Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

 

So I have a line up of baked items waiting to be posted on. I've been busy baking. Like a lot. Generally I just gradually make my way through posting them, but occasionally I get excited about one recipe in particular.

This one's cutting the line. It's worth it. I'm excited. You should be excited. Let's all be excited.

A week or so ago I wanted to find out what it would be like to make my own pumpkin puree. I went and bought a pumpkin, scrape it out, baked it, scooped out the meat (...why is it called meat? Does anyone else get gross images??), tried to blenderize it, realized I need a food processor, tried  to smash it with a spoon,realized I need at least a potato masher. Finally the result of the hour + long process was maybe 4 cups of slightly lumpy pumpkin.

If you couldn't tell, I realized making your own pumpkin purée is not worth the effort.

Regardless I was left with a lot of pumpkin on my hands so I've been searching around for some good pumpkin recipe. I made pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie oatmeal, and then I found this recipe.

With a gentle nudge from my darling roommate Kai, I was convinced to set out on my first journey into the world of cinnamon rolls.Pumpkin cinnamon rolls.

Oh. My. God.

Seriously? Who comes up with these things! It's just as it sounds. Pumpkin pie and cinnamon roll love child.

Delicious delicious love child.

totally worth the effort.

 

Does this not look like a monster??

It comes down to being a yeast bread made with pumpkin, rolled out and smeared with a brown sugar, butter, pumpkin pie spice mixture, rolled up and baked until the kitchen smells like heaven (or pumpkin pie). Oh and topped with glaze. Obviously.

Halfway through baking these I had a realization. I don't know what I'm going to do when my friends get into their mid-thirties and their metabolisms start slowing down. I'm going to be blamed for making people fat.

I'll have to make some new twenty-something friends.

Until then. It's November, it's almost Thanksgiving. It's time for pumpkin. Find someone you want to impress and do it.

UH-Mazing

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls 

Adapted from The Way the Cookie Crumbles (adorable name right? Great blog)

Dough:
4-4 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons instant yeast
⅓ cup  sugar
1½ teaspoons salt
2 eggs
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
4 tablespoons vegetable oil

Filling:
¾ cup packed  light brown sugar
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice (Do people really buy pumpkin pie spice? I used a mixture of cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and nutmeg...I also don't measure)
⅛ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon melted butter

Glaze:
1 cup (4 ounces) confectioners sugar, sifted to remove lumps
1 ounce cream cheese, softened
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1-2 tablespoons milk

Notes: As stated, I just make up the spice amount until I like it. Use mostly cinnamon. I believe in you, you can do it. Don't over do it though.

I ended up making more filling (filling is awesome) by about another 1/2 tbs butter and another 1/4 cup sugar.

I have no idea what one ounce of cream cheese looks like so I just took a big spoonful. I also think 1 cup of sugar is wayyy too much, so I slowly added more until it tasted right.

Here we go, directions time.

Mix flour, sugar, yeast and salt in a large bowl (use a stand mixer if you have one). In a separate bowl, mix the eggs with pumpkin and oil. Gradually add the wet ingredients to the try ones and continue mixing until a dough forms. On a floured surface, kneed the dough until elastic and soft (maybe 10 minutes?) adding flour as necessary. The dough should be slightly sticky, but not sticking to the counter. Let dough rise in a oiled bowl in  a warm dry place until doubled (1.5-2 hours...ish?)

Mix filling ingredients in a bowl.

When dough has doubled, punch down and turn out into a lightly floured surface. Roll dough out (using your wine bottle rolling pin!! ...or a real one) to a 16 by 12 inch rectangle. Spread filling out over dough.

Roll dough starting from the long side into a log pinching dough with fingertips as you go. You should have roughly a 16 inch log when you are finished.

Cut log into 2-3inch pieces and place in a greased baking pan.

Cover and let rise until doubled, about another 1 - 1.5 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake rolls for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown.

