Sinnabons!

OH YES... I said SINnabons!

Ok, so I won't lie... I love to bake.  When I was three years old, I was like an only child, even though I had 2 sisters and a brother.  But because they were much older than I was, they were at school and off with friends most of the time.  SO, like many only-child homes, if a person was trying to find me - they only needed to find my mother.... because surely I would be tucked in behind her knees.

My mother baked our own bread, along with any sweets that we got.   So, while she was making pies from fresh ingredients (blueberry was my favorite and I loved to go pick them too), I was right beside her with a play dough rolling pin.  She believed that you could NEVER re-roll pie dough, so I got her scraps. I started making something her mother had coined as "Johnny Rolls".  I assume because Johnny (whomever that was) loved them.

So I would roll out the pie dough, spread butter on it (with my hand), then sprinkle with a heavy-on-the-cinnamon and sugar mixture.  I would then roll it up and place it in a pan.  I made these since I was 3.  To this day, I love this taste. 

Well, that was until I had a Cinnabon at a mall.  It was so rich, creamy, cinnamony that I was only able to eat 1/2.   But I was spoiled. I went back each day that I was in Raleigh NC to partake of my new-found love.

How LUCKY was I when I discovered that there was a cinnabon in the Scranton PA mall!!!   YUM.  However, the $4.69 +tax price tag made me cringe.  Really?  Is it REALLY worth that?  Oh heck yes.  I love the cinnabon recipe.  

Pillsbury discovered that, like me, many people LOVE that brand.  So they tried to can it up and present it as "just like cinnabon".  Not a fat chance.  Oh yes... I said FAT... because if you partake of a REAL cinnabon - you will be ingesting 24 fat grams (thats 1/3 of a daily value of "good fat"), 730 calories, and 114 carbs.  So, it is definately not an every day treat. 

But sorry Pillsbury, in my opinion, you fell far short.  So I set out to find a recipe that WOULD taste like it.  And I am proud to present a copy cat recipe that is DELISH.  I mean, mouth watering, sugar rush, heavenly, ooooo so amazing recipe. But, it doesnt cut down much on the "bad stuff", sorry.  And being on a quest to live healthier, I have not made these in forever - but wanted to make them recently... not to eat but to share!  So for those of you who got some, feel lucky - I dont give them up easily.  I did make some mini-ones so I could have a taste. 

My dear little (nearly 5 yr old) Abby said to me, "MMMMMM. What did you put in those!" To which my (7yr old going on 30) Emily replied, "Sugar and love". 

She didnt realize how right she was.  This has lots of butter, sugar, and LOTS of love.  This is a labor of love... you must love them to labor for a dessert THIS much... :)  Before I start the recipe tho- you CAN freeze these... so it can be very money saving... or you can make them and take them to a fund raiser, a suffering family, or its a really awesome peace offering.  TRUST me, everyone will LOVE them.  Hey, if you make it... FLAUNT it baby!  And dont be afraid of mess ups... they still taste great.  I messed these up... but they still tasted great.

Your ingredients:

DOUGH

1/4 c luke warm water

1/2 c melted margarine, cooled back to luke warm

1/2 c sugar

3 tsp active dry yeast (or one envelope)

1 cup milk

1 extra large egg, beaten well  (I used egg beaters - just over the line for 1/4 cup) *room temp

2 tsp vanilla (use the GOOD STUFF)

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 1/2 c wheat flour  (add more yeast if you use all wheat)

3 c white flour 

FILLING

1 1/4 c light brown sugar, packed firmly

5 TBSP Cinnamon (invest in a good cinnamon - but cheap stuff works too... DONT SKIMP..)

1/2 c (1stick) melted margarine

ICING

4 oz (1/2 a box) Cream cheese (I like reduced fat) *room temp

1/2 c (1 stick) margarine - softened but NOT melted - take it out when you start and let it sit

1 3/4 c  white powdered sugar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1/8 lemon juice from concentrate (or fresh squeezed if you want to be neurotic)

Ok... so start the dough... you can use a bread machine... just add in the order listed... and stop after the yeast and give it a mix with a spoon... wait a minute, then continue.  Mix on a 2 lb setting.  Be sure your kitchen is warm and free of drafts.

