I don’t know who Stephanie is, but I know that she is an amazing baker.  Stephanie, (hello Sue’s friend in Michigan!), thank you for sharing your recipe with California.  These have graced my Christmas morning table, began quiet Saturday’s at home, and delivered each and every time.

But I must admit, the kneading and rising time of the original recipe (below)…well, let’s just say I wanted an easier way, so I turned to my faithful bread maker (circa my 1997 wedding).  The results are amazing!

Stephanie’s Cinnamon Rolls (bread maker adaptation)

• 1 1/4 cups warm water
• 1 pkg yeast
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup crisco
• 4 cups flour (divided)
• 1/2-3/4 cup cinnamon sugar
• 1 stick of butter, room temperature

Mix water, yeast, sugar and salt in a small bowl, set aside.  In your bread maker, mix egg, crisco and 2 cups of the flour.  Add the water mixture to the bread maker.  Then add 1 more cup of flour.

Turn your bread maker on the dough setting and let it mix for 1 minute.  Add 1/2 cup of flour as it is mixing.  After another minute, add the last 1/2 cup of flour (make sure your flour is all in before your bread maker gets to the kneeding stage, for mine it’s minute 6).  Now just leave it alone until it has risen, 1 1/2 hours in total.

Once the dough is ready, turn out onto a lightly dusted smooth surface and shape into a 5″ x 18 ” rectangle.  Spread with butter.  Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

Roll lengthwise.  Pinch the seam so it stays closed.  Slice into 12 equal pieces.  Place spirals into a greased 9 x 13 pan.  (Don’t worry if they look whimpy at this point, they raise again in the oven while baking).

Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes.  Cool slightly before frosting.

Sour Cream Frosting

• 1/3 cup room temperature butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 Tbsp sour cream
• 1 tsp vanilla

Mix and spread on warm cinnamon rolls.  Enjoy!

Original version…

“Stephanie’s Cinnamon Rolls”

• 2.5 cups warm water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 Tablespoon salt
• 2 pkgs (or 1 T) yeast

Mix well

Add:

• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup crisco
• 4 cups flour

Mix and add in an additional 3 cups flour until somewhat stiff.  Use 1 cup more flour to knead dough into a soft ball (about 3-4 minutes)

Place in a greased bowl and let rise till double. (about an hour).

Punch down.  Divide into 2 pieces.  One at a time, roll each 1/2 into a rectangle (about 5″ x 18″).  Spread with softened butter. (I use on stick butter on each rectangle of dough).  Sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar.

Roll lengthwise.  Pinch the seam so it stays rolled.  Slice into 12 equal pieces.  Place these spirals into a greased 9×13 pan.

Bake 20-30 minutes at 325 degrees.

Cool some before frosting with butter cream frosting.

Frosting (if you need a good butter cream recipe)

• 2/3 cup unsalted butter
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 2-4 Tablespoons milk

Cream butter, add sugar and milk.  Blend and then whip at highest setting till smooth.

I picked up my first cast iron skillet today from the Flea Market for $10!

Yes, my friend and I get up before the sun one Saturday a month and head to our local flea market looking for treasures.  And this was today’s find…it’s an 8 inch cast iron skillet by Wagner Ware Sidney.

Now, being that this is my first cast iron skillet, I have no idea what to make. These recipes caught my eye…

Red Flannel Hash

Naan

Caramel Apple Cake

Queenie’s Cornbread

Got any ideas?

These Ebelskivers are a chore to make…three mixing bowls, a whip, beater, measuring tools, brush, pan, individual servings…but totally worth it!

The pan is from Williams-Sonoma.  Don’t bother with their packaged mix, not worth it.  But the recipe included on the pan is fool-proof.  I’ve made these so many different times this past year, each time with perfect results.

My favorite filling/topping combo has got to be fresh banana with cinnamon-sugar.  A close second is boysenberry preserves with powdered sugar.

Ebelskivers from Williams-Sonoma

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 4 eggs, separated
• 2 cups non-fat milk
• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter plus 1/2 cup for cooking
• Fillings (fresh banana, boysenberry preserves, chocolate chips)
• Toppings (whipped cream, maple syrup, powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar)

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.  In a  small bowl, lightly whisk the egg yolks, then whisk in the milk and the 4 Tbsp melted butter.  Whisk the yolk mixture into the flour mixture until well combined, the batter will be lumpy.

