overnight cinnamon rolls.

i'm back. i can't believe it has be so long since i posted but i finally have my kitchen back (kind of) so maybe this will become a regular thing again. let's hope. 

this might not be a complicated "recipe" but it is definitely a yummy one. i found it on pinterest. it is definitely not a replacement for homemade rolls but it is quick and easy which, in my opinion, is awesome.

go buy a bag of rhodes frozen cinnamon rolls, a small package of cook and serve vanilla pudding, and some butter. 

overnight cinnamon rolls: 

spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. place rolls in a single layer. 

next, sprinkle uncooked pudding powder over the rolls. 

melt one stick of butter in the microwave and pour over the rolls. {honestly, a stick of butter is A LOT...you could easily be just fine with half a stick.}

spray a sheet of saran wrap with cooking spray and place tightly over the pan. {the spray will help when the rolls rise} 

stick in the fridge overnight. save the packages of icing for later.

in the morning, pull them out and let them rise until doubled. {this could take anywhere from 20-30 minutes or an hour or two} 

preheat your oven to 350. bake cinnamon rolls for 15-20 minutes. {i used the convection oven setting with a temperature of 325. mine took closer to 20 minutes, just make sure not to over bake them}

spread icing over warm cinnamon rolls and enjoy! 


i would definitely be interested in trying this recipe with different pudding flavors. maybe a pumpkin spice or butterscotch?!

blueberry upside down cake.

i love summer. 

it is my favorite time of the year. 

i also love fruit. 

so i absolutely love summer so i can get fresh fruit...so yummy! 
 
i had a bunch of blueberries in my fridge that needed to be used so i decided to go ahead and make a recipe i had "pinned" earlier this summer. 

for father's day this year i made pioneer woman's blueberry coffee cake...it was delicious. unfortunately, i never got any pictures. 

lucky for me, this time i did. 
 

blueberry upside down cake:
--recipe found at thibeault's table 

1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup brown sugar 
2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen) 
1 tablespoon lemon juice 
-----------
1/2 cup butter
3/4 sugar 
1 egg 
1 teaspoon vanilla 
-----------
1 1/3 cup flour 
2 teaspoons baking powder 
1/4 salt 
1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional) 
------------
3/4 cup milk

mix melted butter with brown sugar and pour into either an 8x8 or 9x9 square pan. spread evenly. sprinkle with blueberries. drizzle with lemon juice. 

in a large mixing bowl, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. add egg and vanilla. mix until combined. 

in another large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon, if using. 

add to butter mixture, alternating with the milk. stir to combine. 

drop batter over blueberries. bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes. let cool in pan for ten minutes and turn out onto a plate.

banana cinnamon chip muffins.

so i haven't blogged in forever. i had so many recipes i wanted to try out and take pictures over the holidays but i was so busy that i just didn't get around to it. i really wish i had. i found some great recipes.

i hadn't planned on not posting something for such a long time but after the holidays, i was kind of on a sugar overload. i really didn't want anything sweet in the house. oh yeah, and when you opt for stretchy pants over jeans...it is probably a sign you've had too much sweetness in your life. 

anyway, here is a recipe i have wanted to try for a while. today was a snow day for us...a perfect excuse to bake, right?!

i use the cinnamon chips in one of my favorite recipes, snickerdoodle blondies. i love them...so i am so glad i have another recipe to use them in!

banana cinnamon chip muffins + printable recipe
--recipe from your home based mom

2 1/4 c all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

2 1/4 c ripe mashed banana
1/2 c granulated sugar
1/2 c sour cream 

1/4 c vegetable oil
3 large egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla extract

1 c pecan or walnut pieces (i didn’t use)
3/4 c cinnamon chips

preheat your oven 400 F. line 12 muffins cups with liners or spray with non-stick spray.

in a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together.

combine banana, sugar, sour cream, oil, egg yolks, and vanilla in another bowl.

add the banana mixture to the flour mixture and stir just to combine. do not over mix. it will make them tough. 

fold in nuts and cinnamon chips. fill muffin tins about 2/3 to 3/4 full.

