High Five Orange Rolls

The once a decade I bake something, this is what I bake. Amazing. I got this from http://www.fromkarenskitchen.com/recipes/breakfast/roll/high_five_orange_rolls.php

Yield

18 rolls

Roll Ingredients

1 tablespoon granulated (white) sugar
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 cup warm milk
1/2 cup warm water
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup instant vanilla pudding mix
1 tablespoon orange extract
5 cups bread flour, or more if needed
1 teaspoon salt

Filling Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons grated orange zest
1 teaspoon orange extract
3/4 cup granulated (white) sugar

Frosting Ingredients

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups confectioners' (powdered) sugar
2 teaspoons orange extract
2 tablespoons milk, or more as needed

Directions

Sprinkle 1 tablespoon white sugar and the yeast over the warm milk and warm water in a bowl. Let stand until the yeast softens and begins to form a creamy foam, about 5 minutes. Mix in the egg, 1/2 cup orange juice, melted butter, vanilla pudding mix, and 1 tablespoon orange extract. Stir in 5 cups bread flour and salt. Add more bread flour if the dough is too sticky. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, 8 to 10 minutes.

Place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover with a clean cloth. Allow the dough to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.

Combine 1/2 cup softened butter with the orange zest and 1 teaspoon orange extract in a small bowl until smooth. Set aside. Grease a baking sheet, or cover with parchment paper.

Turn the dough out on a floured surface and roll out into a 24 x 12-inch rectangle. Spread the butter mixture evenly over the dough, then sprinkle with 3/4 cup white sugar. Roll up the dough, beginning with the long side. Cut the dough into 18 1 1/2-inch rolls. Arrange the rolls cut-side up on prepared baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).

Remove the plastic wrap from the rolls and allow them to rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.

Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Allow rolls to cool slightly before frosting.

While the rolls are baking, cream together the cream cheese and 1/2 cup softened butter until smooth. Stir in the confectioners' sugar and 2 teaspoons orange extract. Stir in milk, a little at a time, until frosting is smooth and spreadable. Spread the frosting over the slightly cooled rolls.

Raspberry Cream Cheese Sticky Buns

I hate cinnamon rolls. These are a heavenly alternative. I got the recipe from http://www.aspicyperspective.com/raspberry-sticky-buns/.  Great for conference weekend. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 2 loaves frozen white bread dough, thawed (or homemade bread dough)
• 10 ounce bag frozen raspberries, not thawed
• 8 ounce cream cheese or mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
• 6 tablespoons sugar, divided
• Zest of 2 lemons, divided
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions:

1. Place the frozen loaves in the fridge and let them thaw over night. In the morning, set them on a plate, cover with plastic wrap and let them rise for 2-3 hours. When ready to start, press the loaves together (if not already fused together) and roll the dough out on a well-floured work surface, into a 12 X 24 inch rectangle.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the cream cheese, zest of one lemon, 3 Tb. sugar, and vanilla. In a separate bowl, mix together the frozen raspberries, remaining 3 Tb. sugar, cornstarch, and pinch of salt.
3. Smear the cream cheese mixture over the dough, leaving a 1 inch border on the long ends. Then sprinkle the raspberry mixture over the top. Starting on one long end, roll the dough into a log. Then use a serrated knife to cut the log into 15 equal rolls. Place the rolls in a parchment paper lined 9 X 13 inch baking dish and allow them to rise for 30-45 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the tops are golden. Allow the rolls to cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then lift them out by the edges of the parchment paper. Whisk together the powdered sugar, remaining lemon zest, and heavy cream. Drizzle or brush the glaze over the tops of the sticky buns, and serve with a fresh cup of Starbucks Aria Blend Coffee!

NOTE: Although cream cheese and mascarpone cheese are similar, they have a very different reaction when baking. Cream cheese puffs into a creamy layer, filling the swirls of the sticky buns. Mascarpone cheese absorbs into the dough, leaving separation between the layers, but giving the dough a moist decadent texture. Both ways are good--it's a preference thing!

Pumpkin Waffles

I just tried these the other day, and they were so good that I was left wondering why I haven't been making them all along. Perfect for a Saturday morning breakfast with maple syrup. Next, I think we will try them for dessert, topped with vanilla ice cream!

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup pumpkin
2 cups milk
4 eggs, separated
1/4 cup butter, melted


Preheat a waffle iron according to manufacturer's instructions.

Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, salt, and brown sugar in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, stir together the pumpkin, milk, and egg yolks. Whip the egg whites in a clean dry bowl until soft peaks form.

