What If It's Not A Cinnamon Roll?

A cinnamon roll (also cinnamon bun, cinnamon swirl and cinnamon snail^[1][2]) is a sweet roll served commonly in Northern Europe and North America. In North America it's common use is for breakfast. Its main ingredients are flour, cinnamon, sugar, and butter, which provide a robust and sweet flavor. In some places it is eaten as a breakfast food and is often served with cream cheese or icing.^{[citation needed]}

When I started this blog I wanted to take the cinnamon roll out of the breakfast mind set and into a lunch or even dinner item. So I went to the internet to look up some different types of recipes for rolls, I found a number of great recipes that look awesome! the problem was most of the recipes were for breakfast, not to much for an lunch or for dinner.
So I went back to one of the earlier blogs, remembering that on my "let them eat rolls" blog I posted a recipe for a Cuban Sandwich Roll that would fit the criteria for "something completely different."
I got the recipe form http://www.thekitchenprepblog.com/2012/10/willowbird-baking-challenge-cuban.html this is a great blog page that I'm planning to fallow and get some good recipes.

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Do You Every Get Nervous?

when I share food with my fellow culinary class-mates, I get a rush out of the feed back I get from everyone, even the ones that like to find something or anything wrong with a plate. I was told once that my pan fried salmon was cooked perfectly, but I used the wrong plate. Well, I should be kicked out of school, putting a perfectly cooked piece of fish on the wrong plate. Most of the time I get real good feedback.
When I put out my latest tray of rolls Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls.

Photo by Doris Casselton

 I did get some what nervous. It seemed that I ran into all kinds of trouble while making this batch and I wasn't sure if they were going to come out alright. with every thing that happened that morning not only was I thinking of not bringing any rolls to school but I was trying hard to think of a reason not to go to school myself. I couldn't think of anything, not one good reason that I could use to keep me at home, not one. 
As I loaded my tote bag with the rolls,caramel sauce and the caramel cream frosting. I told myself that if theses rolls didn't make the grade, (ha,ha get it, don't make the grade!) that it would be o.k. and I could use it as something to talk about in my next blog.

 I always fell better when I get in the kitchen, ether baking or cooking up a simple dish. there's something about being in a kitchen that makes everything alright. As soon as I get out of the kitchen and share what I've made that nervousness comes back.It doesn't mater if it's family, friends or customers. I think about all the work I put in a dish or if I could have done it a different way would it come out a better dish, I'm my worse critic. 

Photo by Doris Casselton

Nothing makes me more nervous then seeing one of the instructors here at school trying one of my rolls, I prepare myself for a verbal beat down that I always think is coming from someone that has the years of experiences that all the chefs here at school have. the beat down never comes, I'm my worse critic. I usually get asked on the way I prepared the dish or that nod of the head that tell me "it's o.k." and on the rare occasion you would get the head nod with the mumble "good."   

Eat, Enjoy And Make More
Thanks Doris for all your help the past weeks and taking Awesome pics!          

The Extra Mile, Literally!

This morning I was already to make some cinnamon caramel apple rolls for class. Got my Mise en place on, you know the drill. Didn't forget the cup of coffee and stared to go through my recipe list, with the occasional pause of "were did I put that damn thing" and so on and so on, you know the drill. When I got to the bottom of my list I seen that I was going to need sum caramel sauce, no problem I had a small jar in the frig. that I keep on hand when my kids want caramel ice cream. But, no that would be to easy. after a ten minutes of moving things around and ten minutes of me mumbling "were did that damn thing go!" I gave up on the search and decided to make some for scratch. Again, that would be to easy.


