Showing posts with label dessert. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dessert. Show all posts

Friday, March 4, 2011

Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls

Okay. I know I'm going kind of health-nutty, but I'm trying to do this little-to-no-sugar thing right. I finally got sweet potatoes in my Bountiful Basket last week, so i gave this recipe a go.

Phenomenal.

I'm not kidding! The potatoes are beautifully sweet and you add just a little maple syrup into the dough for an extra somethin. The only downside to this recipe is that, as usual, it takes forever to make them from start to finish. However, it's way easier if you get to the point of cutting the rolls and placing them in their pan, but then put them in the freezer until the night before you want to bake them. Let them thaw and rise overnight, pop em in the oven, and you have homemade and hot scrumptious rolls for b-fast.

Love it.



















1 cup almond milk, warmed {I used soy }
4 teaspoons yeast {I used fast-rising…less worry}
2 tablespoons maple syrup {could be substituted with agave nectar or honey}
2 cups sweet potatoes, mashed {peel, chop, then boil for a good 20 minutes to make sure they’re soft enough to mash}
1 egg
1 tablespoon olive oil 
4 1/2 - 5 cups spelt flour, depending on how much water content your potatoes have {I used whole wheat flour, and actually about 5 ½ cups of it}
1 teaspoons salt

3/4 cup brown sugar {again, could probably be substituted with another sweetener}
2 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon
6 tablespoons butter, softened

In a large bowl, sprinkle the yeast and maple syrup over the warmed almond milk. Mix together gently and let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.

Place the mashed sweet potatoes into a large bowl and whisk in the egg, oil, salt, and 1 cup of flour. Add the potato mixture to the yeast mixture and stir until thoroughly blended. Mix in the rest of the flour, 1 cup at a time, blending thoroughly after each addition. The dough should be slightly wet and sticky, but not so much that you can't form it into a ball, you may not need all 5 cups of flour. {I used more than 5, because it was so sticky. Just add flour until it holds together fairly nicely, but is still very soft.} Knead for 8-10 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic, and forms nicely into a ball.

Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, cover with a clean towel and let rise in a warm spot for about 1 hour or until doubled in size {quick-rising yeast cuts this in half}.

On a floured counter top, cut the dough in half and roll each into a ball. One at a time, roll each ball into a 16-inch by10-inch by 1/2-inch rectangle.

To make the filling, combine the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl. Spread half the softened butter evenly over the dough and sprinkle half the cinnamon sugar over. Tightly roll the dough, lengthwise and turn seam side down. Cut into 12 equal slices {mine turned into about 14 slices} and place cut-side up on a lined or buttered baking sheet. I used a glass pie dish and placed the rolls about a half inch apart. They will expand as they rise and fill in the space.

Cover, and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about an hour. 

Heat the oven to 400˚F. You can brush the tops with some  milk or an egg wash and sprinkle with {brown} sugar at this point. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until lightly golden. You don't want to over bake these or they will dry out. Serve warm from the oven.

Original source: So Good and Tasty

Monday, November 8, 2010

Homemade Hot Fudge

Dresses up your brownies and ice cream, making it "an occasion". This recipe makes a quart of fudge, and will keep in the fridge for several weeks. Also good eaten cold with a spoon when you just need "a little something chocolate"! :)

1 stick real butter
6 oz. chocolate chips
1 - 13oz. can evaporated milk
2 c. powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla

Melt butter and chocolate chips in medium saucepan. Stir until smooth. Add evaporated milk and powdered sugar. Bring to a rolling boil, and boil for two minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Makes one quart. (I keep mine in a glass quart canning jar) To reheat, microwave for 20 seconds, stir, and pour.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Plum Apple Crisp

One time my mom made apple crisp for some sort of Young Women activity at the church. I was about 12 or 13. This was my all-time favorite dessert, so when it came time to serve it up, I took about a third of the pan. Hey, there were other desserts too! My Beehive advisor told me (I remember it being more of a snapping) to put back about half of what I had taken. "Leave some for everyone else!" she exclaimed, astonished that I would have the audacity to take such a greedy amount.

Hmph. What can I say? Fruit crisp is my absolute fave. I found this new rendition tonight and after tweaking it a little, here it is! I liked the idea of tossing the fruit with some of the cinnamony mixture first. Enjoy it my friends, and may you always unabashedly take large helpings.

2 medium Granny Smith apples, cored and thinly sliced
2 medium plums, pitted and thinly sliced
1/2 C butter, melted, divided
1/2 C firmly packed brown sugar, divided
1 T lemon juice
1 T + 1/3 C flour, divided
3/4 t ground cinnamon, divided
1 C rolled oats
1/4 C chopped walnuts or pecans
1/4 t ground ginger
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine 1/4 cup melted butter, 1/4 cup brown sugar, lemon juice, flour and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Add apples and plums; toss to coat well. Place in an 9 x 12 inch baking dish.
In a medium bowl combine oats, remaining 1/4 cup butter, remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup flour, nuts, remaining 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and ginger until well blended. Crumble over fruit. Bake 30 minutes or until fruit is tender and topping is lightly browned.