bake muffins at 400 degrees for 8 minutes. adjust temperature to 350 and bake for 8-10 minutes more. let muffins cool in tins for about 5 minutes and transfer to cooling racks.

pumpkin doughnuts.

so i am really sorry if you don't like pumpkin because this is another pumpkin recipe. i can't help it. 

i saw this recipe on one of my favorite sites: confessions of a cookbook queen. i love her and knew i had to make these asap. i am really trying not to bake as much right now but it is so hard because all i want to do is bake! anyway, i had some leftover pumpkin so i decided to go ahead and make these. 

i figure they are baked so they have to be better for you than deep fried, right?

pumpkin doughnuts + printable version
--confessions of a cookbook queen 
1 can pure pumpkin (15 oz)
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice 
1 tsp cinnamon 
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil 
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking power
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt 

1 stick of butter, melted
1 cup sugar + 1/2 Tbsp cinnamon, mixed together


preheat oven to 425. spray donut mold(s) with nonstick spray.


in a medium saucepan, bring pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon to a simmer until puree thickens and starts to stick to the bottom of the pan. 


carefully pour the hot puree into a large mixing bowl. whisk in brown sugar and vegetable oil. beat in eggs. 


in another bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. whisk this into the pumpkin mixture until just combined. 


fill each donut mold about 3/4 full. 


bake doughnuts for about 5-8 minutes, or until the tops springs back when lightly touched. 


turn out of pan and let cool for a little bit. dip into butter and roll in cinnamon sugar. 

pumpkin cinnamon rolls.

if you know anything about me...

you should know that i am addicted to pumpkin. 

when there was a "shortage" this past year and i wasn't able to get my cans of pumpkin...i almost had a melt down. i wasn't sure what i was going to do when fall came around. 

to me...fall = pumpkin. 

thankfully, pumpkin is back on the shelves! was there really even a shortage?

i have already made a handful of pumpkin baked goods so far. pumpkin top muffins...so delish! pumpkin brownies...i forgot to get pictures! and today, i made pumpkin cinnamon rolls for the first time. a while back, my friend, jenna gave me a page out of a magazine and asked me to make the pumpkin cinnamon roll recipe. i bought all the ingredients but for some reason never got around to making them. today, while i was going stir crazy in the house, i realized i had some leftover pumpkin in the fridge and decided this would be a perfect day to try out the rolls.

i'm glad i did.

pumpkin cinnamon rolls + printable version 
-- recipe from taste of home magazine, october & november 2008

dough:
2 T active dry yeast
1/2 c warm water (110-115 F)
4 eggs
1 c shortening 
1 c canned pumpkin
1 c warm milk (110-115 F)
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c packed brown sugar
1/3 c instant vanilla pudding mix
1/3 c instant butterscotch pudding mix
1 t salt'
7-8 c flour, divided
filling:
1/4 c butter, melted
1 c packed brown sugar
2 t ground cinnamon 
icing: 
3 T water
2 T butter, softened
1 t ground cinnamon
2 c powdered sugar
1-1/2 t vanilla extract


in a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. add the eggs, shortening, pumpkin, milk, sugars, pudding mixes, salt and 6 cups of flour. beat until mixture becomes smooth. stir in enough flour to make a soft dough...don't over flour. dough will be sticky. 


knead dough for 6-8 minutes with mixer or by hand until smooth and elastic. place in greased bowl, turning once to grease top. cover and place bowl in a warm place. let rise until doubled. about one hour. 


punch down down; divide in half. roll each portion into a 12 in x 8 in rectangular. brush melted butter on each section. combine brown sugar and cinnamon. sprinkle over butter. 


roll up jelly role style, starting with the long side; pinch seams to seal. cut each roll into twelve slices. place rolls into two greased 9 in x 13 in pans. cover and let rise until doubled. about thirty minutes.


bake at 350 degrees for about 22-28 minutes or until golden brown. 


in a small bowl, mix softened butter, cinnamon, and water. add powdered sugar and vanilla. beat until smooth.**i added some more milk to make the icing more spreadable/thinner. 

spread over rolls. serve warm. 

banana bread muffins. number two.

