Low-Fat Cinnamon Rolls

Everybody loves a frosting-coated, gooey cinnamon roll, but most of us could do without all those calories. Is it possible to prepare a leaner cinnamon roll with all the classic flavor? Here’s what we discovered:

Test Kitchen Discoveries

• Skimp on the butter added to the dough and maximize the flavor of the frosting to compensate. Add just 2 tablespoons of melted butter to the dough and make up for the loss of moisture with maple syrup.
• Use dark brown sugar in the filling (in combination with granulated sugar) and add lots of cinnamon for maximum flavor.
• Use light cream cheese and skim milk to make a lean though still rich-tasting frosting.
• Traditional Cinnamon Rolls have 430 calories, 16 grams of fat, and 11 grams of saturated fat per serving. Low-Fat Cinnamon Rolls have 280 calories per serving, 3.5 grams of fat, and 2.5 grams of saturated fat per serving.

STEP BY STEP

Making Cinnamon Rolls

1. Pat the sugar mixture into the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border along the top edge.

2. Carefully roll the dough into a cylinder, moistening the border with water to seal the dough.

3. Cut the cylinder in half, then in half again (making 4 pieces). Cut each piece into three pieces, yielding 12 rolls.

Low-Fat Cinnamon Rolls

Makes 12 rolls

Depending on the humidity, the dough may need up to 1/4 cup extra flour, as directed in step 2.

Dough
1 1/3	cups warm skim milk (110 degrees)
3	tablespoons maple syrup
2	tablespoons unsalted butter , melted
3 1/2	cups all-purpose flour , plus extra for work surface
1	package rapid-rise yeast or instant yeast
1	teaspoon table salt
Filling
1/2	cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4	cup granulated sugar
2	teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/8	teaspoon table salt
1	tablespoon unsalted butter , melted
Icing
1	cup confectioners' sugar
4	tablespoons light cream cheese
1	tablespoon skim milk
1/2	teaspoon vanilla extract

1. For the dough: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. When oven reaches 200 degrees, turn it off. Lightly grease large bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Coat 13 by 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Mix milk, syrup, and melted butter together in large measuring cup. Mix flour, yeast, and salt together in bowl of standing mixer fitted with dough hook. Turn machine to low and slowly add milk mixture. After dough comes together, increase speed to medium and mix until shiny and smooth, 4 to 6 minutes. (Dough will be sticky; if it seems too wet and is not forming ball, add up to 1?4 cup more flour as needed and knead dough 2 minutes more.) Turn dough onto heavily floured work surface, shape into ball, and place in greased bowl. Cover and rest in warm oven for 10 minutes.

3. For the filling: While dough is resting, mix sugars, cinnamon, salt, and melted butter in medium bowl until incorporated.

4. To make the rolls: On lightly floured work surface, roll dough into 18 by 12-inch rectangle with long side facing you. Sprinkle sugar mixture over dough, leaving 1/2 inch border along top edge, then lightly press sugar into dough (see photo 1). Starting at edge nearest you, roll up dough (photo 2). Brush border with water, then press dough to seal.

5. Using chef’s knife, slice dough into 12 rounds (photo 3), then place in prepared pan with cut side up. Cover pan with plastic wrap coated with cooking spray and return to warm oven until rolls have nearly doubled in size, 30 to 40 minutes.

6. Remove pan from oven and heat oven to 350 degrees (rolls will continue to rise on counter as you wait for oven to heat). Remove plastic wrap and bake until rolls are deep brown and filling is melted, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating pan front to back halfway through baking.

7. For the icing: While rolls are baking, whisk confectioners’ sugar, cream cheese, milk, and vanilla together in small bowl until smooth. Remove pan from oven, turn rolls out onto rack, and flip them right side up. Cool 10 minutes, then spread icing over rolls. Serve hot or warm.

Shared by Lauren

It has been a while,but here I am once again. :) I wonder what I should share? This part is ALWAYS the hardest for me...picking out just one recipe at a time!!

So...I guess I will share the latest new recipe I have tried for chocolate chip cookies.This recipe makes the best simple cookie recipe!The cookies turned out chewy,chocolaty and pretty like there meant to be.:)

The recipe is from Gimme Some Oven if you have not looked at her blog you certainly should! Everything I have made from it has always turned out good!

Dad’s Chocolate Chip Cookies
(From…yep…my dad!)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup + 2 Tbsp. butter, slightly softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3 cups flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (mini, regular, or chocolate chunks!)

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Beat the sugars and butters together until smooth. Mix in the egg, vanilla, and baking soda. Stir together the flour and salt, then mix them into the batter. Mix in the chocolate chips. Drop by large spoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets.

Bake for about 10-12 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are nicely browned.

Ali’s Tip:

To avoid having flat cookies (with this or other recipes), be sure that the dough you pop in the oven is pretty chilled. So when you’re mixing these up initially, I’d recommend letting the prepared dough sit in the fridge for at least 20-30 minutes before baking your first batch.

Blueberry streusel bread!

Is there anything better than the smell for blueberries cooking?

I was thinking this afternoon how good a blueberry muffin sounded... *yum*
And, then I had an Idea: what about blueberry streusel bread? I googled it, and found this recipe on a blog called "Spoolful Of Sugar". It looked so good that I HAD to make it.
Enjoy!

Ingredients:
4 tbsp butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups fresh blueberries

topping:
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
4 tbsp butter, cut in pieces

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Grease a 9" square baking dish.

With an electric mixer, cream the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat to combine. Then mix in the milk until blended. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt and stir just enough to blend the ingredients. (The less stirring, the more tender your bread will be.) Add the blueberries and stir gently, trying to not break the blueberries.

Pour the batter into the prepared dish and spread out evenly.

