temperamental factor that is yeast. Behold, a most marvelous creation:

I won't say how many of these I ate today, but I will justify myself by saying that I ate them as they should be eaten. That is, prepared the night before and stuck in the fridge for the second rise overnight, then baked at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes before being devoured by myself, my parents, and 3 friends after a very hilly bike ride. In other words, we earned it.

And now, a lesson in yeast:
If you're as interested in cinnamon rolls as I am, please don't be afraid of the yeast (or the calories, for that matter - they're worth it... in moderation). There is fear in the unknown, so educate yourself. The hardest part of working with yeast is not killing it, but that's actually easy to avoid. This recipe starts off by dissolving yeast in warm milk (some recipes call for water, but the principle is the same). If the milk is too cold, the yeast won't dissolve, but if it's too hot the yeast will die. The ideal temperature is right around 100 to 110 degrees F, but slight variation is okay- you don't need a thermometer. I go for the "pleasantly warm" feeling. If it feels uncomfortably hot, like water you wouldn't want to be immersed in, it's too hot. Let it cool off for a minute. On the other hand, you want it hotter than lukewarm. Trust your judgment. After the yeast is dissolved, you don't have to worry about it anymore; the hard part is over! And the reward is so... rewarding. If you're wary, check out these gooey contents:

Cinnabun Clone Cinnamon Rolls

Dough:
2 1/2 teaspoons (1 packet) active yeast
1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F)
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
4 1/2 cups bread flour

Filling:
1/3 cup butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

Cream Cheese Frosting:
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick), softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar (also called powdered sugar)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt


Dissolve the yeast in the warm milk in a large bowl. Mix in the sugar, butter, salt, and eggs. Add the flour and mix well. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, then form into a ball and put in a greased bowl, turning to coat. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

After the dough has doubled in size, turn it out onto a large floured surface, cover again with the towel and let rest for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon.

Roll the dough into a large rectangle, about 1/2 inch thick (the original recipe said to make a 16x21 inch rectangle but I didn't measure). Spread the 1/3 cup butter evenly over the dough and sprinkle with the sugar/cinnamon mixture (don't skimp on the filling; use it all!). Lightly roll or pat down the cinnamon/sugar mixture into the butter.

Roll the dough longways into a log and trim off either end, then cut it into 12 pieces. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan (this is the size that the original recipe calls for, but I strongly recommend using a slightly larger pan if you have one, as 9x13 is a little small). Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. If you're preparing these the night before you plan to bake them, put them in the refrigerator instead of letting them rise for 30 minutes, then take them out an hour before you plan to bake them so they can come to room temperature.

Bake rolls in a preheated oven until golden brown, about 20-25 minutes. While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Beat in the vanilla and salt. Add the confectioners sugar a little at a time, beating well after each addition. Spread the frosting on the warm cinnamon rolls before serving. Then dig in for bite after perfect, gooey bite.

Blueberry Muffins

So... have I mentioned YAY SUMMER!!? It's here, it's hot, and it's wonderful. No matter your expectations, summer just never disappoints. I am also proud to announce that I am no longer a broke college student! I dropped out!! Only joking, I just got a job. I'm now working at a giant sandwich trailer located about 30 feet or so from the door of my building. My commute time is like 90 seconds, which is awesome. But anyways, on to the important stuff: these blueberry muffins. With a cinnamon streusel topping. Yeahhh. I started making these muffins as a morale booster for a family that my mom is friends with, and boy do they work (well, they boost my morale, anyway). I mean, just check out these blueberry bombs:

Blueberry Crumb Muffins

1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup greek yogurt
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 egg
1/3 cup milk (more or less)
1 tsp vanilla
8 oz (about 1 1/2 cups) fresh blueberries

For crumb topping:
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tbsp + 2 tsp flour
2 tbsp cold butter, cubed
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon


1. Preheat oven to 375F and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners and spray with a non-stick spray.
2. Combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in a medium bowl.
3. Place yogurt and vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup, then add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup. Mix this with flour mixture.
4. Fold in the vanilla and blueberries, then set aside to make the topping.
5. In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, flour, butter, and cinnamon, using a fork to cut the butter into the dry stuff. (At this point I usually stick the topping in the freezer to keep the butter from melting while I fill the muffin tin with the batter.)
6. Distribute muffin batter evenly between muffin cups, then sprinkle generously with the topping.
7. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out sans crumbs.