if you liked my other banana bread muffins...i promise you will LOVE these, too! i didn't think i would find a recipe for banana bread that i would love as much as the one i posted here. 

i was wrong.

these are great. they are a little sweeter than any other banana bread i have had. that's not a bad thing. 

they are also a little lighter in color. and kind of crunchy on top. fantastic. 

i had buttermilk left over from the muffins i made these weekend and i knew i had a couple recipes in my stash that i wanted to try that called for buttermilk. i also have bananas left over as well. so this was the perfect recipe for me. 

i think matt ate six of them when he got home from work. and there were even pretzel m&m's in the house, if that tells you anything. he swears these are his favorite muffins now. we'll see. 

p.s. the woman, aunt marilyn, who is credited for this recipe is amazing. i don't know her but i love her. 

every.recipe.i.have.made.of.hers.is.awesome. 

banana bread + printable version 

-- recipe from mel's kitchen cafe

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs, well beaten
1 cup mashed bananas

4 tablespoons buttermilk
1 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
dash baking soda

in a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. add eggs, bananas, buttermilk, and vanilla. in another bowl, mix dry ingredients. add dry ingredients to banana mixture. mix well. divide batter into greased floured bread pan or prepared muffins tins. bake at 350 for 50-55 minutes for loaf or 20-25 minutes for muffins.   

**i made these without using liners and they were kind of a pain to get out even though i sprayed the pan...next time i will just use liners.

lemon sugar crusted blueberry muffins.

it is no secret that i love to bake. when i am stressed, it calms me down. when i am sad, it cheers me up. and when i am in a good mood, it makes an even better one. i also love to bake for other people.i am fascinated by the idea that food can bring such warmth and love to relationships. i know it sounds dorky but i really feel like i can show my love to others with my baking.

sorry to ramble on here but honestly, if i could bake for a living, i would totally do it. except for the fact that i really, really want to be a teacher. anyway, sometimes i like to fantasize that i have my own bakery, especially after seeing shows like DC cupcakes and cupcake girls but i also realize how much hard work and dedication it would take and decide i am perfectly content with it being a dream. 

a couple months ago, when i started this blog, i thought to myself that i would really love to bake as a side job. just for fun, for others. and i am happy to say for the first time in my life, i can actually say that i was paid to bake! 

so matt's mom, donna sells mary kay makeup. she called me this week to ask if i would bake some muffins for her muffins and makeover party. of course, i said i would. so i decided to bake up the banana bread muffins i posted here and i also made some blueberry ones i found over at mel's kitchen cafe. 

i feel a little silly for being excited about this but i am...oh well!

lemon sugar crusted blueberry muffins + printable version
--recipe found at mel's kitchen cafe

lemon-sugar topping:

1/3 cup sugar

zest from one lemon

stir lemon zest and sugar together in a small bowl. set aside for later. 

muffins:

2 cups frozen blueberries (or 2 cups fresh)

1 1/8 cups (8 ounces) plus 1 teaspoon sugar

2 1/2 cups (12 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

4 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled slightly

1/4 cup oil (vegetable or canola)

1 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

preheat oven to 375 degrees. spray muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray or use paper liners. rinse one cup berries under cold water and spread on a double layer of paper towels to dry. bring remaining one cup berries and 1 teaspoon sugar to simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. cook, mashing berries with a spoon several times and stirring frequently, until the berries have broken down and the mixture is thickened and reduced to about 1/3 cup, about 6-8 minutes. transfer to a small bowl and cool to room temperature, about 10 to 15 minutes.

whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. toss the berries that have dried on the paper towels in with the flour mixture. whisk remaining 1 1/8 cups sugar and eggs together in a medium bowl until thick, about 45 seconds. slowly whisk in the butter and oil until combined. whisk in the buttermilk and vanilla until combined. fold egg mixture into flour mixture until just moistened. the batter will be lumpy with a few dry spots of flour. don't over mix.

fill the muffin cups until they are about 3/4 full. spoon a teaspoon of cooked berry mixture into the center of each mound of batter. using a skewer or a toothpick, gently swirl the berry filling into the batter. sprinkle lemon sugar evenly over the muffins.

