Here it is...Best ever cinnamon rolls

Several of you, seeing pictures of celebratory cinnamon rolls or reading about such rolls on the blog, have asked for this recipe. The page that the recipe is on fell out of the cookbook years ago. It is now taped to the inside of my kitchen cabinet for easy reference. It is one of those recipes that has oil and cinnamon stains from frequent use. I wish I could give credit to the author of the long lost cookbook. Alas, all I can tell you is that it was a bread, roll and muffin cookbook I bought long ago. I don't even have the rest of the cookbook anymore, but this recipe has survived. For good reason.

Best-Ever Cinnamon Rolls
4 1/2 to 5 cups all purpose flour
1 package (or 1 tablespoon) active dry yeast
1 cup milk
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
3 eggs

For filling:
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
1 tablespoon light cream or half and half

In a mixing bowl stir together 2 1/4 cups of the flour and the yeast. In a saucepan, heat and stir milk, 1/3 cup butter, 1/3 cup granulated sugar and salt til just warm. Add to flour mixture. Add eggs. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping the sides of the bowl. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can.

On a lightly floured board or counter, knead in enough of the remaining dough to make a moderately soft dough that is smooth and elastic. Shape the dough into a ball. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease surface of the dough. Cover and let rise in a warm place til double, about an hour. Meanwhile, for filling combine brown sugar, the 1/4 cup flour, and cinnamon. Cut in 1/2 cup butter till crumbly and set aside.

Punch dough down on a lightly floured surface. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes (I don't do this). Roll the dough into a 12 inch square. Sprinkle filling over dough, top with raisins and nuts if you wish. Roll up jelly roll style. Slice roll into eight one inch pieces. (Sometimes I roll it into a bigger rectangle and cut each roll a bit smaller). Arrange dough rolls cut side up in a greased 12 inch deep dish pizza pan. (I usually make the thinner bigger rectangle and cut out more rolls and place them right next to each other in a greased 9 x 13 glass baking pan). Cover with oiled waxed paper, then plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 to 24 hours.

When ready to bake, take out of fridge and let stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Brush dough with half and half or light cream (I don't usually do this). Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes or till golden brown (if the rolls are thinner, it could be a little less time). Remove rolls from oven. Brush again with half and half (I don't do this either).

Drizzle with vanilla icing made from a little milk and some powdered sugar and a little vanilla flavoring. Eat warm. Mind you, these cinnamon rolls are not health food but they are very, very delicious and will bring a smile to your face when you smell them baking. My sons will attest to this fact!

Tilapia two - no three - ways

Here, for Kathie, are my tilapia ideas. Enjoy!

Pesto Tilapia
My favorite way to prepare tilapia is with pesto. This is sooo very easy if you have plenty of fresh basil around - which I always do in the summer. Not sure I could go through the summer without plenty in my garden.

First you have to make pesto. I don't have my recipe written down anywhere. I've made it so many times, I just do it by feel. Basil, garlic, olive oil, parmesan cheese in the food processor. You can jazz it up with pine nuts or walnuts but I usually do it without nuts. Whiz it around and you've got the most wonderful, green, delicious substance the summer has to offer. Anyway, if you need a recipe, here's one you can use. It's close to what I do. Just remember, the pine nuts are not absolutely necessary.

Once you've made your pesto, simply spray a 9 x 13 inch glass baking dish with cooking spray or coat with a little olive oil, lay the tilapia filets in it and spread pesto generously over the fish. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes. That's it.

Tilapia in Coconut Milk
This second way of preparing tilapia is equally as easy and just about as delicious. I got this recipe idea from my friend, Lori, and I claim no credit for coming up with this delicious way to prepare tilapia.

Once again, spread your tilapia filets in a 9 x 13 inch pan (no greasing the pan necessary on this one). Pour a whole can of coconut milk over the tilapia. Add a few thinly sliced pieces of fresh ginger, a sprinkling of fresh cilantro, and salt and pepper to taste. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes. And then enjoy!

We like both of these tilapia dishes served over rice with the pan juices drizzled over the rice. Oh, so good.

Both are good with a simple green salad or an Asian style slaw with thinly sliced napa cabbage and red, yellow and green sweet pepper strips with a dressing of a little vinegar, a tad of sugar, and a few dashes of hot chili sesame oil (if you don't like it so spicy, use regular sesame oil). Toss it all together, sprinkle a few cashews on top and refrigerate til ready to serve.

