Monday, December 26, 2016

Mini Cinnamon Rolls


Aren't these the cutest little things?  Won't these be great for a brunch or for a New Year's Day breakfast!  They are so easy to make.  I found this recipe in the book, Monkey Breads and More.

Mini Cinnamon Buns

Ingredients:

2 T packed brown sugar (I used light brown sugar)
1/2 t cinnamon
1 pkg (8 oz.) refrigerated crescent roll dough (I used Pillsbury)
1 T butter, melted
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 to 1/2 T milk (I ended up using 2 T milk)

Directions:
  
Preheat the oven to 375.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper

Roll out the crescent roll dough, firmly pressing together  the perforations to seal.

Brush the dough with the melted butter and sprinkle with the brown sugar mixture.

Roll up the dough starting with the long end, jelly roll style.  Pinch the seams to seal.

Cut each roll crosswise into 1 inch slices.  Place each slice about 1 1/2 inches apart on the baking sheet.

Bake about 10 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove to wire rack to cool slightly.

Mix the powdered sugar with 1 tablespoon of milk in a small bowl and whisk until smooth.  Add additional milk, if necessary to reach the desired consistency (I ended up adding up to 2 T of milk).

Drizzle the glaze over the buns.

ENJOY!!

Comments:

These little buns are really good!  You could end up eating them all if you don't watch yourself - they are THAT good!!  This is definitely a keeper recipe!!

Friday, December 23, 2016

Crockpot Mississippi Pot Roast


Not exactly sure how I found this recipe, but somehow I ended up on The Country Cook's blog.  And she had this recipe posted that sounded so good that I had to make a mad dash to the grocery store!!  I did eliminate the 8 Peperoncini peppers, because I am not big on hot peppers.  My husband is, but my son and I aren't - so the "popular vote" won!  LOL!!

This is one of those  super easy meals to make that takes about a minute or two to make!  I LOVE THESE RECIPES!!!!

Crockpot Mississippi Pot Roast by The Country Cook

Ingredients:

(1) 3-5 lb. chuck roast
salt & pepper, to taste
1 packet ranch dressing mix
1 packet dry onion soup mix
1 stick butter (1/2 cup) – REAL salted butter *
 8 Peperoncini peppers **
* I only had unsalted butter, don't see that made any difference
**I omitted - see note above.



Directions:

You can brown the roast if you want by placing it in a skilled with olive oil and brown each side . I didn't - it is your choice.

Put the roast in the crockpot.  Pour the dry onion soup mix and dry ranch dressing mix over the top of the roast.  Place the stick of butter on top of the roast.


Put the cover on top of the crockpot and turn the crockpot onto low.

Let "cook" for 8 hours.

This is another one of those meals that makes your house smell wonderfully. 

Enjoy!!!

Comments:

The roast is so tender!!  This was a HUGE hit with my resident experts!!  I served this with mash potatoes.  We have another winner on my hands!!! 

Schnecken

My husband has been wanting me to find a schnecken recipe.  I have searched through several of my "German" cookbooks and have had no luck.  So off I went to the Internet and found this recipe.  It was titled "Grandma Douglas' Schnecken."  From what I read, it sounds like the American version of the "sticky bun."
Unfortunately, this not something you can whip up in matter of minutes.  This is a good project to do on a cold, snowy or rainy day (and it makes your house smell WONDERFUL!!)
Grandma Douglas' Schnecken:

Ingredients:

Dough
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup milk
5 T granulated sugar
1T active dry yeast

1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk
3 to 3 1/2 cups all- purpose flour as needed

Pecan Topping
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
3/4 cup packed brown sugar (I used light brown sugar)
1/4 cup light corn syrup
3/4 cup chopped pecans

Cinnamon Sugar Filling
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup  granulated sugar
1 T ground cinnamon


Directions:

Dough:

Melt  the 1/2 cup butter in a small saucepan, add the milk and sugar.  Heat just enough, while stirring, to dissolve the sugar. Pour the warm milk mixture into a bowl. Add the yeast. Allow this to sit for 10 minutes.

Beat the whole egg and egg yolk together and add to the yeast mixture. Stir in the flour 1 cup at a time until you have a sticky dough.