For the topping, place the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and butter in a mixing bowl. Cut in with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Bake until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, which is about 45 minutes

photo: by spoonful of sugar.com

Moussaka

Have you ever watched "My big, fat, Greek Wedding"?
If so you reallly need to try this recipe, then sit down and watch it again. :)
Although, it will not be exactly like the original "Greek" recipe, as it is uses ground beef instead of lamb, it will still be rather tasty. Which, in my opinion ground beef is better, lamb is just not appealing to me... :D Anyways, I served it with a Greek salad, and homemade bread ( made by my sister, Lauren).
Hope you enjoy!

Moussaka:

• 2 eggplants (about 1 1/2 pounds), sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick
• 4 zucchini (about 2 pounds), sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 3/4 pound lean ground beef
• One 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 3 ounces gruyère cheese, shredded
• 1 pint low-fat cottage cheese

Triple the veggies to use less meat than in a typical moussaka.

Swap lean beef for ground lamb to reduce saturated fat.

Use a cottage cheese topping instead of a traditional white sauce for more protein.

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 500°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the eggplant and zucchini in two large bowls and season with salt; let stand for 40 minutes. Rinse the vegetables and pat dry. Arrange in a single layer on the prepared pans and toss with 3 tablespoons olive oil. Roast until golden, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a 9-by-11-inch baking dish. Lower the oven temperature to 350°.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the scallions and garlic and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes; add the ground beef and cook, breaking up the meat, for about 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Spoon the meat sauce over the eggplant and zucchini. Top with half of the gruyère.

3. Using a food processor, puree the cottage cheese. Spoon the puree onto the moussaka, top with the remaining gruyère and bake for 17 minutes. Transfer to the broiler and cook for 3 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes before slicing.

Chocolate Scones

These are delicious.They are also a great excuse to have a brownie for breakfast.:)~Lauren

Chocolate scones

Recipe:

2/3 cup (160 ml) heavy whipping cream

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon (4 grams) pure vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups (245 grams) all purpose flour

1/4 cup (25 grams) Dutch-processed unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated white sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup (75 grams) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1/3 cup (50 grams) semisweet chocolate chunks or chips

1/3 cup (50 grams) white chocolate chunks or chips

For Tops of Scones:

1 large egg

1 tablespoon heavy cream

Garnish:

Devon or softly whipped cream

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a small bowl whisk together the whipping cream, egg, and vanilla extract. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder and salt. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the chocolate chunks (chips). Add the cream mixture and stir just until the dough comes together (add more cream and/or flour as necessary).

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead a few times. Shape the dough into an 8 inch (20 cm) circle. With a 2 1/2 inch (7.5 cm) heart shaped cookie cutter, cut into scones. Gather any scraps together, knead, and then cut out more scones. Brush excess flour from the bottom of the scones, and place them on the baking sheet. Make an egg wash of one well-beaten egg mixed with 1 tablespoon milk and brush the tops of the scones with this mixture.

Bake for about 15 minutes or until they are firm around the edges but a bit soft in the center. A toothpick inserted into the center of a scone will come out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Can serve with clotted cream or softly whipped cream.

Makes about 10 - 2 1/2 inch heart shaped scones.





http://www.joyofbaking.com/ChocolateScones.html#ixzz0oFAnmirF

I love serving this with stewed tomatoes and lima beans.It makes for a good dinner at any time of the year!~enjoy!~ Lauren

Chicken and Dumplings Recipe courtesy of Blue Willow Inn

Chicken and Dumplings are served at almost every meal at The Blue Willow Inn Restaurant and has become a favorite of our guests. It takes a few minutes to prepare, but you can't beat this on a winter night. With crackers or toast this is a complete meal.

Ingredients

1 -3/4 pound broiler-fryer chicken
2 quarts water
1/2 cup melted butter
2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. salt
2 cups self-rising flour
1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup cold water

Directions:

In a stockpot combine water and chicken. Cook over medium heat until done (about one hour). Remove chicken from pot reserving chicken broth. Cool chicken in cold water, remove bones, skin and fat. Cut chicken into bite size pieces.

In mixing bowl combine flour and salt. Cut in shortening until batter is coarse.

Add water and mix well with your hands. Bring chicken broth back to a slow boil. Do not rapidly boil.

With floured hands pinch quarter size pieces of flour and drop into chicken broth.

Gently stir after adding several pinches. Repeat until you have used all the dumpling mix. Stir gently; allow to simmer 8-10 minutes.

Slowly stir in chicken.

Serve in soup bowls.

I made this a while back and man was it good!I found it from another blog called gimme some oven.If you enjoy it you should definitely check her blog out! ~Lauren

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal Recipe
(Adapted from GoodLife Eats)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup old fashioned oats, not quick cook
• 1 Tbsp. whole flax seeds, optional
• 2 1/2 Tbsp. brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. allspice
• 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. lemon zest
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 Tbsp. butter, softened
• 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 3/4 cup milk

Topping:

• 1/3 cup pecans, chopped
• 1 Tbsp. butter, softened
• 1 Tbsp. brown sugar

Method:

Preheat oven to 375F degrees. Grease 4 individual-sized ramekins. Set aside.

Combine the first eight ingredients (oat thru salt) in a medium-sized bowl. Stir well. In a separate bowl, combine the vanilla, butter, pumpkin, and milk. Whisk thoroughly. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the oats, and stir until combined.

Divide mixture evenly between the four ramekins. Place ramekins on a baking sheet (this makes it easier to move in and out of the oven.). Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the ingredients for the topping: chopped pecans, butter, and brown sugar. After the oatmeal has baked for 10 minutes, remove and divide topping mixture evenly between the ramekins. Bake and additional 7 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before serving. Top with a splash of milk and raisins, if desired.