In another bowl, using an electric mixer fitter with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on high speed until stiff, about 2-3 minutes.  Gently fold the whites into the batter in two additions.

Melt the remaining butter and have it ready with a pastry brush.  Put 1/4 tsp butter in each well of the Ebelskiver pan.  Set over medium heat than heat until the butter begins to bubble.  Pour 1 Tbsp (I use a cookie scoop) of the batter into each well.  Put 1 tsp of filling of your choice in the center of each pancake and top with 1 Tbsp batter (not necessary if using a cookie scoop size to start).  Cook until the bottoms are golden brown and crispy, 3-5 minutes.  Using 2 wooden skewers, flip the pancakes over and cook until golden brown and crispy, about 3 minutes more.  Transfer to a plate.  Sprinkle with topping of your choice and serve immediately.

Happy Halloween!

To celebrate I made these caramel apples and

peanut butter sandwich “cookies”.

The caramel apples were fun to try and tasty to eat.  I decorated with melted chocolate and Reese’s Pieces.

The Peanut Butter Sandwich “Cookies” were inspired by a couple of friends.  These are a great combination of sweet/salty-creamy/crispy!  Thanks M and G!

Peanut Butter Sandwich “Cookies”

• chocolate chips
• peanut butter
• Saltines crackers
• Crisco shortening

Melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler, stir in 1 tsp of shortening (this makes the chocolate smooth and thin).  Spread some peanut butter between two Saltines crackers.  Dip into the melted chocolate.

Technique for dipping sandwich crackers:

1. Drop cracker into the bowl of melted chocolate.
2. Using a fork, flip it over until chocolate covers the cracker.
3. Lift the cracker out of the chocolate with the fork and carefully shake.
4. Lay on a cooking rack to dry.

Have a safe night everyone!

In an effort to re-invent the left over chicken and spaghetti squash, I decided to make enchiladas.  The spaghetti squash extended the chicken, making this a budget friendly meal.

Chicken (and spaghetti squash) Enchiladas

• 1 cup cooked spaghetti squash
• 1 1/2 cup cooked chicken, shredded
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese
• corn tortillas
• prepared enchilada sauce

Pour 3/4 cup enchilada sauce in the bottom of an 11×13 baking dish.

In a bowl mix spaghetti squash, chicken and most of the cheese.  Heat tortillas in the microwave or dip them in hot oil (you want them to be bendable so they don’t crack when you roll them).  Scoop chicken mixture onto the middle of one tortilla.  Roll and place seam side down in baking dish.  Continue until you have used all of your filling (I got 9).  Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.  Enjoy!

This enchilada sauce from Trader Joe’s is pretty good.  A real time saver!

There’s a reason why it’s called spaghetti squash…

Just cut in half and bake at 400 degrees for an hour. Once the squash is cool enough to handle, use a fork to remove the flesh and you’ve got spaghetti squash.  The possibilities are endless with this versatile vegetable.  Here’s how I used it today…

Spaghetti Squash Quiche

• 1 prepared pie crust
• 3/4 cup spaghetti squash
• 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 3/4 cup ground chicken sausage
• 1/4 cup caramelized onions
• 1 Tbsp flour
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups non-fat milk

Bake pie crust.  Combine squash, cheese, sausage, and onions with flour.  Scoop into bottom of still warm pie shell.  Whisk eggs and milk in a bowl and pour over squash mixture.  Bake at 325 degrees for 40 minutes.

It’s true that Butternut Squash tops my family’s list of favorite winter squashes.  Here’s my no-fail, even-my-pickiest-eater-will-like-it Butternut Squash recipe.

Butternut Squash Bake

• Butternut Squash Puree (from 1 whole squash, about 2 cups)
• 3 T melted butter
• 2 eggs
• 3 T flour
• 3 T brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice

Prepare an 8X8 baking dish with Pam.

Mix all of the ingredients well (I use a hand whip).  Pour into pan.  Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.  Cool to room temp.  Enjoy!

