Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Yield:  12

You don't even need a mixer for this dough!

Step 1: 

1/4 warm water with 2 1/4 tsp. yeast (or one packet) - allow to dissolve for 5 minutes.

In a large bowl add:

1 cup warm water

1/3 cup sugar

Stir.

Then add dissolved water and yeast

1 organic egg, beaten

2 tsp. homemade vanilla extract

Using a wooden spoon add 2 cups of organic all purpose flour.  Stir for at least 100 strokes with the wooden spoon.

 Cover bowl with a lid or plastic wrap and allow to sit for 15 minutes.

It will look like this after 15 minutes.

Step 2: 

Add:

1 1/2 tsp. salt

Then add:

4 Tbsp. organic butter, softened

Add:

1 3/4-2 cups more flour, adding it about 1/2 cup at a time.  Stir well each time you add flour.

Flour your hands and knead the dough right in the bowl when you can't stir it any long (2-3 minutes).

Step 3:

Place the dough on a floured surface (pastry cloth or counter), and knead for about 7 minutes.

Step 4:  Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl turning to coat each side and cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm area for about 1 hour (or until it doubles in size).

I use my dehydrator, since it's large enough.  I just place a pan in the bottom with water to keep the dough from drying out, and moisten a flour sack towel to cover it in the dehydrator.  Most dehydrators have "rising bread" selection.

Step 4:

Once dough has risen, remove from pan, and punch down.  Knead dough for about 1 minute on lightly floured surface, then cover with plastic wrap and let "rest" for 15 minutes.

Step 5:  

While dough is resting, mix these ingredients together in a bowl:

3/4 c. organic brown sugar, packed

3/4 c. organic pecans chopped

2 tsp. organic cinnamon

4 Tbsp. of softened organic butter

Butter a 9 x 13 baking pan.

Step 6:

On a floured surface, using a rolling pin, roll dough to a 12 x 16 inch rectangle.  Dough should not spring back.  If it does, let it rest longer.

  Place mixture from Step 5 onto the dough evenly, leaving 1 inch at the top and 1 inch at the bottom free.  Starting at the bottom, and moistening the 1 inch areas with water, roll the dough slightly tight (not loosely).

Using a knife score the dough to cut 12 rolls.  Place rolls in prepared pan, buttering the edges of each one lightly to keep them from sticking together in the pan.

Cover again (plastic wrap or use your dehydrator with a damp cloth over it) and allow to rise for 35-45 minutes.  Or when they have doubled in size.

Note:  I place a piece of parchment paper over the pan before covering with the moistened towel in my dehydrator

.

Step 7:

Heat oven to 350°F.  Remove plastic wrap from your pan and bake in the center of the oven for 30 minutes.

At this point, after baking them, you can do what you want really.  I leave them to cool in the pan, frost later and take out to eat whenever.  

You can also remove them from the pan and place on a cooling rack, and drizzle the frosting so the sides get some too.

Icing

Mix together in a bowl

1 1/2 cups organic powdered sugar

2 1/2 Tbsp. organic milk (or light cream)

2 Tbsp. of melted organic butter

A few drops of homemade vanilla extract

Note:  You can also use organic walnuts vs. pecans.

Puppy Pics ~ Morning Fog ~ Pathetic Garden Harvest

I've been on "puppy duty" for a few days now.  He's such a good puppy too, but I think he senses I am a bit sad inside.  He's been stuck to me like glue, refuses to nap until his "Mom" comes home, and literally barks at me and whines, to get into my lap (ha ha!).  Before someone tells me ropes are bad for dogs, we soak it and freeze it for teething and we keep it frozen so he doesn't eat the string.

He knows "sit" and will go to the gate or door to tell us when he has to go out, and if I'm busy at the sink or whatever, he'll bark to tell me he has to go out.  He's very smart.

Ha ha!  If he could speak at this moment, it would be "But I don't wanna go back in yet!"  He is such a stinker, but a cute stinker.

His Mom came home with flowers and a treat for me.  She said here Mom, I knew you were missing Jesse and thanks for watching my dog.  It put a smile on my face for sure.

The early morning temperatures have been what we call "great camping weather."

Even the chickens are slacking right now.  I don't want to make predictions just yet on the tomatoes, but I have a bad feeling it'll be like last year - small, not all ripe at the same time, not enough to can everything we need restocked (you can't buy bulk organic paste tomatoes from local produce stands).  The beans remain small, and the plants too.  The green peppers are getting starts on them, but plants are half the size.  Knowing all of this, we are now even more set to NOT plant a garden at all next year if rain is as bad as this year.  The struggle is real.  I'm about ready to trade in the house for a motor-home, with a toy hauler, and just go.

Anyway, not meant to be a "negative" post, but sharing the reality of our garden this year.  Not all of us have it good.