Stir the flour mixture and 1/4 cup melted butter to the pumpkin mixture, stirring just to combine. Use a whisk or rubber spatula to fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the batter, stirring gently until incorporated. Fold in the remaining egg whites.

Cook waffles according to manufacturer's instructions.

I have made these the lazy way, just adding the eggs in whole, and they turn out fine. But, if you take the time to whip the egg whites, they are just that much fluffier.

Hawaiian Sweet Rolls

My mom's recipe. These are moist and sweet, great with honey and butter!

1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 egg
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 tablespoon molasses
1 tablespoon honey
5 tablespoons white sugar
2 tablespoons dry milk powder
2 tablespoons butter
4 1/2 cups bread flour
2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Mix the yeast, warm water and 1 tbsp of the sugar and let sit until bubbles form. Then add the rest of the ingredients, leaving the flour until the end. After kneading, the dough should be moist but not sticky. I usually end up adding a bit more flour. Put in a bowl, cover and let rise for an hour or so, until doubled.

Punch down the dough, and divide into 24 balls. You can shape these however you want, but I usually just leave them as balls and place them on a cookie sheet close enough that as they rise they will touch. Cover and let rise for 45 minutes.

Cook at 350 for 15 minutes, until golden brown.

A few notes:

If you don't have almond extract, no sweat, just use vanilla. Or, if you don't have molasses, just use honey.
I have also substituted 1 cup of the white flour with whole wheat flour, and this makes them a bit heartier, and (I convince myself), a little bit healthy.

THE Crescent Rolls

This recipe is a Holmes family tradition. It is one I got from Scott's Mom and it has reached celebrity status among our friends. Enjoy.

2 packages active dry yeast
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 cups warm water
1 cup sugar
6 eggs, beaten
1 cup melted butter (cooled to lukewarm)
8 cups bread flour
2 tsp. salt


Mix warm water with yeast and sugar and let sit until bubbles form. Add remaing sugar, beaten eggs and melted butter* to the yeast mixture. Use a sifter to sift in flour and salt. I usually use my hand mixer for the first half of the flour and then use a spoon for the last half (the dough should still be pretty sticky). Allow the dough to rise at room temperature for two hours. Stir down the dough, cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge overnight.

About 5-6 hours before you plan to eat, remove the dough from the fridge, dump onto a floured surface and divide into four equal parts. Roll each part into a circle (about 12"). Brush the entire circle generously with melted butter. Use a pizza cutter to cut it (pizza-style) into 12 equal pieces. Roll-up each piece, starting at the wide end, to form a crescent. Place on a greased cookie sheet and cover with a dish towel. Allow to rise for 4-5 hours. Bake at 400 for 8-10 minutes.

*Test the butter before you pour it in to make sure it's not too hot. If it is too hot, it will kill the yeast and your rolls won't rise. I just use the "finger test". Put your (clean) finger into the butter and hold it there for 5 seconds. Does it burn? If not, dump it in. If it is too hot, stir it for a while to help it cool. The first thing I do when I make these rolls is melt the butter, that way it has plenty of time to cool.

French Bread

This is a recipe I got at a swap a few years ago. It is very good and accompanies our soup every time.

2 packets active dry yeast
3 cups warm water
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp salt
2 Tbsp oil (olive or vegetable, doesn't matter)
6-7 cups bread flour

Mix the yeast and water and wait for it to bubble. Add the sugar,
salt and oil. Add the flour a cup at a time. I don't really measure
the flour. I just keep adding it until the dough is firm and only a
little sticky. Cover and let rise for an hour. Turn dough out onto
floured surface and divide into three equal pieces. Roll each piece
flat with a rolling pin and into a rectangle (mine rarely look like a
rectangle) and roll up, pinching the ends and seams to form a "french"
loaf. Cut slashes in the top (purely aesthetic). Let rise for about
an hour and bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.

Chocolate Banana Bread

I saw this on Jamie Mitchell's blog. She doesn't say where she got it, but I found the picture she used at http://savorysweetlife.com/?p=1024 (credit to Alice). This is a slightly different recipe, though. It says this makes three loaves, but they come out sort of thin. If you can figure out at what temp and how long to bake it in two pans, give it a shot for a taller loaf.

1 cup butter, soft
2 cups sugar
2 t. vanilla
4 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup baking cocoa
1 t. salt
4 ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup sour cream
1 cup milk chocolate chips

Cream butter, sugar & vanilla.
Add eggs & mix well. Mix all dry ingredients together. Mix bananas and sour cream together. Add the dry to the butter mixture. Mix in banana mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Grease three loaf pans and lace with cocoa powder or flour. Bake at 350 for 55 minutes to 1 hour. Test with toothpick.

