Monday, May 05, 2008

More YUMMY Baking

I've been at it again.  We begin with me making one of my good old classic recipes that my family has loved since I was in my youth.  Last night I made lasagna for dinner and to go along with that had to make my famous "Fish Rolls".  The story is that growing up I always made the rolls for whatever occasion they were needed, especially Thanksgiving dinner.  One time when I was probably about 16, I made the rolls as I always did and we all sat down to our feast of food and started eating and someone announced that the rolls tasted really fishy.  They looked great and never had a clue that something was wrong with them.  As we all tasted the rolls, they were strangely fishy.  What in the world?  Well, after much investigation, we concluded that having baked them using an old somewhat rusty (cheap) pan to bake them in caused them to have a weird taste that was very fishy.  Needless to say, no one ate the rolls that year, but since then, my "fish rolls" are requested every time there is a family dinner of some sort.  It is not because we want fish tasting rolls, it's really because the recipe used to make them is great and everyone loves them. 
One of the great things about this roll recipe is that it can also be used to make cinnamon rolls.  So I often make some of them in to dinner rolls and the rest cinnamon rolls.  Another great thing about the recipe is that it is quick and easy.  So I thought I'd write it down, for one thing, the old recipe card I always pull out is actually quite a mess, soiled with ingredients used throughout the years as well as fading.  Now I will have it written somewhere else.  (Although, I've made it so many times, that I could probably recite this one.)  I wish I could give credit to whomever the recipe originated from, but I do not actually know.  I do believe that it might have been used in a school cafeteria. 
30 Minute Rolls
Mix together and let rise 15 minutes:
3 1/2 cups warm water
6 scant T. yeast (sometimes I even just do 5 scant T. and it's still great)
1 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup sugar
The yeast mixture should get foamy during the 15 minutes.  Stir then add:
1 T. salt
3 large eggs, beaten
10 1/2 cups all purpose flour
Mix well adding a cup or two of flour at a time, knead until no longer too sticky and shape immediately into rolls--or separate dough into two halves and roll out dough into rectangle about 1/4 inch thick.  Spread 1/2 cup softened butter over top, then sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon over the buttered dough.**Roll the dough lengthwise and cut in to cinnamon rolls.  Lay the rolls in a greased 9x13 cake pan.  At this point you can let the rolls rise anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes, but you don't have to--they don't really need to rise, but I do usually let them rise 15 minutes or so.  Bake for 12-15 minutes (check after 10 according to your own oven) in a 375 degree F. oven.
After rolls are removed from oven, cool in pan on cooling rack for 10-15 minutes.  Ice the cinnamon rolls with a simple icing using:
2 cups powdered sugar
pinch salt
2 T. butter, softened
1 t. vanilla extract
2-3 T. water (more or less to desired thickness of icing)
Drizzle icing over lukewarm cinnamon rolls.  If making dinner rolls, I brush them with beaten egg before baking.
**Sometimes I have sprinkled chopped toasted nuts (walnuts or pecans) or raisins over the dough as well.  I've even used chocolate chips before.
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NEXT--We'll see how many things I can get written up here.
I just made up a really good muffin recipe yesterday.  It allowed me to use up some of my ripe bananas (which I always have, I usually always buy more than I know we'll be able to eat, just so I can bake with them.  I love nanas!)  I thought the muffins were great and are pretty healthy--as well as full of chocolate!
Banana Chocolate Muffins
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup baking cocoa
1 T. Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa (or just add another tablespoon of regular cocoa)
1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
2 medium ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 cup egg substitute (I used Deb El Powdered Egg Whites, which is 4 t. dry powder--I added this to the dry ingredients)
1 t. vanilla
1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (mixed with 1 T. flour--to keep the chips from all settled on the bottom of the muffins)
In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and sift together using a wire whisk.  In another bowl combine the mashed bananas, milk and vanilla.  Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.  Spray muffins tins with cooking spray.  Fill each cup three-fourths full with batter.  Bake at 400 degrees.  I usually make mini muffins and they bake 10-12 minutes, or when using regular muffin tins, bake 15 minutes.  Check for doneness with toothpick inserted in center of muffin.  Makes 12 muffins, or 24 mini muffins.  I made 8 large and 10 mini muffins.
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Next time I make these I'm going to try them with an oat blend flour and some nuts.  I also often use Egg Beaters, but am out right now, so I used the dry powder.
Okay, so I actually have a few more things I've made that were "to die for" delicious, but will have to post them another time. 
A  quickie picture though--every time I open the refrigerator and Sam is anywhere nearby, he gets there as fast as he can to try to get things out of the fridge.  In fact, if you don't let him just look in it for a minute, he starts to throw a big fit.  Poor guy.  While I was making dinner tonight, I let him stand there for a minute looking in the fridge while I got what I needed and continue cooking.  I was not fully paying attention, and when I looked over at him, he was fully indulging in some sliced strawberries that were on a lower shelf.  He even got the lid off the bowl himself somehow.  He ate every last one and was very pleased with himself.  I just can't stand how darn cute he is!
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How cute are all these guys!  Sam got this cute little suit from Bob and Tes for his birthday.  Now here's the strawberry picture--
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3 comments:

Deb said...

I am still amazed at the things you bake! You have more will power than I do. Those muffins do look good though I might have to try them.

Amy Franklin said...

I just pulled your muffins out of the oven and they look and smell divine! I just had a bite of Glenn's and it is awesome!!! I hope the kids like them...they don't really like banana muffins (didn't get that from me) but they do like choc. choc. chip, so we'll see how it goes in the morning. I love your blog and all your baking...I would SO be right there with you, but I am kind of on a roll in the weight loss area, so I don't want to go too crazy! I will just admire your pictures and copy your recipes!

Judy said...

Katrina -- I love your blog and will be back. The 30-minute rolls are on my list to try; they look wonderfully light and delicious. Thanks for visiting my blog, hope you'll return. BTW, since you are also on blogger, can you tell me how you personalize the hyperlinks? I've tried quite a few codes and none seem to work.