cinnamon

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter Y

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Take a Seat at the Table: Yeast Cinnamon Rolls! Don’t you just love modern kitchen appliances? My husband already owned a countertop Bread Machine when we got married four years ago, so today I decided to try it out. (First I had to find it. When combining two households, things get shuffled around.) The recipe booklet boasted the best glazed cinnamon rolls and the photo bolstered my confidence enough to put it to the test. I’m glad I did. The house smelled like a family-owned bakery and the warm, gooey cinnamon buns were phenomenal. The challenge came at only eating one. 
YEAST CINNAMON ROLLS 
Ingredients for Dough:

1 cup water

2 tablespoons butter, softened 

3 cups bread flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Ingredients for Filling:

2 tablespoons butter, softened 

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon 

Ingredients for Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons milk
Instructions:

Measure all dough ingredients carefully and place in the bread machine in the order they are listed: water, butter, flour, sugar, salt, and yeast. Select “Dough” cycle and “Start”. When the timer rings, remove the dough and flatten with a rolling pin into a 9-inch square on a lightly floured surface. Spread with 2 tablespoons of butter. Sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon filling over the buttered dough. Roll the dough up tightly; pinch the ends to seal. Cut the dough into 1-inch slices. Place in a 9″x9″ square pan. Cover with a wet tea towel and let rise in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours or until double. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake 25 minutes or until golden brown. Combine Glaze ingredients mixing powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk until smooth and thin enough to drizzle. Remove from pan to wire rack. Drizzle glaze over warm rolls. Serve warm. 

Eating My Way Through the Holidays: Special Edition 

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! What’s cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Home For the Holidays: Cinnamon Glazed Pears! Presenting a dessert as sweet as honey and as satisfying as a piece of pie. Make one for yourself or enough for a crowd. The aroma alone will make your house smell amazing! Split pears are the perfect size for filling with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream or a dollop of decadent whipped cream. After dinner cordials are also a nice compliment. 
CINNAMON GLAZED PEARS
Ingredients:

3 slightly firm pears; peeled, halved, and cored

6 tablespoons sweet dessert wine

3 tablespoons vanilla extract

3 tablespoons honey

3 tablespoons butter, unsalted

Cinnamon to taste
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375°. Arrange pear halves in a small baking dish, cut side up. Sprinkle cinnamon, then vanilla over pears. Dot each pear with butter. Drizzle honey over each pear half. Pour in the sweet wine. Roast for 40 minutes. Using oven mitts, carefully remove the dish from the oven. Tilt the dish so the juices pool in one corner. Take a spoon and baste the pears. Turn each pear over and return to the oven to roast 20 minutes longer or until a paring knife inserts easily. Baste occasionally for a caramelized finish. The sauce will thicken slightly. Serve warm. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter G

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Appetizers to Desserts: Glorious Glazed Pecans! Go to any big city or farmers market and you’ll find street vendors roasting sweet and savory candied nuts. The bakery aroma practically has you walking on air. Now you can bring this enticing smell and sugary sweetness right into your very own kitchen. I’ve made it a tradition to bake a couple batches for holiday gift-giving. When mixed with an assortment of smoked almonds, wasabi peas, salty cashews, and honey roasted peanuts, these glazed pecans become a gourmet choice for absolutely anyone on your list. In fact, anticipation creates excitement followed by open delight and thanksgiving. 
GLORIOUS GLAZED PECANS 
Ingredients:

1 pound pecan halves 

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon sea salt 

1 teaspoon cinnamon 

1 egg white, room temperature 

1 tablespoon water
Instructions: 

Preheat oven to 300°. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick oil. In a small bowl mix sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Stir well and set aside. In a large bowl beat egg white and water until frothy. Add one pound of pecans and coat well to cover. Pour sugar mixture over nuts. Stir completely to form a coating over pecans. Transfer nuts to the baking sheet. Form a single layer. Bake 30 minutes, turning every 10 minutes to form a crystallized finish. Remove from oven. Let cool and then store in an airtight container. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter O

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Daily Special: Oven-Glazed Pears! Presenting a dessert as sweet as honey and as satisfying as a piece of pie. Make one for yourself or enough for a crowd. The recipe measurements below only need one pear, which is two servings. Perfect for dessert for two. The aroma alone will make your house smell amazing!
OVEN-GLAZED PEARS
Ingredients:

1 slightly firm pear; peeled, halved, and cored

2 tablespoons sweet dessert wine

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon butter, unsalted

Cinnamon to taste
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375°. Arrange pear halves in a small baking dish, cut side up. Sprinkle cinnamon, then vanilla over pears. Dot each pear with butter. Drizzle honey over each pear half. Pour in the sweet wine. Roast for 40 minutes. Using oven mitts, carefully remove the dish from the oven. Tilt the dish so the juices pool in one corner. Take a spoon and baste the pears. Turn each pear over and return to the oven to roast 20 minutes longer or until a paring knife inserts easily. Baste occasionally for a caramelized finish. The sauce will thicken slightly. Serve warm with vanilla bean ice cream. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter S

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? A Second Helping of Snickerdoodle Blondies! Mention the word “cinnamon” and automatically people have visions of pastry shops and bakeries emitting delectable aromas that seduce the mind and tempt the body with Happy Day dance moves. And who doesn’t like to say “Snickerdoodle”? Bake-and-Go with this all-time favorite recipe.  
SNICKERDOODLE BLONDIES 
Batter Ingredients:

2 2/3 cup flour

2 teaspoons baking powder 

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 cups brown sugar, packed

1 cup butter, melted

2 eggs 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Topping Ingredients:

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9×13 pan. Mix butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Add the baking powder, salt, and flour. Pour into pan. 

In a small bowl mix together the cinnamon and sugar. Sprinkle over top of dough. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven. Try to wait until the Snickerdoodle Blondies cool down before sinking your teeth into that first bite. Enjoy!