Bread Machine Cinnamon Rolls

These are very tasty and even came out great when I made a slight mistake (will explain in the directions below).  I love that you can start them the night before, let them slow rise in the fridge overnight, then pop in the oven and bake in the morning!  And of course, the bread machine doing all the mixing work helps quite a bit as well :)  The recipe is similar to one that I did before and has me wondering if that one would work with overnight rise instead of countertop.  I used the same icing recipe as in that entry.

Original recipe here:
http://happyhooligans.ca/bread-machine-cinnamon-rolls/

Ingredients:

--dough--
1 c. milk, heated 1 minute in microwave
1/4 c. water at 110°F
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 c. butter, room temperature
2 eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. sugar
5 c. bread flour
1 T. bread machine yeast

--filling--

1 c. brown sugar
5 T. cinnamon
1/2 c. butter, softened/easily spreadable

icing (used basic drizzle icing recipe as mentioned above)

Instructions:

1. Add all the dough ingredients to bread machine hopper according to order indicated in your bread machine manual.

2. Select 'dough' setting and run cycle.

3. When dough cycle finishes, spray work surface with non-stick cooking spray.  Shape dough into an oval and cover with plastic wrap.  Let rest 10 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, butter a 9" x 13" glass baking dish and set aside.

5. Remove plastic wrap from dough and roll out to form a 15" x 24" rectangle (no, I did not get mine perfectly shaped like this, but I came close, which seemed good enough).

6. Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.  (Unlike me, do NOT mix the butter with these!  It makes the next step far more work and very messy hands.)

7. Spread the butter over the dough, then sprinkle the brown sugar-cinnamon mixture evenly over the butter.

8. Starting with the long edge closest to you, roll up the dough gently (not too tightly--the centers will pop up during baking if you do so).  Close seam by pinching dough together (it sort of stays, but don't worry if it isn't perfect).

9. Mark roll in 1 1/2" increments with a knife.

10.  Using unflavored dental floss (although I suppose cinnamon would be fine), slide the floss under the roll and wrap around where the first knife mark is.  Pull the ends to cross each other and use floss to 'slice' through dough by continuing to close the circle made by the floss.  (This is done instead of cutting to prevent 'squishing' the dough.)  Repeat until all dough roll is sliced.

11.  Place the sliced rolls into the prepared baking dish.  Leave space between the rolls for expansion as they rise and bake.

12.  Cover dish with plastic wrap and place in fridge overnight.

13. When you are ready to bake, heat oven to 350°F.  Original recipe indicated to bake for 20-25 minutes; mine were not nearly done enough at 25 minutes (first picture)--ended up going more like 45 minutes.

14. Top with desired frosting and enjoy!  (As mentioned at beginning of entry, I made a simple drizzle frosting that can be found in the link.)

Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes with Pancetta

Three cheeses, cream, potatoes.  And pancetta??  And a great spice combo??  Oh yes, I was sold as soon as I read it, I knew I had to make it right away.  So. very. yummy.  Everyone raved about this, it is absolutely a keeper and worthy of special occasions/holiday meals.  If you can, I suggest having a helper for the whisking and adding ingredients parts (thank you to my wonderful 4 1/2 year old for being my sous-chef, as usual :))

Original recipe:
http://www.cookingandbeer.com/2014/11/cheesy-scalloped-potatoes-with-pancetta/

The amounts I used below are halved from the original, as I did not need a 9" x 13" pan full of potatoes.

Ingredients:

--for the sauce--
2 T. unsalted butter
2 T. all-purpose flour
1 1/4 c. heavy cream
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1/8 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
salt and pepper, to taste
2 oz. sharp white cheddar, grated
2 oz. Gruyère, grated
1 oz. Monterey Jack, grated  (I used food processor to grate all three together at a time)

--for the potatoes--
1 1/2 lbs. russet or yukon gold potatoes, sliced in rounds (I used yukons)
4 oz. sharp white cheddar, grated
2 oz. Gruyère, grated
4 oz. Monterey Jack, grated
1 T. unsalted butter, melted
1/4 c. panko
2 T. Italian-style bread crumbs
pepper, to taste
2 oz. pancetta, diced and cooked until just starting to crisp
parsley, fresh or dried, as garnish (I used dried)

Instructions:

1. For the sauce: in a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.  Whisk in flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 3-4 minutes.

2. Whisk in heavy cream, garlic powder, poultry seasoning, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper.  Bring mixture to simmer over medium heat, allowing to thicken as you continue to whisk, cooking for about 5 minutes.

3. Reduce heat to low.  Add shredded cheeses a very small amount at a time (around 2-3 T.) and whisk in until melted and combined after each addition.  Once all cheeses are in, leave sauce in pan over lowest heat while preparing the potatoes.