While rolls are cooling, mix glaze ingredients until smooth. Pour over rolls and serve!

Several more notes: my rolls failed at rising so I ended up preheating the oven with them in it. It seemed to work.

I don't remember what my other note was....just have fun?

Oh fun story. I was trying to use up my pumpkin with this recipe. Turns out I didn't have enough of it left to make this recipe, so I ended up cracking a can of pumpkin. Sigh. Expect more pumpkin recipes.

-Leah

Homemade Nutella

 

Nutella.

I don’t think I know a single person who doesn’t melt a little bit after hearing that word.

Creamy, chocolatey delicious.

Do you remember when Nutella was rare in this country? People would horde it after travelling to Europe because it was such a pain to get your hands on. Not any more though. You can find Nutella on most grocery shelves. That doesn’t change how good it is.

What’s better than Nutella? Homemade Nutella. How about homemade Nutella on fresh bread?

I came across the idea of making my own Nutella after visiting Fastachi, a nut and chocolate store that has some of the freshest most delicious nuts. After seeing the beautiful pile of freshly roasted hazelnuts, I started to wonder if it were possible to match that ever sought after taste of Nutella. Sure enough, not only is it possible, it’s extremely simple with only THREE ingredients. The end result is a fresh delicious spread that brings Nutella to an extreme. Dark and chocolately combined with the intense flavor of roasted hazelnuts. You can’t get more pure than this.

This Nutella would make the perfect fun and creative gift (the holidays are slowly approaching!) Just put it in a cute jar with a bow and ta-da! Instant wow-factor! It also would make a great I’m sorry don’t hate me gift, I want to impress you with my culinary genius gift, you did something super nice for me gift, or for just a good…I need chocolate therapy moment.

Try it on ice cream. It’s killer.

DO it. It’s definitely worth the experiment.

Homemade Nutella

Makes roughly a cup

Ingredients

1 cup roasted hazelnuts (or roast them yourself for a few minutes!)

1/2 cup good quality cocoa powdered (I used a dutch-processed French cocoa from Fastachi)

Roughly 1 – 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

a pinch of salt

Directions

Put all of the hazelnuts into a food processer and blend until liquid (about 5 minutes, it’s awesome!).  Slowly add the cocoa powder, sugar, and salt. Blend until combined. Adjust sugar amount to liking. Enjoy!

So simple!

If you put it in the fridge it will become a bit harder like Nutella and not as liquid.

Coincidence my jar says magic? I think not!

Birthday Cake

Well well well. Looks like we’ve found ourselves back at a pretty awesome period of time. Myy birthday time.

Yes. I do like my birthday. Yes, I do act like a little kid and start yelling out that it’s going to be my birthday a month in advance (my roommates can vouch). Yes. I do bake my own birthday cake.

Who says someone else has to bake the cake?? In case you hadn’t noticed, I kinda like to bake. Get over it!!

This cake was special for several reasons. Let me list them off

• It’s my birthday, meaning it achieves automatic special status
• It had TWELVE, read it, a whole dozen eggs
• NO flour. None! what? Crazy!! I know!
• No butter either!

No really, this was a cake, and it wasn’t a diet cake. Do diet cakes even exist? Believe me, there was enough chocolate in this sucker that made up for the lack of butter. What is the point of a diet cake anyways? I am so confused now.

Nope, all twelve egg yolks are mixed with sugar and TONS of delicious melted chocolate. All TWELEVE (it’s crazy really) egg whites are beaten until they begin to take over your house like Strega Nona’s magic pasta pot did when Anthony forgot the magic words to stop it. Great book, check it out.

Some how, these things combine together to make the lightest chocolate you’ve ever eaten. So light, that the original recipe titled it “lighter than air chocolate cake”. I find that hard to believe. Air is pretty light. This comes pretty darn close.

The frosting? Alcoholic whipped cream. No, not like that stuff that started popping up in liquor stores. REAL whipped cream, with real(?) alcohol.

