Buttercream Barbie: Fluffy Buttermilk Cinnamon Rolls

Fluffy Buttermilk Cinnamon Rolls

Makes 12

2 cups buttermilk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup sugar

1 tbsp active dry yeast or 1 pkg.

4 1/2 cups all purpose flour (divided)

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Filling (combine first 4 ingredients)

3/4 cup light brown sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

Pinch of table salt

1 cup chopped pecans

2 tablespoons butter, softened

  1. Mix the buttermilk, vegetable oil and sugar in a saucepan and heat on the stove until lukewarm (105-110 degrees). Remove from heat then stir in dry yeast. Let this mixture sit for a few minutes to let the yeast bloom.
  2. Add 4 (of the 4 1/2 cups) of flour to the buttermilk mixture and stir well (no need to knead, just mix well). Dough at this stage will be extremely sticky and more like a thick batter. Cover dough with plastic wrap and let it sit in a warm place for an hour.
  3. In a small, separate bowl, mix the final 1/2 cup of flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. After the sticky dough has rested/raised for an hour, stir it down and add this final half cup flour mixture. Mix until well incorporated – this just takes a minute.

  4. Turn batter (which will still be quite soft and sticky) out onto WELL-floured counter and roll the dough around a few times, coating the surface with flour so it is not so sticky. Roll (or pat) dough out into a rectangle that is about 1/2″ thick. Spread dough surface with 2 tablespoons butter then evenly spread on the filling ingredients and top with nuts (pat the nuts into the sugar a little). Roll up, jellyroll style, keeping it as tight as you can. Pinch the seam shut tightly. Cut into 1 1/2″ slices and lay them, cut side down, in a greased 9×13 baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 30 minutes.

  5. Bake in pre-heated 375 degree F oven for about 20 minutes or until golden and sound hollow when you tap on them. Drizzle with a simple icing sugar/milk glaze while still warm.

via Buttercream Barbie: Fluffy Buttermilk Cinnamon Rolls .

Buttercream Barbie: Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls

Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls

Makes 12 | adapted from Cooking Classy

3 very ripe bananas

1 tsp lemon juice

2/3 cup milk

3 Tbsp butter, diced

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 large egg yolk

3 3/4 cups bread flour, divided

1 Tbsp cornstarch

3/4 tsp baking powder

6 Tbsp butter, melted

3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Cream Cheese Frosting

6 oz. cream cheese, softened

6 Tbsp butter, softened

2 1/4 cups powdered sugar

2 – 3 tsp milk

Rolls

  1. Puree bananas in a food processor with 1 tsp lemon juice until mixture is smooth and no chunks remain, set aside (you should have just over 1 1/3 cups pureed bananas).
  2. Heat milk and 3 Tbsp butter in a small saucepan over medium low heat. Cook stirring occasionally until butter has melted. Remove from heat and pour mixture into the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Whisk in vegetable oil and allow mixture to cool to 110 degrees F. Whisk in yeast, stirring until dissolved and allow to rest 5 minutes. With the paddle attachment, mix in granulated sugar, salt, egg yolk, 2 cups bread flour and pureed bananas. Switch mixer to a hook attachment, add 1 1/2 cups bread flour and sprinkle in cornstarch, then knead mixture on medium low speed until a smooth and elastic dough forms (dough will be sticky). Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
  3. In a small bowl whisk together light-brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and nuts (if using). Set aside. In a separate small bowl, whisk together remaining 1/4 cup bread flour and baking powder. Return bowl with dough to electric stand mixer, pour in flour/baking powder mixture and knead dough with hook attachment until mixture is well blended and smooth. Roll dough out on a floured surface (dough should be slightly sticky so I floured the surface fairly generously) to a 16 x 20 inch rectangle. Using the back of a spoon, spread 6 Tbsp melted butter evenly over the top of the dough. Sprinkle top evenly with brown sugar mixture and spread into an even layer, coming within a 1/2 inch of all edges.

  4. Starting on the 16″ side, snugly roll dough to opposite end. Cut rolled dough into 12 equal pieces. Arrange rolls in a buttered 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Cover baking dish and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (I do this during the last 10 minutes of rising) and bake rolls in preheated oven for 22 – 26 minutes until golden. Cool slightly then frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

  1. In a large mixing bowl, using an electric and mixer, whip together cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Pour in milk and mix until well blended.

via Buttercream Barbie: Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls .

Zack Says Hi

My nephew, Zack, says Hi. He was looking over my shoulder a few minutes ago. Likes to see his name come up on my blog and has been known to count how many times he gets mentioned.

Zack is all of 13 now. Zack is getting a few zits, I bug him to wash his face more. Today Zack helped me cook dinner. Zack played a hockey computer game with Simon, who lives in the apartment downstairs. Zack helped us unload his Grandmother’s concrete bricks from the trunk of her Honda Accord which my brother Graham says is her pick-up truck because she treats it like one.

Zack is having vegetable soup now. His half-way to midnight snack. Zack has been going through a hungry stage this weekend. I’ve checked for gnawing on the furniture but so far we have had enough food to keep him away from the wood. We are going out for breakfast with Zack tomorrow and will pick up more groceries then too.

If you are thinking Zack is like a mutant hampster to be gnawing on wood… you are wrong. He is far too big to ever be confused with a hampster or guinea pig or other such pet rodent. Right now Zack is probably trying to get Maple Story to load again. It has been freezing and stalling the whole weekend but he keeps trying. I think Zack has more patience than I do, at least when it comes to a computer game.

Good night Zack. It’s 10:30 now, shouldn’t you be getting your shower and going to bed?

Sunday Stealing Meme

SundayStealing

My favorite age: The current age. As much as I like castles and drooling over weird and sexy space creatures I think I’m best to be right where I am.

My best friend(s): I don’t keep friends very long.

My celebrity crush: Keanu Reeves, for his mind.

My defining characteristic: My neck, it saves me from having to carry my head around. (A Halloween moment).

My most evil moment: Evil?… Me? You must be dreaming.

My favorite food: really good ice cream.

My grossest injury: A nail through my foot.

My biggest hatred: People who think they are superior to the rest of the masses.

My most illegal activity: Shoplifting. It was a long time ago.

My need for justice: Only if Justice is really cute and brings me flowers.

My most knowledgeable field: I’m sure I could grow a field of mint. It’s pretty easy.

My life’s goal: I’m just not that organized.

My mother’s influence: Constant and enduring.

My nerdiest point: In spite of everything I’m still optimistic.

My oldest memory: Sitting on a swing set by myself at school in Kincardine, Ontario. I think it would have been preschool age. It was another year or more before I found the co-ordination to make the swing go anywhere.

My perfect date: I’ve given up on that one. I’d settle for good conversation with a guy who isn’t just a walking penis.

My unanswered question: Which one?

My random fact: I miss being 42 cause for one year I was the answer to life, the universe and everything.

My stupidest decision: Hard to pick just one. Yet I stand by even my lamest moments cause I was making the best decision I could at the time.

My favorite television show: Maybe Doctor Who these days. I used to love Gilmore Girls but it’s off the air now.

My style of underwear: Cotton and pretty.

My favorite vegetable: Raw carrots.

My weakest trait: The feeling of powerlessness.

My X-men power: Invisibility and/ or shapeshifting. Time travel would be a nice side too.

My strongest yearning: Money and lots of it, enough to never have to worry about it again.

My moment of Zen: I don’t have any of those. I’m just too wicked I guess.