bake until the top of the muffins are golden and just firm, 17-18 minutes. cool muffins in the muffin tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool. 

french toast.

i love this french toast. usually i don't use a recipe for something simple like french toast or eggs. and if i don't use a recipe, i always forget to write down what/how much i used. i'm my mother's daughter. i also love cookbooks but i don't always use them as much as i probably should. so one day i decided to use the leftover bread from the week to make french toast and i decided to even use a recipe from one of my cookbooks. and i am so glad i did. this is now my go-to recipe for french toast. it's perfect every time. 

and i know this isn't really a baking recipe. i have a bunch of recipes i want to share but they aren't just sweets so i'm not sure if i should or not. 

french toast + printable version 
-- recipe from the better homes & gardens new cookbook


4 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons orange liqueur, optional
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, optional
8 slices (1/2 inch thick) challah, brioche or dry white bread 
2 tablespoons butter
maple syrup, optional 

in a shallow mixing bowl, beat eggs together with milk, sugar, and vanilla. if using optional ingredients, add now.**i always use cinnamon and nutmeg but i haven't tried it with the orange liqueur yet. it is not an ingredient i always have on hand...and i can't really justify buying it just for this recipe. if you do try it...let me know how it is! 


in a skillet or on a griddle melt 1 Tbsp. of butter over medium heat. dip bread slices into egg mixture on both sides. shake off any excess. add as many slices as your skillet will hold (i can only do two or three, if i am lucky). cook for 2-3 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of your bread, or until golden brown. repeat with remaining butter and bread slices. if desired, serve with syrup. 

**i always halve the recipe because it is just the two of us...but because matt likes everything a little sweeter, i still use 2 Tablespoons of sugar. it is sweet enough for him to not use syrup.

caramel apple sticky buns.

so i am on a cinnamon roll kick. i made those amazingly easy and amazingly delicious traditional rolls last week and have been craving cinnamon rolls ever since. earlier this week, i tried to make dough for icebox rolls that look similar to the recipe that we have for our mama's cinnamon roll dough. however, it didn't go so well. i am not sure if the recipe is missing something or what but it was too flour-ey. i hadn't even put all the flour the recipe called for and i knew this wasn't going to work out. so it got pitched. maybe i'll mess with it another time. but for now i have a recipe that does work. the pioneer woman is one of my heroes. she is amazing. her pictures are phenomenal. and everything i have ever made of hers has been to die for. so i decided to give her cinnamon rolls a try. and that's when i found these babies. i even had a granny smith apple waiting in my fridge. i knew i was meant to make these. this recipe is halved from her original cinnamon roll dough and it still makes two cake pans full. so i suggest, for your thighs sake, you either have lots of friends around to eat the rolls with you, or you make friends with random strangers...they will love you forever. i promise. 

caramel apple sticky buns + printable version

dough:  
2 cups whole milk
1-¼ cup sugar
½ cups canola oil
1 package (2 1/4 Teaspoons) active dry yeast
4-½ cups flour, divided
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoons (scant) baking soda
½ teaspoons (heaping) baking powder
¾ cups melted butter
4 Tablespoons cinnamon

heat milk, oil, and 1/2 cup sugar until warm. do not boil - i used a candy thermometer to heat it to 185 F. allow to cool to lukewarm. i wait until it is around 105 F. sprinkle in yeast and 4 cups flour. stir gently and cover with a tea towel, allowing it to rise for 1 hour. after 1 hour, add remaining flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. set aside for later.

caramel topping:
1 stick salted butter
1-½ cup brown sugar, packed
1 Tablespoon dark brown corn syrup
2 Tablespoons cream
2 Tablespoons apply brandy or apple juice (optional - i didn't have any)
1 whole granny smith apple, peeled & finely diced  

add 1 stick butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, cream, and optional apple brandy or apple juice. allow to melt over low heat until totally combined. boil for a few seconds, then remove from heat. set aside.

roll out half the dough into a large rectangle. pour on half the melted butter, half the remaining 3/4 cup sugar, and half the cinnamon. roll into a long roll, then slice into rolls. i used my new favorite cinnamon roll cutting method -- dental floss! and repeat with the second half the dough.

