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!

HOMEMADE SPICED TEA MIX

1 cup Country Time lemonade-flavored tea mix

1 cup Tang orange drink powder
1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground ginger

Combine all ingredients together well.  Store in a large zip-top plastic food storage bag for home use or put in a pretty glass jar to give as a gift.  If giving as a gift, don't forget to include the instructions for making a cup of tea (below).

To make a cup of hot tea: Place 2 heaping tablespoonsful of the mixture into a cup or mug.  Add 1 cup boiling water and stir gently.

Yield: 2 cups of mix

Homemade Spiced Tea Ready for Gifting

 

Note: This is my version of an old Southern Living Recipe

CANDY CORN POPCORN MIX

24 cups popped popcorn

2 cups pecan halves
2 sticks butter
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp apple pie spice
1/2 tsp baking soda
25-ounces candy corn

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

Lightly spray a large roasting pan with nonstick cooking spray.  Combine the popcorn and pecans in the prepared pan.

Melt the butter in a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat.  Stir in the brown sugar, molasses, and salt.  Bring to boil while stirring constantly; boil 5 minutes without stirring.

Remove saucepan from the heat and stir in the vanilla, pie spice, and baking soda.  Mixture will foam when baking soda is added.  Pour syrup over the popcorn mixture and stir in well coated.

Bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.  Spread on lightly sprayed aluminum foil and allow to cool.

Sprinkle the candy corn over the cooled popcorn mixture.  May be stored in an airtight container or bagged for gifting.

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COWBOY BROWNIE MIX IN A JAR

2 cups sugar
1 cup cocoa powder
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Layer the ingredients, in order listed, in a quart jar.

Place a square of banana cloth and place over the jar lid.  Tie with a piece of jute or twine, attaching the instructions below.

Instructions to attach to the jar:
1 jar cowboy brownie mix
1 cup butter
4 eggs

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Grease and flour a 13 x 9-inch baking pan; set aside.

Using an electric mixer, cream the butter.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.  Add the brownie mix and then beat by hand until smooth.  Spread the mixture into the prepared pan and bake 40 to 50 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

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SPICY COCOA MIX

3 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar

2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp salt

Combine the brown sugar, cocoa, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt in a food processor and process until well blended.  Store in an airtight container.

Yield: 5 cups mix

To use as a gift, give in a decorative container with the following instructions.

To serve: Place 1 1/2 tablespoons of the mix into a cup.  Pour 6-ounces of hot milk over the mix and stir until dissolved and well blended.  Serve warm with miniature marshmallows if desired.

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CANDIED POPCORN FOR GIFTING

Of course this is tasty to enjoy yourself but it makes great little gifts when packaged in airtight jars.

2 cups sugar
2 cups light brown sugar, packed firm
2 cups light cream
1 tsp soft butter
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup whole almonds or pecans
6 cups popped popcorn, with any unpopped kernels removed

Combine the sugars and cream in a saucepan; stir until sugar is dissolved. Boil without stirring, uncovered, until syrup reaches 235-240 degrees on a candy thermometer (soft-ball stage). Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes.

Beat syrup mixture with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon until thickened.  Add the vanilla extract, nuts, and popcorn; mix well. Pour onto sheets of parchment paper to cool. Break apart the larger pieces and package in airtight jars.

Tie a pretty ribbon suitable to the gifting occasion around the jar when giving as a gift.

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PEPPERMINT SPOONS

Peppermint candies

Silicon Spoon Mold
Chocolate for dipping, optional
Candy Sprinkles, optional

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

In a ziplock bag, crush the peppermints using a kitchen mallot or other tool such as a wooden rolling pin.

Using a teaspoon, fill the spoon mold with the crushed peppermint. Add extra in the following places as they tend to break easily - top of the spoon and neck of the spoon.

Place in the oven and cook about 8-10 minutes or so until the peppermint melts. You may have to add more peppermint in areas and cook a little longer.  Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

Very carefully remove the mold sides from the spoons. If one breaks just add some more peppermint and bake a little longer.

If using chocolate, place into a glass measuring cup and melt in the microwave for a few seconds, stir, microwave longer and stir again until completely melted. Dip spoon half to three-fourths up the spoon and sprinkle with candy sprinkles, if using.

Place on waxed paper until chocolate is completely dry.

Use with hot chocolate, coffee, etc. Maybe be packaged and given as holiday gifts.

Note: I got this recipe idea and photo from Good Housekeeping several years ago.

HOMEMADE APPLE PIE SPICE MIX

 2 tbsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp ground allspice

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp ground cardamom

Combine all ingredients and blend well. 

Store airtight in a small jar or other airtight container. Use in apple (works good in pear pie, too) pie as the pie recipe directs.

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COCOA MIX

2 cups non-fat dry milk powder

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup powdered non-dairy coffee creamer
dash of salt

In a large mixing bowl combine all the ingredients, blending well. Store in a tightly covered container or jar. This yields about 3 3/4 cups which will make fifteen 6-ounce servings.

To serve: Combine 1/4 cup of the mix and 3/4 cup boiling water in a cup or mug; stir to blend well. Add marshmallows and/or whipped cream, if desired. For a little peppermint flavor, add a peppermint stick for stirring.

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PISTACHIO CRUNCH

 Pistachio Crunch is fine broken into pieces or may be cut with cookie cutters to use as decorations as shown in the photo.

Recipe and photo from Christmas with Southern Living 1995

BASIC CAKE-IN-A-JAR

Fun gifts and/or party cakes.

2 2/3 cups sugar
1 cup butter
4 eggs
1/2 cup water
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
6 or 7 pint canning jars

Cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and mix well. Add the water and vanilla.  Add the dry ingredients and combine well. 

Pour 1 cup of batter into each of the pint jars.  Bake cakes at 325 degrees for 55 to 60 minutes or until cakes test done.

VARIATIONS:
For BANANA NUT CAKE: add the following to the basic cake mix above and follow the above instructions for baking.
2 cups mashed bananas
1 tsp cinnamon
2/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

For POLKA-DOT CAKE: add 1 cup mini M&M candies to the basic recipe above and follow the basic directions.

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OVEN CARAMEL CORN FROM PAULA DEEN

7 to 8 quarts popped popcorn

2 cups unsalted peanuts, shelled pumpkin seeds, and/or sunflower seeds
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon maple-flavored pancake syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees.  Spray rimmed cookie sheets or jelly roll pans with vegetable oil cooking spray.
2. Place the popcorn and your choice of nuts and/or seeds into a very large bowl.  In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, butter, salt, syrups, and vanilla.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and continue boiling for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.  Remove from the heat and add the baking soda.  The mixture will bubble up.  Stir vigorously until the mixture is smooth.
3. Pour the hot syrup over the popcorn mix.  Stir until the popcorn is coated.  This is messy; take your time and use a long-handled spoon.
4. Spread the coated popcorn in the prepared pans.  Bake for 1 hour, stirring several times.  The mixture will be very sticky.
5. Remove the popcorn from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes.  Break big hunks apart while the mixture is cooling.  When cooled, the sugars will have candy-coated the popcorn.  Store in large airtight plastic containers.

Ms. Deen suggests placing approximately 2 cups of this mixture in a clear bag and tying with a decorative ribbon for gift-giving.

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Linda's personal note:  Your very large bowl should be heatproof.  Pouring the hot syrup into a plastic or Tupperware bowl could ruin your bowl.