Lemon-Buttermilk Cinnamon Rolls

It's been awhile since I've been on a cinnamon roll binge. There was a time when I was cranking out Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls, Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls, Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls, Cranberry and Eggnog Cinnamon Rolls, Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls, Hot Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls, Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding....I even posted regular, plain ol' Cinnamon Rolls. Then came a vacation from cinnamon rolls. Oh, there were other binges in the meantime...muffins, all things sweet potato, waffles....but nothing quite as satisfying or as fun as cinnamon rolls. Now, just when you thought you'd never see another cinnamon roll out of me, I've become obsessed once again.

It all started a couple of weeks ago when I made a batch of cinnamon rolls for work. They were such a success that I decided on another batch, this time swapping out the milk for buttermilk and the orange frosting for lemon. To. Die. For. Who knew that buttermilk could make such a difference?!

The beginning of a beautiful thing.....

Of course I didn't stop at Lemon-Buttermilk Cinnamon Rolls. No, I went one further. Blueberries. I added blueberries and created the best cinnamon rolls ever. At least until I come up with another combination....

Lemon-Buttermilk Cinnamon Rolls

Butter, sugar, cinnamon, more butter, more sugar...these cinnamon rolls may the the best ever!

Ingredients

• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 (.25 ounce) package instant yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
• 1 egg, room temperature, slightly beaten
• 3 1/4 cups to 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups fresh blueberries, optional
• Frosting:
• 2 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1 tablespoon butter, softened
• 2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon peel
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Instructions

1. Heat the buttermilk, 1/4 cup butter, and 1/4 cup sugar in a small saucepan until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool until the temperature is between 110 and 120 degrees F. (bathwater warm).
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the milk mixture with the yeast, egg, 2 cups of the flour, and the salt. Beat well. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the dough has just pulled together, turn it onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 7 minutes. (Alternately, just use the dough hook on your mixer and let the mixer knead the dough for about 5 minutes).
3. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, turning it once. Cover the bowl with a clean damp towel and allow the dough to rise in a draft-free area until it is doubled in size, about 1 hour. In the meantime, mix together the brown sugar, cinnamon, and softened butter in a small bowl.
4. Gently deflate the dough and let it rest for 5 minutes. Roll out the dough into a 12x9-inch rectangle. Spread the dough with the cinnamon/sugar mixture. Sprinkle the blueberries over the top, if desired.
5. Starting from the long end, roll up the dough and pinch the seam closed. Cut into 12 equal sized pieces and place into a greased 9x13-inch pan. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. While the rolls are rising, preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
6. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and frost while still warm.
7. For the frosting, beat the cream cheese and the butter in a medium bowl. Add the lemon peel and the lemon juice, blending until smooth. Slowly add the powdered sugar and beat to desired consistency, adding additional lemon juice if needed.

Blueberries are an easy addition.

Go ahead and double the frosting recipe if you like lots.

Perfection.....

What should my next flavor be?

I'll admit I haven't been posting with any regularity at all lately. This is largely due to the fact that I'm trying to lose weight and get into better shape. So, while I'm sure you all appreciate an occasional healthy recipe, I'm fairly certain it's the decadent ones that get the attention.

That said, I'm excited that plenty of gorgeous berries are back in the picture! They are so very healthy on their own and mixed into other good stuff, like yogurt and oatmeal.

As you can see, I like a little oatmeal with my fruit...

Awhile back, I found a recipe via Pinterest for a Blueberry-Buttermilk Breakfast Cake. It's perfect for a little weekend treat and I'm sure you could sub any kind of berry.  I've made it a couple of times...once with a little lemon glaze and once with a crunchy, sugary topping. They are both awesome! Not health food, by any means...but not horribly decadent, either. A beautiful compromise, yes? And I daresay, it's not just for breakfast...let's just call it a Tea Cake....

If you prefer, skip the icing and sprinkle a tablespoon of sugar over the batter before baking.

