Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Omg! Don't let the word pumpkin scare you.These are deeeeeelicious! I was Blog surfing the other day and came across a beautiful site, Lick The Bowl Good, and there I found this treasure. It was kismet because it just so happened that in my fridge sat the remnants of a can of pumpkin puree that was on it way to the other side.  So make them I did and I wasn't the only one who was glad I did!

Without any further adieu, I give you:
The Recipe:

1/4 cup warm water             1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup warm milk              1/4 cup melted butter
1 tbsp sugar                         1 1/4 tsp salt
2 1/4 tsp yeast                     about 2 cups flour

If you haven't worked with bread dough before and are a little intimidated, check out my "dinner buns" post. It will have more of a step by step instruction on mixing dough.  Combine the water, milk, sugar and yeast. Let stand about 5 min. Add the melted butter, and about 2 cups of the flour. Mix for about 2-3 min. Add the salt. Slowly add more flour if the dough is not coming together. I only needed about 2 1/4 cups. Knead for at least 5 min in your mixer. Once the dough has come together into a soft ball, coat it in butter and put it back in the bowl. Cover and let rise for about an hour.

Filling:

3 tbsp sugar

3 tbsp brown sugar

2 tbsp flour

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 tbsp chilled butter, cut into pieces

While your dough is rising, in a small bowl combine both sugars, flour and cinnamon. Cut in the chilled butter.

When the dough has doubled in size,  turn it out onto a floured surface and roll it out into a rectangle. it will be about 1/4 inch thin.

Sprinkle the dough with the filling. Spread it out evenly and gently press it into the dough. Roll the dough up length wise into a log and pinch the seams together.

Using a serrated knife or a counter scraper, divide the dough into equal portions. I got 8 cinnamon rolls out of my log. 

Place the rolls in a 9x9 parchment lined pan. Cover and let rise for about another hour.

When the rolls have risen, place them in a 375 oven and bake for 25-30min. The tops should be nicely browned. While they are baking, prepare the icing. I didn't use the icing recipe that was with the original post. I made up my own. I didn't measure anything, but I did use about 3-4 tbsp of soft cream cheese, 2 tbsp soft butter. Using a hand mixer, blend these on high until they are completely combined and the mixture is light and fluffy. I added a couple of teaspoons of cream and 1 package of Oetker vanilla sugar. After that, I added icing sugar until I liked the consistency and level of sweetness. Maybe 3/4 cup.

As soon as the rolls came out of the oven, I frosted them with some of the icing. Let them cool completely now. Once they are completely cool, cover them with more icing. This icing turned out really creamy and delicious, so I wanted lots!

I hope you try these, you won't be disappointed.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

I have made sweet and sour meatballs before for the kids and they loved it! But do you think that I could find that recipe? of course not. I did see this recipe from another blog the other day and thought I would try it.  It ended up not being my favorite recipe, but I already took the pictures, so what the hell.

Recipe:

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
1 tsp Worcestershire

Basically, combine all of the ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a simmer. Add your meatballs and cook until they are heated through.

I doubled the sauce recipe because I like to serve these over rice and need a little extra sauce to pour on the rice.

These meatballs really live up to their name. Sweet and Sour! These weren't the kids favorite. They were just okay.  I really wish I remembered where I got the other one from.

Beef Dips

I wish I could take a picture that did this justice, maybe one day. Really, I don't know anyone who wouldn't love these. Thinly shaved roast beef with fried onions and peppers served on a homemade bun that has been toasted with garlic butter and topped with melted cheese. Ok, you had me at Thinly sliced.

This meal does take a little advanced prep, but it's worth it. This is not so much a recipe as it is a method, so make sure to red it through so you are prepared.

I like to pat my roast dry and then rub it with oil and cover it with steak seasoning. I bake it at 400 degrees until the temperature reaches 140-150 degrees.  set the roast aside and let it cool completely. Add about 2cups of water to the pan drippings and set aside. This will be the base for your au jus.

Let me introduce you to one of my favorite kitchen gadgets. My meat slicer. It really is part of the secret to these beef dips. It doesn't matter what cut of beef you are roasting because you can get such thin tender slices with this baby.
Whether or not you have a slicer, after the beef has come to room temperature, slice it as thin as you can. Set the meat aside.
I like to top my beef dips with grilled onions and peppers. Thinly slice 1-2 onions and 1 pepper.  Add them to a hot oiled pan and season with some salt and pepper. I like to add about 1/4 tsp of pepper flakes for a little kick.

In a sauce pan, pour in the drippings that were set aside from the roast. I like to add a little beef bouillon to the drippings to make a richer tasting jus.  You might also need to season it with some salt and pepper. Keep the au jus on low while you toast your buns. You can put your sliced beef into the au jus now to to warm the the beef up.

Turn your oven on to broil. Slice open the buns and cover them with garlic butter. Toast the buns until golden brown. Be careful not to burn them! 2-3 minutes under the broiler will do the trick.
Remove the buns and top then with the sliced  beef, grilled onions and peppers and then top each with cheese. I like to use provolone usually, but all I had on hand was marble cheese.  Put back under the broiler until the cheese is melted and bubbling.
Ladle some of the au jus into a smaller bowl and serve along side your sandwiches for dipping.

Asian Grilled Chicken

Well, when it's - 15 degrees outside, what's for dinner? Barbecue of course! I got this recipe from another fabulous blog, Our Best Bites. As usual, those girls delivered with a simple and delicious recipe that the whole family voted as a "make again" dish. Here it is!

Recipe:

1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup soya sauce
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp curry powder
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp grated ginger
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

In a bowl, or a Ziploc bag combine all of the ingredients (minus the chicken) and mix these well to combine and dissolve the brown sugar. Remove about 3 tbsp of the marinade and set aside to baste the chicken with later. Add the chicken and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. I used 2 bone-in breasts and 6 drumsticks,because it was what I had in the freezer.

Now tell your husband to grab his parka and grill that chicken! Cooking time will greatly depend on the type of chicken you have chosen. Obviously bone-in will take a little longer. Grill the  chicken pieces over medium heat, and baste them with the reserved marinade.

Enjoy!

Salsbury Steak

                                                                                  Well I definitely didn't plan on bogging this recipe but it was such a hit with the family, that I did up an extra plate for a picture.  This is not a fancy culinary meal by any means, but what it definitely is, is a simple comforting family style meal. 

I didn't follow any set recipe. I mixed in some minced garlic, Worcestershire, salt and pepper, egg and fresh breadcrumbs with the ground beef. I formed them into oval patties about 1/4 inch thin. Fry the patties until just pink in the middle. Remove the patties and add in finely diced onion and sliced mushrooms. You might need to add a little butter, depending on how much fat the patties give off. Saute until the mushrooms are nicely browned. Add about 1 tbsp of flour and cook about another minute. Add about 1 1/2 cups of beef broth and bring to a boil while stirring to lift all of the brown bits from the mushrooms and patties. The sauce should have thickened slightly. Add the patties back to the sauce. Cover and simmer the patties about 5 min or until completely cooked through.  Check for salt and pepper. I served this over whipped mashed potatoes. Yum.

Mexican Rice

One of the kids most requested meals is soft tacos. I am usually super lazy and don't serve anything along side them other than the toppings. Tonight something must have come over me because I decided to make Mexican Rice! Here it is.

Recipe:

2 medium tomatoes, cored and peeled
1 onion peeled and cored
1/3 cup oil
2 cups rice, rinsed and drained
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 jalapenos, minced
2 cups chicken broth
1 tbsp tomato paste
salt
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
pepper

Directions:

Process the tomatoes and onions until smooth (it should equal 2 cups).

Heat oil in a dutch oven. Saute rice until golden, stirring frequently. Stir in garlic and 2/3 of the jalapenos. Cook until fragrant.

 

Stir in puree, tomato paste, and broth. Add 1 1/2 tsp salt and bring to a boil.Turn the heat down to low,cover and cook until rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed. 15-20 min. Stir and check after 12min. Fluff rice and stir in chopped fresh cilantro and remaining jalapenos. Taste for salt and pepper.

Baguettes

I have been making bread for quite a few years now, but I have never made a baguette or a french loaf. Well wait no more! I did it and boy am I glad I did. Just look at that beauty. Take another look. Now make one for yourself.

Recipe:                                                                  
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 tbsp sugar
2tsp yeast
1/2 tsp salt
3-4 1/2 cups flour

Method:
Note: the yeast I use can be added with the flour and does not start in the water like traditional yeast.

In the bowl of your mixer, add the water and sugar. Add the flour, but hold back about 1 1/2 cups. Add the yeast.  turn your mixer on and knead the dough for 2-3 minutes. If it still is very wet and sticky, like the picture on the left, add 1/2 cup of flour and again let your mixer go for another couple of minutes. You want to see a mound of dough beginning to form in the middle of the bowl. If you don't see this happening, add for flour. If you see see a mound forming in the center of the bowl, don't add anymore flour. Let your mixer do it's thing for another 5 min. The dough should then begin to pull away from the sides of the bowl and actually "clean" the sides. It will look like the picture on the right. Once you have a smooth soft dough,  remove it from the bowl and rub it with oil. Put it back to the bowl, cover it with saran wrap or a cloth and let it sit until it almost doubles in size. This could take anywhere from 1-2 hours depending on the temperature in your room.

 

 

Once the dough has doubled in size,  set it out on a floured surface and divide it into to equal pieces. I didn't take pictures of the next part of the process, but I will next time and then add them. Until then, one at a time, roll out each ball of dough into a rectangle as long as you want the baguettes to be. Once you have your rectangle, roll it up into a log jellyroll style or like you would cinnamon rolls, pinching the seams together. Place the log seam side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Repeat with the second ball of dough. Cover and let your baguettes rise for about another hour.

Once your baguettes have risen, you can make decorative slashes in them. You need a sharp knife to do this so you don't tear at the dough. Place them in a 350 degree oven and bake for 20 -25 min. If your want a crust to form on the baguettes, use a spray bottle and spray the baguettes while they are in the oven a couple of times.

This bread is delicious!
I recently used this recipe to make garlicky cheese sticks which I will post when I make them again. They were fabulous as well.