Of course it was fantastic, especially shared among wonderful friends who took time to come celebrate!

On another note – no flour means Passover friendly! I know you’re all excited now!

Let’s get this party started.

Warning- this cake was kinda a pain in the butt. GREASE WELL and you may have a prettier cake than mine.

Cake Ingredients:
12 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped
6 tablespoons water
12 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
1 1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons Dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder

NOTE! I ended up using 3 cups heavy cream because I didn’t have enough to make good layers. Either be stingy with your frosting or get more cream!

Frosting:
2 cups heavy cream
6 tablespoons confectioners sugar, sifted
4 tablespoons Grand Marnier*

To make the cake preheat the oven to 350, and GREASEEEEE, line, and grease again 4 cake pans (I used two and changed them out)

Melt chocolate with water on the stove over low heat, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Turn off and let cool to luke warm.

Beat egg yolk 2/3 cup sugar, and salt in a large bowl with a beater until thick and pale (8 minutes with hand mixer). Fold in chocolate.

Beat egg whites in a very large bowl with a clean beater until whites hold soft peaks. Slowly mix in remaining 2/3 cup sugar and beat until stiff peaks (really, beat well). Fold in thirds the whites into the chocolate mixture. Fold gently but thoroughly .

Spread batter in four baking pans and bake until puffed and dry to the touch (anywhere from 15-20 minutes). Cakes will sink a bit in the middle (so sad!).

remove cakes from pans CAREFULLY, and freeze layers for roughly an hour.

To make frosting: Beat cream with sugar and Grand Marnier until whipped cream holds stiff peaks.

Alternate layers of frosting and cake until stacked pretty! (unlike mine). Refrigerate for at least an hour to ensure defrosted cake layers.

I have to apologize. Not only did my cake turn out ugggly (grease your pans!!!), I took really bad pictures of it.

What can I say, a drink in hand and a good conversation can be quite distracting.

Happy baking (and birthday to me )

Leah

Barley Black Bean Salad

 

 

 

I literally have 4 posts partially done.

I have delicious things to report on, that I want you to feel the need to run to your kitchen after reading. Why can’t I just finish them? I’ll get there.

For now I will distract you with a super simple, quick, wonderful grain salad.

I swear I eat real food. I don’t just bake and eat that all day…although that’s not a bad idea.

This is proof! This salad is bright and colorful, chewy from the barley, creamy from the beans, crunchy from the pepper, and gets a note of crisp freshness from the cilantro lime dressing.

Don’t like barley? I don’t like you!

…Just kidding. I love all of you.

Trade it out! I think the original recipe called for rice (borrinng!). I’ve made it with quinoa. I’m sure you could do something crazy like use…wheat berries?

Perfect potluck dish! Just…go make it. I don’t have a whole lot else to say.

Black Bean Salad with Chili Lime Dressing

Ingredients

1 can Black beans

1/2 cup Barley (or grain of choice)

1 to 1 1/2 Colored pepper (use different colors and it’s SUPER pretty!)

1 tomato (optional)

1/2 sweet/red onion (I actually forgot it this time and its fine)

1/2 cup fresh cilantro

dressing

1 lime

1 Tbs olive oil, or more to your preference

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp chili powder

pinch of cayenne (more if you want it spicier)

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Bring 1 cup of water to boil in a small pan. Add Barley and simmer for 30-40 minutes or until tender. Chop all vegetables, and wash and chop cilantro. Mix all dressing ingredients together.

Add cooked barley, vegetables and dressing in a bowl and stir!

Makes about 3-4 servings

Super easy right?

Really, the barley should be cooled in the fridge and then all ingredients are mixed, but I am generally hungry by that time, so I just eat it warm. Still good.

On a side note…I definitely made the spice amounts up…just taste it until you think its right. You can always doctor later (welcome to my world of cooking!)