*** Fall Harvest Basket compliments of my dear friend M.  Thanks You!  This was a wonderful surprise!

I first tried these cookies about 4 years ago.  My kids and I were at Starbucks and I saw this little package containing three cookies.  “Perfect, one for each of us” I thought.  At first bite I became an instant fan of these little buttery cake-like cookies.  They are, simply put, a classic.

We were back at Starbucks again this morning, and we dutifully picked up a package of madeleines.  My daughter reminded me of the madeleine cookie tray that had given to me a couple years ago.  It had been sitting in the back of the baking supply cupboard collecting dust…until today.

I found this recipe, fabulous!  Now I’m dreaming up different flavored madeleines.  This was my first attempt, vanilla bean, and I couldn’t be happier.

Vanilla Bean Madeleines (adapted from 101 Cookbooks)

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter (6 ounces)
Pam for baking
3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
4 large eggs
a pinch fine-grain sea salt
2/3 cups sugar
1 vanilla bean, scraped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
powdered sugar

Special equipment: A metal madeleine baking pan, regular size.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Melt the 1 1/2 sticks of butter in a small pot over medium heat until it’s brown and gives off a deliciously nutty aroma, roughly 20 minutes. Strain (using a paper towel over a mesh strainer) – you want to leave the solids behind. Cool the butter to room temperature. By doing the butter first you can complete the rest of the steps while it is cooling.

Put the eggs with the salt in the bowl of an electric mixer with a whisk attachment. Whip on high speed until thick – you are looking for the eggs to roughly double or triple in volume – approximately 3 minutes. Continuing to mix on high speed, slowly add the sugar in a steady stream. Whip for 2 minutes or until mixture is thick and ribbony.  Add the vanilla beans and vanilla (just until mixed).

Sprinkle the flour on top of the egg batter, and gently fold in. Now fold in the butter mixture. Only stirring enough to bring everything together.

Using a small cookie scoop, fill the mold about 2/3 of the way full.

Bake the madeleines for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges of the madeleines are golden brown. Remove from oven and unmold immediately. Cool on racks and dust with powdered sugar.

Makes about 2 dozen regular madeleines.

]]> http://dobetter.wordpress.com/2009/04/25/vanilla-bean-madeleines/feed/ 9 Karen Downing madeline-top-cut-small madeline-angle-cut madeline-side-up http://dobetter.wordpress.com/2009/03/01/mochi/ http://dobetter.wordpress.com/2009/03/01/mochi/#comments Sun, 01 Mar 2009 00:25:30 +0000 Karen http://dobetter.wordpress.com/?p=779 ]]>

In my family, mochi was a very special treat that was always purchased from an asian market or fair.  But last year a girlfriend introduced me to this homemade version.  Still sweet, sticky and chewy bites of golden dough-like cake…without the trip to Japan-town.  These can be made with ingredients easily found at any supermarket and are every bit as wonderful as I remember from my childhood.

Coconut Custard Mochi (Thanks Jenni)

• 16 oz Mochiko (Sweet Rice Flour)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/3 cup butter, room temperature
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1 can evaporated milk
• 2 tsp vanilla

In a bowl sift together sweet rice flour and baking powder.  Set aside.

In a large bowl fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar.  Add the eggs and beat well.

Pour coconut milk in a 2 cup measuring cup and add enough water to equal 2 cups.  Pour the coconut milk, evaporated milk, vanilla and dry ingredients into the bowl.  Mix well.

Pour batter into greased and floured 9×13 inch pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.  Cool completely on wire rack.

Dedicated to my grandmother.

I don’t know which is more embarrassing, Christmas cookies up until Valentine’s Day, or the fruit kabobs replacing them. 

We have been invited to a friend’s house for spaghetti dinner.  I know fruit kabobs don’t really go with spaghetti, but they are fun, and the kids will like them…plus, if this post stays up until summer, this blog won’t look so outdated.  Yes, I’ve learned to be very efficient since going back to work.

I know I don’t need to explain, but for the sake of a recipe I used chunks of fresh pineapple, then a grape, a section of clementine, two more grapes, a huge strawberry, then a heart shape of watermelon….it is, after all, Valentine’s Day!