CINNAMON ROLLS

This makes a lot of very large rolls

Rolls Ingredients

2cups or warm water (110 degrees)

2 T yeast

3/4 cup sugar

2 cubes butter

2 eggs

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

7 -8 cups flour

Combine in a separate bowl

2 cups warm water

2 T yeast

1 T sugar

In Mixing Bowl mix

2 cubes soft butter or marg.

3/4 cup of sugar

2 eggs

Then Add To The Mixing Bowl

3 cups of flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

and the yeast mixture

Mix until it starts to combine then add

4 cups of flour

Mix for 2 min in your mixer

Let rise until it doubles.. I always let it rise a little more than double and I transfer it into my largest metal Bowl after I'm done mixing it and let it rise in there. Otherwise it will overflow the side of the bowl.

Dump dough out onto floured counter sprinkle more flour and top and knead until dough is smooth and can be rolled out without sticking too much. I like my dough a little sticky and it works better this way.

Roll out as large as you like about 1/4 or so. Then add the filling.

Filling

1-1 1/2 cubes of butter

1-2 cups of cinnamon and brown sugar mixture

*For every 1 cup of brown sugar used add 2 1/2 Tbs of cinnamon.

Spread softened butter all over the dough cover with cinnamon and sugar mixture. And just because there isn't already enough sugar in these already I like to sprinkle some regular cinnamon and sugar over the top. Then roll and cut as big or as small as you like. I make 24 rolls and place them in two 9x13 cake pans.

Let rise again about 30 min.

Bake at 350 degrees BELOW THE CENTER OF THE OVEN! THIS PART IS VERY IMPORTANT OR THEY WILL BE DOUGHY. Bake for 22-25 min.

I think the filling is what makes these rolls great and I have tried it with a number of my sweet roll recipes so if you have a sweet roll you really like you could just use it and add this filling.

Super Yummy Frosting

1 cup milk

5 Tbls flour

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar (granulated, NOT powdered!)

In a small saucepan, whisk flour into milk and heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens.  Remove from heat and cool to room temp.  Stir in vanilla.  Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add milk mixture and beat until combined.  (It will look a little like whipped cream.) 

I made this for Declan's birthday cake (which was chocolate) and it was VERY tasty!  

Layered Peanut Butter Chocolate Dessert

20 oreos, divided

2 Tbls butter, melted

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, divided

1 carton (16 oz) CoolWhip, thawed and divided

15 miniature peanut butter cups, chopped

1 cup cold milk

1 package (3.9 oz) instant choc fudge pudding mix

Crush 16 Oreos; toss with the butter, and press into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 pan.

In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, peanut butter, and 1 cup powdered sugar until smooth.  Fold in half of the CoolWhip.  Spread over crust.  Sprinkle with peanut butter cups.

Beat the milk, pudding mix, and remaining powdered sugar (1/2 cup) on low speed for 2 minutes.  Fold in remaining CoolWhip.  Spread over peanut butter cups.  Crush remaining cookies; sprinkle over the top.  Cover and chill for at least 3 hours.

(This is my kids' all-time favorite dessert.  Apparently, a love of PB and chocolate is genetic.)

Apple Crisp

Here is the best apple crisp recipe ever, given to me years ago by our friend Becki.  

Peel and slice enough apples to fill the bottom of a 9x13 pan half-full.  Mix 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 cup sugar, and 1/4 cup brown sugar.  Sprinkle on apples.  Add 1/4 cup water and stir.  

Topping:

2 cups flour

1 cup cold butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

Mix and crumble on top.  Bake for 40 minutes at 350.

(I mean, really, with that much butter and sugar, how could it not be delicious?!)

Cherry Crumble

1 1/2 cups oatmeal
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup cold butter
1 can cherry pie filling (or your favorite pie filling)

Combine oatmeal, brown sugar and flour. Cut in butter until the mixture resembles very course crumbs.

Press half of the oatmeal mixture into the bottom of a greased 8 x 8 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Remove from oven and pour pie filling onto the partially baked crust. Sprinkle remaining oatmeal mixture onto the pie filling and continue baking for about 45 minutes.

This is delicious warm and would be great with whipped topping or vanilla ice cream.

Key Lime Bars

Just one last summer-y recipe...

When Garreth and I were in the Bahamas on our honeymoon, I had my first slice of key lime pie and I've been in love ever since.  I still haven't found the perfect pie recipe, but these bars are as close as I've come.  They are very tart, so if you don't love lime as much as we do, they might be a little too much!  