 

NOW!

Take a look at all my pretty pictures that I probably will never post on!

My first ever tomato plants!

I learned that container gardening is amazing

 

 

 

FYI Serrano chilies are hottt

Salsa roastingg!

Blueberry Birthday Cake

 

 

Holy life change Batman!

Wanna hear what’s been going on?

• Graduated with a Master’s
• Started working full time hours
• Moved home briefly
• Boyfriend returned home
• Moved to a new city
• Got my first SALARY and job title!

No biggie.

OH and my computer was broken for like THREE weeks!!!

The combination of switching to the “real world”, moving to a new place (and kitchen…hugeeee kitchen with a GAS STOVE!!), and it being stupid summer hot in the apt has severely limited the bakeage going on in my life.

Never fear, a birthday has once again struck the scene!

My darlin boyfriend has retuned home and obviousllllyyy I wasn’t' going to let the heat and all of my other excuses prevent me from birthday caking!

Summer is a special place in Massachusetts. We’re not California. We don’t cheat and get spoiled with delicious local produce all year round (jerks). So when things are in season, you horde them…enjoy them.

Therefore I chose to make this delicious berry cake!

It’s a vanilla butter cake with blueberries baked INSIDE (um giant blueberry muffin cake?) with a – get this – lemon whipped cream, cream cheese frosting, and of course, decorated with more berries.

 

The cake originally comes from Joy the Baker (sensing a theme?), but I upped the berries in the cake and chose a different frosting, and most likely didn’t measure as accurately. I’m sure you could use whatever berries are in season around you, or even something like peaches, although I would be careful how much water your fruit would add to the cake (either macerate the fruit or try adapting with more flour)

Big Berry Birthday Cake

(or giant blueberry muffin cake) 

from Joy the Baker

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

1 3/4 cups granulated sugar

4 large eggs

1 cup milk (the higher the fat, the more delicious)

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped out ( I didn’t use this but it would be SO good)

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 Pint blueberries plus more berries of any type to decorate wtih

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Butter and flour two 8-inch round baking pans WELL and set aside.  DO THIS! Otherwise your muffin-like cake will end up sticking to the pan and you will break it trying to get it out and then you will glue it back together with frosting and then it will break and fall into your boyfriends lap when he is sitting on your very slanted porch. (don’t worry…he caught it and ate it)

Cream the butter and sugar on medium speed for 3 to 5 minutes or until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for one minute after each addition.  

In a small bowl whisk together flour baking powder and salt.  

In a separate small bowl combine the milk, vanilla extract and vanilla seeds (if using).  

Alternate adding the flour mixture and the milk mixture in three batches, starting and ending with the flour.  When the batter is just combined, shut off the mixture and thoroughly incorporate the dough with a rubber spatula. the batter should be this awesome fluffy light texture. DON’T beat it too much. Carefully add in roughly a pint or less (I used about a big handful under) of blueberries, and barely mix in.

Divide the batter between the two pans.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a pale golden color, and a skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.  

Let the cakes cool in the pan for 15 minutes, and continue on a wire rack.  Frost and berry only when cakes are completely cool.  

Lemon-Whipped Cream-Cream Cheese Frosting

1 lemon zested and juiced

1 Pint of whipping or heavy cream

8 oz of cream cheese

1 Tbs of sugar

1 splash of vanilla extract

pinch of salt

In a chilled bowl, beat together all ingredients except for the heavy cream. Once everything is nicely mixed, beat in the cream until stiff (but not too stiff!) peaks form. Chill until ready to frost. (isn’t whipped cream easy?)

To assemble the cake, cut berries (if using something like strawberries to decorate) into pretty slices. Frost bottom layer and cover with berries of choice. Stack top cake layer and cover with remaining frosting. Decorate with berries. Impress everyone with deliciousness!

 

So good! It was summery and wonderful.

Happy birthday Sam!

-Leah