Serve warm with softened ice cream, if desired.

Makes 6 servings (or about 3 big-bowl servings).


You can also use 2 sliced peaches or nectarines in place of the plums.

Monday, November 1, 2010

Holiday Trifle

I chose holiday trifle to be the treat after my baptism. I've loved it since I was a wee girl of eight and I don't love it any less now! When I made it for the first time, the layers were not as beautiful as when my mom makes it, but it still tasted divine. I guess I just need to practice.

Also, Mom says she doubles this recipe for Christmas festivities. All parenthetical notes are from her.

A mini version of the real thing. From Google. Don't chya know?

1 angel food cake (I prefer pound cake, found in the bakery or frozen section of grocery store)
1 large package vanilla pudding (COOK & SERVE), prepared and slightly cooled
1 large package berry-flavored Jell-o (I usually use raspberry)
1 - 10 oz. package frozen berries to go with Jell-0 (raspberries)
Whipped cream (or Cool Whip)
Sliced bananas
Sliced almonds (optional)

Prepare pudding and set aside.  Prepare Jello-o half-way by just adding boiling water, dissolving by stirring for a couple of minutes, then adding FROZEN berries.  (Don't add cold water) (It will start to thicken up immediately)  Layer three times in trifle dish:  bite-sized pieces of cake, partially-set Jell-o with berries, partially-cooled pudding.  Top with whipped cream and sliced bananas (right before serving).

Friday, October 29, 2010

Easy Pumpkin Crumble

I just found this delite the other day, but haven't had the chance to try it. It looks quite delicious though, especially since I love anything pumpkin in the fall :) The recipe is by Our Best Bites found here!



1 boxed yellow or white cake mix
1-2 sticks butter (see notes in instructions)
1 16 oz can pumpkin*
2 eggs
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t pumpkin pie spice
1/4 t ginger
1/8 t cloves
1/8 t nutmeg
1/2 t salt
1/3 C chopped pecans
1/2 t additional cinnamon for topping

*This makes a dessert about an inch thick or less. That's because I like a high topping-to-pumpkin ratio. If you'd like it thicker, use a large can of pumpkin and double the rest of the filling ingredients (Eggs, sweetened condensed milk, and spices). Leave the rest of the recipe the same.

Preheat oven to 350. Place 2 C of the cake mix in a bowl. Cut in 3 T chilled butter. Just use your fingers to crumble the butter until it's in small crumbly pieces. Place mixture in a 9x13 baking dish and press flat with your fingers. Mix pumpkin, eggs, sweetened condensed milk, and spices until smooth. Pour on top of the cake mixture in the pan.

Now take the rest of the dry cake mix and mix in 1/2 t cinnamon. Sprinkle it all over the top of the pumpkin mixture. Use a measuring cup so you have a rough measurement of how much you're putting on. Here's why:

Here's a little something I learned after making the dump cake a gazillion times. Cake mixes all have different amounts in them! Different brands, different flavors, etc. Each one is slightly different in volume. I found one mix to have almost double the normal amount. Measuring the amount of cake mix you're sprinkling on top will help you get the perfect topping ratio in the last step.

Next sprinkle on the chopped pecans. You'll have 3 distinct layers now. Here's the trick: For every 1 C of cake mix you sprinkled on top, you'll need 3 T of melted butter. Drizzle it right on top. That butter is going to combine with the cake mix and make magic in the oven. Pop it in your 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes or so. A knife should come out without globs of pumpkin on it and the topping should be nice and golden.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Apple Spice Cake

Fall is not complete without making this baby at least a couple of times. Bring home a few red-variety apples from the farmers' market, and chances are you have the rest of the ingredients on hand.

2 lg. eggs
3/4 c. canola oil
2 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla
2 c. flour
2 t. cinnamon
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
4 c. thinly-sliced red-variety apples (3 large)
1 c. nuts (optional - I leave these out)

In large mixing bowl, beat eggs. Add oil, sugar, vanilla and mix. Add balance of dry ingredients and combine. Dump in sliced apples, wash your hands, take off your rings and get them (your hands) in the bowl to mix this thick batter. Press gently into greased 9X13 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Cool and frost with CREAM CHEESE FROSTING (recipe follows). Refrigerate until cold and cut into small squares.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

8 oz. cream cheese (one package, soft)
3 T. butter
1 t. vanilla
2 c. powdered sugar

Combine cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add vanilla. Stir in powdered sugar.