Archive for November, 2009

If any of you happen to have an extra straitjacket lying around (anybody?), I might need to borrow it.

You see, anyone who is 8 months pregnant and in her right mind… wait… that’s complete gibberish. Let me try again.

Anyone who is 8 months pregnant… at all… should not be taking on lots of ambitious projects in the kitchen. The end.

There’s just one tiny problem, though: It’s fall! It’s holiday season! There are events and occasions left and right! And, despite not being able to get up the energy to heft laundry baskets around or mop the kitchen floor, I find myself spending outrageous amounts of time on my feet, putting together dessert after dessert after dessert… and liking it.

Like I said, straitjacket.

I recently took the plunge into the wide world of cookie decorating (thanks to Bake at 350), and whipped up these pretty things for a bake sale. They were a hit! And… I think my body went into rebellion mode afterward. See, I don’t really remember the rest of that day.

But good grief, these were fun. I felt like a 6-year-old again. Bright colors! Sweet icing! Pretty patterns! There are several helpful hints to know before getting into cookie decorating, but I won’t take the time to do a tutorial here. Why should I, when there are several better ones I can link to?

Stay tuned for my next big project — a wedding cake. Yes, I just said wedding cake.

Like I said, straitjacket.

You know, unless the delivery room gets me first…

Vanilla-Almond Sugar Cookies

from Bake at 350

3 c unbleached, all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 c sugar (I use sugar that I’ve stored vanilla beans in)
2 sticks butter
1 egg
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp pure almond extract

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine the flour and baking powder, set aside. Cream the sugar and butter. Add the egg and extracts and mix. Gradually add the flour mixture and beat just until combined, scraping down the bowl, especially the bottom.

Roll onto a floured surface (or between two sheets of wax paper) and cut into shapes. Place shapes on parchment-lined baking sheets and refrigerate for 10 minutes. Then bake for 10-12 minutes. Let sit a few minutes on the sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack. When the cookies are completely cooled, they are ready to decorate.

So… October’s over… I’m sure you’ve noticed…

It just occurred to me that I haven’t shared any pumpkin recipes with you. At all. And here we are, staring November down already. It’s a crime, really.

Not that there’s any great shortage of pumpkin recipes sitting in your Google Reader these days… and not that pumpkin cookies and muffins and breads haven’t been spewing forth from my kitchen in the past four weeks… because, good grief, they have.

But I won’t let you down. Can I show you some wonderfully fluffy, sticky pumpkin rolls that will make all your troubles melt away? That’s not a bad deal, if you ask me.

Again, the secret ingredient here is the Instant Yeast that I’m in love with. So, so so so easy. One rise! Count ‘em, ONE. Cinnamon rolls just got that much faster. Throw in some pumpkin and a few spices, and they just got that much tastier. And cream cheese icing? Good heavens, somebody knock me out.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

adapted from Bakers’ Banter

Ingredients:

for dough:

4 to 4-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup canned pumpkin

2 eggs

2-4 Tablespoons lukewarm milk

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) soft butter

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon cloves

4 Tablespoons brown sugar

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons Instant yeast (such as SAF)

for filling:

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1-2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon

1/4 cup melted butter

raisins, optional

chopped pecans, optional

for icing:

1 Tablespoon butter, room temperature

1 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

2 cups powdered sugar

Milk, enough to make it drizzling consistency (about 3-4 Tablespoons, or more)

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, combine 1-1/2 cups of the flour with all the rest of the dough ingredients. Mix until smooth. Stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a soft, slightly sticky dough. Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Set dough aside to rest about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix together the cinnamon and sugar for the filling, and melt the butter on low.

On a lightly-greased surface, roll out the dough into a 14″ by 20″ rectangle. Pour the melted butter onto the dough and spread around with a spoon or pastry brush. Leave one of the long edges free of butter for about 1 inch. Sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar over the butter, and sprinkle on the pecans and raisins, if desired.

Starting with the long end that’s covered with filling, roll the dough into a log. Cut the log into quarters (you may want to trim off the edges) and cut each quarter into thirds, making 12 rolls total.

Place the rolls into a lightly greased 9 x 13″ baking dish, and cover with a damp cloth. Let the rolls rise in a warm place until they are fluffy and nearly doubled in size (about 40-50 minutes). Near the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Bake the rolls uncovered at 375 degrees for about 25-30 minutes, or until they are lightly browned and feel set. Remove them from the oven and set them on a rack. Turn them out of the pan, and allow them to cool for 10-15 minutes. During the cooling time, make the icing.

To make the icing: Cream the butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, and mix until smooth. Stir in the milk, a tablespoon at a time, until the icing reaches a good drizzling consistency. When the rolls have cooled for about 15 minutes, drizzle the icing over them, or brush it on with a pastry brush. Let the rolls sit for another 5 minutes, and then dig in!