Easy Scratch Recipes: 2014

Nothing makes the home smell any better than cinnabons cooking on the oven!

Ingredients:

Dough:

1 cup warm milk (110°f - but no warmer or you kill the yeast)

2 1/2 tsp active yeast (or 1 pkg)

1/2 cup Sugar (granulated)

1/3 cup melted butter or margarine

2 eggs, slightly beaten at room temperature

1 tsp Salt

4 1/2 cups Flour (all purpose)

Filling:

1 cup light brown sugar (packed)

2 1/2 tbs ground cinnamon

1/3 cup softened butter (not melted, but soft enough to spread over raw dough)

Topping:

3 ounces of softened Cream Cheese

1/4 cup softened butter

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (confectioners)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/8 tsp salt

Instructions:

Prepare the dough: In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in the warm milk. After yeast has dissolved, mix in 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup melted butter or margarine, 2 eggs, and 1 tsp salt. After mixing the wet ingredients, stir in 4 1/2 cups and mix well. Knead dough for 10 minutes. After kneading, ball dough and place in a bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled - about 1 hour.

After dough has risen, punch it down and allow to rest as you mix the filling.

Mix the filling: mix 1 cup of brown sugar with 2 1/2 tbs cinnamon (I use a whisk to thoroughly mix it. Do NOT mix the butter with the brown sugar/ cinnamon mix.)

Spread dough out into a 16 x 21 inch rectangle. Spread the top of the dough with 1/3 cup of butter and then sprinkle the brown sugar/cinnamon mixture on top of the spread butter.

Roll up dough and cut into 12 rolls.

Place rolls in a lightly greased 9 x 13 baking pan. Cover and let rise until doubled - about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400°f

Bake rolls in oven until golden brown, approximately 15 minutes. As rolls are baking, prepare topping.

Prepare topping (frosting). Beat together 3 ozs softened cream cheese, 1/4 cup softened butter or margarine, 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (confectioners), 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, and 1/8 tsp salt until creamy.

Spread frosting over warm cinnamon rolls. You've made cinnabons!!

Items you may need:

Pyrex Glass Oblong Baking Dish, Clear 9 x 13 inch

Pyrex 2-Cup Measuring Cup

8-Piece Deluxe Stainless Steel Measuring Cup and Measuring Spoon Set

Sweet Potato Pie – The tastes of home.

This recipe comes in two parts: the Pie Pastry and the Sweet Potato Pie filler.

1 – Crust Pie Pastry Recipe

1 1/2 cups Flour (all purpose)

1 tsp Sugar (granulated)

1/2 cup chilled Shortening

3 to 6 tbs cold water

** Alternatively, you can use a store bought unbaked 9 inch pie shell **

Sweet Potato Pie Filling Ingredients:

2 cups peeled, cooked sweet potatoes

1 cup Sugar (granulated)

1/4 cup Butter (1/2 stick of butter), melted

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1 cup milk

Instructions:

Prepare pie crust. Chilled 1/2 cup of shortening. I usually filled 1/2 cup of shortening and put it in the freezer for a few minutes, then place it in the refrigerator as I get the rest of the ingredients ready. After 1/2 cup of shortening is chilled, mix 1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour and 1 tsp sugar with a whisk. Add the 1/2 cup of chilled shortening and cut it into the flour/salt mixture until it is crumbly, with the crumbles about “pea sized.” Add cold water into pastry mixture, 1 tbs at a time until it just clumps together. Clump mixture into ball, wrap in plastic wrap and put in refrigerator to keep chilled until ready to roll out into pie crust.

Note: if you have trouble making pastry/pie crusts, you can always use the ready made 9 inch pastry crusts they sell at the grocery store.

Prepare Sweet Potatoes. Prepare 2 cups of sweet potatoes by first peeling and washing two cups worth of sweet potato. Boil the sweet potato in water until it is soft when inserted by a fork. Drain, cool, and mash, set aside.

Prepare pie crust. Grease and flour a 9 inch pie pan and prepare pastry pie crust. Roll out pie crust (1 ball) that you prepared and have chilling in your refrigerator. An easy way to do this to roll out the pie crust on a lightly floured sheet of waxed paper with a sheet of lightly floured wax paper on top. Roll out the pastry into a circle until it is slightly larger than the pie crust and then removed the top piece of wax paper and then flip the pie crust into the pie pan, then remove the bottom piece of lightly floured wax paper (now on top). Or use a store bought prepared 9 inch pastry crust – thawed.

Prepare Sweet Potato Pie filling: Blend 2 cups of mashed sweet potatoes with 1 cup of sugar, 1/4 cup melted butter, 2 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp ground ginger. Mix until blended.

Stir in 1 cup of milk and continue to mix until blended.

Pour filling into prepared uncooked 9 inch pie crust.

Bake Sweet Potato Pie in oven at 350°f for 35-45 minutes – until pie crust is golden brown and knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Allow cooked pie to cool to room temperature.

Optional Toppings

Meringue Topping:

3 egg whites (room temperature)

1/4 cup sugar (granulated)

Whip 3 eggs whites until it foams and stiffens so that peaks form. Begin adding 1/4 cup of sugar, 1 tsp at a time as you continue to whip. Whip meringue until sugar is fully dissolved. If meringue feels gritty when rubbing a small amount between your fingers, then sugar has not completely dissolved yet – continue to whip until sugar is fully dissolved. Whip meringue until stiff peaks form. Spread meringue over pie and bake at 325°f for 12 to 18 minutes.

Cool and serve.

If you are not comfortable making meringue, nobody complains when you top it with a prepared whipped topping such as Cool Whip. Or serve without a topping.

Items you may need: