Sticky Buns

How did you like that awesome teaser photo?  I posted it on FB and tweeted it, and boy the "where is the recipe" comments flooded in!

This is a bit of a repeat recipe, it is just doing something different.  It is my Not Your Mom's Cinnamon Rolls recipe.  I will rewrite the recipe below, and then get on to the treatment of these lovely babies, that makes them sticky buns!

Make these, freeze them, eat them, photograph them, just, for the love of food, make sure you share the love!  I had been planning on making these awhile ago and for some reason just kept putting them off.  Well, when I did make them, they were a hit, complete with moans, groans and "OMG's"  That my friends is when you know you have hit the jackpot!

Here we go!
1 pkg dry active yeast
1 tsp sugar
1/4 cup water at 110-115 degrees
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
5 tbsp melted butter
1 tsp ground cinnamon
4-4 1/2 cups flour

In a measuring cup place hot water and 1 tsp sugar.  Put a thermometer in it and if it is to hot, wait for it to cool to 110-115 degrees.  I know some people say they always kill the yeast so better to have it to hot and have to wait for it to cool a bit.  I do it like this and just wait for it to get to the temp I want!

When it gets to the correct temperature add in your packet of yeast, give it a tiny stir and remove thermometer.  Let sit 3-4 minutes.  It should get foamy on the top!

Now in a bowl or stand mixer  (using your dough hook) add in the egg, milk, melted butter, sugar and salt.  Mix until combined.  Now add in the yeast mixture, flour, cinnamon, and vanilla.  I mig ht have slipped and added extra vanilla too!  I always do, you know that! HA!

Now once you get it all combined, by hand or machine, either knead it for 3-4 minutes until smooth, or let it go in the stand mixer the same amount of time, or until smooth. 

Turn the dough out into a buttered, or sprayed with non stick cooking spray, or oiled bowl.  Cover tightly with plastic wrap and sit in a warm, draft free place.  Sometimes I turn the oven on to preheat for baking and set the bowl on the stove top.  This could take an hour, or it could take 3 hours.  The warmer the area, the faster it will happen.  It should about double in size!

When it is doubled in size, take it out of the bowl unto a floured surface.  Roll the dough out into a rectangle shape.  It should be about...hmmm.....14-16 by about 10-12.  Never thought about it, just always did it!  What comes next is the filling and here is what you will need for that....

Filling

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup VERY soft butter (can melt and use a pastry brush as well)

2 tbsp ground cinnamon

Spread the butter over the dough, make sure to get it covered everywhere!  Sprinkle brown sugar evenly and then the cinnamon.  

Roll up the dough into a log.  Pinch the dough to seal it all the way across, flip so the seam side is down and set aside.

Spray your 9x13 with nonstick cooking spray.  Set aside and combine the following ingredients in a small pot.  

Sticky Topping

1/2 cup butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup syrup (pancake syrup, the cheap stuff)

1 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Let heat until brown sugar is dissolved, stirring constantly.  Then pour into your prepared 9x13 pan and spread evenly.  

Cut your roll of rolls into 12 rolls.  Place in the pan on top of the sticky topping.  Cover and let raise until they have nearly doubled in size and then bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Let cool for 2 minutes only!  Turn upside down on a large tray or cookie sheet and let sit for a couple of minutes before lifting the pan off the top.  Waaaaa-laaaa!  Perfect sticky buns!

ENJOY!

Cinna Swirl Cookies

Cinnamon. 

 

Again. 

I can't help it, I am going through a "phase" as I recall my mom saying from time to time in my life.  I am sure she is just thanking GOD it isn't another "fake black hair, that looks blue in the sun", phase.  I am also fairly sure, she is glad I am not going through another "refuses to shave her legs" phase. 

Anyway, it appears my phases are now food related.  HA.  Yea, I just looked in the mirror, definitely food related.  I have always loved cinnamon, more than chocolate and ALMOST more than caramel.  I have just been craving it lately and no, not for any specific reason.  (now I am thanking GOD). 

As many of you know who follow me on Facebook, I spent 10 days with my parents.  I was cleaning out my moms cupboards and as the family "box cake mix whore", I robbed her of all mixes she wasn't going to use!  Yes, yes I did.  While I was on a grocery store trip in my tiny hometown I found Hershey's Cinnamon Chips.  WHAT?  Why I haven't seen these in any other grocery store when I live in a city?!  I nabbed those babies and thought to myself, "self, make something really convenient and quick and delicious".  I have seen these kinds of cookies before.  However, as usual I just look at the picture and decide how I want to make it, I rarely look at any recipes.  They are like cinnamon rolls, only in cookie form.  ACK.  YUM!  So let's get into these delicious bites of heaven.  You might consider a double batch.  Consider yourself warned.  