Blueberry-Lemon Tea Cake

Adapted from Alexandra's Kitchen

Swap the blueberries for raspberries or blackberries...anyway you like it, this cake is easy and addictive!

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups all purpose flour, divided
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.; spray a 9" square pan with cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, mix the sugar with the lemon zest until well-incorporated. Add the butter and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and the vanilla.
3. Whisk together 1 3/4 cups of the flour with the baking powder and the salt. Toss the blueberries with the remaining 1/4 cup flour and set aside.
4. Stir the flour mixture into the batter 1/3 at a time, alternating with the buttermilk. Fold in the blueberries.
5. Spread the batter into the pan. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes.
6. Mix together the powdered sugar and enough lemon juice to make a drizzling consistency. Drizzle over warm cake.

I loved the extra lemon-y flavor from the lemon icing.

Which berry would you use?

Guess what? July is Blueberry Month! But, I'm not done with rhubarb yet, so  I've combined it with blueberries. You heard it right. I combined rhubarb with blueberries. One of the finest fruits that exist. Want to know how I did this? Just take a look see....

I'm a little tired of the strawberry/rhubarb combo...how about you?

Blueberry-Rhubarb Pie

Blueberries and rhubarb combine to make the best pie ever!

Ingredients

• 2 cups blueberries
• 2 cups chopped rhubarb
• 1/4 cup flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
• 1 tablespoon grated orange peel
• 2 tablespoons butter
• pie dough for a 2 crust pie
• 1 egg yolk
• 1-2 tablespoons sparkling sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Combine blueberries and rhubarb in a large bowl.
2. Stir together the flour, sugar, cardamom, and orange peel. Fold into the blueberries and rhubarb.
3. Line a 9-inch pie plate with one of the pie crusts. Pour the berry/rhubarb mixture into the crust. Dot with the butter. Top with the remaining pie crust (cut a few holes in the crust to vent).
4. Beat the egg yolk with 1-2 teaspoons of water. Lightly brush the top of the pie crust with the yolk. Sprinkle with the sparkling sugar.
5. Bake for pie for 15 minutes, then reduce temperature to 350 degrees F. Bake for another 30 to 40 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the fruit is bubbling. Use foil or a pie shield half way through baking to avoid over-browning.

Yield: one pie
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 20 mins.

Cook time: 00 hrs. 50 mins.
Total time: 70 mins.
Tags: pie, blueberries, rhubarb, crust

The orange zest adds a little something...

I'll confess--I used a refrigerated pie crust--just brush it with the egg yolk and add some sparkling sugar...no one will know.

You might want to wait a little longer than I did to dig in...it was a little juicy...but sooo good!

How do you use Blueberries?

Blueberry Bread and Butter Pudding....#improv

Welcome to the February edition of the Monthly Improv Challenge, hosted by Kristen of Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker . For the uninformed, the Improv Challenge is a monthly party where everyone uses the same two ingredients in different wild and crazy ways. This month's theme is Bread and Butter---how fun is that?!!

Before you get too excited, I didn't get very wild and crazy this month. Rather, I went for some good old comfort food.

How many of you have had extremely poor weather lately?--raise your hands. Yup--I thought so. One of the best ways I know of to soothe the weather blues is to make comfort food. Pudding made out of bread is one of the best comfort foods I know, so that's what I made. Bread and Butter Pudding. With blueberries. And it was wonderful.

Blueberry Bread and Butter Pudding

Printable Recipe

1 loaf thin sliced, firm white bread, 16-18 slices (I used Pepperidge Farm White Sandwich Bread)

1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/3 cup blueberry jam

1 cup blueberries

6 eggs

3 cups milk

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees; spray a 9X13 casserole dish with cooking spray.

Spread half of the bread slices with about a teaspoon of butter and a teaspoon of jam. Top the buttered bread with an unbuttered slice. Cut each sandwich in half, diagonally. 

Arrange the sandwich halves evenly in the casserole dish, standing some upright, if needed. Sprinkle the blueberries over the bread.