The end result is ridiculously rewarding. Seriously, look at that blueberry goodness:

As a plus, these freeze quite well. Just let them sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes to defrost, or zap them in the microwave for a few seconds.

Happy Birthday Brother: The Grand Finale

You know how some foods are just vehicles for others, like chips and their cheesy passenger, queso? This cake is one of those (yes, there is a cake under all those mini Reese's!). The cake is a buttermilk chocolate cake, which I actually found pretty bland, despite everyone's assurances that it was delicious (I'm pretty sure they were just being nice). It's the icing atop the cake that really stands out: Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting. I didn't know you could combine peanut butter and cream cheese, but I did and MAN ALIVE am I glad!

For the cake I used this recipe from Jonesing For and changed it up a bit. The original recipe called for a ganache poured over the cake, and I'm sure that my omission of that is the reason for the lack of chocolately flavor.

Chocolate Buttermilk Cake

Ingredients
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I suggest using 4 oz if you're not topping with ganache)
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup greek yogurt
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I suggest adding another 1/4 cup each of cocoa powder and sugar for more flavor)
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup strongly brewed fresh coffee, cooled
1 cup reduced fat buttermilk


Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 365° F. Grease and flour 3 8-inch cake pans and set aside.
2. Melt the chocolate in a medium bowl in the microwave or over a double boiler and let cool until there’s no longer steam rising from it. Whisk in the oil, yogurt and sugar until smooth, then whisk in the eggs.
3. In a small bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Add half of the dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture along with 1/2 cup of the coffee and 1/2 cup of the buttermilk; whisk until smooth. Add the remaining dry ingredients, coffee and buttermilk and whisk until smooth.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Be careful not to overbake. Let the cakes cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then turn them out and let cool completely.

And now for the frosting! I honestly cannot remember where I got the recipe for this frosting, but I thank you, whoever you are.

Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

10 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
5 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2/3 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl often. Continue to beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.

2. Add the peanut butter and vanilla and beat until thoroughly blended.

Assemble your cake, top with chopped mini Reese's, and enjoy!

Happy Birthday Brother: Part 2

Welcome to the cookie segment! This is not a picture of a stack of plain old chocolate chip cookies. These cookies are jacked up on crushed oreos and vanilla pudding mix for extra flavor and a chewier texture. These, as well as sugar cookies in the shape of an M-Dot* because my brother is an Ironman, make up part 2 of my brother's birthday present. Commence drooling... NOW:


Cookies&Cream Cookies:
adapted from Nestle Tollhouse's original cookie recipe

2 sticks softened butter
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1- 3.4 oz (not instant) pudding mix, any flavor (I used vanilla)
2 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 rows (32) Oreo Cookies, broken into pieces
1 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream butter and sugars until well combined. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla.

2. Place pudding mix, flour, baking soda and salt into a large bowl and stir to combine. Slowly stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients, then stir in oreo pieces and chocolate chips until just combined.

3. With a medium cookie scoop or a spoon, scoop dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 7-9 minutes or until cooked, but still soft (if the bottoms start to burn, place an empty metal baking sheet on the rack directly below the cookies to block direct heat). Let cool on baking sheet for 3 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

And don't forget the milk!


Wait a second, you didn't think this post was over, did you? I did mention M-Dot shaped sugar cookies, didn't I? Did I also mention that they are dipped in and drizzled with chocolate? No? Well, they are. Unfortunately, I gave all but one of these cookies to my brother without photographing them first, and when I went back to my lone cookie, I found he was missing his head and one leg:

Alright, so maybe I went ahead and ate his leg upon finding his headlessness, but I definitely did not eat his shoulder:

Okay fine, so I did. He was destined for this fate, anyway! His tasty, tasty fate... I commandeered this sugar cookie recipe from I Am Baker.

Sugar Cookie Recipe

¾ cup butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
powdered sugar for dusting
2-3 cups chocolate chips (if you want to dip your cookies in chocolate)

In a large bowl, combine butter and sugar until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla and combine.

In a separate bowl, sift together flour, cream of tartar, baking powder, and salt (don't skimp on the sifting- it prevents flour from clumping up in your dough).

Slowly add dry ingredients into wet batter until fully incorporated.

Drop dough onto a large piece of saran wrap, mold it into a 4×4 square, and refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight.

When ready to bake the cookies, generously dust a flat surface with powdered sugar and roll out the dough. Use plenty of powdered sugar, more than you think you need! Doing so will spare you a serious frustration headache. Use cookie cutters to cut out your desired shapes, then use a metal spatula to transfer them to a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet.