1 pkg sugar cookie dough mix.  (you can make homemade if you like)
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup cinnamon chips
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp. milk

Preheat oven to temperature on your cookie mix package or recipe directions.  Prepare as directed.  On a piece of foil, wax paper, or parchment paper, roll out your cookie dough.  You want it about 1/4-1/2 inch thick.  Your choice really.  Roll it into a rectangle.  When you are done, sprinkle it with brown sugar, cinnamon and cinnamon chips.  Using the parchment to help you, roll it into a log.  Transfer to a cookie sheet and place into the freezer for 1 hour (more is better just get it firm enough to slice nicely)  Cut into approximately 1/2 inch slices.  There is no need to get obsessive about this, just go with what looks good to you.  Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake according to package directions on the cookie.  Let cool 5 minutes on the cookie sheet before removing.  You will yield about 18-20 cookies.  OK, at least I did!

I packed a plate of these for my husband to take to his officers.  He forgot it.  (sorry guys).  I was secretly thrilled because these are the bomb diggity.  Yea, yea I said it.  They are!

Your "cinnamon sounds like Simmerman" Chefwannabe

Not your mom's CINNAMON ROLLS!

That's right, that is what I said.  These are NOT my mom's cinnamon rolls!  Her rolls were always a treat on holidays or for big events.  I learned one thing from my mom and that is, everything doesn't have to be SO MUCH WORK to be amazing.  It seems like it took my mom 2 days to make cinnamon rolls, and I grew up thinking they were this intense labor of love when in reality, these are ready beginning to end in maybe 3 hours.  Ok, maybe 4 with rise time.  Regardless, they are so easy. These cinnamon rolls are so light, so moist and just amazing.  And for the record kids, it is a new day, and these rolls o' mine are incredible, better than hers!  Make them, you can be the judge!

Now, as far as cinnamon rolls go, I like them plain.  I mean, no extemporaneous crap, raisins, nuts, etc.  I want them dead fly free *raisins*, I want everything in my life raisin free in fact.  So those things are all optional and I won't write them into the recipe because we discussed it here.  Also, it is possible that I used more brown sugar than what is called for, for the filling.  Sue me.  You know you will too. 

OH, one more thing about these lovelies.  They freeze SO well.  After the dough rises and you get the rolls cut and put in the pan, this is where you seal them up tightly with foil and put in the freezer.  When you want to bake them, you take them out of the freezer the night before, and set them on your stove top to thaw and raise, they will be ready for morning baking!  Just an FYI. 

Ok, let me give you the icing recipe first, you can get it made and get it done with.....
(Btw, I am writing this in the order it goes.  I hate having to scroll up and then down and then up and then down for measurements and directions so you will need to scroll down and under each green heading are ingredients you will need!)

Cinnamon Roll Frosting
4 ozs softened cream cheese
4 tbsp softened butter
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 cups powdered sugar/icing sugar/confectioners sugar
1 tbsp milk/cream/half and half/flavored coffee creamer

Combine all ingredients and set aside!

 Cinnamon Rolls
1 pkg dry active yeast
1 tsp sugar
1/4 cup water at 110-115 degrees
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
5 tbsp melted butter
1 tsp ground cinnamon
4-4 1/2 cups flour

In a measuring cup place hot water and 1 tsp sugar.  Put a thermometer in it and if it is to hot, wait for it to cool to 110-115 degrees.  I know some people say they always kill the yeast so better to have it to hot and have to wait for it to cool a bit.  I do it like this and just wait for it to get to the temp I want!

When it gets to the correct temperature add in your packet of yeast, give it a tiny stir and remove thermometer.  Let sit 3-4 minutes.  It should get foamy on the top!

Now in a bowl or stand mixer  (using your dough hook) add in the egg, milk, melted butter, sugar and salt.  Mix until combined.  Now add in the yeast mixture, flour, cinnamon, and vanilla.  I mig ht have slipped and added extra vanilla too!  I always do, you know that! HA!

Now once you get it all combined, by hand or machine, either knead it for 3-4 minutes until smooth, or let it go in the stand mixer the same amount of time, or until smooth. 

Turn the dough out into a buttered, or sprayed with non stick cooking spray, or oiled bowl.  Cover tightly with plastic wrap and sit in a warm, draft free place.  Sometimes I turn the oven on to preheat for baking and set the bowl on the stove top.  This could take an hour, or it could take 3 hours.  The warmer the area, the faster it will happen.  It should about double in size!

When it is doubled in size, take it out of the bowl unto a floured surface.  Roll the dough out into a rectangle shape.  It should be about...hmmm.....14-16 by about 10-12.  Never thought about it, just always did it!  What comes next is the filling and here is what you will need for that....

Filling

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup VERY soft butter (can melt and use a pastry brush as well)

2 tbsp ground cinnamon

Spread the butter over the dough, make sure to get it covered everywhere!  Sprinkle brown sugar evenly and then the cinnamon. 

Get your oven preheated to 350 degrees.

