Cinnamon Rolls

When I was little my mom and I would go shopping at Hanes Mall and the trip was never complete without a Cinnabon. While we sat there eating, I'd watch through the glass trying to memorize the steps that the worker would take to make the cinnamon rolls. It looked simple enough that I thought I could do it myself. So this cinnamon roll recipe let's me live out my 7 year old dream. And they are also the most delicious things ever.

INGREDIENTS

DOUGH

• 1 cup whole milk
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 1/2 cups (or more) unbleached all purpose flour, divided
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 1/4 teaspoons rapid-rise yeast (from 2 envelopes yeast)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Nonstick vegetable oil spray

FILLING

• 3/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

GLAZE

• 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

PREPARATION

CRUST

• Combine milk and butter in glass measuring cup. Microwave on high until butter melts and mixture is just warmed to 120°F to 130°F, 30 to 45 seconds. Pour into bowl of stand mixerfitted with paddle attachment. Add 1 cup flour, sugar, egg, yeast, and salt. Beat on low speed 3 minutes, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl. Add 2 1/2 cups flour. Beat on low until flour is absorbed and dough is sticky, scraping down sides of bowl. If dough is very sticky, add more flour by tablespoonfuls until dough begins to form ball and pulls away from sides of bowl. Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, adding more flour if sticky, about 8 minutes. Form into ball.
  
• • Lightly oil large bowl with nonstick spray. Transfer dough to bowl, turning to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, then kitchen towel. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 2 hours.

  FILLING

  • Mix brown sugar and cinnamon in medium bowl.
  • Punch down dough. Transfer to floured work surface. Roll out to 15x11-inch rectangle.
    
    Spread butter over dough, leaving 1/2-inch border.
    
    Sprinkle cinnamon sugar evenly over butter.
    
    Starting at 1 long side, roll dough into log, pinching gently to keep it rolled up.
    
    With seam side down, cut dough crosswise with thin sharp knife into 18 equal slices (each about 1/2 to 3/4 inch wide).
    
  • Spray two 9-inch square glass baking dishes with nonstick spray. Divide rolls between baking dishes, arranging cut side up (there will be almost no space between rolls). Cover baking dishes with plastic wrap, then kitchen towel. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until almost doubled in volume, 40 to 45 minutes.
  • 
    
  • 
    Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Bake rolls until tops are golden, about 20 minutes.
    
    Remove from oven and invert immediately onto rack. Cool 10 minutes. Turn rolls right side up.

  GLAZE

  • Combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat until smooth. Spread glaze on rolls.
    
    Serve warm or at room temperature.

Snickerdoodles

Until yesterday I was still eating my mom's birthday cake.  So I've not needed to bake anything and especially haven't felt like baking since it's been in the 90's the past few weeks.  My kitchen is miserable in the summertime.  The afternoon sun comes through the window and my cafe curtains aren't much defense to the heat.  There is only one air conditioning unit in my apartment and it's located as far away from the kitchen as possible.  It does well cooling the bedrooms and living room but the air rarely makes it to the kitchen.  

On top of this, my oven is ancient.  It works fabulously but it's old.  I'm not really sure how old exactly but I'd guess the 1980's or so.  (Well, that's the same age range as me but for an oven that is old right?)  An oldie but a goodie, except for one thing.  I've noticed this summer how much heat it puts out when it's on.  Even after I turn it off, I can still feel heat coming off of it an hour later.  So needless to say, I've used the oven as little as possible this summer, especially lately.  About two weeks ago I discovered that I could remove the knobs to turn the burners and oven on and did so to do some heavy duty cleaning.  Then on Monday I went to make some spaghetti for dinner and realized the knobs were still off.  I hadn't used the oven or the stove in about 2 weeks!  That is kinda ridiculous.  But in my defense, I've had a lot of meals out with people lately.  That and if I have eaten at home it's been something simple or cool from the fridge.  

But last night there was a nice thunderstorm which cooled off things considerably so I took this opportunity to fire up the oven (almost literally) and make some cookies.  I actually didn't discover my love of snickerdoodles until college.  My roommate Kelsey made some and before this I hadn't even heard of them.  This is my first attempt at them but this recipe looked too good too miss out on.

Snickerdoodles

Makes 3 dozen cookies

For the dough:

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

2 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tarter 

1 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

For the cinnamon sugar:

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until smooth, 2-3 minutes.  Add the eggs and mix until combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tarter, baking soda, and salt.  Add to the butter mixture and mix on low speed until combined.  The down will be too soft and sticky to roll.  Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour or overnight.

Preheat to oven to 350 F.  Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.  

Using a 1 ounce cookie scoop or tablespoon, shape the dough into balls and then roll them in the cinnamon sugar (flatten the cookies a bit while in the cinnamon sugar and flip over as they are placed on the cookie sheet-that way you get a lot of the sugar on the cookie).

Place the cookies 2 inches apart on cookie sheets.  Flatten them slightly with your fingertips so they stay put.  

Bake for about 12-13 minutes or until the bottoms are slightly golden in color (mine took about 10 minutes, so check then).  These cookies are supposed to be chewy, so do not overbake.  Remove to a wire rack to cool. 

**I made the recipe last night and put in the fridge overnight.  It rained alllllll day today and was barely over 70 degrees!  A very good day for baking.  It almost felt like :gasp: fall.  Or maybe it was just the cinnamon that made me ready to wear jeans and jump in piles of leaves.  

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Another Barefoot Contessa recipe from her Parties cookbook.  After typing up this recipe I realized I put in more sour cream than called for but it's very tasty.  I also doubled the streusel recipe which I think worked out better.  

The weather is forecasting 2-4 inches for Inauguration Day so I'm already looking forward to sitting on my couch with my cup of coffee and coffee cake to watch Obama take his oath of office.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

~Ina Garten - Barefoot Contessa Parties!

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

3 extra-large eggs at room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups sour cream

2 1/2 cups cake flour (not self rising!)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

For the Streusel:

3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 ground cinnamon

1/4 kosher salt

3 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter cut into pieces

3/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

For the Glaze:

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

2 teaspoons maple syrup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour a 1o inch tube pan.

Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for 4 to 5 minutes, until light.  Add the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla and sour cream.  In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture to the batter until just combined.  Finish stirring with a spatula to be sure the batter is completely mixed.  

For the streusel, place brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and butter in a bowl and pinch together with your fingers until it forms a crumble.  Mix in walnuts, if desired.

Spoon half the batter into the pan and spread it around with a spatula.  Sprinkle with 3/4 of streusel.  Spoon the rest of the rest of the batter in the pan, spread it out, and scatter the remaining streusel on top.  Bake for 50-60 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.  

Let cool on rack at least 30 minutes.  Carefully transfer the cake, streusel side up, onto a serving plate.  Whisk the confectioners' sugar and maple syrup together, adding a few drops of water if necessary to make the glaze runny.  Drizzle as much as you like over the cake with a fork or spoon.