I used a pro-kitchenaid.  I added up to the yeast in the ingredient list above, then mixed with a # 2 setting, then let it rest for 30 seconds.  I added the remaining ingredients and mixed at a #5 speed until a ball formed.  This is a sweet, sticky dough.

I then covered the bowl with plastic wrap and then with a warmed towel.  Let this rest/rise for about 30-45 min.  YOU DO NOT WANT IT TO DOUBLE IN SIZE... You just want a little rise.

While waiting for it to rise, work on the FILLING.

Add all the ingredients to a bowl and mix well.  It will look like this:

After you have it mixed, its VERY important to put it in the refridgerator to become firm again.  I forgot this step and oh what a mess.  Made the next steps impossible.

Next roll out dough.  Put it on a floured surface.  This is also an elastic dough - it will pull back as you roll, do not add TOO much flour... just a little.  Roll it into a rectangle shape. (I have very little counter space so mine is like a square). You want it less 1/4" thick.  This will be LARGE.  You may even wish to make this slightly thinner than I have here...but you do not want "holes" the see through type.

Next, remove the filling and spread it on the dough.  Once evenly spread... spray your rolling pin with non-stick spray and actually "roll" the cinnamon onto the dough.

This is how it should look once it's been refriderated.

Are you getting hungry yet???

***LEAVE ONE INCH CLEAN TO "SEAL" THE BUNS***

Roll tight... I use a roll and tuck method... you want it tightly rolled.  Again, my initial roll in the photo below wasnt as tight as it should be because I forgot to refridge the first batch of filling.  The tighter the roll you make, the easier to cut and the softer your buns are.  Try to get at least 5circles.

 I prefer to place them in a glass dish touching... But my mom always put them in a cupcake pan which works as well.  For the cupcake pan, I did spray them with a baking non-stick spray.

Let the buns rise for about another 30 minutes.  Then place in an oven and bake at 325 for 25 minutes, or until they are LIGHTLY golden brown.

FROSTING TIME!!!!   And yes, Go ahead and take a spoonful of icing and add it to a lick of the cinnamon bowl... you wont regret it. :)

While they are baking, start the frosting.  Again, I used my Kitchenaid, but you can use a hand-held mixer as well.  Don't undermix... the mixing is really needed - I've tried to do this quickly and it doesnt taste the same.

First add cream cheese and margarine.  Beat on low for 5 minutes (yes I said 5 minutes!!) I used setting 2, with the paddle attachment.  Then beat on HIGH for 5 minutes (setting #6).

If you are using a Kitchenaid, switch to the wisk attachment. Then add in the powdered sugar and beat on slow until blended, about a minute.  Then add vanilla and lemon (do NOT leave the lemon out) and blend for one minute on low.  Then beat an additional 5 minutes on HIGH.

No complaining, I told you this was a labor of love, didnt I? 

Your timer should be going off... so remove the pan from the oven, and IMMEDIATELY coat with a generous helping of icing.  It will melt off a bit and ooze all over them. YUM.  Don't bake more than one pan at a time... you want them to evenly cook.

Now that you know my secret, I will have to kill you!  Ok ok, so I wont... but if you reblog, or make them, tell them your Dear friend, Char... gave you her recipe (developed from several attemps) for SINNabons!  Enjoy.

Avocado Pesto Chicken and more

So in January, I made the decision to live healthier. And no, it wasnt a resolution.  I knew that I had left myself go (so to speak), never giving myself the time it took to be healthy because I thought Iwas doing the best thing for my family by giving them 100% of me.

What I learned one day, when I woke tired and achy, was that I was actually cheating my family of precious time with me.  My sister,Kass, whom I love dearly, passed away Feb 21, 2011 from complications of an infection, worsened by out-of-control diabetes.  She was only 44 years old. I promised her I would change and live better.  I'm finally keeping that promise to her.

Ok, so back to deciding to get healthy.  This meant to me, changing the way I ate and adding exercise. Its now March 15 and I have been going strong.  I'll discuss exercise later... for now... food.