One more tilapia idea
I have written before about how much I love Lynne Rosetto Casper and her radio cooking show. I now receive her email newsletter and every time I read it, I want to try her recipes. The last newsletter included an idea for a very simple way to prepare fish. I think I'll try it next time I do tilapia. Here's a link to her current newsletter with Sicilian Sweet-Sour Seafood Saute.

OK, it's time for dinner. Nothing nearly as exciting at our house as the tilapia dishes above tonight. Just good old mac and cheese made my mom's way which is the best. With three bean salad and fruit salad and fresh bread. Joel's been asking for mac and cheese for awhile. Happy to oblige, sweet boy.

More on homemade pasta

Well, what d'ya know! Someone else is talking about homemade pasta. I just came across this post at Simple, Green, Frugal Co-op. I don't have a pasta machine so I usually cut my noodles in long strips with a pizza cutter. I'm planning to make lasagna sometime this week with homemade noodles. That'll be a first.

Really, making noodles is so very easy. I don't know why I didn't do it before now. Especially since YEARS ago the wife of one of Coty's economics collegues told me that she always made her noodles and that it was easy as could be and the noodles very delicious and nothing like store-bought. But back then I had lots of little people - you know, toddlers and babies - around all the time and I guess the thought of making homemade noodles was overwhelming. But now, it's very relaxing and we do love them. Frances B., you were right. I'm a late comer to the noodle party, but I'm here to stay.

I can't wait to try freezing them as the post above suggests. It would be so easy to double or triple the recipe and freeze a portion. Love that idea.

My new favorite meal

I love this meal. I make it once a week. It is always different and always good. It is simple, delicious, nutritious, and just a bit special so it's also good for company. The meal includes homemade noodles tossed with a mix of sauteed onions, peppers, tomatoes, herbs, and some kind of bean and topped with freshly grated parmesan cheese. Add a salad on the side and some of that good homemade bread and it's a very satisfying meal.

I thank my favorite radio cooking show host, Lynne Rosetto Kasper, once again, for a wonderful meal idea, which I, of course, tweaked. My noodle recipe comes from recipezaar. I usually double it.

Last night's noodles were half whole wheat, half white. Next time I'm going for more whole wheat.

Last night's saute included red, yellow, and green peppers, onion, fresh parsley, basil, diced tomatos and fava beans. Very delicious. I make this saute while the noodles cook, drain the noodles and then toss it all together and serve in my big white pasta bowl.

I've done it with chick peas, kidney beans, white beans and variations on the colored pepper theme. I've added garlic, oregano, basil, and parsley. I've used fresh and canned tomatoes. I've added olives, both green and black. It is always delicious. The freshly grated parmesan is so good on top - as Lynne says, it's not the same thing as that dry stuff that comes in the green plastic bottle. Sure isn't. So, if you make this meal, go for the fresh parmesan.

By the way, sherbert, grapes and other fresh fruits, or a plate of assorted dried fruits make a nice dessert to this simple meal.

Enjoy!

How I make bread...a little photo tutorial

The other day, Kandyce asked me for my bread recipe. I have this problem when it comes to recipes. I don't use them too much anymore. When I've done something over and over again, like baking bread, I've modified the technique, adjusted the ingredients, and just done it so many times that the recipe becomes second nature. On top of that, the "recipe" is different almost every time, depending on what I'm feeling like eating, what I have on hand, and what the occasion calls for.

But I would like to help those who want to make some of the things they've enjoyed at my house. So here, dear K, is a little bread tutorial with an approximation of a recipe to get you started. I did measure while I was mixing this time so these amounts are pretty accurate.

Into the bowl of my favorite machine in the whole world, the trusty Magic Mill Mixer, I put:


2 tablespoons yeast (I buy it in bulk at BJ's)
5 cups warm water (not too hot or it'll kill the yeast - just warm to touch)
1 tablespoon salt (I usually measure it in the palm of my hand. For this recipe I poured the salt into the palm of my hand and then measured what was there. It was very close to a tablespoon. Nice to know)
1/2 cup oil (usually canola, sometimes olive)
1/4 cup honey 1/4 cup brown sugar (a note on sweeteners, the yeast needs a little something. Sometimes I use molasses, sometimes honey, sometimes more, sometimes less, depending on what I want - a sweet bread like cinnamon raisin bread or something less sweet like rosemary bread)


Into this liquid mix, I add the flour and the Magic Mill does the kneading. The amount of flour depends on whether you are using white, whole wheat or a mix. For the bread above, I used 5 cups of white flour and 5 cups of whole wheat.

