Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

Cinnamon rolls are part of the weekend breakfast rotation at my house.  They're the perfect sweet treat for a lazy morning spent lying around the house. Here's a recipe that can be made the night before to sit in the fridge overnight.  Even the icing can be made the night before and just reheated in the microwave the next morning.  This way, however late you decide to wake up, you can just pop them into the oven and await the warm, gooey bliss.

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients:

• 1 cup milk
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 eggs
•  
• For the filling:
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup raisins
•  
• For the glaze:
• 1 teaspoon light corn syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoons half-and-half cream

Directions:

* Heat the milk in a small saucepan until it bubbles, then remove from heat. Add the butter and stir until melted; let cool until lukewarm.


* In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in the milk mixture. Add the sugar, 3 cups of flour, salt and eggs; stir well to combine. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and supple, about 8 minutes.


* Lightly oil a large mixing bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.


* Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a 10x 14 inch rectangle. Lightly brush the far edge with water. In a small bowl combine the cinnamon and 3/4 cup brown sugar and sprinkle over the rectangles. Then sprinkle the raisins and chopped nuts over the dough. Roll up the dough into a log and seal the seam.


* Cut the dough into 12 equal pieces; place the pieces in a greased 9x13 inch baking pan, or 12 inch deep dish pizza pan. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to rise overnight.


* The next morning, preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Take the rolls out of the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.


*Bake the rolls for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden. Meanwhile, combine the corn syrup with the vanilla in a small bowl. Whisk in the powdered sugar and enough cream to make a thick glaze; set aside. Drizzle the glaze over the rolls 
and serve warm.


(Recipe from Allrecipes.com)

Holiday Treat Gifts

There are always people that you want to send holiday wishes to during this season but don't want to spend a fortune on gifts.  Cards are nice for all of the families, couples, and distant friends.  Food gifts, though, are perfect for those you see frequently and should get something a little more substantial from you.  When you spend your time and energy creating something enjoyable for them, they will be very appreciative of the gesture, not to mention the amazing eats!

This Christmas I decided to make some festive red velvet cupcakes for the first time.  I adorned them with little holiday toppers, boxed them up, and trimmed them with some festive baker's twine.  Off they went to all of those on our list that needed a little holiday cheer...And they got great reviews!  I would definitely recommend this recipe.  Keep it in mind since Valentine's Day is coming up quickly.

Ingredients:

For cupcakes:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

¾ cup granulated sugar

1 egg

2½ tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

3 tablespoons red food coloring

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup buttermilk

1 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking soda

1½ teaspoons distilled white vinegar

For frosting:
4 ounces butter, at room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2½ cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions:

* Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a standard muffin/cupcake pan with liners.

* On medium-high speed, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to high and add the egg. Scrape down the bowl and beat until well incorporated.

* In a separate small bowl, mix together the cocoa powder, vanilla extract and red food coloring to make a thick paste. Add to the batter and mix on medium speed until completely combined. You may need to stop the mixer to scrape the bottom of the bowl, making sure that all the batter gets color.

* Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add half of the buttermilk. Add half of the flour and mix until combined. Scrape the bowl and repeat the process with the remaining milk and flour. Beat on high until smooth.

* Again, reduce the mixer speed to low and add the salt, baking soda and vinegar. Turn to high and beat for another couple of minutes until completely combined and smooth.

* Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners and bake for about 20 minutes, or until a thin knife or skewer inserted into the center of the largest cupcake comes out clean.

* Next, make the frosting. Using the whisk or beater attachment for your mixer, whip the butter and cream cheese on high speed for about 5 minutes, scraping the bowl down as necessary. Reduce the speed to low and slowly add the powdered sugar until all is incorporated. Add the vanilla and mix to combine. Increase the speed to medium high and whip for a few minutes until the frosting is light and fluffy, scraping the bowl as necessary.

* Cool for 10 minutes and then remove cupcakes from the pan and place them on a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.

(Recipe from the Brown Eyed Baker)