spray two 9-inch cake pan with cooking spray. pour in half the caramel topping in each pan. sprinkle half the diced apple over the top in each pan, then arrange sliced rolls all over the two pans. allow to rise for 20 to 30 minutes.

bake at 375 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes, covered in foil for the first 25 minutes. i actually cooked them for the entire 35 minutes.

invert on a cake pedestal or serving plate. let rolls cool slightly before serving.

cinnamon rolls.

when i was little, our mama (my mom's grandma) used to make us cinnamon rolls when we came to visit. in fact, one time she had made a batch of cinnamon rolls and she told my older sister that she had made them for her. and my sister literally took that to mean they were only for here. she ate the entire batch without anyone knowing. so when my mom and mama asked where the cinnamon rolls were, my sister told them she ate them. all of them. we still laugh at her for this. however, these aren't like the cinnamon rolls mama used to make. i'm still on the hunt for a recipe like hers. but that's okay. these are still delicious. for the cinnamon rolls i used a recipe found on our best bites. but i am not a huge fan of the powdered sugar icing/glaze so i decided to make a cream cheese icing instead. the one i used is from mel's kitchen cafe. i like that this roll recipe since it only makes 12 rolls instead of the million that i normally get out of a cinnamon roll recipe. it also doesn't take all day so if, i mean when, you get a craving for a cinnamon roll, and who doesn't, then you can actually have one fairly soon.

i made these this past weekend and on sunday afternoon, there were three left. i figured i was safe to leave and return to have a cinnamon roll waiting for me. i thought wrong. my boyfriend ate ALL of them. not one, not two like i thought he might. yep, three. thanks a lot, babe.

i'm dying to make them again. 

cinnamon roll dough + printable recipe

-- from our best bites

 

1 cup milk (i used skim and it worked just fine!)

4 Tbs butter, cut into chunks

3 1/4 - 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided

1 pkg instant yeast (about 2 1/4 tsp)

1/4 cup white sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg

put milk and 4 Tbs butter in a microwave safe bowl. heat for 1 minute 30 seconds on high. butter should be at somewhat melted. stir and set aside for later. i did this a little differently. i only put about 3/4 c of milk and the butter in the microwave. that way i could add the remaining 1/4 c milk cold so it would bring the temperature of the milk mixture down quicker.

in a large mixing bowl whisk together 2 C flour, yeast, white sugar, and salt.

when milk mixture has cooled to lukewarm (not hot), add it to the flour mixture along with the egg while the beater is running. beat until well combined, about 1 minute. switch to the dough hook now (if using a kitchenaid or stand mixer) add remaining flour only until dough barely leaves the sides of the bowl. it should be very soft and slightly sticky. continue to let the dough knead for 5 minutes.  

**if you are not using a stand mixer, place dough on floured surface and knead by hand for 5 minutes.

turn dough out onto a floured surface and let rest for about 10 minutes while you make the filling.

                          

filling:

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1 1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup butter, softened

make sure butter is soft and mix with brown sugar and cinnamon.

roll dough into a rectangle about 12 x 14 inches. spread brown sugar mixture over dough. you may have to use your fingers or a knife to spread around. roll up from the longer side of the rectangle and pinch edges closed. score the roll into 12 equal pieces starting from the middle and then cut into rolls. i used dental floss for the first time to score and cut my rolls and it worked beautifully! place in a 9 x 13 pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. cover pan with a clean towel and let rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes. to create a "warm" place for the rolls, i placed a small microwave safe bowl of water in the microwave on high until it boiled. i moved the bowl over to the side and placed my 9x13 pan in the microwave and shut the door.

preheat over to 350 F. bake for 15-20 minutes or until light golden brown. while the rolls are still warm, spread on icing. 

cream cheese icing
-- from mel's kitchen cafe  
 

8 ounces cream cheese
½ cup butter, softened to room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups confectioner’s sugar
2-3 tablespoons milk

**i halved this recipe and it was the perfect amount!  

cream together butter and cream cheese until well mixed. add vanilla and sugar and mix again. add milk until it is the consistency you like.