The VERY BEST Cinnamon Buns

My 10 pm food blog reading took me to Sarah's blog where she showed these gorgeous pull apart cinnamon buns.
She promised that they were easy to make, no yeast involved and were addictive.
She was right on all accounts.

I always have cottage cheese in the fridge, and I was intrigued by the use of it in dough.

These were amazing, warm out of the oven and hard to stop at just one, so if you are watching your weight, skip these, because you won't be able to stay away from them, the smell is intoxicating.

Sarah mentions to bake them 20 minutes and keep an eye on them, you don't want to overcook them, no more than 28 minutes, since ovens vary. Mine needed exactly 20 minutes.

Amazing Cinnamon Pecan Buns (adapted from Fine Cooking & In Praise of Leftovers):

For filling:
3 Tb. melted butter
2/3 c. dark brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. cardamom
1 c. pecans
(I added golden raisins, of course)

For dough:
2 c. flour
1 Tb. baking powder
1/2 ts. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 c. cottage cheese (I used 2% milkfat)
1/3 c. buttermilk
1/4 c. granulated sugar
4 Tb. melted butter
1 tsp. vanilla

For icing:
2/3 c. powdered sugar
2-3 Tb. milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
finely grated zest of one orange

Preheat oven to 400 and butter a 9″ springform pan.

Start out by chopping the pecans very fine and mix them together with the spices, brown sugar and 3 tablespoons of melted butter in a medium bowl. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt and soda. Set aside.



In a food processor, mix cottage cheese, buttermilk, granulated sugar, 4 tablespoons melted butter, and vanilla, pulsing for about 10 seconds until just mixed and cottage cheese is pureed. Add flour mixture to cottage cheese mixture, pulsing in short bursts until dough is just beginning to clump.

Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface, kneading a couple times until smooth. Dough will be very soft and fragrant, but surprisingly easy to work with. Roll dough out into a 12″x15″ rectangle. Brush dough with melted butter (I forgot this step!), leaving a little border around the edges. Sprinkle pecan spice mixture over dough. Roll the dough up lengthwise, pinching ends. Using your sharpest knife, cut dough into 10-12 rounds. They will squish a little bit, but don’t worry about it.



Arrange in the springform pan and bake for about 20-25 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out with just a few moist crumbs. DO NOT OVERBAKE! This is super essential. (Mine only needed 20 minutes).



Let cool for about five minutes, then whisk powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and orange zest to make your icing. Drizzle icing over buns, let cool for about five more minutes, then unmold the springform.



HEAVEN!

I want to wish all of my friends a very HAPPY & HEALTHY NEW YEAR!

See you next year!

Easiest Appetizer: Olive & Tomato Squares

This was a last minute thought when a few unexpected guests dropped by for some holiday cheer (don't you just love when that happens?).

The original recipe from Gourmet calls for sun dried tomatoes.

I don't like sun dried tomatoes, never did.

I buy these very good semi dried tomatoes in a jar from Italy packed in oil, so when a recipe calls for those shriveled up, bitter, so called sun dried "tomatoes", I substitute these pomodoraccio instead.



I had Pepperidge Farm white bread in the freezer, but if you are planning to make this recipe (with more than 2 hour's notice!), then I would suggest buying a nice pullman loaf, or very high quality white bread.

The better the bread, the better this recipe will be.
But even with the store bought packaged stuff, this still managed to come out GREAT.

Olive & Tomato Squares: (makes 12 if you cut them on the diagonal, makes 24 if you are using larger slices and quartering the slices)

1/4 cup of store bought basil pesto
6 slices of good quality white bread, crusts removed
1/4 cup of roasted tomatoes (or sun dried tomatoes REhydrated in water for 5 minutes), chopped
1/4 cup Kalamata olives, slivered
fresh chopped parsley

With a flat knife, spread a layer of basil pesto on each crustless slice of bread.
Cut in halves or quarters, depending on the size of the bread.



Arrange pesto slices on a baking sheet and bake at 400F for 8 minutes,so bottom of toasts are crisp.

While toasts are baking, mix chopped dried tomatoes and olives in a bowl.
*if you are using sun dried tomatoes, make sure you have plumped them up in some water first.

Remove toasts from oven and spoon a dollup of tomato olive mixture on top.
Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve!

How could something so simple be so good?

It just is.

Giada's Chocolate Amaretti Cake

I liked this cake very much. It was like a big gorgeous brownie.
Easy to make, all ingredients get whizzed together in the food processor.

