I saw this picture and thought it would be a cute and easy way to let the kids help you decorate gingerbread boys and girls!
Saturday, December 14, 2013
CUTE AND EASY WAY TO DECORATE GINGERBREAD COOKIES
I saw this picture and thought it would be a cute and easy way to let the kids help you decorate gingerbread boys and girls!
Sunday, December 1, 2013
CINNABON CINNAMON ROLLS COPYCAT RECIPE
For those of you who love these rolls and want to try your hand at making them, here is a recipe my friend shared.
makes 12 cinnamon rolls
Rolls
2 ¼ teaspoons yeast
1 cup water warm (110-120)
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup buttermilk
2 eggs
7 tablespoons butter, divided
5 ½-6 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Filling
½ cup butter, softened
1 ½ cups light brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon cornstarch
Frosting
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cups powdered sugar
½ tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon kosher salt
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook; add water, sugar and yeast. Swirl to combine. Allow yeast to bloom, about 5-7 minutes.
In the meantime: melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a microwave safe bowl. Combine buttermilk, eggs and butter. Beat with a fork until eggs are mixed.
Once yeast mixture is bubbly and frothy, add buttermilk mixture to bowl of stand mixer. Mix on low and add 4 cups of flour, one cup at a time. Add salt. Once flour is mixed in, add remaining flour slowly until dough becomes a ball and completely pulls away from the walls of the mixer. Your perfect dough ball will clean the bowl. Mine takes 5 ½ cups total. Knead dough on medium-high for 5 minutes.
Lightly dust countertop with flour. Turn dough out onto countertop. Knead a few turns, shape dough into a ball.
Add 1 tablespoon butter to bowl and heat in microwave until melted. Place dough into bowl upside down, flip dough over and cover loosely with plastic wrap and drape bowl with a towel. Set bowl in a warm place in your kitchen. Allow dough to rise for 60-90 minutes until nearly doubled in size.
Meanwhile combine light brown sugar, cinnamon and corn starch in a medium bowl. Stir with as fork until combined. Set aside.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough a few turns, then using a rolling pin, roll out into an 18” tall x 24” wide rectangle. Spread softened butter around dough leaving the bottom 1” uncoated.
Sprinkle buttered dough with brown sugar mixture, leaving the bottom 1” uncoated. Press sugar mixture into dough by gently rolling with your rolling pin.
Starting at the top, tightly roll dough toward you, using the last 1” to seal roll. Cut dough roll in half and then cut those halves in half, giving you 4 pieces. Cut each of those pieces into 1/3rd. You will have 12 pieces.
Grease (2) 9”x13” baking dishes. Place rolls in pans evenly spaced out, 2 rows of 3 rolls in each. Make sure to put the end pieces upside down. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and drape a towel over pans. Set pans in a warm place and allow rolls to rise another 60-90 minutes until rolls have doubled in size and are touching.
Preheat oven 350°F.
Bake for approximately 20 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Halfway through baking time rotate the pans.
In the meantime prepare frosting; add cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add sugar, lemon juice, vanilla and salt. Beat until mixture is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
Remove rolls from oven. Spread ¼ of frosting over each pan of rolls. Allow to cool slightly and repeat. Serve and enjoy!
makes 12 cinnamon rolls
Rolls
2 ¼ teaspoons yeast
1 cup water warm (110-120)
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup buttermilk
2 eggs
7 tablespoons butter, divided
5 ½-6 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Filling
½ cup butter, softened
1 ½ cups light brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon cornstarch
Frosting
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cups powdered sugar
½ tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon kosher salt
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook; add water, sugar and yeast. Swirl to combine. Allow yeast to bloom, about 5-7 minutes.
In the meantime: melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a microwave safe bowl. Combine buttermilk, eggs and butter. Beat with a fork until eggs are mixed.
Once yeast mixture is bubbly and frothy, add buttermilk mixture to bowl of stand mixer. Mix on low and add 4 cups of flour, one cup at a time. Add salt. Once flour is mixed in, add remaining flour slowly until dough becomes a ball and completely pulls away from the walls of the mixer. Your perfect dough ball will clean the bowl. Mine takes 5 ½ cups total. Knead dough on medium-high for 5 minutes.
Lightly dust countertop with flour. Turn dough out onto countertop. Knead a few turns, shape dough into a ball.
Add 1 tablespoon butter to bowl and heat in microwave until melted. Place dough into bowl upside down, flip dough over and cover loosely with plastic wrap and drape bowl with a towel. Set bowl in a warm place in your kitchen. Allow dough to rise for 60-90 minutes until nearly doubled in size.
Meanwhile combine light brown sugar, cinnamon and corn starch in a medium bowl. Stir with as fork until combined. Set aside.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough a few turns, then using a rolling pin, roll out into an 18” tall x 24” wide rectangle. Spread softened butter around dough leaving the bottom 1” uncoated.
Sprinkle buttered dough with brown sugar mixture, leaving the bottom 1” uncoated. Press sugar mixture into dough by gently rolling with your rolling pin.
Starting at the top, tightly roll dough toward you, using the last 1” to seal roll. Cut dough roll in half and then cut those halves in half, giving you 4 pieces. Cut each of those pieces into 1/3rd. You will have 12 pieces.
Grease (2) 9”x13” baking dishes. Place rolls in pans evenly spaced out, 2 rows of 3 rolls in each. Make sure to put the end pieces upside down. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and drape a towel over pans. Set pans in a warm place and allow rolls to rise another 60-90 minutes until rolls have doubled in size and are touching.
Preheat oven 350°F.
Bake for approximately 20 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Halfway through baking time rotate the pans.
