Wheat Cinnamon Rolls

This is so scrumptious and so easy, I promise. Do you remember my wheat bread recipe I posted? Well you can use that same recipe to make super yummy cinnamon rolls. I made these the other day and took pictures as a went so I could post them along with the recipe.

2 1/2 cups of warm water

1 T yeast (heaping)

1/3 cup honey

1/3 cup oil

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup gluten flour (optional)

7-8 cups of wheat flour

-Pour the warm water and yeast into your mixer.

-Measure the oil FIRST, and then the honey in the same measuring cup (the honey slides out easier).

-Add the salt and gluten flour and mix for just a couple of seconds on low speed.

-Add about 6 cups of flour all at once and start your mixer on the low speed while it incorporates everything, and then you can put it on a slightly faster speed (no higher than 4, if it's like mine). The trick with this bread is not to dump all of the flour in right at the beginning because each time you mix a new batch it ends up taking a slightly different amount. Add flour about 1/4 cup at a time after the original 6 cups until the dough starts pulling away from the sides and the bottom.

-Once you have the right amount of flour, let it knead/mix on speeds 3 or 4 for 5 minutes.

-With a little oil on your hands and some on your mat (or countertop), roll out the dough into a rectangle.

-Spread softened butter over the entire rectangle with a butter knife. Don't be afraid of it - be somewhat generous.

-Then sprinkle brown sugar (again, BE GENEROUS!) and cinnamon so it covers all of it except for the very edge of the dough closest to you.
-Roll it up started with the furthest edge and roll towards you. Don't force it - it should just come easily.

-Get your dental floss, slide it under the dough, and pull it through the middle so you have two halves. It's easiest to start with a half at first. Cut it with the floss so each piece is about 1 to 1.5 inches thick.
-Place them on a lined baking sheet. I only sprayed mine, and I ended up with a lot of baked on sugar. Not easy to clean off!
-Let the rolls rise under a dish cloth for about 30 mins. Then ake at 350 for 25 mins.
-Allow to cool a bit and then frost or glaze (if you're serving right away you can just frost it right then and serve). I used Paula Dean's glaze recipe found here and it turned out great!

ENJOY!

Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

(picture borrowed from here)

Alright girls...you MUST try these! Not only do they taste AMAZINGLY good, but the smell that fills your house when they are baking...oh...there is nothing better :) The cream cheese frosting is SOOO good with the added pumpkin pie spice. I promise you will not be disappointed! These are my most favorite pumpkin cookies ever!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/4 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 oz. cream cheese
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt; set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugars. Add pumpkin, egg, and vanilla to butter mixture, and beat until creamy. Stir in the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture by hand until just combined. Drop on prepared baking sheets by heaping tablespoonfuls; Butter the bottom of a drinking glass and then dip the bottom of the glass in a bowl of sugar. Flatten the dough balls with the bottom of the glass until they are about ¾ inch thick, dipping the glass in sugar as necessary to prevent sticking.
Bake in preheated oven for 13 to 15 minutes. Cool cookies on wire rack. Once cookies have cooled completely, frost or drizzle with cream cheese frosting.
While the cookies are cooling make frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar and pumpkin pie spice and beat until smooth and creamy.

This recipe is from www.sweetpeaskitchen.com

Chocolate Revel Bars

It seems like everybody's family has their favorite "B.T.S." (aka "better than s--") recipe. This one is mine. :) It's dangerous to make this recipe though because they're INCREDIBLY addicting and it makes a ton... so plan on sharing or freezing plenty of extras. Anyway, trust me when I say you'll never make a regular old cookie bar after this.

(picture borrowed from here)

CHOCOLATE REVEL BARS / B.T.S. BARS

Combine:

1 cup butter or margarine, softened

2 eggs

2 1/2 cups flour

1 t salt

2 cups brown sugar

2 t vanilla

1 t soda

3 cups oats

Press 2/3 of mixture into bottom of a 17x11 cookie sheet. Over low heat, melt together:

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 12 oz package of chocolate chips

2 T butter/margarine

1/2 tsp salt

Remove from heat and stir in another 2 tsp vanilla.