My casserole dish is slightly smaller than 9X13, so I had to stand up some of the sandwich halves....

Whisk together the eggs, milk, sugar, nutmeg, and vanilla; pour evenly over the sandwich halves. Let the mixture sit for about 20 minutes to allow the eggs/milk to soak into the bread.

Bake for 50-55 minutes or until the custard is set. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve warm or cold.

Simple. Awesome. Comfort.

The only thing that would have made this better would have been some warm blueberry sauce. Alas, I did not make any, but this recipe looks good: Warm Blueberry Sauce. Make it and let me know how it is. In the mean time, check out what everyone else is making with Bread and Butter.

An InLinkz Link-up

Easy Peach and Blueberry Galette

It's been so hot and humid in Minnesota the last few days that it is hard to imagine that Autumn is nearly upon us. One telling sign, though, is the sound of acorns falling on the roof. It is literally raining acorns in our yard. Actually, I don't think I've ever seen so many acorns. What's up with that? It must have to do with the strange weather pattern this Summer....hot, cool, hot, cool...sheesh.

Amazingly, as soon as I wrote "hot and humid", it cooled down to 60 degrees. I will welcome pumpkin season, but not just yet. Shoot...there are still some good peaches to be had! I found a couple in the fridge that had to be dealt with and came up with this very quick and easy galette.

Ok..I'll admit that this is the same formula as my Pillsbury Bake-Off recipe...fruit, jam, pie crust..so easy!

Peach and Blueberry Galette

Printable Recipe

Make it easy, but elegant, with this Peach and Blueberry Galette.

Ingredients

• 1 refrigerated pie crust, softened per package directions
• 1/2 cup reduced sugar apricot preserves
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 medium peaches, peeled and sliced
• 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
• 1 egg yolk
• 1-2 tablespoons sparkling sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.; line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Unroll the pie crust on the pan. In a medium bowl, stir together the jam, flour, and cinnamon. Carefully, fold in the peaches and the blueberries. Spoon mixture onto the crust within 2 inches from the edge. Fold edge of crust over filling, pleating as necessary. In a small bowl, beat the egg yolk with two teaspoons of water. Lightly brush crust edge with the egg mixture; sprinkle with sugar.
3. Bake for 17 to 23 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbling. Cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Prep Time: 00 hrs. 10 mins.

Cook time: 00 hrs. 23 mins.
Total time: 33 mins.
Tags: blueberries, peaches, easy, summer, dessert, pie crust, sparkling sugar, tart, galette, crostata

Love the sparkly sugar....

It's hard to beat a Pillsbury pie crust when you need something quick...I keep them in the fridge for that very reason. Go ahead and try some different fruits and jam...the combinations are endless. Raspberries, strawberries, blackberries....they are all good!

What's your favorite end of Summer fruit?

Orange Cardamom Blueberry Crostata

WooHoo! I done did it! Well---almost. You are looking at a semifinalist finalist (!) in the 46th Pillsbury Bake-Off®! Have you heard of this contest? It is probably the most famous cooking/baking contest in the history of cooking/baking contests. No lie. Take a look at this:

This year's contest is a little different from before....the public gets to vote on the recipes! Pillsbury actually chose 60 recipes in this round of Simple Sweets and Starters, but only 34 of us will get to go to the finals. One thing that hasn't changed is that the grand prize is still $1 MILLION. You heard right. I said $1 MILLION. Before I beg for your vote, let me tell you a little bit about my recipe.....

The theme this year is simple. We can only use a maximum of seven ingredients, two of which have to come from the Pillsbury list. Regular table salt, pepper, and water are free. Oh...and prep time is limited to under 30 minutes, not including baking or cooling time. Whew. Tricky stuff, but not really so hard.

One of my favorite Pillsbury products is the pie crust. Seriously, I always have a box or two in the fridge. I do know how to make my own pie crust, but I don't always have the time. Plus, it's a lot less messy to roll out a Pillsbury crust. I'm all for less messy....so that's what I started with.

