Mini Cinnamon Roll Bites

When I began this recipe, I fully intended it to be cinnamon rolls. It still ended up as cinnamon rolls, but I wanted full-sized, fluffy, breakfast cinnamon rolls. That didn't happen. When I started the recipe, I was concentrating on doing everything just as the recipe told me to. And I did. Or so I thought. When I got to the step that told me to add in the yeast, it said something along the lines of, "Wait until the mixture is just warm, then add the yeast." Well, I tested the mixture with my finger and it felt slightly warm, so I added the yeast. It wasn't until I was whisking it together that I saw the steam coming out of the pan. Next time, I'll stir the mixture so I'm not testing the temperature of the portion that has cooled off the most. Actually, at this point, I didn't think anything was wrong. It didn't occur to me that I had just killed the yeast. I went about finishing the rest of the dough recipe, rolled it into a ball, put it in a greased bowl, and covered it with plastic. When I came back to the dough, it had not risen at all. Not even a little bit. It just sat there and did nothing while I was away. I was confused to say the least and asked my mom about it. That's when we figured out I messed up the recipe, and we would not be eating cinnamon rolls for breakfast the following morning. It was a sad moment. But, I decided I would not let the dough go to waste and went to bed.

Before I began baking the next morning, I searched the internet in hope of finding a way to save the dough. One website said to make breadsticks or crackers out of dough that didn't rise. Bingo! I decided I would do exactly that. Making the dough into little cracker-like creations ended up being a lot faster than making cinnamon rolls. I didn't have to worry about letting the rolls rise for another two hours after putting them together. I only had to roll, slice, and bake - very simple and easy to manage. My biggest problem was trying to figure out how long it took to bake and cool to get them crunchy all the way through. The middle of mine were still a tiny bit soft compared to the crunchy outer parts. They were addicting, nonetheless. I probably ate most of them, but they didn't even last a day. That's the problem with bite-sized snacks - they're so small that eating four or twenty of them doesn't seem like a big deal.


Mini Cinnamon Roll Bites
makes 40-50

Ingredients:

1/2 cup milk
7 tbsp butter
1 tbsp plus 2 tbsp sugar
4 1/2 cups sifted flour
1 tsp ground sea salt
1 egg
2 egg yolks

For the filling:

2 tbsp plus 1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp brown sugar
2 1/2 tbsp butter
sugar (optional)

1 egg


Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a medium-sized saucepan, melt the butter in 1/2 a cup of water and the milk. Take off of heat. Add a tablespoon of sugar. Whisk together then set aside.

Sift the sifted flour into a large bowl with the salt, and 2 tbsp of sugar. Whisk the egg and egg yolks together in a small bowl. Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture and add the milk mixture and eggs. Stir together then work with your hands to make a rough dough. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5-10 minutes, or until smooth. Add flour if it is too sticky.

In a small bowl, mix the cinnamon and brown sugar together. Break apart any clumps that form. 

Split the dough in half. Roll dough out to a 15x11in rectangle. Cut the dough in half lengthwise. The end result should give you dough that is 15x5-1/2in. Melt the butter in a small bowl and brush over the dough, making sure to get the edges. Sprinkle half of the cinnamon mixture over the dough and rub it into the dough. Tightly roll the dough up lengthwise again. You should still have dough that is 15in long in the end. Cut the rolls 1/2in thick and place on a greased cookie sheet. Repeat with the other half of the dough. They do not rise or spread out during baking, so there is no need to put a lot of space between each one. Lightly beat an egg and brush a small amount over each mini cinnamon roll. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Remove from baking sheet immediately after baking. Place on a wire rack and let cool completely. They can be eaten before being cooled, but will not be very crunchy.

Chicken and Shrimp Creole

In honor of Mardi Gras, I decided to make a Cajun dish. I've been craving something with shrimp in it anyway. Plus, I've been dying to go to New Orleans just to try the food. I doubt this quite measures up to the food down there, but it's still very yummy. I wouldn't know the difference anyway - I've never been to New Orleans.

Thanks to my boyfriend, over the past few years I have grown accustomed to spicy food. I'm shocked at how well I can handle the spice now. Just a few weeks ago, I managed to down the Thai Curry chicken wings at Buffalo Wild Wings. Although they made my nose runny and my mouth burn, it was completely worth it. They were delicious and I would definitely recommend them. I occasionally crave spicy things now. Watching Man v. Food probably has something to do with that, too. Seeing Adam take on the hot wing challenges makes me want to try one for myself. Considering he usually comes out of them with tears in his eyes, I'm not so sure how committed to the challenge I would be, but I can still dream.

