Cinnamon Buns

I have made it to 37 weeks! Woo Hoo! I have started craving comfort food. One of those comfort foods for me is Cinnamon Buns (or Cinnamon Rolls).

Also as I anticipate the arrival of this baby. I toggle between being terribly uncomfortable(this just hit me this past weekend) which comes with the feeling of not ever wanting to get off the couch, to having bursts of energy and wanting to keep busy to pass the time. I haven’t had much of an in between speed the past few days… So of course in my burst of energy yesterday, making cinnamon buns that chilly afternoon sounded perfect.

In our house when , I don’t just make them as breakfast or a dessert. I make them for dinner, with bacon… So good… And since they are dinner there is no guilt in having as many as you want. 😉

I make the bun dough in my Bosch mixer, which is just the best for kneading bread. This recipe makes about two 9×13 inch pans. It’s quite a lot of dough, so if you are using a mixer with a smaller bowl it might not fit…

Cinnamon Buns

First add 3 Cups warm water, this is what you will be activating your yeast in. So you want to temp to be between 95 and 115 F. (I try to gage it by how hot I would make my bath water when checking the temp of the water.)

Then add 1/3 Cup Sugar, 1/3 Cup Canola oil and 2 Tablespoons yeast. Let sit for about 5 min.

Then add 3 Cups flour and 1 Tablespoon Salt. Mix together. It will be a watery dough consistency.

Add 2 eggs to the dough and mix with fork. (pic below)


Mix together.

Then you will slowly start adding flour. It will be about another 4 1/2 Cups. The dough should be coming clean off the sides once there is enough flour. (Pic below)

Knead in mixer for another 4 to 5 min. Then pull out of mixer and form into a ball.

Add about 2 Tablespoons of Canola oil to a bowl large enough for the dough to raise in. Place dough in bowl. Coat your dough in the oil, so that it would still as much to the sides of the bowl.


Let raise for an hour to an hour and a half, until it has doubled in size.

Lightly cover the surface that you will be rolling out your dough in oil. Roll out dough, fairly thin.


Soften half a cup of butter and spread all over rolled out dough.  I eyeball the brown sugar and cinnamon. I spread the brown sugar so it is evenly coated all over the dough, and then I sprinkle the cinnamon all over it.



Roll up and pinch the seam of the dough together. Then I pinch them apart with dental floss or string. And place them in 2 greased 9×13 inch pans.


Let rise another half an hour. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 min.

The reason there is only one pan in this last picture. Is because I got so excited when they came out of the oven, I immediately started serving them up and forgot all about taking the picture!

I serve them with frosting.

 Cinnamon Bun Dough

3 Cups water   1/3 Cup Sugar

1/3 Cups Canola Oil   2 Tablespoons Yeast

3 Cups Flour  1 Tablespoon Salt

2 Eggs    4 1/2 Cups additional Flour

Filling

1/2 Cup Butter

Brown sugar to cover dough and cinnamon to sprinkle on dough (eyeball it)

Vanilla Butter Frosting

1/3 Cup softened Butter

3 1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar

1 teaspoon Vanilla

About 1/4 Cup Milk

Mix butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk together. You can use more or less milk depending on how thick you like your frosting.

When you put it over the hot cinnamon buns it will start melting in!

Almond Cookies

 

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I love almond flavor. And I seem to be liking it more and more as I get older. It’s like dark chocolate. You’re not a huge fan as a kid, but the older you get the more it grows on you until you think it’s amazing! That has been almond baked goods and desserts for me. As a kid I would think “Why would I ever get the thing with nuts in it!?!” Now it’s one of the first things I go for… well along with chocolate…

I really just started making these cookies the last few years. They are delicious and they are naturally gluten free. This also makes them my go to dessert for events, where there will be a crowd of people.

This recipe is really similar to  Kransekake (Norwegian wedding cake). I change it a little and make it into cookies. These cookies have a bit of a harder shell on the outside with a soft middle. I have to add, that these are totally inspired by my in-laws, who are Norwegian themselves, and make many amazing Norwegian desserts!


Almond Cookies

Heat oven to 300 degrees

Measure 4 Cups Almond flour and 4 Cups Powdered sugar into a large pot.

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Heat the almonds and powdered sugar on medium heat until it’s warm all the way through, and the powder becomes less fine.

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Remove from heat.

