You Knew It Was Coming...

We can't celebrate cinnamon without cinnamon rolls. Now, I realize some might consider what I'm about to say blasphemy... but hey, a girl's gotta speak her truth. I. Do. Not. Like Cinnabon. Rolls. They don't tempt me at the mall. They don't tempt me at the airport kiosks. They just don't do it for me. There, I said it.

Now, sit me in my Grandma's kitchen and plate me up one of her cinnamon rolls fresh out of the oven and I'm in heaven. Well, I guess I'd have to be, since she's in heaven now. But luckily she left us her recipe. This basic sweet dough recipe can be used for cinnamon rolls, sticky buns, orange rolls, even dinner rolls. You name it. I was raised on it. I love it.












Grandma's Basic Sweet Dough
Combine together 1 C warm water, 2 tsp. sugar and 2 pkgs active dry yeast. Set aside.

2 C milk (warmed)
3/4 to 1 C sugar
1/2 C shortening or butter
4 eggs, well beaten
2 tsp salt
7-8 C all-purpose flour

Place shortening or butter and sugar in large mixing bowl. Pour heated milk over and stir to combine. (The warm milk will melt the shortening or butter.) Let cool. Add yeast mixture. Stir to combine and then let stand 5 minutes. Add eggs, salt and flour. (I add the first 4 cups of flour and incorporate it all together, then add the next 3 cups.) Beat well with beater or wooden spoon. This is a very sticky dough. Let dough proof for 1 1/2 hours in a warm place. Punch down and let raise 45 minutes more.

For cinnamon rolls, roll out into rectangle on flat surface. Spread softened butter on dough (I use Cinnamon Honey Butter, if I have some on hand.) Sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon on top of the buttered dough. Roll up dough until you have a nice tight "tube" of dough. Cut into 3/4 to 1-inch thick circles and place on pregreased baking sheet. Cook at 400 degrees F. for about 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and drizzle glaze over warm rolls.

Can also use this recipe for dinner rolls, tea rings, twists, orange rolls, etc.

Lemon-Filled Croissants

I love croissants! Love. Them. However, they are a lot of work. So, I don't love making them. But, I have been having a hankerin' for them for awhile now. Last Sunday we had family over. They were looking to escape the heat of their non-air conditioned apartment. Since it was such a scorcher, I made a very light lemon cheesecake. I used a few dollops of lemon pie filling on the top of each slice to intensify the flavor. Afterwards, I had over a half a can of pie filling left. So I decided to bake up these lovely little breakfast rolls to use up the pie filling. (Normally I would use a lemon curd with a deeper lemon flavor, but hey, waste not want not.)

This is a quick-version for croissants. You don't layer the butter or do three turns of the dough so the rolls aren't quite as flaky as full-blown croissants. In fact, since you incorporate the butter right into the dough, they are a bit more brioche-like. They are easy to put together and not too labor-intensive. I just mixed up the dough in the afternoon and let it sit overnight in the fridge. Rolled them up and baked them the next morning.

Lemon-Filled Croissants
1 C whole milk
1/4 C sugar
4 room temperature eggs, lightly beaten
4 C bread flour
1 Tbsp active dry yeast
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 C butter, softened
1 1/2 C lemon curd or pie filling
powdered sugar or icing

Heat milk in the microwave until lukewarm. Pour milk into large bowl and add sugar. Add 1 cup of the flour and, using the paddle attachment of your mixer, mix until smooth. Add eggs and mix completely. Add in yeast and 1 cup flour until well combined. Add in the salt and 1 1/2 C flour. Mix until the dough comes together.

Sprinkle a little flour on a flat surface. Turn dough out. Knead for about 3 minutes incorporating a little bit of the final 1/2 C flour at a time until it is all mixed in. The dough should be on the sticky side and will likely stick to your hands a little. Just add a little flour to your hands as you knead.

Place the dough back into the bowl. Add 1/4 of the softened butter and mix it into the dough with your hands. Once it is completely incorporated into the dough, add another 1/4 of the butter. Repeat this process until all the butter is mixed in. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours and up to overnight. You should place a plate or some other weighted object over the top of the bowl if the dough is going to be in the fridge longer than 4 hours.

Next morning, lightly sprinkle counter with flour. Divide dough into two portions. Roll out each portion into a circle 15 inches in diameter. Cut the the dough into eight pieces. (I use a pizza cutter.) Add a heaping tablespoon of lemon curd or pie filling to the widest end of the triangle. Starting from the wide end, roll each piece up and curve the ends to form a crescent shape. Pinch the ends closed so the filling doesn't seep out. Place rolls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat the process with the other half of the dough. Cover rolls with plastic wrap and let rise for 45 minutes at room temperature.

Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F. for 15-18 minutes. After baking, remove rolls to a wire rack and let cool. When cool, sprinkle powdered sugar over the tops or drizzle with icing.