Frosted Orange Rolls

This is one of those recipes I accidentally found wandering on the Internet one day.  It is from Stephiecooks.com.  Fortunately, I had all the ingredients (even the oranges!!) so it was a "go" for a new adventure.

A word of warning . . . even though this a very simple recipe to make, the dough is extremely hard to work with.  I almost threw it out.  Anyway, onto the recipe . . .

Frosted Orange Rolls by Stephie Cooks

Ingredients:

Dough:

1 pkg active dry yeast
3/4 c warm water
1 1/2 c warm milk
1/2 c sugar, divided
4 1/2 c flour, divided
1/4 c shortening, melted

Orange Icing:

4 1/2 T butter, softened
1 1/2 T orange zest
3 T orange juice
2 1/4 c powdered sugar

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water.  Add the milk and 1/4 cup of sugar.  Stir to combine.  Add 3 cups of flour.  The dough will be very runny.  Let the dough rise for 1 hour in a warm place (I use my oven with the oven light on).

Add the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and melted shortening to the dough and mix to combine.  Mix in the 1 1/2 cups of flour.  The dough will be extremely wet.  This is the way it is supposed to be, so don't worry.  Do not add any more flour!   Let the dough rise again until doubled for about an hour.

While the dough is rising, make the icing by creaming the butter in a medium size mixing bowl.  Add the orange zest, juice and powdered sugar.  Mix until all ingredients are completely incorporated

After the dough has risen, dump the dough on a well floured surface and divide in half.  The dough will be very runny and sticky!!  I used a "bench scraper" to cut the dough and help get it off the counter.  The dough will be very hard to work, so do the best that you can and flour your utensils a lot!!!

Using your rolling pin (floured!!!), roll each half into a large rectangle. You will need to flour your rolling pin several times.  Spread the rectangle with 1/3 of the icing.

Roll up the dough into a log from the long side.  You will need to use your bench scraper to help you roll the dough up, flouring the scraper several times.

Cut the roll into 9 equal sizes if you can and "glop" them into a greased 9 x 13 inch baking pan.  I also put them in  an 8 x 8 inch baking pan.  Let rise until doubled, about an hour.

Preheat the oven to 350.

Bake the rolls for about 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown.  Let the rolls cool slightly before frosting with the remaining icing.

Entire Recipe

Frosted Orange Rolls by Stephie Cooks

Ingredients:

Dough:

1 pkg active dry yeast
3/4 c warm water
1 1/2 c warm milk
1/2 c sugar, divided
4 1/2 c flour, divided
1/4 c shortening, melted

Orange Icing:

4 1/2 T butter, softened
1 1/2 T orange zest
3 T orange juice
2 1/4 c powdered sugar

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water.  Add the milk and 1/4 cup of sugar.  Stir to combine.  Add 3 cups of flour.  The dough will be very runny.  Let the dough rise for 1 hour in a warm place (I use my oven with the oven light on).

Add the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and melted shortening to the dough and mix to combine.  Mix in the 1 1/2 cups of flour.  The dough will be extremely wet.  This is the way it is supposed to be, so don't worry.  Do not add any more flour!   Let the dough rise again until doubled for about an hour.

While the dough is rising, make the icing by creaming the butter in a medium size mixing bowl.  Add the orange zest, juice and powdered sugar.  Mix until all ingredients are completely incorporated

After the dough has risen, dump the dough on a well floured surface and divide in half.  The dough will be very runny and sticky!!  I used a "bench scraper" to cut the dough and help get it off the counter.  The dough will be very hard to work, so do the best that you can and flour your utensils a lot!!!

Using your rolling pin (floured!!!), roll each half into a large rectangle. You will need to flour your rolling pin several times.  Spread the rectangle with 1/3 of the icing.

Roll up the dough into a log from the long side.  You will need to use your bench scraper to help you roll the dough up, flouring the scraper several times.