Bake at 325-350 degrees for 5 to 8 minutes. My cookies puffed up a lot during the baking, so as soon as they came out of the oven I went over them again with the cookie cutter to get clean edges. This produced a lot of cookie scraps. I am not complaining.

Once cookies cool, melt chocolate chips in a wide, shallow dish. Drop cookies in one at a time, using a fork (or two, as the case may be) to fish them out. Place dipped cookies on a sheet of wax paper to dry. Decorate as you please!

*M-Dot: the international symbol for an Ironman, which is a race of superhuman proportions consisting of a 2.4 mile swim, followed by a 112 mile bike, followed by a 26.2 mile run, all within 17 hours. Yes, my numbers are correct. The (non-beheaded) M-Dot looks like this:

Happy Birthday Brother: Part 1

As I mentioned previously, my brother's 22nd birthday was this week. As I've also mentioned previously, I am but a poor college student :( So as part of my birthday present to my brother, I invested much of my time this week into making various food items. First on the list: Coconut Chocolate Ice Cream with a Caramel Swirl. I was going for a Samoa (as in the Girl Scout cookie) flavored ice cream but the finished product tasted nothing like a samoa. Luckily for me - I mean, for my brother - this ice cream was delicious in a completely different way. The recipe is adapted from a chocolate ice cream recipe by David Lebovitz, who also happens to be the ice cream god.

Chocolate-Coconut Ice Cream

1 1/2 cups whipping cream
3 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa
3 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
1 can (14 oz) coconut milk
3/4 cup sugar
pinch of salt
5 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Put 1 cup of the cream in a saucepan and sift the cocoa powder into it. Heat on medium-low heat, whisking to blend in the cocoa. Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce to a simmer for 30 seconds, whisking constantly. Remove from heat and add the chocolate chips, stirring to melt and incorporate. Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup cream, then pour the mixture through a metal strainer (to catch any cocoa powder lumps) into a large bowl, scraping out as much as you can. Place the bowl in an ice bath.

Warm the coconut milk, sugar, and salt in the same saucepan. Whisk the egg yolks in a bowl while you wait for the mixture to warm. When the coconut milk mixture is just warm (don't let it boil!), pour it slowly into the yolks, whisking vigorously to temper them. Pour the whole mixture back into the saucepan and cook, stirring constantly. When the mixture has thickened (it should coat the back of a wooden spoon), pour it into the cream-chocolate mixture through the strainer to remove any cooked bits of egg. Add the vanilla and stir until the mixture has cooled. Refrigerate immediately.

When the mixture is sufficiently cool, freeze according to your machine's instructions. If you're adding the caramel swirl, alternate layers of ice cream and caramel in a freezer-safe container after churning the ice cream.

If you don't have an ice cream maker, go buy one! OR, instead of refrigerating the mixture after everything has been combined, put it in a container and stick it in the freezer. Every 30 minutes, remove the mixture from the freezer and whisk vigorously to break up the ice crystals. Keep doing this until you have reached ice cream consistency, but keep in mind this method makes for a more icy, less smooth (but still delicious!) ice cream.


As you can see in the picture, I made shortbread to go along with the ice cream because samoas are shortbread cookies covered in caramel, coconut, and chocolate. However, I preferred the ice cream sans shortbread, so I'm leaving the recipe out of this post. If anyone really, really wants it, just ask and you shall receive. I did, on the other hand, go with the caramel swirl. I decided to use a simple 1 part water, 2 parts cream, 3 parts sugar recipe because I'd never made caramel before:

3/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup cream

Combine the sugar and water in a small-ish saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally until it begins to boil. Stop stirring it and increase the heat to high, watching it carefully (if hot spots appear, swirl the pan gently). Once it turns amber in color remove from the heat and wait for a few seconds, then pour the cream in slowly, whisking while you do. The caramel will bubble up when you add the cream, so be careful not to get burned! Keep whisking the caramel until the more solid parts melt.

If you opt for the caramel swirl in your ice cream (which you should, because it's pretty amazing), make the caramel AT LEAST an hour ahead of time. If it's too warm, it will melt your ice cream. Also, this recipe makes a little more caramel then you need so I wouldn't recommend using all of it. Unless you're a caramel fanatic, in which case you can use as much as you like. More power to you and so on.


The idea and recipes for samoa ice cream and components were adapted from My Kitchen Quest.