Cinnamon Roll Contest

A food and lifestyle writer's work is never done.  Here is some of the tough research in which I've been involved:

Seeking great chopped barbecued brisket sandwiches all over the country --

Taking notes on crafting signature ice creams from Christopher Elbow of Glace in Kansas City--

Sampling a perfect eclair at Dominique Ansel Bakery in New York City---

My latest project has involved cinnamon rolls. Lots and lots and lots of cinnamon rolls.  

Click here to read more about this book. 

And it's definitely fun.  

I send out a virtual #MondayMorningCinnamonRoll--no calories, no guilt--to my followers on Twitter. If you'd like to receive this treat on a Monday morning, click on the Twitter link, be my pal, and enjoy a sweet treat to start the week.

#MondayMorningCinnamonRoll Contest

Okay, cinnamon rolls are already so much fun. But wouldn't a contest add even more spice?  

To win a specially inscribed copy of I Love Cinnamon Rolls and a special cinnamon roll recipe created just for you or someone you love, tell me the best cinnamon roll you ever had/made/bought until December 1, 2012.  Describe it, romance it, detail it, love it in the Comments below. Send me a link to your favorite cinnamon roll recipe, and I"ll include it in this blog and on Twitter.

National Cinnamon Roll Day is October 4, but isn't every day a cinnamon roll day??

I thought you'd agree, so let's share the love.

And here's a taste of a great wake-up cinnamon roll with the complementary flavor of fresh orange. Rise and shine!

Orange Cinnamon Rolls with Sweet Orange Drizzle

You’ll need about 3 medium oranges for this recipe, for the zest and juice in the filling and glaze. These rolls smell so fabulous, you’ll be tempted to gobble them up before they’ve cooled.

Makes 18

Pan Sauce:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 recipe Traditional Cinnamon Roll Dough (below)

Spiced Orange Filling:

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened

2 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest

2/3 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Sweet Orange Drizzle

1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar

1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest

1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1. For the pan sauce, butter two 9- inch square baking pans and set aside.

2. For the filling, combine the butter and orange zest in a small bowl. Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a separate bowl. 

3. Transfer the dough to a floured surface. Cut the dough in half. Roll each half out to an 8 by 12-inch rectangle. Spread half the butter over the dough and sprinkle with half the spice mixture. 

Roll up the dough and form into a 12-inch long tight cylinder.  Cut each cylinder into 9 slices. Arrange the slices, spiral side up, in a prepared pan.  Cover the pans with a tea towel and place in a warm place to rise until almost doubled in bulk, about 45 to 60 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

5. Bake for 25 to 27 minutes, or until lightly browned.

6. For the drizzle, whisk the confectioners’ sugar, orange zest and orange juice together in a small bowl. Drizzle over the warm rolls.

Traditional Cinnamon Roll Dough

This classic dough makes a cinnamon roll with a sweet flavor and a feathery crumb. Instead of using a stand mixer, you can also make this dough by hand.

Makes 6 jumbo, 12 large, 16 to 20 medium, or 48 mini cinnamon rolls

1 cup whole milk

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs

3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading

2 1/2 teaspoons instant or bread machine yeast

1. In a 4-cup measuring cup, combine the milk, butter, sugar, and salt.  Microwave on High for 1 minute or until warm.  Whisk in the eggs.

2. In a bowl, whisk the flour (I'm using Hudson Cream Flour) and yeast with a Danish dough whisk (one of my favorite kitchen utensils). Add the liquid ingredients. Mix until the dough forms a soft mass and starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl.

3. Transfer the dough to a floured surface. Sprinkle with a tablespoon of flour, if necessary, to keep the dough from sticking. Press the dough into an oval. Knead with your knuckles or the heel of your hand. Fold the top down to create half an oval. Turn the dough a quarter turn.  Add a little flour as necessary. Press into an oval, knead, fold in half, turn. Keep doing this until the dough is smooth, not sticky, and springs back when you press it with your finger. 

Place the dough in a large, oiled mixing bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place at room temperature until almost doubled, about for 45 to 60 minutes.

4.  Then, proceed with a cinnamon roll recipe.

Have Your Cake and Cinnamon Roll, Too!

I’m one of those people who loves when I can do two things at once.

Wait at a traffic light and make out the grocery list.

Test a recipe and consider that dinner.

Have my cake and a cinnamon roll, too, but all in one bite.