Cut the roll into 9 equal sizes if you can and "glop" them into a greased 9 x 13 inch baking pan.  I also put them in  an 8 x 8 inch baking pan.  Let rise until doubled, about an hour.

Preheat the oven to 350.

Bake the rolls for about 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown.  Let the rolls cool slightly before frosting with the remaining icing.

Enjoy!!

Comments:

Even though this was a "pain in the butt" to make, it was worth it!!  The rolls are GOOD!!!  I was pleasantly surprised, I was expecting them to be soggy or undercooked.   I also got rave reviews from my two resident experts (i.e., my husband and son!).  Will I make this again, probably. 

 

My Mom's French Dressing Recipe

I was looking through my Mom's cookbook last night in search of her recipe for cole slaw dressing and found this recipe.  I don't remember her ever making it, but back then I wasn't a big salad fan - you know how kids are - if it is healthy, they don't want anything to do with it!

This is another easy recipe to make and you can "shake" this up in a matter of minutes.  And it shouldn't require a mad dash to the grocery store either!!

French Dressing by Betty Askew

1 cup white granulated sugar
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 cup vegetable oil (I used canola since that is what I had on hand)
3/4 cup catsup
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp grated onion

I add all the ingredients in a quart size mason jar, put on the lid and mixed.  I think putting the ingredients in a blender would have been a better idea then pour into a mason jar for storage.

ENJOY!!

Verdict:

Since I am the only one who eats salads on a regular basis, I must say this is pretty darn good!!  And, yes, I will be making this again.

Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Coffee Cake - OH MY!!

For my birthday, my wonderful husband bought me cookbooks!!  A bunch of them!!  What a wonderful man!!!  Two of the books were: Deep Dish South and Melissa's Southern Cookbook - excellent cookbooks!!  And he bought me a handful of those little cookbooks you always find right next to the checkout counters by Pillsbury, etc.   I am sure you have seen those.

So yesterday I decided to try one of the recipes in one of the books.  The book I chose was Pillsbury's Country Baking.  The recipe that caught my eye was Cinnamon Pecan Swirl Coffee Cake.  Since my husband isn't a big "nut" fan, I substituted raisins for the pecans.

This recipe does take a little bit of time to prepare, but trust me!!, it is worth it!!

Cinnamon Raisin (or Pecan) Swirl Coffee Cake by Pillsbury

Makes 2 coffee cakes

Dough

Ingredients:

4 to 4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 packages dry yeast
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup water, heated to 120 to 130 F
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
3 eggs

Instructions:

Mix together 2 cups flour, yeast and sugar.  Add the hot water, butter/margarine and eggs.
Mix at low speed until moistened.
Add additional 2 to 2 1/2 cups of flour to form a stiff dough.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for, at least, two hours.

Filling:

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans (or whole raisins)
2 tsp cinnamon

Icing

2 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp margarine or butter, at room temperature
1 to 2 T milk (the recipe calls for coffee - I used milk instead - your call)

Directions:

Prepare dough and refrigerate according to the recipe

Cover two 15 x 10 x 1 baking sheets with parchment paper
On a lightly floured surface, divide the chilled dough into 2 halves
Return one half to the refrigerator and roll the other half out into an 16 x 10 inch rectangle
Spread with margarine or butter.
 In a separate bowl, combine the ingredients for the filling and sprinkle half over the dough.

Starting with the 16 inch side, roll up tightly and pinch the seam firmly to seal.
Cut the roll in half lengthwise, turn the dough so the cut side is up (this is where it get a bit tricky as the filling will start to spill out - just pinch the dough together as best you can).
Place a 2 1/2 inch cookie cutter or a drinking glass on the baking sheet and coil the first dough half around the cookie cookie cuter/drinking glass.  Add the second half of dough to the first half, pinching the two ends together.

Remove the cookie cutter/drinking glass.  Cover the dough with plastic wrap and a dish towel.

