Cinnamon Rolls

Pioneer Woman’s Cinnamon Rolls
Adapted from https://www.savingdessert.com/pioneer-womans-cinnamon-rolls/

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
1 d 2 hrs 15 mins

Makes 3 pans
Ingredients

For the cinnamon rolls:
2 cups whole milk
½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup granulated sugar
1 (.25 ounce) package Active Dry Yeast
4 ½ cups all-purpose flour, separated
½ teaspoon (heaping) baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

For the filling:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted for greasing pans
15 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
⅔ cups granulated sugar
3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons cardamom

For the frosting:
8 ounces powdered sugar, sifted (1 cup)
4 oz. cream cheese
½ teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon strong brewed coffee
pinch of salt

Instructions
To make the dough:
Mix the milk, vegetable oil and sugar in a small sauce pan. Warm over medium heat just until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture reaches 95-100 F (lukewarm) on an instant read thermometer. Remove from the heat and pour into a large mixing bowl. Cool, if needed, until the milk reaches 95° to 100° F on an instant read thermometer.

Sprinkle the yeast over the lukewarm milk mixture and set aside for 5-10 minutes. Add 4 cups of the flour and stir until combined (you can do this by hand with a wooden spoon or use the dough hook of a stand mixer). Cover and let rise for one hour in a warm location. The mixture should be bubbly and puffed.
In a small bowl or 1 cup measure, combine the remaining ½ cup of flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir together until blended. Add the flour mixture to the dough and mix until all flour is incorporated. Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight, or for a day or two, if desired. If rising for more than a day, watch the dough and punch down if needed to prevent overflowing.

To make the cinnamon rolls:
Grease 3 (9-inch) cake pans with melted butter, set aside.
Heavily flour a large, clean work surface. Lightly punch down the dough and scrape out onto the countertop. Using floured hands, and a floured rolling pin, press and roll the dough into a rectangle at least 30-inches wide and about 18 to 20-inches deep. The dough will be very thin.
Brush 12 tablespoons of melted butter over the surface of the dough, leaving a 1-inch border along the 30-inch side farthest away from you.
Sprinkle ⅔ cup of sugar over the butter layer, followed by the ground cinnamon and cardamom.

Roll the dough into a log starting at the 30-inch side closest to you. Gently pull the dough toward you, then tuck and roll, and repeat, keeping it pretty tight as you go. Next, pinch the seams to seal.
Using a ruler as a guide, cut the rolls into (30) 1-inch slices. You can use a large, thin, sharp knife to cut the rolls, or a long piece of dental floss works very well, too. Place the rolls, cut side down, into the prepared pans.

Preheat oven to 375° F.

Let the rolls rise in a warm location for 30 to 40 minutes. Once risen, the unbaked rolls should be puffed and smooth. To ensure the rolls have risen properly, gently press the edge of a roll with a knuckle. If the dough does not quickly and completely fill back into the depression, the rolls are ready. Bake at 375° F until light golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Transfer the pans to a rack to cool while preparing the frosting.

To make the frosting:
Using an electric mixer or whisk, combine the frosting ingredients and blend until smooth. The frosting should be thick, but pourable. Generously drizzle over the warm rolls. Feel free to go little crazy and don’t skimp on the frosting. Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
Recipe adapted from Pioneer Woman.



Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. For best results bring the chilled rolls to room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
Unfrosted rolls may be kept at room temperature and frozen.

Sourdough bread and how to feed sourdough starter

Information about how to feed your sourdough starter. 
https://homesteadandchill.com/how-to-feed-sourdough-starter/

What works for me- Once a week, pull the sourdough starter out of the fridge in the morning and let it come to room temperature on the counter. Discard a portion of your starter before feeding. The discarded sourdough can be made into crackers or composted. Now for the 1/4 cup or the 1/2 cup of starter that remains I add 1 cup of flour and 1 cup of warm water to the starter and mix it together. I place a rubber band around the outside of the jar to mark how much starter is in the jar and helps you visualize when your starter has doubled after being fed. I often put my starter jar on a rack in my instant pot on the yogurt setting for a few hours to speed up the doubling process. 



Easy Sourdough Artisan Bread Recipe
Recipe from https://anoregoncottage.com/easy-sourdough-artisan-bread/

An easy artisan sourdough bread that is mixed up in the morning and baked in an enamel pot for a perfect crust and chewy interior.