The hardest part is finding the Amaretti cookies.
(believe it or not, TJ Maxx always has them!).



Chocolate Amaretti Cake (adapted from Giada DeLaurentis)

Butter-flavored nonstick cooking spray
3/4 cup bittersweet chocolate or semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup slivered almonds
1 cup baby amaretti cookies (about 2 ounces)
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons grated orange peel
4 large eggs



Preheat oven to 350F.

Spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick spray. Refrigerate. Microwave the chocolate until melted and smooth, stirring every 20 seconds, for about 1 minute.

Combine the almonds and cookies in processor. Pulse until the almonds and cookies are finely ground. Transfer the nut mixture to a medium bowl. Add the butter and sugar to the processor and blend until creamy and smooth. Add the grated orange peel and pulse briefly, until incorporated. Add the eggs 1 at a time. Blend until the eggs are incorporated. Clean the sides of the mixing bowl and blend again. Add the nut mixture and melted chocolate. Pulse until blended. Clean the sides of the bowl. Blend again.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until the center puffs and a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes.



Can be made a day ahead and kept in the fridge.
Bring to room temperature before serving.



Sprinkle with cocoa powder or confectioners sugar and serve.



Enjoy!

Cinnamon & Rosemary Baked Apples

I made my usual turkey for the holidays, but along side I served cinnamon baked apples.

I always forget how much I love them, and how easy they are!

I got this great idea of using a cinnamon stick for the stem from my friend Stephane at Zen Can Cook. It looked so pretty and the kitchen smelled so good!

I also like a sprig of rosemary in each apple to add some color and it is also the only herb that is still alive in my garden!



Baked Apples with Cinnamon Stem:

4 apples, (any variety will do)
4 cinnamon sticks
4 sprigs of fresh rosemary

1 cup of dark brown sugar
handful of golden raisins
1/2 cup of chopped pecans or walnuts
a squeeze of fresh lemon juice
4 tablespoons of melted butter

1/4 cup orange juice for the roasting pan

The only tricky part to making these is cutting off the top of each apple to make a lid.
Carefully, cut off the top of the apples with a paring knife and remove stems.

Hollow out the apples to make enough room for the stuffing, without going all the way thru to the bottom.

Mix all the other ingredients together and add the melted butter to combine to make a paste.



Stuff hollowed out apples with the sugar, raisin, nut mixture and return the lid to the apple.
Put a cinnamon stick thru each apple top to hold together like a toothpick!

Place apples in roasting pan and pour some orange juice around them.

Bake at 350F for about an hour.

Carefully remove from the pan and pour glaze over them in individual bowls.
Spear with a rosemary skewer. Serve warm or at room temperature!



Enjoy!

Guest Blogger: Crab Salad in Parmesan Bowls

This was an impressive first course made for my birthday dinner by my friend Sally.

She made gorgeous bowls made of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and filled them with a beautiful fresh lump crabmeat salad.



And forget Sandra Lee's tablescapes. Sally created a special birthday table setting, complete with throne, tiara and tulips! (for the Tart Queen).



It was gorgeous!



Sally's Crabmeat Salad in Parmesan Frico Cups:

Salad: (makes enough 4 salads)

1 lb. of fresh lump crabmeat (found in the seafood section, refrigerated)
1/4 cup of sliced radishes
1/2 hot house cucumber, sliced and quartered
1 cup of quartered cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup of diced red onion
1/2 cup of diced mango
1/4 cup of baby arugula leaves

Dressing:

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon orange juice
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon orange zest
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the Parmesan Frico Cups, click here for Giada's recipe.
They were gorgeous and so delicious!

Mix all salad ingredients (except arugula) and toss in a bowl , season with salt & pepper.

Add dressing just before serving and spoon into Parmesan bowls!
Add arugula leaves for garnish before dressing the salad.



Thanks Sally for a memorable birthday dinner!

Christmas Breakfast & a Lot of Snow

We actually will have a white Christmas this year on the east coast, we've had a ton of snow this past week.

Here are 2 fantastic recipes for Christmas morning.
They are the two most popular and looked at on Stacey Snacks.



First, I want to say that when I posted the bacon and egg baskets last year, I received SO MANY emails and nice comments.......but I did receive some negative comments and nasty remarks on other sites saying "this is so unhealthy", "cholesterol killer", "artery clogger!!!", "this is disgusting".