Now, why didn't I take a photo of this part?  Grr.  Starting at the bottom start rolling the dough, go from the bottom and work your way across so it is eventually all rolled up.  When you get to the end, pinch the seam together.  Now you could get up to about 14-16 out of this, but I get 12.  I like tall, substantial rolls.  So using a serrated knife, gently cut it in half and then go from there.  However many you want out of the roll, make it happen!  If you cut them thinner and get 14-16, make usre to take 5 minutes or so off of your bake time!

When they are cut, put them into a generously buttered 9x13 pan.  I fit 12 perfectly.  Get them situated and then cover them with a clean dish towel and let raise again, for approx 1 hr.  If you have your oven on, and use my trick, it won't take that long. 

Bake for 30 minutes.  Remove them from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes.  I turn mine out unto a large cookie sheet because I find them easier to cut and serve that way.  You have to flip flop a couple of times to get them right side up on the cookie sheet but I trust your problem solving skills will take you far in this one!  I then frost them with half of the frosting.  I wait until they are nearly completely cooled to put the rest of the frosting on.  Some of it melts into the roll and you still have plenty on top!

 

If you you are making these for a holiday, I find it pleasant to sprinkle them with sprinkles in the appropriate colors for your holiday.  I didn't do it here so that you could just see the roll.

Whoa.........was THAT fun or what?!?!

Now get some coffee on, and let's sit down and discuss how awesome these are.  If you wait to long you might have to give it 20 seconds in the microwave to warm it up because that is always how they taste best in my opinion!

Enjoy this sweet treat!!

Your "loves all things cinnamon"chefwannabe



Adapted from: Laura In The Kitchen

Guest Blog, if it can be "Veganized" SHE can do it! Vegan Monkey Bread

Nick, husband of Jessica, father of Riley and Georgia, and living legend  of the vegan community in the making

A little over a year ago, I agreed to help my husband embark upon the great vegan experiment. It was a little rough in the beginning. There was a lot of Googling the ingredient lists, there are animal by products in damn near everything; and, it feels like manufactures’ are trying to hide that fact.

I am an adventurous cook, brash baker, and a big fan of eating food. I took it as a personal challenge to veganize what I could. If nothing else- to prove to my mother that this was a viable lifestyle.  To be perfectly clear- I am not vegan; but, I am fairly busy with two babies and don’t want to make two meals all the time. So I go vegan during the week.

One fateful night I was scanning my favorite blogs, when I came across this lovely little recipe for monkey bread. It was really more of a cake, but I wasn’t going to hold that against the blogger. A quick scan of the ingredient list and I realized- I CAN VEGANIZE THIS! My poor husband had been left out of several great internet finds and now he was finally able to partake. Let me fill you in on how simple it was to make these face free.

Vegan Cinnamon Monkey Cake

You will need:
1-8oz. tub softened vegan cream cheese

1 ½ cups softened soy butter

2 ½ cups vegan sugar

2 tsp vanilla

3-4 containers of Pillsbury biscuits

2 TBSP cinnamon

1 ½ cups brown sugar

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter up two 9 inch pans and set aside.

In a small pot or bowl, melt ½ c  soy butter.

In a big Ziploc bag mix 1 c brown sugar and 1 c sugar, add cinnamon and shake it all up.

Remove biscuits and roll each one into a little 4 inch tube, then cut them into 4-5 pieces.

Drop the pieces in the butter. I used a slotted spoon to fish them out and drop them in the bag of sugar. Shake it , shake it, shake it like a Polaroid picture.

Drop them casually into the well buttered cake pans.

Repeat until you’ve covered the bottoms of the pans fairly completely. I actually ran out of sugar and had to had about ½ c more of each kind of sugar and another good dash of cinnamon..

Take the remaining butter from the dipping process and melt 1 more stick with it. Add to that whatever sugar was left in the Ziploc bag and heat in a sauce pan. This bit is tricky because you want to stir it constantly until the sugar is just melted into the butter but not burn it.

Drizzle this delicious concoction evenly over your two pans.

Bake for about 30 minutes.

While that’s baking:

Make sure the burner is OFF!

 

In the same little sauce pan you melted your butter/brown sugar mixture- mix ½ c soy butter, vanilla, the tub of vegan cream cheese, and about 1 c. vegan sugar. Residual heat only here folks. With a whisk just whip the crap out of all those ingredients until you get a creamy smooth consistency. Finger dip tasting is the only way you’re going to know if you’ve added enough sugar.  Once you’ve reached peak taste toss the pot into the fridge and let it rest and set up while you’re baking.

Pull your lovely cakes out of the oven. Loosen the sides with a spatula and turn them out onto plates. Take your frosting and spread a thin loose layer to be the middle.  Top it with the second layer and coat it with the remaining frosting. At this point you should be DYING to eat the whole damn thing- so go for it!
 

Jessica, with daughter Georgia

 



Guest Blogger-

Jessica is a blogger, mom, and all around amazing  person.

Check out her blog It's Less Important Than You Think.

She's also on Facebook  and Twitter @CrunchieMom