Ingredients
3 cups flour white whole wheat, whole wheat, unbleached, or a combo
1 ¼ cups warm water*
3/4 cup active sourdough starter 75%-100% hydration (I prefer 75%)
1 tablespoon honey
1 ½ teaspoons salt

Instructions
Mix all ingredients together in the bowl of a stand mixer (or large mixing bowl) just until combined and then let sit for 15 minutes.
Using a dough hook, knead for 5 minutes. If making by hand, knead for 8 to 10 minutes.
Transfer to a medium-sized bowl, lightly coated with oil. Cover with plastic and let rise for 3 hours, turning and folding the dough once or twice.
Remove dough, turn and fold again, and place it back in the bowl, seam-side up. Let rise for another 2 hours.
After the second rise, place a square of parchment on a cookie sheet and gently shape the dough into a ball or oval (using lots of flour, as the dough is moist) and set on the parchment. Make sure there's a good coating of flour on the top, as this will make slicing the top later easier. TIP: I often shape the dough in a small skillet to keep the edges from spreading as much as a cookie sheet.
While the shaped dough is resting, set an enameled, cast iron dutch oven into a cold oven and turn heat to 450 degrees (alternately, you can use a baking stone), and set the timer for 40 minutes.
When the timer goes off, slash the top of the loaf with a serrated knife (in 2-3 places) and transfer it to the hot pot (or stone) by holding the edges of the parchment to gently lower into the pot (the bread will bake while on the parchment).
Replace the hot lid and bake for 12-15 minutes. Remove the lid and continue baking for another 13-15 minutes, until golden brown.
Remove to a wire rack to cool at least 30 minutes before cutting.

Notes
*You may need less if your starter is wetter- mine is a 100% hydration starter, fed an equal ratio of flour to water.
Slicing Tip: if you don't have a good serrated knife, try using an electric knife to easily slice through crusty artisan bread. It works like a charm and even cuts through warm breads without squishing the crusts like regular knives do.

Instant Pot Spaghetti

This is THE BEST SPAGHETTI I have ever had. Cooking the spaghetti in the sauce allows for it to have flavor.

Recipe from here

Ingredients
1 pound lean ground turkey or ground beef or ground Italian sausage
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 cups water
8 ounces uncooked whole wheat or regular spaghetti
25 ounce jar marinara sauce see note below


Instructions

• Turn Instant Pot to saute mode and add the ground turkey or ground beef. Cook, crumbling with a spoon, until browned. Turn Instant Pot off.
• Add the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, pepper and water. Stir until well combined, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
• Break the spaghetti noodles in half and lay them in the pot in about 6 parts, with each part laying in a different direction (this is to prevent the spaghetti from sticking together).
• Pour the marinara sauce over the spaghetti. Do not stir.
• Seal Instant Pot lid and turn the steam valve to the sealing position.
• Cook at high pressure/manual for 5 minutes if using whole wheat spaghetti with a package cook time of 7-9 minutes. Cook at high pressure/manual for 7 minutes if using regular white spaghetti with a package cook time of 9-11 minutes.
• Do a quick release (carefully turn the steam valve to the venting position using the handle of a long spoon and wait for all of the steam to escape and the pin to drop down).
• Remove lid, stir. You will see some liquid in the pot. This will absorb after just a few minutes. Wait for 3-5 minutes and then serve.
• Notes
• Use a good quality marinara sauce that you love the flavor of, as that will impact the flavor of the finished dish.
• If you want vegetarian spaghetti, leave out the meat and skip the saute step. Put the water in the pot, followed by the seasonings. Then add the spaghetti as directed in the recipe. Pour the sauce over the top of the spaghetti and do not stir. Pressure cook as directed in the recipe.

Cold Start Yogurt Instant Pot

Ingredients

• 52 ounce Fairlife Milk (Ultra-filtered & Ultra-Pasteurized)
• 2 Tablespoon Fage Greek Yogurt (plain)
• 1/2 can Sweetened Condensed Milk

Directions

• Pour a small amount (approx. 1-2 cups) of milk in the bottom of the container and add the yogurt and the condensed milk to the pot.  Whisk until all the milk, yogurt and milk are completely combined.  Once combined add the remaining milk to the pot.
• You do not need to add the top of the pot to the container.  I place a splatter shield over the top. Push the yogurt button and set the time to 8 hours and make sure the setting says "Normal." I like to make yogurt at the end of the night so in the morning the yogurt is ready to go.
• Once the cycle is completed take a paper towel to the top of the yogurt and the sides of the bowl to absorb the condensation. 
• Place the yogurt into smaller containers and chill for multiple hours.  You can serve with jam or fruit.

Sous Vide Corn on the Cob

Who doesn't love corn on the cob?  It is the first thing I crave every summer.  I used to boil my corn or put it on the grill. When I got my Mellow I tried to sous vide corn.  I have never looked back!  It is a super simple recipe.