Ok, before I post this again, and the hate mail comes in: I just want to say that this is a slice of lean bacon and ONE EGG. Nothing more. No butter, no cheese, nothing.

Live a little.
It's not going to kill you.

Everyone loves this recipe.
It just adds a little style to the usual bacon and eggs, and you can make it for a crowd for brunch.

Bacon & Egg Baskets:

Spray nonstick cooking spray in a 12 cup muffin tin.

Cook as many slices of bacon as needed, but only cook them half way.
Do not cook them crispy, only enough to get rid of some of the fat.



Drain bacon slices on paper towels.

When cool enough to handle, wrap a piece of bacon into a nest shape in each muffin well.



Next, crack a MEDIUM sized egg (don't use JUMBO or they will spill over) into each bacon basket.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper (I used Hawaiian red salt) and bake in a 375F oven for 10 minutes for runny eggs, or 12 minutes for set eggs.



You can also beat the eggs first then pour into the basket for a firmer quiche like presentation.




This second recipe is not a low fat one, but who cares? New Year's resolutions begin next week.

It's a bread pudding made with that fantastic Italian panettone.



Click here for the recipe.



Have a Merry Christmas!
Love,
Stacey

Birthday Carrot Cake

Today is my birthday.
So now you know.

My favorite cake in the whole world is a carrot cake.
Yes, I am a simple girl.

I've loved it ever since I was a kid.

My mother in law makes a good version that is not too sweet, and my friend Sally, who makes me a birthday dinner every year (tradition), always bakes me a carrot cake.
Last year, she made me 2!
One rustic, one smooth. I liked the rustic, messy looking one, best.

Would you believe I have never made my own carrot cake?
It's true.

I have collected recipes over the years that looked good, but never attempted baking one.

Here are my carrot cake preferences:

~ I don't like the addition of pineapple or coconut, makes the cake too sweet and wet.
~ Must have raisins in a carrot cake.
~ I am not a huge fan of overly sweet icing, so I decided to half the cream cheese icing recipe and spread it on thinly.
~ Must have walnuts.

Ok, that's not too demanding.

I don't own 2 round cake pans, so I couldn't make the bakery version 2 layers of cake with the icing in between the layers, and I didn't want to bake it in a loaf pan, so I did it in a bundt pan.

I chose Alton Brown's recipe, because he uses nutmeg and other spices which I like, and he also uses yogurt, which made the cake so moist and a bit healthy!

Alton is very scientific. I kept my oven at 350F and baked the cake for an hour, but you can follow his instructions to turn the oven down to 325 after 45 minutes and then bake another 20 minutes.



Alton Brown's Carrot Cake:

Unsalted butter, for the pan
12 ounces, approximately 2 1/2 cups, all-purpose flour, plus extra for pan
12 ounces grated carrots, medium grate, approximately 6 medium
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 ounces sugar, approximately 1 1/3 cups
2 ounces dark brown sugar, approximately 1/4 cup firmly packed
3 large eggs
6 ounces plain yogurt
6 ounces vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter and flour a 9-inch round and 3-inch deep cake pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.

Put the carrots into a large mixing bowl and set aside.

Put the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and process for 5 seconds. Add this mixture to the carrots and toss until they are well-coated with the flour.

In the bowl of the food processor combine the sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and yogurt.

With the processor still running drizzle in the vegetable oil. Pour this mixture into the carrot mixture and stir until just combined. Pour into the prepared cake pan and bake on the middle rack of the oven for 45 minutes. Reduce the heat to 325 degrees F and bake for another 20 minutes or until the cake reaches 205 to 210 degrees F in the center.

Remove the pan from the oven and allow cake to cool 15 minutes in the pan. After 15 minutes, turn the cake out onto a rack and allow cake to cool completely. Frost with cream cheese frosting after cake has cooled completely.



Cream Cheese Icing:
(this is the original recipe, but I only made half of it)

8 ounces cream cheese
2 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
9 ounces powdered sugar, sifted, approximately 2 cups
I added the zest of an orange

In the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese and butter on medium just until blended. Add the vanilla and beat until combined. With the speed on low, add the powdered sugar in 4 batches and beat until smooth between each addition.

Place the frosting in the refrigerator for 5 to 10 minutes before using.



Please don't judge my horrible frosting technique, I used a butter knife.
Though it is probably the ugliest cake I have ever made, it sure tasted yummy!