A Sweet Combination…Cinnamon Rolls and Rainbows

My husband and I decided that we weren’t getting each other presents this year for Christmas since we were going to be emigrating soon and will be making a lot of big purchases when we get to the States. But I still wanted our Christmas to be special for us. So instead, I decided that I wanted to make us a really yummy breakfast and have something that we don’t normally have.

I came across the Cinnabon Knockoff recipe on La Mia Cucina’s blog (one of the founders of the Daring Bakers Blog Roll which I plan on joining soon once we’re a bit more settled after moving). We don’t have Cinnabon’s in England so I was extremely excited to try this out, but obviously more excited about eating them I have to say this recipe is really close to the original except my rolls didn’t rise so much in the middle for some reason. I’m still new to using yeast.

By the way, I meant to have a picture with the icing on it but I was too hungry by that point and forgot so this is all the food porn you get

Cinnabon Knockoff Cinnamon Rolls

Source: La Mia Cucina

Ingredients:

Rolls:

1 pkg. active dry yeast (1/4 oz. size or 2 1/4 tsp.)
1 c. warm milk (105º to 110º F.)
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/3 c. butter, melted
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
4 c. all-purpose flour

Filling:

1 c. packed brown sugar
2 1/2 TBS. cinnamon
1/3 c. butter, softened

Icing:

1/4 c. (1/2 stick) butter, softened
1/4 c. (2 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 TBS. whole milk or add more to get desired consistency
1/4 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. lemon extract (I omitted this as I didn’t have any)

Directions:

For the rolls, dissolve the yeast in the warm milk in a large bowl. Mix together the sugar, butter, salt & eggs. Add flour and mix well. Knead the dough into a large ball, using your hands lightly dusted with flour. Put in a bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place about an hour or until the dough has doubled in size.

Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough flat until it is approximately 21 inches long and 16 inches wide. It should be about ¼ inch thick. Preheat oven to 400º F.

For the filling, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Spread the softened butter evenly over the surface of the dough, and then sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar evenly over the surface.

Working carefully from the top (a 21 inch side), roll the dough down to the bottom edge. Cut the rolled dough into 1 ¾ inch slices and place 6 at a time, evenly spaced, in a lightly greased baking pan. Let the rolls rise again until doubled in size (about 30 min.). Bake for 10 minutes, or until golden on top. I found that I needed to bake mine for about 20 minutes. They were still too doughy in the middle after baking them for 10 minutes.

While the rolls bake, make the icing by mixing the butter and cream cheese in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed. Add the powdered sugar and mix on low speed until the sugar is incorporated, then add the milk and flavorings. Mix on high speed again until the icing is smooth and fluffy. When the rolls come out of the oven, let them cool for about 10 minutes, then coat generously with the icing.

For a more in-depth step-by-step guide with pictures, definitely check out La Mia Cucina.

And now onto the “currently listening to” section…

I’m really not much of a Radiohead fan, but I have been listening to their new controversial album In Rainbows a lot lately. My husband is a fan so I thought I’d have a listen. It has something for everybody – its funky and jazzy (dare I say danceable?) yet mellow and experimental with a tinge of straight up rock. Check out this silly video for the track “Jigsaw Falling into Place” off the new album. It kinda gives me motion sickness lol

Do You Want to be a Millionaire?

This is the first time I’ve made millionaires’ shortbread and it came out quite well. This recipe is pretty easy to make. Although it needs a bit of patience in between layers. Just make sure each layer has cooled before topping it with the next. Also, make sure to continuously stir the caramel, otherwise it will burn.

These are extremely rich, but the different textures balance out well. The shortbread came out just perfect. It was buttery and crisp, yet light and airy. However, I think next time I’ll make the caramel layer slightly thinner and add a bit more chocolate. But that’s just my preference.

A note about the caramel. There are other ways to make it. I have to admit I was expecting my caramel to be less cloudy looking and more golden brown but I think that’s cause I used light brown sugar instead of dark brown sugar or you can use golden syrup (corn syrup). But it still came out yummy. More of a caramel custard-ey type filling.

Also, I thought since this blog is named after my passion for food and music and since I love to listen to music while I cook, I am going to have a “currently listening to” section to go with each entry. Soooooo…

Currently listening to: Natalie Walker – Urban Angel

Natalie used to be in the downtempo/electronica group Daughter Darling. But has now gone solo and her debut album “Urban Angel” out on Dorado Records has been getting a lot of press and has been licensed to a few hit tv shows like Grey’s Anatomy and Ugly Betty. If you like groups such as Portishead or Zero 7, then Natalie’s album is just for you. Also check out Daughter Darling’s album “Sweet Shadows”.

Now, back to the food!

Millionaires’ Shortbread
Source: “Mary Berry’s Ultimate Cake Book” by Mary Berry. Published by BBC Worldwide, Ltd 2003.

Ingredients:

For the Shortbread:

1 cup of all-purpose flour

1/3 cup of caster sugar

3/4 cup of butter, softened

For the caramel:

1/2 cup of butter

1/2 cup of light brown sugar

2 14 oz cans of condensed milk

For the topping:

1 cup of plain or milk chocolate, broken into pieces

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Lightly grease a 13 x 9 inch baking tray.

To make the shortbread, mix the flour and caster sugar in a bowl. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Knead the mixture together until it forms a dough, then press into the base of the prepared tin. (You might want to use a floured rolling pin to roll the shortbread out. I used a drinking glass since my rolling pin was too long for the tray.) Prick the shortbread lightly with a fork and baked in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until firm to the touch and very lightly browned. Cool in the tin.

To make the caramel, measure the butter, sugar and condensed milk into a pan and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil, stirring all the time, then reduce the heat and simmer very gently, stirring continuously, for about 5 minutes or until the mixture has thickened slightly. Pour over the shortbread and leave to cool.

For the topping, melt the chocolate slowly in a bowl over a pan of hot water. Pour over the cold caramel and leave to set. Cut into squares or bars.