Back on topic. This dish really isn't that spicy. I could feel the burn a little bit, but it was definitely there. Just the perfect amount of heat for my liking. Don't let that scare you away, though. The spice level is all up to you for this dish. You can add (or not add) as much spice as you want. Hot sauce was in the original recipe, but I thought there was enough heat without it. Once again, we find the beauty of cooking. This dish can be made incredibly mild or tear-inducingly spicy. Whatever floats your boat. It's all up to you. Have fun with it!


Chicken and Shrimp Creole
serves 4


Ingredients:

2 tsp olive oil
1 lb boneless chicken breast, cut into bitesize pieces
1 red onion, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
14-ounce can of diced tomatoes
8 oz tomato sauce
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
2 tsp Cajun Seasoning (more or less to taste)
1 bay leaf
1 cup corn
1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 
1 tbsp of all purpose flour (1 tsp corn starch for gluten-free)
1 tbsp water
about 10 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
salt to taste

Directions
This can be served over rice or by itself.

In a large skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, garlic, celery, chicken, and cajun seasoning and saute until the chicken is cooked. Add diced tomatoes and tomato sauce, cayenne pepper, bay leaf, corn, and Worchestershire sauce and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low and simmer 20-30 minutes.

Mix the flour and water together. Stir into the tomato mixture. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes. Sprinkle the shrimp with a small amount of Cajun seasoning and add to the tomato mixture. Cook for another 5 to 6 minutes, or until shrimp is cooked through. Add salt if needed.

Source
adapted from Skinny Taste

Red Velvet Cake

I watch way too many TV shows on TLC and Food Network. This is a fact my family has had to get used to over the past few years. When I choose what we watch, it will always be on TLC or Food Network (with the exception of Desperate Housewives and Glee). For the longest time, I was hooked on Cake Boss. Over time, I stopped watching so much and switched over to Chopped, Iron Chef America, etc. I happened to come across Cake Boss again not too long ago. It was the Valentine's Day episode and I watched Buddy make a special heart-shaped cake for a couple who had come to his bakery for their honeymoon. He started with a red velvet cake and filled the center with chocolate mousse icing, strawberry slices, and chocolate ganache. He then continued to frost the entire cake in buttercream and decorated it appropriately. I was dying to make this cake, so I did. Luckily, I bought a heart-shaped cake mold a few months ago at a church garage sale. That came in handy, but a heart shaped mold isn't necessary for this recipe.

This cake has so many elements to it. There are three different types of icing! The end result is oh so very worth it, though. Although it was yummy, I wish I would have filled the cake with more chocolate mousse icing. I can't get enough of the stuff. It's good enough to eat on its own as a dessert. It's not quite as thick as actual mousse, but it tastes almost exactly like it. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

For the decorating I just did my own thing. I had never worked with royal icing before, so it was a new experience. The icing was incredibly thick. I had a hard time making the roses without it melting into itself when I thinned it out, so it had to be thick to work with. After it dried, the icing was really crunchy, like a little piece of candy. Now, for the recipe(s)!


 Red Velvet Cake

Ingredients:

about 5 strawberries (or more if you want them)

2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour (sifted, then measured)

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk (or one tbsp butter plus a scant cup of milk)

1 tablespoon red food coloring

1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

2 large eggs

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 9-inch-diameter cake pans.

Sift sifted flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a small bowl.

Whisk together buttermilk, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla in a small bowl. Cream sugar and butter in large bowl. Add eggs one at a time, blending well after each addition. Mix in dry ingredients in four additions and the buttermilk mixture in three additions, alternately. (dry, wet, dry, wet, etc)

Divide batter between pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 27 minutes. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans and let cool on a rack.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature

1 stick butter, room temperature

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Directions

Cream the butter and cream cheese together. Add the vanilla and mix well. Add the powdered sugar slowly and mix until smooth.

Chocolate Mousse Frosting

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup sifted confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup plus 1 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder
small pinch of salt

Directions
Place a mixing bowl in the freezer for a few minutes to chill (this doesn't take long). Add heavy cream to the bowl and slowly stir in the dry ingredients. When most of the dry ingredients have been moistened, whip the mixture until stiff peaks hold.


Chocolate Ganache

Ingredients:

1/2 cup heavy cream
4 1/2 oz dark chocolate

Directions
Chop the chocolate into small pieces and place in a bowl. Heat the heavy cream over medium-low
heat until it just begins to boil. Pour over the chopped chocolate and stir until incorporated.


Royal Icing

Ingredients:

1 cup powdered sugar                                                 
3/4 tablespoon meringue powder                                                 
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract                                             
about 1/8 cup water

Directions
Mix dry ingredients in a small bowl. Add the vanilla extract and water and mix with a fork/spoon until combined.
Add water or powdered sugar to get the right consistency.

