Homemade Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls

Homemade Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls (this is from my friend Jennifer Edinger)

• 1 (1/4 ounce) package dry yeast

• 1 cup warm milk

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 1/3 cup margarine

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 2 eggs

• 4 cups flour

FILLING

• 1 cup packed brown sugar

• 2 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon

• 1/3 cup margarine, softened

ICING

• 8 tablespoons margarine

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

• 1/4 cup cream cheese

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:

For the rolls, dissolve the yeast in the warm milk in a large bowl.

1. Add sugar, margarine salt, eggs, and flour, mix well.
2. Knead the dough into a large ball, using your hands dusted lightly with flour.
3. Put in a bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place about 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.
4. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface, until it is approx 21 inches long by 16 inches wide.
5. It should be approx 1/4 thick.
6. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
7. To make filling, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.
8. Spread the softened margarine over the surface of the dough, then sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon evenly over the surface.
9. Working carefully, from the long edge, roll the dough down to the bottom edge.
10. Cut the dough into 1 3/4 inch slices, and place in a lightly greased baking pan.
11. Bake for 10 minutes or until light golden brown.
12. While the rolls are baking combine the icing ingredients.
13. Beat well with an electric mixer until fluffy.
14. When the rolls are done, spread generously with icing.

Cauliflower Soup and Garlic and Cheese Sourdough Dippers

By: Dianna Sweede Aucoin
From: The Barefoot Contessa on foodnetwork.com

Healthy and delicious! Cauliflower soup and Garlic and Cheese sourdough dippers

Soup Ingredients
• Coarse salt and coarse black pepper
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 sm. (or 1 lg) heads cauliflower, cut into sm. bunches of florets
• 3 ribs celery and leafy tops from the heart of stalk, finely chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 quart chicken broth
• 1 cup half-and-half or whole milk
• Hot sauce, optional
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves or chives, for garnish
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, for passing at the table

Dippers:
• 3 sandwich size sourdough English muffins split
(recommended: Thomas' brand)
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• Grated cheddar and Parmesan
• Paprika

Directions
In a large pot, heat up the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter, over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper. Add the cauliflower florets and stir with a wooden spoon. Add celery, onion and thyme and cook for 3 minutes. Push the vegetables to 1 side of the pot. Melt 1 more tablespoon of butter on empty side of pot and add flour to the butter. Cook for 1 minute, stirring the flour in the butter. Mix in chicken broth and half-and-half. Bring up to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Puree soup using an emersion blender, food processor or blender and return to pot. I like to leave it a little chunky. Check seasoning and add a dash of hot sauce, if desired.

Garnish soup with hot pepper sauce, chopped parsley or chives and serve with grated cheese to sprinkle on top.

Preheat broiler.

Toast English muffin halves and then place on a cookie sheet. In a small saucepan, melt the butter with the garlic over low heat. Brush toasted muffins with garlic butter and top with lots of grated cheddar and Parmesan cheeses. Sprinkle a little paprika over toasts, then place under broiler until cheeses are melted and browned.

Serve cheesy toasts with soup for dipping.

Easy Blueberry Skillet Biscuits

Recipe: Easy Blueberry Skillet Biscuits
The best Sat am treat or company dish

By: Paula Deen/Amanda Blackstone
(I add even more butter than Paula calls for. The biscuits are much moister this way. Pour extra butter over biscuits before baking.)

Ingredients
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
One 12-ounce tube buttermilk biscuits
1 cup blueberries, fresh or thawed frozen
Streusel topping
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons butter
2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preparation
1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. To make the streusel, combine the almonds, sugar, butter, flour and cinnamon in a food processor and pulse until large crumbs form.

2. In a 9-inch cast iron or other ovenproof skillet, cook the butter and brown sugar over medium heat until melted. Arrange the biscuits in a single layer in the pan; scatter the blueberries over the biscuits and the streusel topping over the berries. Bake until the biscuits are golden and a tester inserted into the center of a biscuit comes out clean, about 30 minutes.

Serving
Allow to cool slightly and serve from skillet.

Zucchini Bread

By: Joy Boudreau (compliments of Bryan)

3 eggs

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups unpeeled, finely shredded zucchini

3 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 Tablespoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1 cup small-chopped walnuts

Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease 2 regular sized loaf pans, 3 medium loaf pans, or 6 small loaf pans, and line the bottom of pans with wax paper cut to size. Beat eggs, oil, sugar, and vanilla until thick,. Sift dry ingredients together and mix into egg and oil mixture. Add nuts and zucchini, scraping the bottom well to incorporate. Pour into prepared pans. Bake small or medium loaves 50-60 minutes and large loaves 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack 5 minutes, then remove bread from pans and cool on rack. Can be wrapped in plastic wrap, covered with aluminum foil, and frozen until ready to use. Thaw overnight.

Beer Bread Recipe

By: Hessed Pearl Yune Kim

3 cups flour (sifted)

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

½ cup sugar

1 (12 ounce) can beer

1/3 cup melted butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

1. Mix dry ingredients and beer
2. Pour into a greased loaf pan
3. Pour melted butter over mixture
4. Bake 1 hour, remove from pan and cool 15 minutes
5. Do not forget to sift the flour (otherwise bread will be brick-like)

Classic Banana Bread

By: Malia Schopf

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)
1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cooking spray

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk.

Place sugar and butter in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 1 minute). Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add banana, yogurt, and vanilla; beat until blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist. Spoon batter into an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Blueberry Scone Recipe

By: Hessed Pearl Yune Kim

3 c. all purpose flour

4 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. salt

12 tblsp. cold unsalted butter (1 and 1/2stick) cut into small pieces

1/2 c. heavy cream

2 large eggs

1 c. sugar

2 pints of fresh blueberries or frozen (with frozen blueberries I use a ¼ to ½ cup less flour)

mix all the dry ingredients (including the sugar)

put the pieces of butter in and mash it into the flour mixture until

it resembles peas (or until all butter chunks are gone)...(i use a pastry cutter)

in a separate bowl whisk eggs and cream

pour egg/cream mix. on top of the flour mixture

fold the egg/cream mix. in first and then add the blueberries

keep working the mixture together gently.

Divide and shape dough (with hands) into 12 balls and place on parchment paper on a cookie sheet.

bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 mins. add a little powdered sugar on

top after they come out of the oven

Also: I sometimes replace the blueberries with craisins and slivered almonds or with whatever I have in the fridge:)

Philly Style Soft Pretzels

By: Candace Barnes

I got this recipe is from Alton Brown of the Food Network.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups warm (110 to 115 degrees F) water

• 1 tablespoon sugar

• 2 teaspoons salt

• 1 package active dry yeast (2- 1/4 t.)

• 22 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 4- 1/2 cups

• 2 ounces unsalted butter, melted

• Vegetable oil, for pan

• 10 cups water

• 2/3 cup baking soda

• 1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water

• Pretzel salt or coarse sea salt

Directions

Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour and butter and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then oil it well with vegetable oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly brush with the vegetable oil. Set aside.

Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan or roasting pan.

In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel. Place onto the parchment-lined half sheet pan.

Place the pretzels into the boiling water, 1 by 1, for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water using a large flat spatula. Return to the half sheet pan, brush the top of each pretzel with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with the pretzel salt. Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.