1 cellophane pkg graham crackers, crushed

1/3 cup sugar

5 Tbls melted butter

3 egg yolks

1 1/2 tsp finely grated lime zest (about 2 limes)

1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

2/3 cup fresh lime or key lime juice

whipping cream and key lime slices for garnish

Preheat oven to 350.  Mix crumbs, sugar, and butter, and press into 13by9by2 inch pan.  Bake 10 minutes.  Mix yolks and zest until thickened.  Add milk and beat on high 3 minutes.  On low speed, add lime juice.  Pour over crust and bake until set, about 10 minutes.  Chill 4 hours or overnight.  Serve with cream and lime slice.

Lemon Cake with Glaze

I would choose a fruity dessert over chocolate any day and this one is yummy and easy.

1 box lemon cake mix

1 box (3 oz) instant lemon pudding

4 eggs 

3/4 cup water

3/4 cup oil

Mix and bake in greased 13by9 pan for 35 minutes at 350.  While hot, prick all over with a fork and pour on glaze:

1/3 cup orange juice concentrate

2 cups powdered sugar 

2 Tbls water

1 Tbls oil

Almond Poppyseed Drop Scones

Here is an amazing recipe for Scones. If you are like me you think of scones as the clump of bread dough that you drop in oil and fry. This is a completely different kind of scone. This is the kind of scone that you would find during tea time or at Great Harvest Bread Co. The recipe here was actually a cranberry/raisin scone recipe, but I changed it because I love almond and poppy seeds.

Almond Poppyseed Drop Scones

2 cups flour

1/3 cup sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

6 Tbl. cold butter, cut up

2 Tbl. poppyseeds

1 1/2 tsp. almond flavoring

1/2 cup milk

1 large egg

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Grease a cookie sheet.

3. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.

4. Cut in butter until fine crumbs (I have heard that this is easy with a food processor, but I don't have a large enough food processor. I put the butter in and smashed it up with a large fork. After a few minutes I used my very clean hands to crush the butter into the flour.)

5. Add poppyseeds to flour mixture.

6. In a cup, beat the egg, milk and almond flavoring together.

7. Add milk mixture to flour mixture; stir with a fork until moistened.

8. Drop 12 heaping spoonfuls, 2 inches apart onto greased cookie sheet.

9. Bake for 13 minutes or until golden.

10. Cool on a wire rack.

You can eat these plain or make a glaze to go over the top. I put a glaze on mine.

Glaze

2 cups powdered sugar

about 2 tsp almond flavoring

enough milk to make it thin (You don't want it too thin, but more thin than a butter cream frosting.)

Drizzle the glaze over the hot scones and allow glaze to harden. Most of the glaze will run down the sides.

NOTE--- Like I said before, I adapted this recipe from another one. You can take out the almond flavoring and the poppyseeds and add what ever else you like. For example, chocolate chips, raisins, cranberries, blueberries, white chocolate chips, raspberries. (Ohhhh...Blueberry White Chocolate Chip Scones...Yummm...)

Blondies

I made these today and loved them! They are my new favorite treat!

Blondies

1 cup butter, melted

2 cups of tightly packed dark brown sugar (I used light brown sugar)

2 eggs lightly beaten

2 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 cups flour

1 cup mix-in of your choice (chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, walnuts, etc)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter and flour a 9x13 inch pan. Whisk together the melted butter and sugar in a bowl.

2. Add the egg and vanilla extract and whisk.

3. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, mix it all together. Add the mix-in of your choice.

4. Pour into the pan and spread evenly. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool. Cut into squares and serve.

Pumpkin Dump Cake

OK just one more pumpkin recipe. They served this at a Relief Society Conference a couple of weeks ago and I loved it. I'm not a big pumpkin pie fan, but this was really good.

Pumpkin Dump Cake
1 large can pumpkin
1 can evaporated milk
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
4 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Mix all this together and pour into a greased 9x13 pan.

Sprinkle 1 dry yellow cake mix on top and pour 1 1/2 stick melted butter or margarine on top of the cake mix.

Bake 350 for 50-55 minutes. Serve with whipped cream.

Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake Bars

This is one of my favorite desserts ever, and it's what I'm bringing to Thanksgiving dinner this year!

Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake Bars

Graham Cracker crust:

1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup butter, melted

1 1/4 cups (one wax envelope) graham cracker crumbs

Filling:

2 8oz packages cream cheese, softened

1 3/4 cups sugar

3 large eggs

1 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 1/4 cups sour cream

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

6 oz semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

2 Tbls butter

1/4 cup sugar

grated nutmeg

1) Lightly grease a 13by9 inch baking pan and set aside.  In a large bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs and sugar.  Add melted butter and mix thoroughly.  Press evenly in bottom of pan and set aside.

2) Preheat oven to 325.  In a large bowl beat together cream cheese and the 1 3/4 cups sugar.  Add the eggs, beating at low speed.  Stir in pumpkin, spice, vanilla and salt.  Pour 1 1/4 cups of the filling mixture into a medium bowl.  Set both bowls aside.

