Monday, December 29, 2014

Pinned It Made It Monday Week 52

This is my last week for PIMIM for 2014. Did you enjoy these posts? Should I do it again in 2015? What are your thoughts?

I made cinnamon rolls from this pin and peanut butter frosting from this one for Aaron's birthday yesterday. I can't believe my youngest born is 20!! Fortunately my mixer was able to do most of the work, since I've been sick with pleurisy and very little strength and energy.


My notes: I really liked how this dough rolled out. It did not shrink back like my other recipes, but...DO NOT leave out sugar when adding cinnamon. The site claims that cinnamon rolls dry out because the sugar pulls out the moisture. But they need the sugar!

Cinnamon Rolls

Combine the following in a large bowl:
3 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
2 teaspoons instant yeast
2 tablespoons potato flour or 1/4 cup instant potato flakes
2 tablespoons Baker’s Special Dry Milk or nonfat dry milk
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 tablespoons soft or room-temperature butter
2/3 cup lukewarm water
1/2 cup lukewarm milk

Mix to make a rough dough…then knead for about 7 minutes, to make a smooth dough.

It’s OK if the dough sticks to the bowl a bit; better a dough that’s too soft than too dry.
Of course, you don’t have to use an electric mixer. You can get the dough to this point by using a bread machine or your hands, too.

Notice this is a fairly smooth dough, but it does have a bit of surface roughness; that’s OK.

Place the dough in a lightly greased container — an 8-cup measure works well here — and allow the dough to rise for 60 to 90 minutes, until it’s just about doubled in bulk.

Gently deflate the dough, and transfer it to a lightly greased work surface. Shape it into a rough rectangle.

Roll the dough into a 16” long rectangle, about 12” wide. This soft dough rolls easily, so you shouldn’t have much trouble with shrinking or “push back.”

Sprinkle 2 teaspoons cinnamon over the surface of the dough. A small sieve or tea strainer works well here. (My Note: ADD SUGAR!!)

How come plain cinnamon, not cinnamon-sugar? Because sugar is hygroscopic, and will draw moisture from the dough. The result?  Cinnamon buns that aren’t as moist as they might be. Don’t worry, the final sugar glaze on top will give you plenty of sweetness. (NO it does not! LOL)

Ready to roll!

Starting with a long side, roll the dough into a 24” log. How come we end up with a 24” log? Because as you roll, the dough stretches. If it’s not quite 24”, no sweat; it’ll be fine.

In order to make the neatest job of cutting the buns, use a sharp knife to mark the log at 1” intervals.

Here’s a trick beloved by King Arthur bakers all over the company: using dental floss to cut the neatest possible cinnamon or sticky buns. Loop the dental floss under the log where you’ve notched it. Pull the ends in opposite directions. Bob’s your uncle – beautifully cut buns, with no squashed dough or oozing filling.

Lightly grease two 9” round cake pans. Divide the buns between the two pans, spacing 8 in each pan. Gently flatten the buns a bit.

Two pans of buns, ready to rise.
Can you freeze one pan of buns at this point?
Well, not quite… Let it rise till they’re quite puffy, then cover tightly, and freeze. For directions on how to bake at a later date, take a look at our FREEZE! blog.

Cover the pans, and allow the buns to rise till they’re crowded against one another and quite puffy, about 60 to 90 minutes. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F.

Can you freeze one pan of buns at this point?
Yes. Simply over-wrap with several layers of plastic, and freeze. For directions on how to bake at a later date, check out our FREEZE! blog.
Uncover the buns, and bake them for 20 to 23 minutes.

They’ll be golden brown on top, and the edges of the center bun will spring back lightly when you touch it.
To serve buns immediately: Just before the buns are done, stir together the  following:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3 1/2 to 4 tablespoons cream or 2 to 3 tablespoons milk

Turn the hot buns out of the pan onto a rack, and brush each pan with 1 tablespoon melted butter.  this will help keep the buns soft and tender.

Spread with the glaze, and serve immediately.
To serve the buns later: Turn the hot buns out of the pan onto a rack, and brush with the melted butter. Cool completely. Wrap airtight and store at room temperature for a couple of days; for longer storage, freeze.
Just before serving, tent the buns lightly with foil, and rewarm in a preheated 350°F oven for 10 minutes (a bit longer, for frozen buns).

Stir together the glaze, brush over the buns, and serve warm.
Want to serve only half the buns now? Make just half the glaze. If you reheat a glazed bun, the glaze melts and disappears. Reheat a plain bun, then glaze.


Peanut Butter Frosting

Ingredients

4 cups powdered sugar                                      
1/4 cup peanut butter
6 tablespoons milk

Directions

  1. In a medium bowl, combine powdered sugar and peanut butter. Stir in enough milk to reach spreading consistency.

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