Separate three egg whites into a separate bowl.

Pour them into your almond flour/powdered sugar mixture.

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Quickly stir them, until the mixture is moist throughout, and starting to form your dough.

 

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Cover your cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Then form your dough into about 1 to 1 1/2 in. balls and place on cookie sheet.

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Bake for about 17 min. Until the cookies are a bit hard on the outside, they can have a little give to them in the middle. (You don’t want them to be brown, they will be very hard once they cool, if they start to brown.)

And that is it! They are pretty simple!

 

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Almond Cookie Ingredients

4 Cups Almond Flour

4 Cups Powdered Sugar

3 Egg Whites


 

 

Pumpkin! Pumpkin Roll Recipe and Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe

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Tis the season for pumpkin! This year especially, I have been enjoying all things pumpkin!
I wanted to share my two favorite pumpkin recipes! Pumpkin Rolls(as pictured above) and the recipe for making a Pumpkin Spice Latte.
Pumpkin Rolls have now become my favorite fall dessert. But I can’t take the credit for this recipe. My very good friend Andrea started making these delicious rolls. Where she got the recipe?!… I’m not even sure at this point! But I’m going to share it with you!

Pumpkin Rolls

Heat oven to 375 degrees

Separate 3 eggs. Then beat the egg whites until foamy and stiff, slowly add 1/2 Cup of white sugar to egg whites. Beat until stiff glossy peaks form. (pictured below, top/left)
In a separate bowl beat the egg yolks until they thicken and lighten in color a bit. Gradually add 1/2 Cup of white sugar and 2/3 Cup pumpkin to egg yolks. (pictured bottom right)
Fold pumpkin/egg yolk mixture into egg white mixture.
In another bowl combine 3/4 Cup Flour, 1 teaspoon Baking Soda, 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon, and 1/8 teaspoon Salt.

Fold flour mixture into egg/pumpkin mixture

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Line jelly roll pan with parchment paper and grease parchment paper.
Then spread egg/pumpkin batter into pan(pictured below, top)

Bake in the oven for 12-15 min.(pictured below, bottom) Until cake springs back when pressed.

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Let cool 5 min.

Turn cake onto powdered sugar dusted kitchen towel. Then roll cake in dusted towel(pictured below).

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Cool completely in fridge.

While that is cooling, it’s time to make the filling.

Beat 1 8oz package cream cheese(softened), 2 Tablespoons butter(softened), 1 Cup powdered sugar, and 1 teaspoon Vanilla together.

After cake is completely cooled, unroll on towel. Spread filling over cake. And then roll up cake.(pictured below) Roll cake back into towel and then chill for another hour.

 

Cut into thin slices and serve! (They will look like the very top picture)

 

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Pumpkin Rolls Ingredients

Cake batter

3 Eggs separated               1 Cup Sugar
2/3 Cup Pumpkin               3/4 Cup Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Soda   1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon Salt

 

Filling
1 8oz package Cream Cheese     2 Tablespoons Butter
1 Cup Powdered Sugar                1 teaspoon Vanilla

 

Pumpkin Spice Latte

I currently live an hour from Starbucks and I thought “This fall I need to figure out how to make one of these in my kitchen!” It has taken a few tries, and I have tweaked a few different recipes to get it to the point I’m really happy with. Now they have been turning out delicious!

 

This recipe makes about two latte’s. You can put the pumpkin mixture in the fridge and make up more later as well.

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In a small sauce pan add 1/4 Cup Pumpkin and 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice.  Stir and heat(medium low) until warm. Add 1/4 cup sugar.(you can add less, but if you want it closer to Starbucks sweet, stick with the 1/4 cup!) Heat(medium heat), stirring constantly, until it gels and becomes glossy(pictured below).

 

Make your espresso shots, as many as you like. I like to have two shots in mine.

 

Froth 1 Cup milk

 

Add espesso to your mug, then add two Tablespoons of the pumpkin glaze mixture and mix until dissolved, add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Then add milk and stir.
If you really want it like Starbucks, top with whip cream and sprinkle a little more pumpkin spice on top. Enjoy!

 

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Pumpkin Spice Latte Ingredients

1/4 Cup Pumpkin  1 teaspoon Pumpkin Spice
1/4 Cup Sugar       1 teaspoon Vanilla
I Cup Milk                Espresso Shots