Cinnamon Rolls!

This is your one-way ticket to a cinnamon bun on the run - they are much quicker to make than the traditional roll.  The secret?  Don't bother with rising time!

They looked much better after getting the glazed treatment, but they were eaten too quickly to snap a picture!

Dough:
2 cups white flour
3 tsp baking flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup milk

Filling:
3 Tbsp melted butter
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 tsp cinnamon

Glaze:
1/2 cup packed powdered sugar
1 Tbsp milk

1. Sift and mix all dry ingredients for dough.
2. Add butter to flour mixture.  Mix with a fork or beaters until it's the consistency of cornmeal.  (I always use my fingers to incorporate cold butter)
3. Add milk.  Add until dough makes a soft ball with a little dry flour mix around the ball.
4. Roll out on floured board in a rectangular shape.  Dough should be about 1/4" thick.  Add melted butter all over top of rolled dough.
5. Filling: Mix and sprinkle generously over dough.
6. Roll cinnamon buns, starting from the longest side, lengthwise.  Roll tightly all the way up, slightly pinching edges together.
7. Use a piece of dental floss or a sharp knife to cut roll into 1" slices.
8. Place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving 1/2" apart.  Bake at 400F for 8-10mins.
9. After rolls have cooled, glaze.
Serve slightly warm.

Onion-Celariac Root medley

Celeriac Root often goes unnoticed when I'm grocery shopping, but lately it's been featured on the Food Network by Michael Smith.  I'm curious about it.  It's ugly in appearance - just this bulbous, earthy root looking thing.  Once you shave that fibrous skin away, immediately the celery aroma comes wafting up ... it's really a lovely root to work with.  Being a BIT cautious, my first attempt to use this in a dish is something super simple.  The celeriac root joins chopped onions in a pan and is warmed through until soft and golden brown. Add a little salt and pepper and throw in a nice salad and roasted potatoes on the side, and suddenly you have a well-balanced vegetarian meal.  (I'm sure there are people out there who may question this claim, but hey, I'm still learning about how to make a balanced Vegetarian meal).

p.s. My new favourite addition to any salad is GOAT CHEESE.  Yum.

Celeriac-Potato Gratin

This dish is the perfect addition to a Sunday evening dinner.  It's mild in flavour and huge in "comfort".  It nicely caps off the end of the week and transitions into the upcoming week by providing that feeling of being taken care of and being somewhat healthy.  These photos don't do the flavour justice.  It looks like plain old potato gratin.  But the celeriac root really provides a lovely mild undertone of celery flavour.  It would be fun to play around with a different medley of root vegetables next time ... I am starting to really appreciate gratins!

This recipe comes from the Jamie Oliver website: 

http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetarian-recipes/celeriac-gratin

Ingredients:

• 1kg potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1cm slices (I used two medium sized potatoes)

• 1 large celeriac, peeled and sliced into 1cm slices

• 1 onion, peeled and finely sliced

• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped

• 125g Cheddar cheese (or to taste), grated

• 600ml carton double cream (I poured 2% milk over the dish to come up halfway up the dish)

• a small bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked, stalks roughly chopped  (oops - I forgot to use this ... would have made it prettier for sure!)

Preheat your oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6. Place the potatoes, celeriac and onion in an earthenware-type baking dish. Season generously. Add the garlic, ¾ of the cheese, the cream and the parsley stalks. With a spoon, move everything around to mix all the flavours. Sprinkle over the extra cheese, and bake in the preheated oven for 50 minutes, or until tender and golden. Sprinkle over the parsley leaves. I like to leave the gratin in the dish, pop it in the middle of the table and tuck in!

Chocolate Crincke Cookies

I found this recipe on Stephanie Nielson's food blog and lets just say I had a hunch they would be tasty.
For anyone in doubt, let me just say this: these are brownies in a cookie's body.

Do this and you will be one happy(ier) human being:

Chocolate Crinckie Cookie Recipe - makes 4doz.
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup cocoa powder
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
powdered sugar

1. In a large bowl combine sugar and oil.  Add cocoa.  Blend well.  Beat in eggs and vanilla.
2. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt.  Add to cocoa mixture, blending well.
3. Cover and chill for at least 6 hours.  (I only chilled for 2 and they turned out okay ...)
4. Heat oven to 350F.
5. Shape dough into one inch balls.  Roll in powdered sugar.  Place 2 inches apart on parchment lined cookie sheet.  Bake for 12 to 14mins.
6. Cool on wire rack and enjoy!

p.s. My hand mixer bit the dust just as I finished mixing this batter (I place no blame on the dough).   Though I dream of one day having a beautiful KitchenAid Stand Mixer, I picked up a new KitchenAid Hand Mixer and am excited for the fact it comes with more attachments than my previous one had ... lets just say Dough Hooks and Soup Puree attachment.  Ohhhh yeah.