**The author of SavorySweetLife.com posted a comment below. If you want to make one loaf instead of three, check the above link and try her recipe instead.

Oven Ready Bran Muffins

Bran muffins are really delicious when they are hot out of the oven. I just found and tried this recipe on the back of my Hodgson Mill Unprocessed Wheat Bran box:

Mix batter according to directions. Store in refrigerator. Bake muffins at your convenience.

3 cups wheat bran
1 cup boiling water
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups buttermilk

Mix 1 cup wheat bran with 1 cup boiling water; stir and let water absorb into bran. In a separate bowl blend sugar and butter. Measure and combine flour, baking soda and salt. Combine the moist bran with beaten eggs, the remaining 2 cups of bran, buttermilk, blended sugar-butter mixture, and flour, soda and salt mixture. Stir until well blended.

Place in the refrigerator for future use, or bake at once. Preheat oven to 400F. Stir batter well and spoon into prepared muffin tins. Bake 15 minutes. Keep remaining mixture in airtight container for 2 to 4 weeks. Yield: 2 dozen.

Focaccia Bread

1 cup lukewarm water
1 tbsp olive oil
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp yeast
1 tbsp chopped fresh sage
1 tbsp chopped red onion

olive oil
coarse sea salt
coarsely ground black pepper

Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.

Mix together the flour and salt in a large bowl and make a well in the center. Add the yeast mixture to the dry ingredients and mix into a soft dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface the knead for 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk (1 - 1 1/2 hours).

Punch down the dough and turn out onto a floured surface. Knead in the sage and onion. Shape the dough into a ball, then roll out into a round of about 10 inches (pizza pan size). Cover and let it rise again until doubled, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400.

Poke dimples in the bread and drizzle olive oil on top, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes, until golden.

Serve warm. Tastes delicious dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

I often am really lazy and use 1 tsp dried sage and 1/2 tsp onion powder in place of fresh, and it works just fine. I have also used other spices, rosemary, thyme, oregano to change the taste a little.

Pizza Dough

This has been requested by several people. I got this from Deborah. It's nice because you don't have to let it rise.

1 package yeast
1 cup warm water
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 cups bread flour
2 Tbsp. oil

Combine yeast and water and wait for it to bubble. Add sugar, salt and oil. Mix in flour. Roll out immediately and top as you please. Bake at 400 until cheese is melted and crust is lightly browned.

Zucchini Bread

1 Cup sugar ( I use ½ cup brown sugar and ½ cup white sugar)
2 eggs
½ cup oil (can also substitute ¼ cup oil for applesauce)
1 – 1 ¼ cup grated zucchini
1 tsp vanilla
1 ½ cup flour
½ tsp salt
½ tsp baking soda
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp baking powder
¾ - 1 cup chocolate chips

Beat eggs and mix in sugar. Stir in oil, zucchini, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Add chocolate chips. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes. Cool 10 minutes and remove from pan.

Honey Wheat Bread

This recipe came from the packet that June Seibach handed out in Relief Society on ways to use your wheat. It is the best homemade wheat bread I've ever had.

1/2 cup water
2 packets yeast
2 cups milk
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup wheat germ**
2 tablespoons wheat gluten*
3 cups whole wheat flour
4 cups bread flour

In a large bowl dissolve yeast in warm water. In a microwave safe 4-cup measuring cup, melt butter. Add milk, honey, brown sugar and salt to melted butter and mix well (this is a good way to do it because you only use one measuring cup and the honey won't stick). Add milk mixture to yeast and stir. Add wheat germ, gluten and 3 cups wheat flour to yeast mixture and mix well. Add 2 cups of bread flour. Continue adding bread flour until the dough is no longer sticky. Remove dough from bowl and knead for 5 minutes using bread flour. Cover dough mound with a damp towel and allow to rise for 1-1 1/2 hours or until doubled in size.

Punch down dough and divide in two. Roll each half into a flat rectangle and roll up, pinching ends, to make a French loaf. You can slit the top with a knife to make it pretty. Allow loaves to rise for an hour and then bake on greased cookie sheets at 375 for 35-40 minutes.

The original recipe called for bread pans but my loaves were often doughy in the middle. The French loaves are a little thinner and allow better baking.

*Wheat gluten can be found next to the flour in the baking isle. You can add it to any bread recipe (1 tsp. per cup of flour) and it substantially improves the texture of the bread.

**Wheat germ can usually be found in the health food section.