4. Heat oven to 375°F and spray an 8" x 8" glass baking dish with non-stick spray.  Set aside.

5. Place potatoes in a large pot and add water until they are just covered.  Season with salt and heat over high heat.

6. Bring potatoes to boil, then cook for 5-6 minutes or until just tender, not mushy.  Drain and set aside.

7. If you have not already done so by grating together, combine cheeses in a bowl and set aside.

8. In the prepared baking dish, use around 1/3 of the potatoes to make a layer on the bottom of the dish.  Pour 1/3 of sauce over the layer of potatoes and spread evenly.  Sprinkle with 1/3 of the grated cheeses.  Repeat layers two more times.

9. In a small bowl, combine melted butter, panko, and bread crumbs.  Sprinkle mixture over top of layers.

10. Sprinkle with black pepper, then place in oven.  Bake for 30-35 minutes or until bubbly and top is brown (I went 35).  Remove from oven and let stand for 2-3 minutes.

11. Top with pancetta and parsley.  Serve with desired main dish and enjoy!!

Filet Mignon with Mushroom Brandy Sauce

Yes, it's yet another recipe for filet mignon--can't help it!  Though this is very good, the side dish I paired with it (3 cheese potatoes with pancetta, will post tomorrow) might have dominated a bit much for me to know how good this is on its own.  I would make it again for sure, though :)

Original recipe link:
http://www.spachethespatula.com/a-valentines-feast-part-1-filet-mignon-with-mushroom-brandy-sauce-and-mashed-potatoes-with-pancetta-and-leeks/

The original was for just 2 people, so the amounts listed below are what I used for 3 people.

Ingredients:

3 T. unsalted butter, divided
1/4 c. minced shallots
4 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced (I think I could have used more, too)
1/2 T. dark brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 c. low-sodium chicken broth (I used about half stock, half broth, since I had some leftover)
3/4 c. low-sodium beef stock
3/4 c. brandy
3/8 c. (6 T.) heavy cream
3 filets mignons
kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. Melt 1 1/2 T. of the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add shallots and mushrooms.  Cook until tender, about 4 minutes.

2. Add brown sugar and cook for 1 minute, stirring.

3. Add chicken broth, beef stock, and brandy.  Bring to simmer and keep simmering until sauce is reduced to approximately 3/4 cup, around 30 minutes.

 (yes, I had to transfer it to a different pan, as I ended up needing the other one for my side dish)

4. Add cream and stir.  Remove from heat and set aside.

5. Melt remaining butter in large skillet over medium to medium-high heat.  Salt and pepper steaks to taste, then add to pan.  Cook steaks to preferred doneness, then transfer to plate.

6. Pour brandy sauce into the skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring and scraping up browned bits, for about 2 minutes.

7. Add steaks back to pan, along with any accumulated juices, and cook one additional minute.  (There are only two in here because I had already finished cooking mine when I remembered to take the picture lol.)

8. Serve steaks with sauce and desired side(s).  Enjoy!

No-egg Chocolate Mousse Pie

Happy day after pi day!  As I mentioned in yesterday's entry, I was making a pie for pi day, but it was not ready until later on in the day, so the post had to wait until today.  This pie is rich and delicious, not too difficult (despite being rated "challenging" on the skill level on the site), would be happy to make again, especially to share with any chocolate lover.  The original recipe finishes with a drizzle of chocolate over the top; I assure you, this is unnecessary, it is plenty decadent already.  Enjoy!

Original recipe:
https://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/29755/chocolate-lovers-chocolate-mousse-pie

Ingredients:

1 c. graham cracker crumbs
1/3 c. baking cocoa
1/4 c. sugar
1/3 c. butter, melted
2 1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
2 c. heavy whipping cream, divided
2 tsp. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F.

2. In a 9" pie plate (I used 9 1/2", worked fine), combine graham cracker crumbs, baking cocoa, and sugar.

3. Stir in melted butter until moistened, then press to spread over bottom and up sides of pie plate.

4. Bake for 8-10 minutes (I went 9).

5. After removing from oven, immediately sprinkle 1/2 c. of the chocolate chips over the bottom of the hot crust.  Let stand for 10 minutes, then spread chocolate over bottom and up side of crust (oops, I forgot to go up the sides--still good!).  Cool to room temperature.

6. Place a mixing bowl and beaters in fridge to chill while crust cools.

7. When crust is nearly cooled, place remaining 2 c. of chocolate chips and 3/4 c. of the whipping cream in a large microwave-safe bowl.  Microwave on high/100% power for 1 minute, then stir.  If not able to smooth mixture with stirring, microwave at additional 10-15 second intervals until stirring yields mostly smooth/melted mixture (some small bits of chocolate may remain, which is fine).