Repeat with the second piece of dough.
Place dough in a warm place to rise until almost double in size (about 20 minutes).
Heat oven to 350
Uncover the dough and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown.
In a separate bowl, mix the ingredients for the icing and drizzle over warm coffee cake.

The Entire Recipe:

Cinnamon Raisin (or Pecan) Swirl Coffee Cake by Pillsbury

Makes 2 coffee cakes

Dough

Ingredients:

4 to 4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 packages dry yeast
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup water, heated to 120 to 130 F
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
3 eggs

Instructions:

Mix together 2 cups flour, yeast and sugar.  Add the hot water, butter/margarine and eggs.
Mix at low speed until moistened.
Add additional 2 to 2 1/2 cups of flour to form a stiff dough.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for, at least, two hours.

Filling:

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans (or whole raisins)
2 tsp cinnamon

Icing

2 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp margarine or butter, at room temperature
1 to 2 T milk (the recipe calls for coffee - I used milk instead - your call)

Directions:

Prepare dough and refrigerate according to the recipe

Cover two 15 x 10 x 1 baking sheets with parchment paper
On a lightly floured surface, divide the chilled dough into 2 halves
Return one half to the refrigerator and roll the other half out into an 16 x 10 inch rectangle
Spread with margarine or butter.
In a separate bowl, combine the ingredients for the filling and sprinkle half over the dough.
Starting with the 16 inch side, roll up tightly and pinch the seam firmly to seal.
Cut the roll in half lengthwise, turn the dough so the cut side is up (this is where it get a bit tricky as the filling will start to spill out - just pinch the dough together as best you can).
Place a 2 1/2 inch cookie cutter or a drinking glass on the baking sheet and coil the first dough half around the cookie cookie cuter/drinking glass.  Add the second half of dough to the first half, pinching the two ends together.
Remove the cookie cutter/drinking glass.  Cover the dough with plastic wrap and a dish towel.
Repeat with the second piece of dough.
Place dough in a warm place to rise until almost double in size (about 20 minutes).
Heat oven to 350
Uncover the dough and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown.
In a separate bowl, mix the ingredients for the icing and drizzle over warm coffee cake.

ENJOY!!

COMMENT:

Oh yes!!  We definitely have a winner with this one.  My husband ate half of this in about an hour.  It is good.  I will probably be making it again some time this week.  I really think this is so much better with the raisins than with the pecans (or a combination of both raisin and pecans would make an awesome coffee cake!).




 

Homemade Poppy Seed Salad Dressing

Since I no longer have a job outside the home (my choice), it is time to "tighten the belt" on our spending.  Which means I have to scale down my spending on groceries.  So I am going to try to make as much of our food needs at home as possible such as bread, noodles, etc.

Everyday for lunch, I almost always have a salad.  Salad dressings, though not horribly expensive, do add up.  And I am not sure a lot of them are that healthy - if you look at some of the ingredients on the labels makes you wonder what exactly are you putting on your salads!!!

So off to the Internet I went in search of the "perfect" salad dressing.  My adventure started at the "Kitchen McCabe" website where she claims that she has the "BEST" homemade Poppy Seed recipe.  Now you know that is a challenge to me, so I had to give the recipe a try.  It is a very easy recipe that you can whip up in a matter of minutes (probably doesn't require a run to the grocery store!).

"The Best Homemade Poppy Seed Dressing" by Kitchen McCabe

Ingredients:

3/4 c white vinegar
1 1/2 c Canola Oil
3/4 c white sugar
2 T chopped finely onion
1 T salt
3/4 t Dry Mustard
1 1/2 T Poppy Seeds

Directions:

Pour all of your ingredients (except the poppy seeds) in a blender or food processor.

Blend on high for about 1 minute or 2
Add the poppy seeds and blend until the seeds have been mixed into the dressing.

Refrigerate.