Take 2-3 corn cobs without the husks and place in a vacuum seal bag.  Add a tablespoon of butter to the bag and place in the vacuum sealer to remove the air out.  Cook the cobs on the sous vide machine for one hour at 180 degrees for one hour.  Remove the corn from the bag and butter as needed.

Franken Turkey Chicken Sous Vide Thanksgiving

**When you buy a turkey for Thanksgiving make sure you don't buy a quadriplegic turkey.  Otherwise, you will have to go out shopping for Chicken thighs and wings so make a whole franken bird.

This isn't a full recipe for anyone else other than me so I can remember how I did this again for next year.  Never make turkey any other way!!!!!!

Step one- Spatchcock turkey 2 days in advance. Separate wings and drum sticks. Salt rub the bird with salt, poultry seasoning and pepper. Optional- add sage leaves to the bottom side of the bird.  Place in a vacuum seal bag and seal. Seal dark meat separately.

Step two- Set the sous vide machine to 151 degrees.

Step three- put dark meat (legs and wings) in the sous vide for 6 hours. Take out and place in ice bath. Place in Fridge

Step four- Adjust the temperature to 143.5 degrees. When the desired temperature is reached add the breast for 4 hours. Place in ice bath and into the fridge when done.

Step 5- Thanksgiving day.  Reheat sous vide to 143.5 and reheat both white and dark meat for 40 minutes.

Step 6- When done. Remove from bags and save the drippings for gravy. Brush the turkey with butter and place on a rack with a cookie sheet underneath.

Step 7- Roast in the oven at 450 degrees for 10 minutes.  Pull out when you have reached the desired color.


Make this gravy

Ingredients

• 4 cups turkey broth
• ½ cup unsalted butter
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper

Instructions

Pour turkey broth into a medium saucepan and heat until warm.NOTE: You don't have to bring the broth to a boil just until steamy and warm. In a large skillet melt the butter. Sprinkle the flour over the butter and whisk together. Continue cooking and whisking until the flour has become brown. Add warm broth a ladle at a time to the flour mixture whisking as you go. TIP: Make the gravy thinner than you want because when the gravy cools it will thicken up. Or if you're making the gravy ahead of time save some of the broth for when you re heat the gravy. Add salt and pepper.

Gluten-Free Churros

I had an amazing extended weekend at the Oregon Coast recently and we celebrated a great friend's birthday.  She has a childhood story about her experiences with churros and I wanted to make her a gluten-free version of these crunchy dough delights.  You couldn't tell they were gluten-free!

Gluten-Free Churros

This place is so relaxing and we will be back!

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 4 minutes
Total Time: 30- 45 minutes to make the entire recipe
Yield: approximately 25 churros, depending on size

INGREDIENTS
1 cup + 2 Tbs. milk of choice
7 Tbs. butter
½ tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour(I used Bob Mills 1:1)
1 tsp baking powder
1 ½ Tbs sugar
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp cinnamon
2 eggs
Mild, high heat oil, for frying
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
½ cup sugar


INSTRUCTIONS
Whisk the Flour in a large mixing bowl with baking powder, salt, cinnamon and 1 ½ tablespoons sugar.

Heat milk together with the butter (cut the butter into smaller pieces before adding to help them melt faster) in a large saucepan on the stove. Heat gently and as soon as the mixture boils, remove from heat.

Pour mixture into large mixing bowl with flour. Stir until combined, either with a wooden spoon or using an electric mixer.

Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then add eggs or substitute, one at a time with vanilla, mixing until incorporated. The dough should be thick and sticky with air pockets but not so thick that it cannot be piped through the bag. If it is too thick, add more milk, 2 tablespoons at a time.

At this point, the batter may be fried or covered to rest in the refrigerator for up to 24 hrs.

Fill a deep saucepan (at least 12 inches wide) with three inches of oil. Heat until it reaches 350°F on a candy thermometer. Cover a wire rack or tray with paper towels.

In a small bowl, mix the remaining sugar and cinnamon.

Fit a 1M star tip to a piping bag or a large plastic bag and cut the corner out to fit the tip.

Fill with the dough, then pipe directly into the pan, cutting off each dough strip with a knife.

Fry until light brown and crisp – approximately 1-2 minutes per side — then remove with a slotted spoon and drain on the paper towel-covered rack.

Pipe more churros into the oil and then transfer the cooked churros to a tray with the sugar and cinnamon mixture. Toss gently then remove to parchment to finish cooling.

Recipe from gfjules.com