With a whole wheat dough and a carrot and raisin filling—plus pineapple cream cheese frosting—these Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls with Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting  have all the flavor and goodness of carrot cake. 

Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls with Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting 

If you like, you can bake and freeze unfrosted rolls for up to 3 months, then let them come to room temperature and frost them before serving.  But who can wait that long????

For more great cinnamon roll recipes, check out I Love Cinnamon Rolls
at bookstores, gourmet shops, and amazon.

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Roll Dough

The addition of whole wheat flour gives these rolls a slight more textured, nutty flavor. Let the dough sit for 30 minutes after mixing, as the whole wheat flour takes longer to absorb liquids. Vital wheat gluten or whole grain dough improver can be found in the baking section of better grocery stores (Bob’s Red Mill) or King Arthur Flour online .

Makes 6 jumbo, 12 large, 16 to 20 medium, or 46 mini-cinnamon rolls

3/4 cup whole milk

¼ cup honey or agave nectar

¼ cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs, beaten

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading

2 teaspoons vital wheat gluten or whole grain dough improver

2 1/2 teaspoons instant or bread machine yeast

1. In a 4-cup measuring cup, combine the water, honey, vegetable oil, and salt. 

Microwave on High  for 1 minute or until warm. Whisk in the eggs.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment , place the flours and yeast. 

Add the liquid ingredients. Mix on low speed, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl from time to time, until the dough forms a soft ball and starts pulling away from the sides of the bowl, about 5 to 6 minutes. (Let the dough rest for 30 minutes at this point, if you like.)

3. Remove the paddle attachment and switch to the dough hook. 

With the mixer on low, start kneading the dough with the dough hook.  Sprinkle with a tablespoon of flour, every  minute or so, to keep the dough from sticking to the sides of the bowl. When the dough is smooth, not sticky, and springs back when you press it with your finger, you’ve kneaded enough (about 3 to 5 minutes). You might need to scoop it out from the bowl and add a little flour to sticky places. Form the dough into a ball.

Place the dough in a large, oiled mixing bowl, 

cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place at room temperature (about 70 to 75 °F) for 45 to 60 minutes or until it has almost doubled.

4.  Then, proceed with the  Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls with Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting recipe, below.

Variation:  For Vegan Whole Wheat Dough, use almond, rice, or soy milk in place of whole milk. Use 1 tablespoon powdered egg replacer mixed with ¼ cup water in place of the eggs.

Variation: For Whole Wheat Dough in the Bread Machine, place the liquid ingredients in the pan of the bread machine after Step 1. Add the flours, vital wheat gluten, then the yeast. Select the Dough cycle, and press start.

Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls with Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting

If you love carrot cake and you love cinnamon rolls, this recipe could become your favorite. For an oooey-gooey result, frost the rolls while they’re still warm and eat them right away.

Makes 12 large rolls

Pan Sauce:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Carrot Cinnamon Filling:

1 cup grated carrots

¼ cup light brown sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1/3 cup raisins (I used dried cherries this time)

2 tablespoons water

1 recipe Whole Wheat Cinnamon Roll Dough (above)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 (8 to 8-1/2-ounce) can crushed pineapple with juice

½ cup confectioners’ sugar or more as necessary

1. For the pan sauce, butter a 9 x 13-inch pan and set aside. For the filling, combine the carrots, brown sugar, cinnamon, raisins, and water in a saucepan.  

Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from the heat and stir again. Cover and let come to room temperature, about 15 minutes.

2. Transfer the dough to a floured surface and sprinkle lightly with flour. Roll out the dough to a 12 by 16-inch rectangle. Spread the butter over the dough, then the cooled filling. 

Starting with a short end, roll up the dough and form into a tight 12-inch cylinder. Cut the cylinder into 12 slices. 

Place each slice, spiral side up, in the prepared pan. Cover with a tea towel and leave to rise in a warm place until almost doubled, about 45 to 60 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

3. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until the rolls have risen and are just starting to brown.  Let cool for 15 minutes.

4. For the frosting, mix the cream cheese, crushed pineapple, and confectioners’ sugar together in a food processor or in a bowl with a hand mixer until smooth. Spread over the rolls. 

  

Pears, Pears, Everywhere!

So many pears.  And two great ways to enjoy them!

Despite the drought, but perhaps because of the mild winter, I have a bumper crop of Seckel pears.

Seckel pears are smaller and sweeter than Anjous or Bartletts, and taste better grilled or sauteed or baked than eaten fresh.