Spread chocolate mixture over dough. Dot with remaining oat mixture. Bake at 350 for 25-30 mins. Cool completely and cut into bars. Makes roughly 75 small bars.

Mmmm, just thinking about these babies is making my mouth water...

Banana Bars

Tomorrow is going to be busy, so I'll post my recipe tonight while I'm sitting here doing nothing...

Truthfully, I've been dying to share this recipe since I made them earlier this week. I had seriously like 12 ripe bananas that I had frozen and needed to make banana bread with. (I have A LOT of banana bread in my freezer if anyone wants some!) But then I came across this recipe on this website.

And I made banana bars.

And they are heavenly. I'm not exaggerating.

I've been completely obsessed with her recipes ever since. I have tried out a few others and there are many more I'm going to try this week.

The frosting isn't completely necessary in my opinion. Don't get me wrong, it's incredible. Simply amazing. But, they tasted really really good without frosting as well...and you can save a few...ahem...hundred....calories that way! Enjoy!

Frosted Banana Bars

- ½ cup butter, softened
- 1 ½ cups white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (I used three ripe bananas)
- Frosting (recipe below)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 X 13 in. pan. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the sour cream and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl; stir into the batter. Finally, mix in the mashed banana. Spread evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow bars to cool completely before frosting.

Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

- 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream (I didn't have whipping cream, but I did have whipped cream which I used and it tasted good to me!)

In a large bowl combine cream cheese, sugar, salt and vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy. Set aside. In another medium bowl, beat whipped cream until stiff peaks form - it helps to use a chilled bowl and chilled beaters - (I skipped that part and just folded in my whipped cream). Fold whipped cream into cream cheese mixture. Frost to your heart’s delight!

(I borrowed this picture from http://www.melskitchencafe.com/) 

Cold Raspberry Pie

In light that "summer" is almost over, I thought I would post one of our VERY favorite summer desserts. I found this recipe a few years ago and have made it often. I hope you enjoy it as much as we have. 


The recipe reads "you'll love it" and so far we definitely have! I don't see that changing anytime soon either. :) Last summer I also made this recipe substituting the raspberry gelatin and frozen raspberries with peach. It was delicious. 


1 Graham Cracker Crust

2 Cups crushed graham crackers
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup powdered sugar

Mix ingredients together and press into a greased 9-inch pie plate. Refrigerate until firm.

Cream Cheese Middle

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 pint whipping cream

-I have also used coolwhip rather then whipping my own cream, it worked fabulously if you are short on time-


In a large bowl beat together cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla. In a seperate bowl whip cream. Fold whipped cream into cream cheese mixture and sread over prepared crust. Place back into refrigerator until raspberry topping is ready. 


Raspberry Topping

1 1/4 cups water
1 (6 oz.) package raspberry flavored gelatin
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 (10 oz.) package of frozen raspberries undrained


Bring water to a boil. Combine all ingredients except raspberries in a medium sized bowl. Allow mixture to cool in refrigerator until syrupy. Thaw frozen raspberries slighly in microwave. Stir into cooled gelatin mixture. Use immediately to top cream cheese layer of Raspberry Pie.


Refrigerate over night. Serves 6 to 8.

Peach CheeseCake

I just made this on sunday, and I failed to get any pictures because this baby was eaten up way too fast. You will LOVE this dessert!

Crust and Crumb Topping
2 1/2 cups crushed graham crackers
1 stick butter
6 Tbsp. powdered sugar

** Mix together. Reserve 1/4 of the mixture for crumb topping at the end. Press the rest of the crumb into a 9x13 pan to form a crust.

Peach Filling
2 cups water
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 cup sugar
3 oz. peach, orange or apricot jello (half a big box)
4 cups fresh, sliced peaches

**Cook water, corn starch and sugar on medium heat until thick. Remove from heat and add jello. Stir to dissolve. Allow to cool and then add in thin peach slices. Pour over crust and let it set up in the fridge.