Start out by softening the crust for a few minutes, just like the package says. Then roll it out onto a parchment lined baking pan. Oh...and set the oven temperature to 425 degrees.

Next, measure out 1/2 cup of Smucker's Orchard's Finest Pacific Grove Orange Marmalade Medley (Have you tried this stuff? Wow...it's so good!) into a medium sized bowl.  Then, stir in 2 tablespoons of flour and 1/4 teaspoon cardamom.

Blueberries might just be my favorite fruit....

Carefully fold 2 cups of fresh blueberries into the preserves......

......and spoon it all in the middle of the pie crust dough, leaving a 2" edge.

Next, fold the crust over the filling, pleating the dough as necessary. 

Slightly beat one egg yolk with a couple teaspoons of water and lightly brush it over the edges of the crust. A sprinkle of sparkly, coarse sugar is the finishing touch. Who doesn't like sparkly?

Bake the crostata for 17 to 23 minutes or until the edges are browned and the filling is bubbly. Cool for a least 30 minutes.

How's that for a quick dessert that is fit for company? I think you need to go vote right now, don't you? You can get a printable recipe and show your support by visiting BakeOff.com. You will need to register and there is only one vote per recipe. If you see another recipe you like, go ahead and vote for that, too. Voting is open until 11:59 a.m. CST on June 27, 2013. Feeling inspired? On July 4, you can enter your own recipe into the Quick Rise and Shine Breakfasts category.

Update: This girl is meeting the Doughboy in Sin City---I'll keep you all posted!

Berry Baked Oatmeal

I was struck with the Pinterest bug again....this time a beautiful picture of oatmeal (!) worked its magic on me. Now, I've always been an oatmeal fan, but beautiful oatmeal? Seriously? Yes--when it's mixed up with  fruit and nuts and baked to perfection. This is my new favorite thing, and the kicker? It's healthy!

Toasted walnuts give this dish great flavor and texture.

Before I get to the recipe that I eventually used, let's give a little shout out to the blog that started this new obsession of mine. Thanks go to So, How's It Taste? for the gorgeous picture that turned me on to this idea that apparently started with the Amish (they know how to cook!). I looked around, of course, and found similar baked oatmeal recipes all over the blog-o-sphere, some healthy and some bordering on dessert. I actually tried different versions and found that all of them turned out to be tasty...this is definitely something that can be adapted to your own taste. In the end, I chose the healthier route, in part because a recent visit to my doctor revealed some icky cholesterol levels, but mainly because the taste is in no way compromised by using a healthier version.

Berry Baked Oatmeal

Printable Recipe

2 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

a pinch of salt

2 cups skim milk

1 large egg, slightly beaten

1 tablespoon coconut oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 ripe bananas, sliced

1 1/2 cups raspberries or blueberries

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.; spray a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, 1/4 cup of the walnuts, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.

In another bowl, or in a large measuring cup, mix together the milk, egg, coconut oil, and vanilla.

Distribute the sliced bananas evenly on the bottom of the casserole dish.

Sprinkle two-thirds of the berries over the top of the bananas. Cover the fruit with the oatmeal mixture. Evenly pour the milk mixture over the oats, then tap the dish gently on the counter to distribute the liquid.

Sprinkle the remaining walnuts and berries over the top of the oatmeal. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the top is golden and the mixture is set. Serve warm with a splash of milk, if desired.

As I mentioned, one of the great things about this recipe is how easily adaptable it is. If you want to cut out the sugar, but like the sweetness, simply substitute 1/3 cup sugar-free maple syrup for the brown sugar (add it to the liquid mixture instead of to the oats). I've also subbed steel cut oats for the rolled oats--it was fine, but the texture was definitely more chewy. Don't have coconut oil? Use butter or just cut it out completely. I've done both and it's all good.

So, there you have it....baked oatmeal. Fancy enough to serve to your guests, but easy and versatile enough to bake ahead and portion out for your own breakfast during the week. I highly recommend it.