You pick them when they will easily come off the tree, but then you need to let them ripen in a cool place for a week or so.

I now have bags and bags and bags of pears. Everywhere I go, pears are there.

They sneak in through the mail slot.

And they hang out in my living room.

But, not for long!

I've got the grill fired up.  And a batch of cinnamon roll dough on the rise.

So, we're going to have. . . .

Plank-Roasted Pear Salad with Blue Cheese and Walnuts

Plank-roasting over high heat really gives this mild fruit a richer flavor.

Adapted from The Gardener and the Grill by Karen Adler and Judith Fertig. 

Serves 8

4 large, ripe Anjou or Bartlett pears or 8 Seckel pears

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 tablespoons wildflower or other amber honey

1  cup crumbled blue cheese, such as Maytag or Point Reyes

8 cups mixed salad greens

1/2 cup vinaigrette of your choice

Prepare a hot fire in your grill. Cut the pears in half lengthwise, leaving the stem intact. Using a sturdy teaspoon or a melon baller, remove the core from each half. In a bowl, mix the melted butter and honey. Brush the honey mixture over the cut surface of the pears. Sprinkle the pears with the crumbled blue cheese. Grill the pears, cut side down, for 2 to 3 minutes or until they have good grill marks. Toss the greens with the vinaigrette, portion onto plates, and top with a pear half. 

And now for the cinnamon rolls and my new book!

To read more about I Love Cinnamon Rolls, click here. 

Cinnamon-Spiced Pear Rolls with Warm Pear Caramel

For a cold weather brunch—or breakfast for dinner—these rolls get a final drizzle of warm pear caramel. You can find bottled pear nectar in the health food section of better grocery stores.

1 recipe Traditional Cinnamon Roll Dough (below)

Cinnamon Pear Filling:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

½ cup packed light or dark brown sugar

¼ cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 large, ripe pear, peeled, cored, and finely chopped

Warm Pear Caramel

2/3 cup packed light or dark brown sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

2 cups pear nectar or apple cider

6 tablespoons heavy cream

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

¼ teaspoon coarse kosher or sea salt or to taste

1. For the pan sauce, butter a 10-inch springform pan and set aside. For the filling, combine the flour, sugars, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Work in the butter with a fork or your fingers until the mixture forms crumbs. Set aside.

2. Transfer the dough to a floured surface. Roll the dough out to a 10 by 12-inch rectangle. Dot with the spice mixture and the pears. Pat the filling into the dough. Roll up the dough and form into a tight 12-inch cylinder. Cut the dough into 12 slices and place in the prepared pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F. 

3. Bake for 25 to 27 minutes, or until the rolls have risen and browned.

4. For the Warm Pear Caramel, whisk the brown sugar and cornstarch together in a large saucepan. Press out any lumps with your fingers. Stir in the pear nectar and cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until large bubbles form around the perimeter of the pan and the sauce thickens, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cream, butter, and salt until the butter melts. Serve drizzled over the rolls.

Traditional Cinnamon Roll Dough

This classic dough makes a cinnamon roll with a sweet flavor and a feathery crumb. Instead of using a stand mixer, you can also make this dough by hand or in a 2-pound capacity or larger bread machine (see variation below).

Makes 6 jumbo, 12 large, 16 to 20 medium, or 48 mini cinnamon rolls

1 cup whole milk

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs

3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading

2 1/2 teaspoons instant or bread machine yeast

1. In a 4-cup measuring cup, combine the milk, butter, sugar, and salt.  Microwave on High for 1 minute or until warm.  Whisk in the eggs.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, place the flour and yeast. Add the liquid ingredients. Mix on low speed, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl from time to time, until the dough forms a soft mass and starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl, about 5 to 6 minutes.

3. Remove the paddle attachment and switch to the dough hook. With the mixer on low, start kneading the dough with the dough hook.  Sprinkle with a tablespoon of flour, if necessary, to keep the dough from sticking to the sides of the bowl. When the dough is smooth, not sticky, and springs back when you press it with your finger, you’ve kneaded enough (about 4 to 6 minutes). Place the dough in a large, oiled mixing bowl, cover with a tea towel, and let rise in a warm place at room temperature until almost doubled, about for 45 to 60 minutes.

4.  Then, proceed with a cinnamon roll recipe.

Variation: For Traditional Cinnamon Roll Dough in the Bread Machine, place the liquid ingredients in the pan of the bread machine after Step 1. Add the flour, then the yeast. Select Dough cycle, and press start.