To Finish...

Spread the chocolate mousse frosting inbetween the two layers of cake. Pour desired amount of chocolate ganache over the top then cover in sliced strawberries. You will probably have extra ganache. Pour it on the extra strawberries...DO IT! Place the other cake on top of the first. Spread a thin layer of cream cheese frosting over the top and press into the gap between the cakes. Then, continue to frost the cake. Once again, you may have extra frosting. Spread it on graham crackers. Put the royal icing in a frosting bag and decorate the cake however you like. Eat and enjoy!

Sources

Epicurious

Cooks.com

Group Recipes

Oatmeal with Oven Roasted Fruit

I have a thing for roasted vegetables. They will probably make it into a later post, but for now, I'm doing a post on roasted fruit. Oh, how I love fruit. I never thought about roasting fruit until last night, when I roasted cabbage and apples. Watching the steam pour off of the apples, I began thinking about roasting fruit. I had not seen it tried before, but I thought, "vegetables work, so why not fruit?" I went to bed with a plan for the morning.

Morning came and I bounced out of bed, into the shower, and down the steps. I was preheating the oven and chopping fruit before my dad realized what was going on. Once the fruit was in the oven, I began thinking about what would go best with it. Yogurt was my first thought, but I wanted something that was more substantial. My pantry threw a box of oatmeal at me and it was decided. Right onto the stove the oatmeal went. Yogurt was still on my mind though. There's just something about it that is so very yummy. "I'll replace milk with yogurt," I thought. I mixed everything together, added cinnamon, and enjoyed my breakfast.


Oatmeal with Oven Roasted Fruit
Serves 2-3

Ingredients:
oatmeal
1 pear, chopped
1 apple, cut into 1/2 inch wedges
1 banana, sliced
(other fruit will work too)
cinnamon
sugar
vanilla yogurt


Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F.

After cutting the fruit, layer it on a baking sheet in the following order - apples, pears, bananas. Make sure that the bananas don't touch the baking sheet. Sprinkle the fruit with cinnamon and sugar, to taste. Place the baking sheet in the oven and roast for 25 minutes, or until the apples are tender.

Prepare the desired amount of oatmeal by following the directions on the package it came in.

When everything is prepared, divide the oatmeal and fruit evenly between two or three bowls. If you're only planning on two servings, there will be extra fruit. Sprinkle more cinnamon and sugar over the fruit, if desired. Mix the oatmeal and fruit together and add the yogurt (mix it in...or don't.)

Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries

A few weeks ago, I saw cheesecake stuffed strawberries online. I immediately knew I had to try them. I just needed a reason. Today was that reason. No, not Groundhog Day, my boyfriend's birthday! I usually make cupcakes for my friend's birthdays but this time, I decided to try this recipe. It may not be as awesome as a cupcake, but it's still really yummy AND a lot healthier. I made it even less fattening by using reduced fat products. Of course, there are plenty of ways to make this just as unhealthy as a cupcake (three words - chocolate, chocolate, chocolate) but I chose to stick with the basic recipe.

The basic recipe is a sweetened cream cheese filled strawberry with graham cracker crumbs. It really doesn't get much easier than that. I used an old potato peeler (the completely metal kind) to core the strawberries. For the most part, they already have a slightly hollow center, but you still need to cut a hole in the top to get to the hollow part. I scraped some extra strawberry out of the middle, but not much. If you don't have pastry/frosting bag, then cut a small hole in the corner of a sandwich bag. This works just as well and doesn't require cleaning. To make this recipe even sweeter, try dipping the strawberries in chocolate, drizzling them with chocolate, or adding mini chocolate chips to the cream cheese. Do whatever you want with them. Marshmallow fluff or whipped cream would probably be pretty amazing too.


Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries

Ingredients:

1 pint strawberries
4 oz reduced fat Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
2 tbsp powdered sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
reduced fat graham crackers (about 1-2)
Baker's chocolate, chocolate chips, or any other yummy addition (optional!)


Directions
Cut the tops off of the strawberries. Using a small knife or a potato peeler, cut out the inside of the strawberry. Set the strawberries aside.

Add the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla to a small bowl. Using a spatula, mix the ingredients together until combined. (If adding extra ingredients - mini chocolate chips, etc...put them in now!) Cut a small hole out of the corner of a sandwich bag and add the cream cheese mixture. Pipe mixture into the center of the strawberries, overflowing a little bit.

Smash the graham crackers into crumbs in a bowl. Dip the strawberries in the crumbs to coat the cream cheese coming out of the top. Serve immediately.

*If you wish to dip your strawberries in chocolate, melt a few blocks of Baker's chocolate. Dip the strawberries and set on a piece of wax paper to harden.