Topping
8 oz. cream cheese
3 Tbsp. milk
1 cup powdered sugar
2 cups cool whip or whipping cream

**Mix cream cheese, milk and powdered sugar well, then stir in the cream. Spread on top of peach mixture and sprinkle the reserved crumb topping on last.

Keep in fridge.

Delectable Jello Recipe

This is a family favorite recipe. YUMMY!

• 
  
  1 Large Cook and Serve Vanilla Pudding
• 
  
  1 Large box of Jello(any flavor will work, I use strawberry or raspberry)
• 
  
  2 small boxes of Cook and Serve Tapioca Pudding
• 
  
  2 small tubs of Cool Whip

Now that you've read the ingredients, you can see why it's so delectable. :)

 Dump all 4 boxes into a pot with 6 cups of water.

 Bring to a boil and KEEP STIRRING. Boil until you can see all the tapioca beads forming.

Pour into a 9 x 13 pan and chill. (I let it chill overnight) The next day, scrape out the jello into a large mixing bowl and whip both tubs of cool whip into it.

Ahh... what a delicious treat! ENJOY!!!!

Bubbly Treats

(named by Braden's little sister)

1 pkg. brownie mix

1/2 c. melted butter

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 c. butterscotch chips

1 c. chocolate chips

1 c. coconut

Mix dry brownie mix and melted butter together and press into a 9x13 pan. Sprinkle the butterscotch chips, chocolate chips, & coconut evenly over the brownie mixture. Pour the sweetened condensed milk evenly over all the ingredients. Bake at 350 until the sweetened condensed milk is light brown and bubbly (20-30 minutes).

These are super rich and oh-so-yummy! I don't even like coconut, but I love these.

No idea why this picture keeps turning up the wrong way...but oh well - you get the idea.

Ice cream cups~

I made this dessert last Sunday night. It was such a hit, I thought I would share!!

I followed these instructions to make chocolate cups. Then we filled them with homemade strawberry ice cream, and topped it with shaved chocolate. Delish!!

My only insight as you pursue this endeavor is:

1. Use a bowl to melt the chocolate that doesn't get hot in the microwave. A hot bowl provokes balloon poppage. :) Or if the bowl is already hot, scrape the chocolate into a new bowl and then dip.   

2. Make sure you spray each balloon with pam. That promotes easy clean up after you pop the balloon.

Cutest Cake EVER

I was just looking at one of my favorite sites that I go to every day. Make it and Love it. There's always so much fun stuff on there! Today's post is a festive 4th of July Cake and I thought I would share. See it here.  Maybe it's not the cutest cake EVER, because I really like the ever popular fondant that everyone is doing lately, but fondant is sometihng that looks like too much work for me, so this is do-able. I LOVE the inside! I want to make one, but I won't be around for the 4th of July...kind of sad. Someone needs to make one for me since I can't...Enjoy!

Candy Coated Popcorn

1 hour | 15 min prep
SERVES 6 -8

4 quarts popped corn ( 8 TBSP uncooked kernels)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon flavoring (any flavor, flavor amount can be increased as desired)
liquid food coloring (as desired)

1. Keep freshly-popped corn warm in large baking pan in 200°F oven.
2. Combine sugar, corn syrup, butter, salt and cream of tartar in medium saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring constantly. Cook to 250°F without stirring.
3.Remove from heat. After boiling action ceases, add flavoring and color. Add soda and stir in quickly but thoroughly. Pour at once while foamy over warm popcorn; mix gently to coat corn. Shape into balls or spread onto cookie sheet and break into pieces when cool.
Any flavoring will work well. For the pumpkin flavoring I add 1 t. cinnamon and 1/4 t. cloves. After it has hardened I drizzle white chocolate over it. I really like it.

Other Possibilities:
Grape – Grape Kool-Aid
Pink Lemonade – Kool-Aid
Orange Dreamsicle – orange Kool-Aid, then drizzle white melted chocolate after cooled
Always fun to mix two flavors like blue raspberry and lemonade.