Hot Toddy!

We survived Disney! But now I'm coming down with a cold which I will blame on our hellacious airplane ride home. Nothing like being stuck in a holding pattern above Philly for 30 minutes after the bumpiest flight I have ever been on. Luckily Mr. Lawyer whipped me up this Hot Toddy to help with my throat....and by help I mean burn with both temperature and whiskey. Whiskey is not my favorite liquor so the first few sips made me make a face and go yiiiiiikes! But it will definitely help me sleep! We're going to get my penguin humidifier out too!

Whiskey Hot Toddy

(from the Ultimate Bar Book)

Ingredients:
Lemon slice studded with 3 whole cloves
1 teaspoon granulated or brown sugar
Pinch of grated or ground nutmeg
1.5 ounces bourbon
6 ounces boiling water
1 cinnamon stick
Directions:
1. Drop the clove-studded lemon slice into a warmed heat-resitant mug.
2. Add sugar, nutmeg, and bourbon.
3. Pour in the boiling water, and stir with the cinnamon stick.

Apple Pie!

Yesterday I came to the sad realization that apple cider prices were probably going to stay outrageously high because of the wonky growing season. Sighs. Just like maple syrup the other year/still. This drink was well worth the money I spend for that gallon of cider! I might have to make another one tonight.

Apple Pie Martini

(Pinterest Find!)

Ingredients:
1 ounce vanilla or whipped cream vodka
2 ounces apple cider
a sprinkle of cinnamon
Directions:
1. Add ingredients to an ice filled shaker. Shake well. Strain into glass.

Snickerdoodle Update

I made a full batch of the snickerdoodle cupcakes for teacher cleaning day. They came out nice and moist so I think my measuring was a bit off when I halved the first batch. I didn't have any cream cheese to make the original frosting so I found a cinnamon butter cream that worked out well and tasted delicious!

Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:
1 stick butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1-2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Directions:
1. Beat the butter until it's light and fluffy.
2. Slowly add in the powdered sugar until fully incorporated. Add the milk when it gets thick.
3. Add vanilla and cinnamon and mix until just combined.

Snickerdoodle Lovin'

We have been busy, busy, busy and are never, never, home! I made these over a week ago and they were a hit. I'd watch the baking time as I thought they were a tiny bit on the dry side.

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes

(Pinterest find! From recipegirl.com)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups whole milk
Icing:
12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 pound powdered sugar, sifted
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Topping:
2 Tablespoons sugar + 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 28 muffin tins with paper liners.
2. Sift together both flours, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
3. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla. Add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with additions of milk, beating until combined after each addition.
4. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each about 3/4 full. Bake about 20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cupcakes comes out clean. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.
5. Prepare frosting: In a medium bowl, use electric mixer to blend cream cheese and butter. Add sugars, vanilla and ground cinnamon. Spread onto cooled cupcakes, or scoop into piping bag and pipe on the frosting decoratively. Place sugar-cinnamon mixture in a fine sieve and tap it lightly over the cupcakes to give them a light sprinkle.

I'm loving the swirls. They are super quick.

Sangria Weather!

It's suppose to be winter but it kind of felt like summer today. This is a problem. The solution? Winter Sangria! I'm a fan of this pomegranate vanilla sangria. With it's underlying hints of cinnamon and vanilla it was just different enough from summer sangria but had a nice toasty wintery feeling. I used a bottle of Hazlitt Red Cat (Woo NY Wine!) and my special vanilla beans that Miss Boo brought me from Tonga.

Obviously I need to get a pretty pitcher so my beverages can look all nice and classy instead of looking like a super alcoholic vat of booze.

Pomegranate Vanilla Sangria

(adapted from how sweet it is)

Ingredients:
1 orange, sliced
1 apple, chopped
1 pear, chopped
1 pomegranate
1 cinnamon sticks
2 vanilla beans
1 bottle red wine
1/2 cup brandy (I subbed Rum)

Club Soda, personal preference
Directions:
1. Add orange slices, apples, pears, cinnamon stick and pomegranate seeds to the bottom of a big pitcher. 

2. Pour wine and brandy in. Scrape vanilla beans and add to the mix. Throw in the bean pods too! 

3. Stir it all up and chill for 1 hour. Add desired amount of club soda.

4. Serve with spoons so you can eat all the yummy fruit!

Bread, Cinnamon Rolls and Sausage, Oh My!