In the meantime prepare frosting; add cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add sugar, lemon juice, vanilla and salt. Beat until mixture is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
Remove rolls from oven. Spread ¼ of frosting over each pan of rolls. Allow to cool slightly and repeat. Serve and enjoy!
Monday, September 30, 2013
MARTHA WASHINGTON BALLS
I got the recipe for these little candies that taste like Almond Joy candy bars from my sister-in-law.
2 boxes of confectioner's sugar
1 stick of butter (1/2 cup), softened
(must use real butter, no substitutes)
1-14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp pure almond extract
1-14 oz bag pkg. shredded coconut
1 1/2 cups chopped nuts
1-12 oz. pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 bar paraffin
Cream together sugar and butter in a bowl;add milk. Stir in almond extract,coconut and nuts;mix well. Form candy into 1 inch balls. Place on waxed paper and refrigerate for 3 hours. Melt paraffin and chocolate in top of double boiler, stirring well. Remove from heat but allow chocolate to remain over hot water. (If chocolate becomes too thick, return to heat for a minute or so to thin). With toothpick, dip each ball in chocolate and place on waxed paper to set.
Alternatives:
1. Just use melted chocolate chips w/o the paraffin. It is more difficult to get good coverage, messy and frustrating. You will not get the shine but you are not eating paraffin, if that bothers you.
(Shocking news: Most chocolates that you buy have paraffin mixed with the chocolate.)
2. Use melted almond bark with a little vegetable oil or crisco added to get even coverage. Place dipped candies in the freezer for five minutes, to get the shine. (Almond bark will make the candies sweeter).
Too bad these aren't diabetic-friendly since Almond Joy is my favorite candy bar! Enjoy some for me!
2 boxes of confectioner's sugar
1 stick of butter (1/2 cup), softened
(must use real butter, no substitutes)
1-14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp pure almond extract
1-14 oz bag pkg. shredded coconut
1 1/2 cups chopped nuts
1-12 oz. pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 bar paraffin
Cream together sugar and butter in a bowl;add milk. Stir in almond extract,coconut and nuts;mix well. Form candy into 1 inch balls. Place on waxed paper and refrigerate for 3 hours. Melt paraffin and chocolate in top of double boiler, stirring well. Remove from heat but allow chocolate to remain over hot water. (If chocolate becomes too thick, return to heat for a minute or so to thin). With toothpick, dip each ball in chocolate and place on waxed paper to set.
Alternatives:
1. Just use melted chocolate chips w/o the paraffin. It is more difficult to get good coverage, messy and frustrating. You will not get the shine but you are not eating paraffin, if that bothers you.
(Shocking news: Most chocolates that you buy have paraffin mixed with the chocolate.)
2. Use melted almond bark with a little vegetable oil or crisco added to get even coverage. Place dipped candies in the freezer for five minutes, to get the shine. (Almond bark will make the candies sweeter).
Too bad these aren't diabetic-friendly since Almond Joy is my favorite candy bar! Enjoy some for me!
Saturday, March 23, 2013
PUMPKIN PIE WITH SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK
You may be asking why I am posting a pumpkin pie recipe in March. The answer is simple, I have two reasons. First, pumpkin is healthy and should be eaten year round! Second, the calendar may say it is March but much of the country is experiencing snow and blizzard conditions. So bake up a tasty pumpkin pie, sit by the fire and relax! You can't control the weather!
1 can (15-oz) pumpkin
1 can (14-oz) sweetened condensed milk
2 large eggs
1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
1 9-inch deep dish pie crust (boughten or your favorite recipe)
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Place pie pan on a cookie sheet and line with the crust.
In a large mixing bowl combine the pumpkin, milk, eggs, and spice; mix together until smooth. Pour the filling into the crust.
Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees and bake another 40 minutes or until a knife inserted about an inch from the crust comes out clean.
Remove from oven and set on a wire rack to cool completely.
Serve with whipped cream, if desired.
Yield: 8 servings.
1 can (15-oz) pumpkin
1 can (14-oz) sweetened condensed milk
2 large eggs
1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
1 9-inch deep dish pie crust (boughten or your favorite recipe)
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Place pie pan on a cookie sheet and line with the crust.
In a large mixing bowl combine the pumpkin, milk, eggs, and spice; mix together until smooth. Pour the filling into the crust.
Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees and bake another 40 minutes or until a knife inserted about an inch from the crust comes out clean.
Remove from oven and set on a wire rack to cool completely.
Serve with whipped cream, if desired.
Yield: 8 servings.
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
TO MY FELLOW CHOCOHOLICS!
Each morning I check to see what the top 5 recipes are on this blog for the past week. The list is based on the past 7 days. Often I have to smile as I realize many of you are chocoholics like me. Often 3 out of the 4 are chocolate recipes. Today I laughed as I read the list, all 4 were chocolate recipes! Two brownie recipes, a chocolate bundt cake and a chocolate pie. Readers after my own heart!
EASY WW STRAWBERRY PIE
1 pkg (4-serving size) sugar-free strawberry jello
1/4 cup water
1 carton (8-oz) reduced-fat frozen whipped topping, thawed
2 cartons (6-oz each) fat-free strawberry yogurt
8 large fresh strawberries for garnish, if desired
In a glass microwave safe measuring cup, heat the water to boiling in the microwave.
In a large glass mixing bowl combine the gelatin and the boiling water. Using a wire whisk, stir until gelatin is completely dissolved. Again, using the whisk, stir in the two cartons of yogurt. Gently fold in the whipped topping until blended.
Using a silicone spatula, transfer the mixture into the crust, spreading evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to set.
To serve, cut pie into 8 slices. Top each slice with a fresh strawberry you have cut to fan out, if desired.
Approximately 5 WW pts per serving.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)