3) In a small saucepan over very low heat, melt the chocolate and the butter, stirring until smooth.  Stir into the 1 1/4 cups reserved filling and spread over crust.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Remove from oven.  Slowly pour remaining filling over chocolate.

4)  Bake for 40 -45 minutes or until slightly puffed around the edges and just set in the center.  Remove from oven and cool for 30 minutes.  Meanwhile, combine sour cream and 1/4 cup sugar.  Cover and let stand at room temperature while pan cools.  

5) Gently spread sour cream layer over bars.  Cool.  Refrigerate for several hours or overnight before cutting.  Sprinkle lightly with nutmeg just before serving. 

Chocolate Mint Brownies

Here you go, Dana!  These are time consuming (and fattening) but very yummy!!

CHOCOLATE MINT BROWNIES

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 tsp salt

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 can (16 oz) chocolate-flavored syrup

1 cup sugar

Filling:

2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 Tbls water

1/2 tsp mint extract

3 drops green food coloring

Topping:

1 package (10 oz) mint chocolate chips

9 Tbls butter

Combine the brownie ingredients in a large mixing bowl; beat at medium speed for 3 minutes.  Pour into a greased 13by9 in pan and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  Cool completely.

Combine filling ingredients in a medium mixing bowl; beat until creamy.  Spread over cooled brownies.  Refrigerate until set.  For topping, melt chocolate chips and butter over low heat in a small saucepan.  Let cool for 30 minutes or until lukewarm, stirring occasionally.  Spread over filling.  Chill until set.  Remove from fridge for about 15 minutes before cutting into squares.  Store in fridge.

Mint chocolate chips can be hard to find.  I have used half milk choc chips and half the mint (green) chips before, but the color comes out a little funky.  If I can't find mint chocolate chips, I usually just use milk chocolate and they still turn out great!

Mint Chocolate Bundt Cake

I made these one year for our neighbors for Christmas. I just used small loaf pans instead of a bundt pan.

1 package Devil's Food Cake with pudding in the mix.
1 small package chocolate instant pudding
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1/2 c. water
4 eggs
2 tsp. mint extract
8 oz. sour cream
12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Mix the first 6 ingredients for 2 minutes. Fold in sour cream and chocolate chips.

Bake @ 375 for 50 minutes.

Dust with powdered sugar.

Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies

Tanner made these cookies last night and he wanted to post the recipe. These are pretty tasty and Drew's all-time favorite cookie and a favorite from his childhood. Tanner did a great job and made them without help (well, a little help on the icing for time's sake.).

Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies

Cookies:
2 c. flour
½ c. cocoa
½ tsp. baking soda
(Mix dry ingredients together)
Cream:
½ c. shortening
½ c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
add 1 egg
Add dry mix to creamed mixture
½ c. milk

Drop onto cookie sheet by spoonful. Bake at 350 for 8 minutes. Then put ½ marshmallow on top and bake for 1 more minute. Ice while hot.

Icing:
1 ½ c. powdered sugar
2 T. cocoa
salt to taste
1 T. butter, melted
3 T. milk
1 T. slightly melted shortening
1 tsp. vanilla

**Double the icing

Browned Butter Frosting

This is my favorite!

3/4 C. Butter
6 C. Powdered Sugar
3 T. Milk
1 1/2 t. Vanilla

In small saucepan heat butter over med-low heat until melted and turns a delicate brown. Remove from heat. Combine with sugar, milk vanilla. Beat with mixer. Add more milk if necessary.
Makes about 3 cups.

Soft Sugar Cookies

We made these this week to decorate and take to neighbors and I thought I'd share the recipe.  It makes plenty to share!  (Does anyone have a really good frosting recipe?  I hate store-bought frosting but try as I may, I haven't found the perfect recipe yet!) 

3 eggs

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 1/2 c. butter

3/4 c. milk

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

5 1/4 c. flour

3/4 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

6 tsp. baking powder

Mix wet ingredients, then add dry and mix well.  Chill in fridge for 45 minutes.  Roll and cut into cookies.  Bake at 375 for 5-8 minutes.  (Do not wait until edges brown.)

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 c. butter

1 1/2 c. brown sugar

1/3 c. white sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 3/4 cup pumpkin

2 1/2 c. flour

1/2 tsp. salt

4 tsp. baking powder

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 package chocolate chips (semi sweet, milk, or white - or a combination)

Cream sugars and butter.  Add eggs and beat until smooth.  Mix in vanilla and pumpkin.  Add dry ingredients.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Drop by teaspoon onto lightly greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for about 14 minutes or until lightly browned.

Your house will smell lovely.