cinnamon pinwheel

Breakfast is my favorite meal to eat out.  I love coffee, eggs, crisp bacon, cheese and of course a sweet pastry to compliment the entire meal. What I don't like is paying $40 to shovel eggs down, wipe up spilled juice, beg my kids to sit and eat and never getting to say a word to Brad. A month ago we decided to give up trying and recreate the big breakfast at home.  Because these meals are done on a whim and I am only one cook in the kitchen I have been relying on bisquick to mix up a quick sweet whether it be pancakes, waffles or these quick and easy cinnamon pinwheels.  Cinnamon rolls from scratch rule but, when you just want to make something quick to enjoy with the family on a Saturday morning give these pinwheels a whirl.

cinnamon pinwheel
adapted: betty crocker

2 cups bisquick
2/3 cup milk
4 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1  teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoons milk


Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a muffin sheet with non-stick cooking spray.

In a bowl, mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon and set aside.

Mix bisquick and milk together with a wooden spoon until dough comes together, then turn dough onto a floured surface and knead for about 3-4 minutes.

Roll dough into a large rectangle, 1/4-inch thick, and brush with melted butter. Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture over the dough. Roll dough, jelly roll fashion, tucking in the ends so that the brown sugar stays inside; slice into 12 biscuits. Place cut-side down in muffin cups on top of the brown sugar. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

For the icing, mix together the powdered sugar and milk with a whisk until icing comes together. It should be thick, but too thick to pour. Depending on the consistency you want, you may want to add a tablespoon more or less of powdered sugar. Drizzle over the cinnamon rolls and serve warm.

cinnamon rolls

Cinnamon rolls are not something I crave.  I love sweets but, I don't particularly care for them in the morning.  I am an egg girl and maybe a bite of sweet at the end of the meal.  I love breakfast for dinner and I love making a breakfast sweet to add to the meal because it incorporates dessert right in.  Brad loves cinnamon rolls and grew up eating the ones out of the can.  I do not like those.  I don't like the tough roll or the film the icing leaves on the roof of your mouth.  I like the homemade warm, gooey, sweet ones that are filled with sugar and spice.  Honestly I really only like the middle piece that is covered in everything good about the cinnamon roll.  When we go out for breakfast and Brad orders a cinnamon roll I am left eating the outer edge because I can't claim the best part of his treat when I always claim I am not much of a fan.  When I saw this recipe I thought I would give it a try.  It made two pans so, I baked one this evening and the other is in the freezer for a Sunday breakfast.  Carter took one bite and exclaimed he loved these.  Made all the waiting, kneading, rising, waiting, rolling worth it.  I thought they were good and definitely filled the sweet note of the meal.  They are not overly sweet or buttery so, you can tell they are light but, not in a bad way.  The pan is almost gone but, even better then the cinnamon rolls was finding out that Campbell likes eggs!  She had her first egg and gobbled it up and then cried when the tiniest piece hit the floor.  One more thing to add to the meal list.

cinnamon rolls

adapted: cooking light

• 1  cup  warm milk (100° to 110°)
• 6  tablespoons  melted butter, divided
• 1/3  cup  granulated sugar, divided
• 1  package quick-rise yeast
• 16.88  ounces  all-purpose flour (about 3 3/4 cups)
• 1  large egg, lightly beaten
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• Cooking spray
• 2/3  cup  packed brown sugar
• 1 1/2  tablespoons  ground cinnamon

• 3  tablespoons  butter, softened
• 2  tablespoons  heavy cream
• 1/2  teaspoon  vanilla extract
• 1  cup  powdered sugar

1. To prepare rolls, combine milk, 3 tablespoons melted butter, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, and yeast in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups. Add egg and remaining granulated sugar to milk mixture. Stir in 4.5 ounces (1 cup) flour; let stand 10 minutes.
2. Add 11.25 ounces (about 2 1/2 cups) flour and salt to milk mixture; stir until a soft dough forms (dough will be sticky). Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 6 minutes); add enough of remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands. Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray; turn to coat top. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts with a towel over bowl , 35 minutes or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.) Punch dough down; cover and let rise 35 minutes or until doubled in size. Punch dough down; cover and let rest 5 minutes.
3. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; roll dough into an 18 x 11–inch rectangle. Brush remaining 3 tablespoons melted butter over dough; sprinkle evenly with brown sugar mixture. Beginning at one long side, roll up dough tightly, jelly-roll fashion; pinch seam to seal (do not seal ends of roll). Cut dough into 18 (1-inch) slices. Arrange 9 slices, cut sides up, in each of 2 (8-inch) square baking dishes coated with cooking spray. Cover and let rise 35 minutes or until doubled in size.
4. Preheat oven to 350°.
5. Uncover rolls. Bake at 350° for 22 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool 10 minutes in dishes on a wire rack. Turn rolls out onto wire rack; cool 5 minutes. Turn rolls over.
6. To prepare icing, combine 3 tablespoons softened butter and cream; stir with a whisk. Stir in vanilla. Gradually add powdered sugar; stir until blended. Spread icing over rolls; serve warm.

Easy Cheese Danish

 This recipe is from The Barefoot Contessa at Home cookbook.  At the beginning of the book she says "Home is where ever Jeffrey is".  Every time I read that line it just makes me smile.  I love her show and I like the orchestrated interactions between Ina and Jeffrey.  Even if the  circumstance are prearranged they still appear so happy and I enjoyed learning about their love story.  I totally agree with Ina ... my home is where ever my hubby is.  My home is bursting with activity and craziness but, also lots of love.  I like to show love with food and to my hubby breakfast sweets are a true passion of his.  There are quite a few morning treats he enjoys but, a good cheese danish is always at the top of his list.  


These came together easily and were a good sized portion but, I think the amount of cheese filling was a bit light.  It may have been how I added the filling to each piece of pastry dough but, some seem a bit thin.  I made these the night before and refrigerated them and then baked them in the morning.  YUM!

Easy Cheese Danish

Adapted from Barefoot Contessa

  

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons ricotta cheese
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
• 2 sheets (1 box) frozen puff pastry, defrosted
• 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Place the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and cream them together on low speed until smooth. With the mixer still on low, add the egg yolks, ricotta, vanilla, salt, and lemon zest and mix until just combined. Don't whip!

Unfold 1 sheet of puff pastry onto a lightly floured board and roll it slightly with a floured rolling pin until it's a 10 by 10-inch square. Cut the sheet into 6th with a sharp knife. Place a heaping tablespoon of cheese filling into the middle of each of the 6 squares. Brush the border of each pastry with egg wash and fold 2 opposite corners to the center, brushing and overlapping the corners of each pastry so they firmly stick together. Brush the top of the pastries with egg wash. Place the pastries on the prepared sheet pan. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry and refrigerate the filled Danish for 15 minutes (or overnight).

Bake the pastries for about 15-20 minutes, rotating the pan once during baking, until puffed and brown. Serve warm.