Buttery Cinnamon Rolls

Soft, buttery, sweet and soaked in cinnamon goodness. Here it is, simple yet so gorgeous cinnamon rolls.

Add this comforting warm bread in your breakfast menu or just serve them with a hot cup of tea or coffee. These are super delicious and tad easy to make at home. I have been dyeing to make few types of bread from quite some time. So what was stopping me? It’s a shame to say, but a reality..I don’t get good yeast in the area where I live. It makes me cry. What a fuss for such a simple thing. If get a good one and buy in bulk they will die off eventually. Every time I open a pack and do the test, my heart beats faster and I pray to have a good yeast to continue my endeavor with bread. Of course I was lucky and went on to bake these beauties which are my current favorite (So yummm!!!)

I have mentioned before in my earlier post on bread here the most important thing in bread making is your humble yeast and step to test that your yeast is alive is just not to be skipped. In this recipe all you need is all purpose flour, butter, sugar and cinnamon. Yeah some water and milk as well, and you can have a winner after the process.

2 and 1/2 cups Flour

1/2 cup Water

1/4 cup Milk

3 Tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 and 1/4 teaspoons Instant Yeast

2 and 1/2 Tablespoons Unsalted butter

FILLING

3 Tablespoons Unsalted butter

1 Tablespoon Ground cinnamon

1/4 cup Sugar

For dough:

In a large bowl, toss the 2 and 1/4 cups flour, the sugar, salt, and yeast together until evenly dispersed. Keep ½ cup flour for later use.

Heat the water, milk, and butter together until the butter is melted and the mixture is hot enough to touch. Pour this butter mixture into the flour mixture. You may add the reserved flour to make soft dough, if the mixture is too wet. I just used a spoon more. Your dough will be ready when it gently pulls away from the side of the bowl and has an elastic consistency.

Lightly flour the surface and knead the dough for about 3-4 minutes. Place in a lightly greased bowl and let rest for about 10 minutes.

For Cinnamon filling: 

After the dough is rested, roll the dough out in a rectangle (approx 12x6 inch). Spread the softened butter on top. Sprinkle it all over the dough. Mix together the cinnamon and sugar.  Roll up the dough tightly. Cut into 8 even pieces and place in a lightly greased the pan. I used a rectangular pan.

Cover the pan with cling film and allow to rise in a warm, for 60-90 minutes. After the rolls have doubled in size, preheat the oven to 180 °C. Bake for 25-30 minutes until lightly browned.

You can make Vanilla glaze by combining 1 cup of icing sugar, with 1 table spoon of Vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon milk. Mix well and spatter over the rolls.

The Magical GEMS Cookies

Want to see BIG twinkles in eyes and big WOW expression on your love ones face??? Continue reading…

Because here I present the simplified version of world famous M&M cookies (knows as GEMS here in India).

Would you not love to make something super special for your lovely family and friends this holiday season…Yes of course!!! That’s why when I was counting days for my year end vacations I thought of baking these cookies for my dear daughter as she is a big fan of Gems. I have to admit I still find it challenging to go through much elaborated cookie recipes. I had read so many M&M cookie recipes and I love Sally’s cookies Here. But I am not big fan of eggs in the cookies so I went through few more recipes and finally derived this one based on my liking and comfort.

The result is chewy, thick and delicious soft cookies loaded with chocolaty Gems. This recipe is no brainer such one bowl and you are done!! One caution – how your love to the dough and chill it for some time (at least 3 hour). A tip from Sally and I think it’s the best on when comes to cookies. Thanks Sally!!. Second have everything are room temperature.

2 Cup Flour

½ cup Granular Sugar

½ cup Brown Sugar

½ cup Butter

½ cup Curd

½ Teaspoon Baking Soda

½ Teaspoon Baking Powder

½ Teaspoon Vanila Extract

1 Cup chopped Gems, few unchopped for decoration

All you need to do is

1.    Cream the butter for 2mins until light and then add both the sugars. Beat till its light and pale in color. Add curd and vanilla extract and beat for another minute.

2.    Shift the flour, baking soda and baking power together.

3.    Add this dry mixture in the wet mix small amount at a time and mix till the all of the flour mixture is incorporated. You will get a dough, which is quite easy to handle. If you find yours too stickly don’t worry and if its too hard you and sprinkle a tablespoon milk to loosen it up.Try not to over work the dough, you will not get the right texture.

4.    Bring the dough together by gently working on it and make a ball, wrap it with cling film and keep in the refrigerator for chilling for atleast three hours.

5.    Pre-heat the oven at 180 Degree C. Take out the dough from refrigerator and make 11-12 dough balls. Line the baking tray with baking paper and place them slighting apart from each other. You might need to press the dough balls a bit to help them get the cookie shape sooner if the dough it too hard after chilling.

6.    Bake at 200 degree C for 15-20 minutes until light golden brown. After 1o minutes you can quickly stick the Gems on the cookies for looks. Be careful as everything would be super-hot at this time.

7.    Cool for 10 minutes before serving. I have observed the good crunch and chewieness get set after  the cookie is cooled enough.

Make this with love and share with your circle of love and lot’s of twinkles in the eyes and wows will make you feel very happy. Happy holidays!!!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Brownie

Dark chocolate gooey brownie combined with peanut crunch and peanut butter cups.

What do you do, when you have super simple (don’t tell anyone) brownie recipe and got some peanut butter cups. Yeah we don’t get peanut butter cups everywhere in India so it get a special stature. I have read quite a few peanut butter recipes in books and on internet. So I thought to give it a go, to combine chocolate and peanut butter flavor. I wanted to play with the textures too and I roasted the peanut in oven with some salt until golden brown. These brownies are special for one more reason that it achieves that salty, sweet, chocolaty and butter balance. I layered brownie, then roasted peanuts with chopped peanut butter cups followed by milk chocolate ganach. How good is that??? Heaven!! That’s the work.

Now we have a new favorite brownie and don’t mind baking them every now and then.

2 ½ Cup Plain Dark Chocolate Chopped

1 Cup unsalted butter

3 Eggs

1 ¼ Cup Light Brown Sugar

3/4 Cup  Flour

1/2 Tps Baking Powder

1/2 Tps baking Soda

1 Cup gm Peanut (Skin Removed)

1 Cup Chopped Peanut Butter Cup

½ Cup Chopped Milk chocolate

½ cup Heavy Cream                      

Preheat the oven at 190 ºC. Grease and line a square baking tin.

Spread 2 Tablespoon salt on the baking tray and spread the peanut on it. Roast for 10-12 min at 210 ºC or until golden brown. You don’t want them to get brown. Remove the salt and set aside.

Melt the plain chocolate and butter in microwave for 2 min but keep string it every 30 sec or you can melt them in heavy base saucepan.

Beat Together eggs and sugar then beat in the melted chocolate mixture.

Shift together flour and baking powder and add this is in wet mixture. Add walnuts and mix to bring everything together.

Pour the batter in the baking tin and spread the roasted peanuts and chopped peanut butter cups evenly. Press this layer with light hands in the batter.

Bake for 40 minute at 190 ºC until cake feels just firm on the crust but soft underneath. Please do not overcook or the brownies will be dry. Leave to cool in the tin

Warm the heavy cream in a heavy bottom pan and add chopped milk chocolate and tip a tablespoon butter and mix well. Remove from heat and let it thicken a bit

Spread the cooled ganach over the cooled brownie and cut into square.