 I had no heavy cream!
Stop every thing, take a long, deep breath and SCREAM!
felling better I call my wife who is at work and ask her "if she was busy?" Of course she was, she was at work! I asked her, "if she was coming home for lunch and if she could stop at the store and pick up sum heavy cream?" "Nooooo," she said, "to many people out sick," don't know if or when she was going to have time for  lunch.
 Now I had two choices, I could make the rolls with out the caramel sauce or I could walk down to the corner market and get the heavy cream that I need to make the caramel sauce. No brainner, caramel is in the name after all. So now I have to decide, walk to the mom and pop store or walk in the other direction to the chain store that was about a half hour walk. Ether way I was walking, no coin toss need mom's and pop's here I come (just as soon as I finish my cup of coffee). Still wearing my PJs I Looked out side and seen that it was a clear sky, so I started to put my shoes on as my daughter was on the home computer. In her early morning teen voice; that sounds like something between a winy kitten that hasn't been fed and a muffled leaf blower, "are you Really going out like THAT!" Grabbing my wallet and putting on my old faded sweeter I said " I'm a parent and as a parent it is my right to embarrass you even if you are not with me in public, I even go up to total strangers and tell them that you are my child and I say it in a bad English accent." "I didn't see her do it but I know she rolled her eyes.
I got to the mom and pop's store in about ten minuets and asked the lady at the counter if they carried any heavy creamer, and to my surprise she said "no." Wait, wait stop every thing, deep breath, no-no, no screaming in public. Smile, say thank you and walk out the door before you start to cuss. Could happen and I almost made it out the door before I mumbled a few words that I hopped the lady behind the counter didn't hear. I wasn't mad because they didn't have heavy creamer I was mad that now I had to walk all the way back the other way to the chain store and now time was going to be an issue.  Half hour later I got to the chain store and walked to the dairy isle, pass the whole milk, 2%, and the low fat and then finely to the empty shelves that had the "sorry" sign hanging on it! That's right, No heavy creamer. If I was a paranoid person I would think the world was against me and I'm not paranoid but I think the world is against me, and I fell a scream starting to bubble. As I walked out of the store I seen that there was a health store down the block and decided to go check it out.
As I got closer to the store I wondered if a health store would even carry Heavy Cream and if they did how much is it going to cast? I asked the lady at the register if they had heavy cream and with a big smile she said "yes we do," pointing to the back wall with a giant dairy sign above it. Yes, score and it's only go to cost me 8$ for 16oz. Another half hour to walk home, then I can start form square one.
When I got home I realized that it took my almost two hours to walk to all three stores. Now I did have much time to bake the rolls, if I cooked them at a little bit of a higher heat I might just make it in time but they would be hard on the out side and raw in the middle. Not wanting to mess with temp. I decided to make the caramel sauce, get every thing ready for after school and make them then.         
         

The hardest part about making this batch of rolls was the next day I had to take them to work with me and fight off my co-workers who thought I made the rolls for them.

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My Wife Hates Me!

My Wife Hates Me!

She doesn't hates me because I'm making all these different delicious, addictive rolls, she hates me because I'm making all these different delicious, addictive rolls and she can't have any of them!
You see, she is a diabetic and is not suppose to have to many sweets, and keep a close watch on her sugar levels. A long with all the other stuff that comes with being a diabetic, not only the watching what you eat and are you get enough exercise for your age group? So, we do our best at watching what we eat, and do more walking around town (more than I care to do).

It's All Good! 

when I started this blog project she was all into it give me ideas on different kinds of rolls she would like to try. Now she is more concern with how soon can I get those damn things out of her house.

 We both decided  that we could be doing more when it comes to exercising and are looking at different options on weight lose programs.

in the beginning; well, in the middle.

Along with willpower that's border line on weak to nonexistent we have been using the "what do you think your doing!" when it comes watching what we are eating, even getting our two teens in on the narking on each other. (darn kids, eat what ever they want! and look at me I'm skinny! Oh, I could just smother them! With love of course).
I could be wrong but I think if we can do a little more with this exercise mambo-jumbo stuff we will be able to enjoy a few of those delicious roll. Maybe, maybe not.

   

What To Do With all That Dough?

If you have a large family;

 you probably don't have the problem of extra or leftover dough.
But, lets say for experimenter prepossesses you wanted to make a small batch of; oh, I don't know, eggplant with a goat cheese. ( I'm not goin' eat that!) And you don't know if your going to eat it ether.
 Making a large batch and then divided it into smaller portions is a good way to go and you can do smaller batches of all kinds of wonderful ways to make rolls.
After you divide the dough into quarters you can shape them into rolls or leave them in small balls and freeze them. It's important to freeze them before they rise. You can keep them in your freezer for up to two months.
when you found that perfect roll recipe or your creative juices are flowing and your ready to get your bake on!
Be sure to let the dough thaw completely. By thawing the frozen dough in to the refrigerator for 24 hours then let it rise at room tempter  your dough should be thawed enough to work with. FYI, it may take a little bit longer for the dough to start to rise after you take it out of the frig.
Good or bad, the one thing you are probably going to hear the most is "you didn't make enough"!

And as always
Eat, Enjoy And Make More