Entire Recipe:

"The Best Homemade Poppy Seed Dressing" by Kitchen McCabeB

Ingredients:

3/4 c white vinegar
1 1/2 c Canola Oil
3/4 c white sugar
2 T chopped finely onion
1 T salt
3/4 t Dry Mustard
1 1/2 T Poppy Seeds

Directions:

Pour all of your ingredients (except the poppy seeds) in a blender or food processor.
Blend on high for about 1 minute or 2
Add the poppy seeds and blend until the seeds have been mixed into the dressing.
Refrigerate.

ENJOY!

Comments:

Is this the "BEST" homemade poppy seed dressing??  The jury is still out on this one.  It is good, but I not sure it is the best.  My husband thought it was good, but felt it could be a tad bit more sweeter - so off I go to the Internet in search of the "perfect" poppy seed salad dressing - stay tuned!! 

Apple Rhubarb Crisp

Don't you just love when  you get a real bargain!!  I found this book on Amazon for only $.04!!!  YES, 4 cents plus $3.99 shipping.  I had to buy it. Who gets a cookbook these days for 4 cents!! (ok, with the shipping it was $4.03, but it still was a bargain!!  The cookbook is Country Breakfasts Ken  Haedrich.  I have several of his cookbooks and love all of them, so I knew this one had to be good.

The first recipe I tried is Apple Rhubarb Crisp.  He says it is for "breakfast" and he serves it with either sour cream or yogurt.  It is easy to make.  The hardest part is chopping and peeling the various fruits.  The recipe calls for cranberries as an optional, I had dried cranberries so I threw those in.

Apple Rhubarb Crisp by Ken Haedrich

Topping

1 cup unbleached all purpose flour**
1/3 cup white granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 inch pieces

Filling

3 cups sliced 1/4 in thick rhubarb
1/2 cup sugar
grated zest of lemon
3 large apples
1/2 cup cranberries (optional) -see above
1 T unbleached all purpose flour **

** you can use regular bleached flour, don't see that would make too much differe ce

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Butter or grease a 10 or 11 inch round or oval baking dish.
 
For the topping, mix the flour, sugars, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl.
Add the butter, using a pastry cutter or two knives, blend into the mixture so it is clumpy.

Cover the bowl and refrigerate until ready.

For the filling, put the rhubarb in a large bowl and toss with the sugar and lemon zest.
Peel and slice the apples and mix them in with the rhubarb.
Add the cranberries if you are using them and the flour.

 (looks kind of pretty!)
Spoon the fruit mixture into the bottom of the baking dish and sprinkle the topping over the fruit.

Bake for 40 minutes, until the fruit is soft and is bubbling hot around the edges.

(your house will smell WONDERFUL!!)

Entire Recipe:

Apple Rhubarb Crisp by Ken Haedrich

Topping

1 cup unbleached all purpose flour**
1/3 cup white granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 inch pieces

Filling

3 cups sliced 1/4 in thick rhubarb
1/2 cup sugar
grated zest of lemon
3 large apples
1/2 cup cranberries (optional) -see above
1 T unbleached all purpose flour **

** you can use regular bleached flour, don't see that would make too much differe ce

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Butter or grease a 10 or 11 inch round or oval baking dish.
 
For the topping, mix the flour, sugars, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl.
Add the butter, using a pastry cutter or two knives, blend into the mixture so it is clumpy.
 Cover the bowl and refrigerate until ready.

For the filling, put the rhubarb in a large bowl and toss with the sugar and lemon zest.
Peel and slice the apples and mix them in with the rhubarb.
Add the cranberries if you are using them and the flour.
 
Spoon the fruit mixture into the bottom of the baking dish and sprinkle the topping over the fruit.

Bake for 40 minutes, until the fruit is soft and is bubbling hot around the edges.

Enjoy!

Comment:

I will post a verdict soon, but it kind of reminds me of an apple pie.  It does smell wonderful.  I think we might have a winner here!