Cooking My Way Update

Best-Ever Cinnamon Rolls

OMG!  These really are the best.  I've never had success with yeast breads and rolls so I stay away.  I've had this recipe in my to-be-tried cookbook for 20 years.  20!  How wacko is that?

So far so good.  They actually raised.

And Voila!  It worked.  Yummy.

4 1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour

1 pkg. active dry yeast

1 cup milk

1/3 cup margarine or butter

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 eggs

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1/2 cup margarine or butter

1 tablespoon half-and-half or light cream

In a large mixer bowl combine 2 1/4 cups of the flour and yeast.

In small saucepan heat the milk, the 1/3 cup margarine, 1/3 cup sugar, and salt just till warm and margarine is almost melted, stirring constantly.  Add to flour mixture.  Add eggs.  Beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping sides of bowl constantly.  Beat on high speed for 3 minutes.  Using a wooden spoon, stir in as much of the remaining 2 1/4 to 2 3/4 cups flour as you can.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface.  Kneed in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately soft dough that is smooth and elastic (3 to 5 minutes total).  Shape into a ball.  Place in a greased bowl, turning once.  Cover; let rise in a warm place till double (about 1 hour).

For filling, combine brown sugar, the 1/4 cup flour, and cinnamon.  Cut in remaining margarine till crumbly; set aside.

Punch dough down.  Turn onto a lightly floured surface.  Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.  Roll the dough into a 12-inch square.

Sprinkle filling over dough square.  Roll up jelly-roll style; pinch edges to seal.  Slice roll into eight 1 1/2-inch pieces.  Arrange dough pieces, cut side up, ina greased 12-inch deep-dish pizza pan or a 13x9x2-inch baking pan.

Cover dough loosely with clear plastic wrap, leaving room for rolls to rise.  Refrigerate dough for 2 to 24 hours.  Uncover and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. (or, for immediate baking, don't chill dough. Instead, cover loosely; let dough rise in a warm place till nearly double, about 45 minutes. THIS IS WHAT I DID).

Break any surface bubbles with a greased toothpick.  Brush dough with half-and-half or light cream. (I used milk).  Bake in a 375 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes or till light brown.  If necessary to prevent overbrowning, cover rolls loosely with foil the last 5 to 10 minutes of baking.  Remove rolls from oven.  Brush again with half-and-half or light cream.  Cool for 1 minute.  Carefully invent cinnamon rolls onto a wire rack.  Cool slightly.  Invert again onto a serving platter.  Serve warm.  Makes 8 rolls.

(source: Better Homes and Gardens, October 1991)

Swiss Fried Potatoes

This recipe introduced me to a new type of cheese: Gruyere.  I've seen it in other recipes but always substituted it for Swiss, it's alternative.  It's good.  This recipe is fairly typical of hash brown style recipes except it calls for boiling potatoes first, which I forgot about.  So I'm glad it tried it because once you boil potatoes the skins come off so easy and I like to leave a little potato on them because you can then fry them separately for another style of hash browns.  Yummy!

4 medium potatoes

1/4 cup margarine or butter

1 small onion, chopped

1/2 cup diced Gruyere or Swiss cheese

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons water

Heat 1 inch salted water (1/2 teaspoon salt to 1 cup water) to boiling.  Add pototatoes.  Heat to boiling; reduce heat.  Cover and cook until tender, 30 to 35 minutes.  Peel and shred potatoes or cut into 1/4-inch strips. (I did the strips).

Heat margarine in skillet until melted.  Add potatoes, onion and cheese.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Cook uncovered over medium heat, turning frequently, until potatoes strat to brown, about 10 minutes. (Add 1 to 2 tablesppons margarine to prevent sticking if necessary).

Press potatoes with spatula to form flat cake; sprinkle with water.  Cover and cook over low heat, without stirring, until bottom is golden brown and crusty, about 10 minutes.  Place inverted platter over skillet, invert potatoes onto platter.

(source: unknown)

Saucy Pork and Peppers

This recipe calls for lime peel and lime juice.  Once completely prepared, that is the only ingredient you taste.  It makes a very juicy and tender pork but the overwhelming flavor of lime is just...too much.  One techinque I learned though is adding brown sugar to oil as you brown and simmer pork.  I've cook ham slices in brown sugar and a little water but never considered doing it with oil and pork.

Maple-Glazed Roast Turkey

The photo of this recipe looks AMAZING; however, when I made it, it looked nothing like the picture.  Sad face.  I was really expecting a strong maple flavor to come through but didn't get it.  Highly disappointed.