8. In chilled bowl, beat remaining cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until soft peaks form.

9. Fold 2 c. of the whipped cream into chocolate mixture.

10. Spoon chocolate mixture into crust and garnish with remaining whipped cream.

11. Refrigerate until firm, then slice up and enjoy!

Crisco Pie Crust

Happy pi day!  Yes, I'm making a pie today, too, but it won't be ready to blog until tomorrow, so you'll just have to wait :P  In the meantime, I was also craving something I only treat myself to every once in a great while: pie crust with cinnamon and sugar.  Yes, just the crust, topped with these, and a glass of milk (trust me, it's a requirement) mmmmmmmmmm!
Anyhow, my mom always made pie crust using Crisco shortening, but she didn't need a recipe.  I've done it that way, too, but my results aren't nearly as consistent, so I opted to try out Crisco's website version.  Very glad I did--it is nearly the same!  (Yeah, hers is better, must be the 'mom's love' ingredient missing :))
I followed this nearly exactly (apart from the name brand flour) for the 'double crust' version:
http://www.crisco.com/recipes/flaky-pie-crust-3589

Ingredients:

2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt.
2/3 c. Butter flavored Crisco shortening, chilled in freezer for 20-30 minutes
ice water (I did not measure, this amount varies)

Instructions:

1. Combine flour and salt in a medium bowl.  Cut in shortening using 2 knives or a pastry blender until texture resembles coarse crumbs.

2. Sprinkle about a tablespoon or so of the water over dough and mix in with a fork gently.  Repeat until dough begins to stick together and can be formed into a ball that doesn't crack, yet should not be sticky/wet.

3. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and place in fridge for 30 minutes.  If you will be baking the crust, turn on oven to 375°F after removing from fridge.

4. On lightly floured surface, roll out dough to about 1/8" thick.  If using for a pie, follow directions in pie recipe; if you want to have just the crust, cut it up into pieces and place on a baking sheet.

5. Sprinkle with desired amount of cinnamon, followed by sugar.

6. Bake at 375°F for 15 minutes, or until just starting to lift/brown at very edges.  Remove and cool on cooling rack.

7. Enjoy with a big glass of milk!

Ultimate Chocolate Chocolate Chip Coookies

Craving chocolate?  Stop what you are doing and make these right now.  You will not be sorry; they are amazingly delicious and easy!

Original recipe here:
https://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/105058/ultimate-chocolate-chocolate-chip-cookies/?recipeFoodType=cookies

Ingredients:

4 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
2 2/3 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 c. unsalted butter, softened
1 c. packed light brown sugar
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 large eggs

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 375°F.

2. In a small, heavy-bottom saucepan over low heat, melt 2 cups of the chocolate chips.  Stir until smooth, then remove from heat and set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.

4. Beat butter, both sugars, and vanilla in large bowl with mixer.

5. Beat in eggs, one at a time.

6. Add melted chocolate and mix in until well combined.

7. Gradually add and mix in flour mixture.

8. Add chocolate chips and stir in by hand.

9. Scoop dough into rounded tablespoon sized balls (I used cookie scoop) and drop onto baking sheets.  Bake for 8-9 minutes (I went 9).

10 . Let cookies cool on sheet for 1 minute before transferring to cooling rack.  Grab a glass of milk and try not to eat the whole batch ;)

Nutty Stir Fried Rice

As I posted yesterday, this is the dish that I chose to accompany the Thai Coconut Milk Beef Stir-Fry; it's really delicious on its own, and even more so with the beef dish (or likely many other dishes).  I adapted it from a book called Wok & Fabulous Fast Food with Asian Flavors: Stir Fry by L. Doeser.  This makes quite a bit of rice; it may be a good idea to cut the recipe in half if only serving 2 or 3 people.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. basmati or long-grain rice
3 T. sunflower or canola oil (I used canola), divided
1 small onion or shallot, minced (I used shallot)
1/2 c. hazelnuts, chopped in food processor (*note to self: process these first next time, then add others and process together)
1/2 c. pecans, chopped in food processor
1/2 c. almonds, chopped in food processor (I used sliced almonds that I had on hand, worked fine)
salt and coarse ground pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. Rinse the rice.  In a large saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, add 3 1/2 c. water and bring to a boil.  Add rice, cover, and reduce heat to medium-low (or low enough that it will not boil lid off of pot).  Cook for 10-12 minutes, until water appears to be gone.

2. Drain rice in a colander, then rinse off with cold water.  Shake to drain as much water as possible.

3. Heat a wok (or large skillet) over medium-high heat and add 1 1/2 T. of the oil.  Add rice to wok--watch for popping from any remaining water trapped in rice!--and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes.  Transfer to a medium/large bowl and set aside.

4. Add remaining oil to wok, along with onion/shallot.  Stir-fry for 2 minutes, or until softened.

5. Add all the nuts and stir-fry for 2 additional minutes.

6. Return rice to wok and stir fry for 3 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper and enjoy!