What is better than homemade bread and cinnamon rolls on a freezing cold Sunday? Not much, other than the boy making dinner! Today's experiment was a new recipe for Amish bread. My loaf came out like a demented football but it tasted nice and sweet but slightly on the dense side. Nice crust. I split my batch into one loaf and one batch of 12 cinnamon rolls which were amazing! I used a Cinnabun clone recipe for the inside goo and top frosting and it was fabulous. The clone recipe did have a different, sweeter dough recipe with it but the Amish bread was perfect with it.

Amish White Bread

(allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:
2 cups warm water (110 degrees F)
1/4 to 2/3 cup white sugar (the more sugar, the sweeter and denser the bread. I used 1/4)
1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
6 cups bread flour
Directions:
1. In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water, and then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam.
2. Mix salt and oil into the yeast. Mix in flour one cup at a time. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Place in a well oiled bowl, and turn dough to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
3. Punch dough down. Knead for a few minutes, and divide in half. Shape into loaves, and place into two well oiled 9x5 inch loaf pans. Allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until dough has risen 1 inch above pans.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.

Cinnabun Clones

(allrecipes.com)

Cinnabun Goo:
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/3 cup butter, softened
Cinnabun Topping:
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
Cinnabun Directions:
1. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon.
2. Roll dough into a 16x21 inch rectangle. Spread dough with 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Roll up dough and cut into 12 rolls. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
3. Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes. While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving.

Aaaaaand since Mr. Lawyer made us a dinner fit for a football game (because that's what's been on all afternoon) I must feature it. He grilled up some yummy Spicy Italian Sausage from Whole Foods with peppers and onions on my new Christmas Grill Pan. I then did a quick toast on the rolls in the grill pan once he had everything out and we topped them with some spicy german mustard (which has horseradish!) They were delicious and I actually kind of felt like we were at the game.

English Muffin Loaf

English Muffin Loaf is yummy and amazing. I could eat the whole loaf by myself but tonight I had to fight the Lawyer for it. I could make this recipe in my sleep but today's loaf was my best yet and I owe that entirely to my new food processor (thanks Dad!)! This sucker did a wonderful job mixing everything together which result in a nice big loaf. Previously I had always mixed and kneaded the dough by hand which left me with some dense, not as high bread. Here is my cabinet of fun gadgets lovingly collected over the years from my parents, Mr. Lawyer's parents, and grandparents:

Waffle Iron, Hand Mixer, Grater, Blades and Containers, 2 Crockpots,

New Blender, New Food Processor, Foreman Grill, Salad Spinner.

English Muffin Loaf

Makes 2 loaves, from the Mother Unit

Ingredients:

6 cups flour

2 teaspoons salt

2 packages yeast

1/2 cup water

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups milk

cornmeal

Directions:

1. Set aside 3 cups of flour. Combine the remaining flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and yeast.

2. Combine milk and water in separate container, heat to 125-130 degrees. Add to dry ingredients and mix well.

3. Add in reserved flour, mix well.

4. Divide batter into 2 bread pans that have been greased and sprinkled with cornmeal. Sprinkle more cornmeal on top of dough.

5. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes.

6. Bake at 400 for 25 minutes. Remove from pans immediately.

Honey Butter with Cinnamon

From Alton Brown

Ingredients:

1 stick butter at room temperature

1 tablespoon honey

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon (I add a little more)

1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Throw everything in a bowl and mix it together.

2. Done.

Cinnamon Grapefruitade

Because the Dork and the Mother Unit are planning on bringing back some rum from their Caribbean cruise I bring you this:

Cinnamon Grapefruitade

(Food Network Magazine)

Ingredients:

1.5 cups sugar (for simple syrup)

1.5 cups water (for simple syrup)

4 cinnamon sticks (for simple syrup)

2 cups fresh grapefruit juice

2 cups water

Some raspberries

Directions:

1. To make the simple syrup bring 1.5 cups of sugar, 1.5 cups water and 4 cinnamon sticks to a boil, stirring until dissolved. This will result in about 2 cups of simple syrup. Let it cool.

2. Take your 2 cups of cooled simple syrup, add 2 cups of grapefruit juice, 2 cups of water and raspberries for garnish.

When you get sick of lemonade during the summer this is a yummy alternative. It has a little unexpected bite from the cinnamon. The best part is that it is absolutely amazing spiked with RUM!