fast cinnamon buns

i've made rolls before but i've never made cinnamon rolls. these are considered fast because they contain no yeast so it cuts down on time with waiting for the dough to rise. it's not fast as in you just mix them up then through them in the oven. it takes about an hour to make these. i used sour cream instead of cottage cheese for the dough, and didn't add any pecans or cloves. i also added about 3 tbsp sour cream to the glaze because the glaze wasn't as thick as i wanted it to be.

For the dough:

3/4 cup cottage cheese

1/3 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 oz. (4 Tbs.) unsalted butter, melted

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

9 oz. (2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour; more for rolling

1 Tbs. baking powder

1/2 tsp. table salt

1/4 tsp. baking soda

For the filling:

3/4 oz. (1-1/2 Tbs.) unsalted butter, melted

2/3 cup packed light or dark brown sugar

1-1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground allspice

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

1 cup (4 oz.) chopped pecans

For the glaze:

2-1/2 oz. (scant 2/3 cup) confectioners' sugar

2 to 3 Tbs. cold whole or low-fat milk

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Heat the oven to 400°F. Grease the sides and bottom of a 9- or 10-inch springform pan with cooking spray.

Make the dough:

In a food processor, combine the cottage cheese, buttermilk, sugar, melted butter, and vanilla. Process until smooth, about 10 seconds. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda and pulse in short bursts just until the dough clumps together (don’t overprocess). The dough will be soft and moist.

Scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it with floured hands 4 or 5 times until smooth. With a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 12x15-inch rectangle.

Make the filling:

Brush the dough with the melted butter, leaving a 1/2-inch border unbuttered around the edges. In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves. Sprinkle the mixture over the buttered area of the dough and pat gently into the surface. Sprinkle the nuts over the sugar mixture.

Starting at a long edge, roll up the dough jelly-roll style. Pinch the seam to seal, and leave the ends open.

With a sharp knife, cut the roll into 12 equal pieces. Set the pieces, cut side up, in the prepared pan; they should fill the pan and touch slightly, but don’t worry if there are small gaps.

Bake until golden brown and firm to the touch, 20 to 28 minutes. Set the pan on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Run a spatula around the inside edge of the pan and remove the springform ring. Transfer the rolls to a serving plate.

Make the glaze:

In a small bowl, mix the confectioners’ sugar, 2 Tbs. milk, and vanilla to make a smooth glaze. It should have a thick but pourable consistency, so add up to 1 Tbs. more milk if necessary. Drizzle the glaze over the rolls. Let stand 15 minutes and s

watermelon rosewater cocktail

i had a watermelon gillian gave me from the farmer's market. at first i didn't know what to do with it, but i knew it needed to involve booze. when i cut the melon in half it was orange in color. at first i thought it needed to mature more, but it actually taste just fine. i took half of the melon and scooped out the meat, then pour vodka on it. that was for a boozy snack. i took the other half of the melon, scooped out the meat, threw in 1 tbsp of sugar, mashed it and then strained it. i added about 2 cups of vodka, a bunch of tbsps of rosewater to taste and it was ready to drank! melinda's description of the cocktail was that it taste fresh and old. fresh because it was made from a fresh watermelon and old cuz it smells like an old lady's perfume.

blueberry bread

there i go making berry breads again...

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 egg, beaten

1 2/3 cups milk

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preparation:

Grease and flour a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan; set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Make a well in the center and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine beaten egg, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract; add to the well in dry ingredients. Stir just until batter is moistened.

Fold in lemon peel, blueberries, and chopped pecans. Spoon into prepared loaf pan. Bake at 350° for 60 to 75 minutes, until a wooden toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center of the loaf. Cool blueberry bread in pan on a rack. For best flavor, wrap and store overnight.

pani popo

i have a bunch of cans of coconut milk and cream of coconut that i need to use in the next couple of months. i found this recipe and it was perfect because it's fast and simple. it's like having cinnamon rolls but with coconut milk instead. they didn't have good yeast rolls at my supermarket so i used 2 tubes of refrigerated rolls and they worked just fine. i guess that would make this recipe even easier because u don't have to wait for the rolls to rise. i do suggest you double up the amount of rolls this recipe calls for or half the amount of liquid because it would be way too much liquid otherwise.

1 (12 ounce) package frozen dinner rolls, thawed

1 (10 ounce) can coconut milk

3 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk

3/4 cup white sugar, or to taste

Directions

Coat a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Coat your hands with cooking spray or shortening, and roll the dough balls in your hands so that they have a light coating. Place in the prepared dish. Set aside in a warm place to rise until doubled, up to 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a small bowl, stir together the coconut milk, sweetened condensed milk and sugar. Pour this mixture over the top of the rolls as evenly as you can.

Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. Let cool for a few minutes before separating and serving.

romanian apple cake

we went impromtu apple picking a couple of nights ago. so now we have a bunch of apples. i made apple sauce for porkchops. (i wish i could make tostones but sadly i live in a platano free zone.) i also made this romanian apple cake. since the cake recipe lacks frosting, gillian suggested we make cream cheese frosting. it was prefect because the cake reminded me of a carrot cake made with apples or a chewy oatmeal cookie. it's so yummy.

5 apples, peeled and cored

3 eggs

1 1/2 cups white sugar

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan. Cut the apples into 1 inch wedges. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until blended. Mix in the baking soda, oil, cinnamon and vanilla. Stir in the flour, just until incorporated. Fold in the apples and walnuts.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool slightly. May be served warm or at room temperature.

peach cornmeal upside down cake

this recipe is from martha stewart. that bitch is gangsta. my favorite ingredient to use in almost anything is cornmeal. this recipe caught my eye because i don't particularly like pineapple upside down cake but i do like peaches. also this recipe has a secret ingredient of lavender. i used way less lavender than this recipe called for cuz i thought it might be too overwhelming. i only used 1/2 teaspoon of dried lavender. it definately left a nice little flavor that when you first taste it you're like what the fuck is that? like you can't put your finger on what that flavor is in a peach cornmeal upside down cake. i also used canned peaches because the peaches at the only supermarket in town looked rotten. all of them.

5 1/2 ounces (1 stick plus 3 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

3 medium ripe peaches (about 1 1/4 pounds), skins on, pitted, and cut into 3/4-inch wedges

1 cup coarse yellow cornmeal or polenta

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons chopped fresh lavender, or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried lavender

1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt

3 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat, using a pastry brush to coat sides with butter as it melts. Sprinkle 1/4 cup sugar evenly over bottom of skillet, and cook until sugar starts to bubble and turn golden brown, about 3 minutes. Arrange peaches in a circle at edge of skillet, on top of sugar. Arrange the remaining wedges in the center to fill. Reduce heat to low, and cook until juices are bubbling and peaches begin to soften, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat.

Whisk cornmeal, flour, baking powder, lavender, and salt in a medium bowl. Beat remaining stick of butter and 3/4 cup sugar with a mixer on high speed, until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl. Mix in vanilla and cream. Reduce speed to low, and beat in cornmeal mixture in 2 additions.

Drop large spoonfuls of batter over peaches, and spread evenly using an offset spatula. Bake until golden brown and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 22 minutes. Transfer skillet to a wire rack, and let stand for 10 minutes. Run a knife or spatula around edge of cake. Quickly invert cake onto a cutting board. Tap bottom of skillet to release peaches, and carefully remove skillet. Reposition peach slices on top of cake. Let cool slightly before serving.

mixed berry muffins

i've been on a muffin trip lately. i can't stop baking muffins! maybe next thing i bake won't be muffins. we'll see what happens. these are just blueberry and strawberry muffins. usually mixed berry muffins also include blackberries and raspberries also but i didn't have any. i think it taste just fine without them. also, these muffins were very fluffy.

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 large eggs

1 1/3 cups fresh berries (such as blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, huckleberries or sliced strawberries, or a combinati)

Directions:

1Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400°F. Lightly butter twelve 2 1/2-inch muffin cups or place paper muffin cups in the muffin tin. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt to combine and make a well in the center. In another medium bowl, whisk the milk, oil and eggs. Mix well and pour into the well. Stir just until blended. Fold in the berries. Spoon equal amounts of the batter into the muffin cups, filling them about three-fourths full. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Remove the muffins and serve warm or cool on a wire rack.

bacon cheese muffins

because who doesn't like bacon, cheese or muffins?

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

8 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

2 tablespoons sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning

1 egg

1 cup milk

1/4 cup vegetable oil

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the first eight ingredients. In a another bowl, beat the egg, milk and oil. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fill greased muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Serve warm. Refrigerate leftovers.

strawberry spice loaf

i've been wanting to bake this loaf for a while but everytime i made a loaf lately i've made the blueberry cornmeal loaf. beside people wanting to try that loaf cuz it wont the best of show, i also usually always have the ingredients in my house so that makes it much easier. the good thing about this strawberry loaf was that it was so moist and had a great flavor to it because of the cinnamon and nutmeg. it also stayed warm for pretty much the whole evening. i had to leave it to bake for about 20 minutes longer than the recipe suggests, but if u do decided to bake it, follow the time in the recipe and then add more minutes of baking time if needed. u don't want to burn it!

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup white sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup and 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 eggs, beaten

1 (10 ounce) package frozen strawberries, thawed

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and baking soda. In a separate bowl, combine oil and eggs. Add strawberries (juice and all) to oil/egg mixture. Mix thoroughly. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the strawberry mixture. Mix until thoroughly combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake in preheated oven for one hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a loaf comes out clean. Cool slightly before removing from pans.