I am someone who loves food. I love to taste yummy food and I love to create it. I have never had technique or time to develope technique.  I am not a "cook". But I do like to invent.  Total discloser here:  Inventions are not always edible.

But two weeks ago, I modified a stand by (Pesto chicken) when I realized that I was out of pesto!  Oh the horror... I had company coming to dinner in 2 hrs and my jar of never-fail-pesto was EMPTY.  While panic began to curl my toes, weaken my knees and flip my tummy as it moved upward through my body, my lips allowed an "OH CRAP" to escape my lips.

OK so time to improvise. I couldnt just serve plain, baked chicken. (Eating healthy does not mean that I have to eat bland).  So a quick look around my terribly small kitchen, I noticed 2 avocados on the counter. One very nicely ripe (good and mushy) and one, eh... not so much.   I decided avocado was a gift from the Gods, so it had to make the chicken better!

I mushed the avocado. Ta da! Eh, no.  So I rummaged through my cabinets, feeling very much like Rachel Ray who just seems to always have the PERFECT ingredients at the front of all her cabinets and counters. I grabbed EVOO (see, Im getting savy with the terms... for those of you less experienced inventors - thats Extra Virgin Olive Oil).  Then, I got the idea to make a pesto-like sauce.  I added EVOO. Then, I grabbed my basil from my garden that had been dried and stored.  I crumbled that in the EVOO.  I grabbed some parsley to go too.  OHHH then I remembered the minced garlic. EVERYTHING is better with Garlic!  In went a few spoonfuls.  In putting the garlic back, I  noticed a jar of capers.  For those of you have never experienced capers, I feel for you.  If you like savory - this has to be an item you stock in your kitchen.  They are olive green in color and the size of a pea.  They are very salty. In went a few spoonfuls of capers.

I believe capers were made to go with Feta cheese. MMMM Feta!  (As a friend told me, Feta makes it Betta).   So in went some Fetta.  I cracked some pepper in and mushed away. 

As any good cook would do, I first sniffed it (yum-o), then tried a bite. OH WOW!  This could seriously be a dip if added to some sour cream.  So I layered it on my SAMS Club chicken breast (When I use fresh chicken, almost all of chicken in my house gets a few drips of "Liquid Smoke", a few shakes of sea salt and boiled for a few min.).  Ok, ready to bake right? Wait... heated avocado can turn to brown....(failed invention #2343 has taught me that browned avocado looks like baby poop and NO one finds that appetizing at dinner).  So I grabbed some Hormel Bacon, pre-cooked strips that I keep on hand from Sams.  Emily, my 7 yr old, loves bacon.  The Hormel is already cooked so its a time saver, plus its extra thin so if you are gonna eat bacon -this is the way to go - less fat, calories, etc.

My motto should be Bacon makes it Better!

I dropped a few quick pieces on top and baked it at the standard 350 for 40 min.

OOOOMYGOSHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

It was mouth watering.

You know you have invented something great, when your guest do not really talk until their chicken is gone...and they ask if you have more.   Yep... conversation was very light and I was worried... but then I realized it was because they were inhaling the food. Even my 5 yr old kept asking for "more green stuff". WHAT?!  Little girls should not be asking for GREEN STUFF. Somehow I had, if even for a moment, tipped the scales of justice in the motherhood world.

Oh yes, it really was that good.

Invention # 3253  SUCCESS!

Thank you for viewing my new blog.  I hope to occasionally post things here so that I can share with my friends the exerpiments in life that I was brave enough to try.

Oh, by the way, I am down over 10" and 19lbs.  Due to the amount of exercise Im doing, I am being told that fat weighs less than muscle. All I know, is that my pants walk off me now :) Yippy.  I use Facebook to stay accountable to my workouts, etc... and have told EVERYONE that I am trying to get healthy (and now Im praying the support me if I fail...yikes - in hind sight, what was I THINKING telling everyone). Anyways, I will keep you posted here too.  Healthy or bust, right? Well, technically, I guess that's true. :)