Scrape the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead for about 5 minutes, until you have a nice smooth dough.


Oil or butter a large bowl. Place the dough in the prepared bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Put the bowl in a warm place and allow the dough to rise for 2 hours, until tripled in volume. (I use my oven with the oven light on - works great!)

While the dough is rising, brush a 9 × 13-inch baking pan with some melted butter (or spray it with Pam).

Sugar-Pecan Topping:
 
Melt the butter with the brown sugar and corn syrup in a small saucepan, stirring to combine. Remove the pan from the heat, and spread the mixture over the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle with the chopped pecans.

After the dough has risen, punch down the dough and turn the dough onto a lightly floured counter top. Using a lightly floured rolling pin to roll the dough into a rectangle about 15 × 12 inches and roughly 1/8 inch thick.

Cinnamon Sugar Filling:

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and allow it to cool. Brush the butter thoroughly over the surface of the dough.

In a small bowl, mix together the sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly over the melted butter. Roll the rectangle up, like a jelly roll, along one long edge.


Cut the rolled dough into 1-inch-thick slices and arrange the slices, cut sides up, in the prepared pan. Cover the pan with a piece of plastic wrap and allow it to rise in a warm place for about 40 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the schnecken until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time.

Check them occasionally during the baking time, and if they seem to be browning too quickly, loosely cover them with a sheet of aluminum foil.
 
Remove the pan from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 5 to 10 minutes.


Turn the schnecken out of the pan while still warm by inverting the pan over a large platter or baking sheet. Serve the schnecken warm.

ENTIRE RECIPE
Grandma Douglas' Schnecken:

Ingredients:

Dough
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup milk
5 T granulated sugar
1T active dry yeast
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk
3 to 3 1/2 cups all- purpose flour as needed

Pecan Topping
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
3/4 cup packed brown sugar (I used light brown sugar)
1/4 cup light corn syrup
3/4 cup chopped pecans

Cinnamon Sugar Filling
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup  granulated sugar
1 T ground cinnamon


Directions:

Dough:

Melt  the 1/2 cup butter in a small saucepan, add the milk and sugar.  Heat just enough, while stirring, to dissolve the sugar. Pour the warm milk mixture into a bowl. Add the yeast. Allow this to sit for 10 minutes.

Beat the whole egg and egg yolk together and add to the yeast mixture. Stir in the flour 1 cup at a time until you have a sticky dough. Scrape the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead for about 5 minutes, until you have a nice smooth dough.

Oil or butter a large bowl. Place the dough in the prepared bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Put the bowl in a warm place and allow the dough to rise for 2 hours, until tripled in volume. (I use my oven with the oven light on - works great!)

While the dough is rising, brush a 9 × 13-inch baking pan with some melted butter (or spray it with Pam).

Sugar-Pecan Topping:
 
Melt the butter with the brown sugar and corn syrup in a small saucepan, stirring to combine. Remove the pan from the heat, and spread the mixture over the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle with the chopped pecans.

After the dough has risen, punch down the dough and turn the dough onto a lightly floured counter top. Using a lightly floured rolling pin to roll the dough into a rectangle about 15 × 12 inches and roughly 1/8 inch thick.

Cinnamon Sugar Filling:

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and allow it to cool. Brush the butter thoroughly over the surface of the dough.

In a small bowl, mix together the sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly over the melted butter. Roll the rectangle up, like a jelly roll, along one long edge.

Cut the rolled dough into 1-inch-thick slices and arrange the slices, cut sides up, in the prepared pan. Cover the pan with a piece of plastic wrap and allow it to rise in a warm place for about 40 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the schnecken until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time.

Check them occasionally during the baking time, and if they seem to be browning too quickly, loosely cover them with a sheet of aluminum foil.

Remove the pan from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 5 to 10 minutes. Turn the schnecken out of the pan while still warm by inverting the pan over a large platter or baking sheet. Serve the schnecken warm.

ENJOY!!

Comments:

First of all, your house will smell WONDERFUL!!!  That is a definitely PLUS!!  This is good!!  Really good - the type of good that you won't want to get on the bathroom scale for a couple of days!!  It was a huge hit with my two resident experts (i.e., husband and son), so this one is a keeper!!