After the kneading is done, pour a little oil in the bowl of the mixer and turn the dough to oil it. You can see the oily shine on the dough here. This just keeps it moist and keeps it from sticking to the bowl as it rises. And, see, I really was writing things down while I did it.

Cover and let rise in a warmish place...

Here's the risen dough - it takes close to an hour to double in size.

And here it is, punched down and ready to be turned out onto the floured counter, kneaded a tiny bit more, divided and shaped into loaves. This batch made 5 medium sized loaves. Just the perfect size for slicing with dinner. I often make my loaves a little larger, but I wanted extra to give away so I had more, but smaller, loaves.

Lovely, elastic dough, full of yeasty air bubbles, ready to be kneaded and shaped.

Set the loaves to rise - this usually takes about a half hour for mine - and then bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes.

Sorry, I didn't take pictures of the finished loaves, but they were lovely, golden brown, and delicious....and at least one loaf was quickly devoured.

Now it's your turn. If you want more info on the Magic Mill, take a look here. This is the company that I ordered my mixer from years ago and I have never regretted the large initial expense. The machine has probably paid for itself several times over in what I have saved on really good bread. I've seen Kitchen Aid mixers and I'm sure they are fine, but I think the Magic Mill is a better, simpler, more elegant design, easier to use, easier to clean, larger, etc., etc., etc. No, I don't get a commission. I just love this machine.

My next bread making venture is to learn how to make sprouted grain breads. Any tips?

Back yard salad

We've been eating salads from the garden. Lettuce and spinach that sat in the ground just holding on all winter have grown big and lush with a bit of warmth and spring rain. There is nothing like picking your dinner salad from the back yard.

"The return of comfort"

How to announce the return of comfort and well-being except by cooking something fragrant. This is what her mother always did. After every calamity of any signficance she would fill the atmosphere of the house with the smell of cinnamon rolls or brownies, or with chicken and dumplings, and it would mean, This house has a soul that loves us all, no matter what. It would mean peace if they had fought and amnesty if they had been in trouble. It had meant, You can come down to dinner now, and no one will say a thing to bother you, unless you have forgotten to wash your hands. And her father would offer the grace, inevitable with minor variations, thanking the Lord for all the wonderful faces he saw around his table.
-from Home by Marilynne Robinson

No calamity has befallen us, but I've been in a funk for a couple of days. Today though, the soul of this house said, I love you all and I am very glad you are here.

It said it with fresh, hot, homemade cinnamon rolls in the morning. It said it in the evening with black beans and rice, okra gumbo, corn salsa, roasted butternut squash with rosemary, homemade bread, and berry cobbler. Such fragrances. There is also a chicken simmering in the pot for soup for tomorrow. Noodles will be rolled out and cut for the soup and the house will say, More love to you.

When I spend a day in the kitchen...

feeling pliant dough resist and spread under the rolling pin,
cutting pinwheels of brown sugar and cinnamon filled dough,
chopping onions and peppers to saute and add to,
boiling bright purple-black beans,
measuring spices in the palm of my hand,
brushing olive oil on thick orange squash slices,
snipping cilantro, bay leaves, and rosemary from the garden...

When I spend a day doing these things, I think my family knows that I am "back", so to speak. Earlier this morning, the boys were recalling some other bad mood episodes of mine. They affirmed the truth of the saying, "When Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy."

Ouch!

Oh dear, I don't want them to remember that. I want them to remember cinnamon rolls and rosemary, bubbling beans and hot bread and think, "My mother loves me so much."

I often say, when complimented on my food, "Well, I can cook."

It's what I do to establish equilibrium, to bless, to bring a measure of comfort, to give tangible expression to the soul of this house, the love of this family, my love. There are many things I can't do. Many things I don't do. But I can cook.

And I will always thank the Lord for the wonderful faces that assemble around my table. Even when we argue or get on each other's nerves, say unkind things or act rudely, when we disagree or misunderstand, when we are grouchy or sarcastic. Because no matter what, we love each other. I don't think any of my children would ever stay away from the table. They know "you can [always] come down to dinner now."

And then, we say grace because we experience grace. In our brokenness. In our funks. At our table. Every day.

______________________
also posted at Ebenezer Stories