Cookie Dough Stuffed Cinnamon Rolls

If I'm being honest, I'm on the Internet way too much. However, I don't watch much television these days and I do discover some really interesting finds. So that makes it totally okay. -- that's my story and I'm sticking to it. I don't even know what I was Googling when I came across the site of a vegan bakeshop in Berkley, California specializing in gourmet cinnamon rolls called Cinnaholic. While I've never personally tasted Cinnaholic's creations their shop concept of customized cinnamon rolls is genius. Customers can choose both the topping and frosting for the cinnamon roll from a variety of flavor combinations. They also offer specialty cinnamon rolls; one of them being a Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cinnamon Roll. How great does that sound? AMAZING!

While I admire their vegan mission and use of quality ingredients, I was in a dilemma. I live in Ohio, they are in California so visiting the shop wasn't an option and my wallet was empty so ordering them online wasn't a possibility either.  Not to mention I needed these in my belly pronto therefore whipping up a batch from scratch was out of the question . Solution you ask? Why, send Charlie to the store for a can of Pillsbury Cinnamon Roll Dough and a tub of chocolate chip cookie dough. The results were just as good as I imagined, but probably not as fabulous or as animal friendly as the original.

Ingredients
Refrigerated Pillsbury Cinnamon Roll Dough with Icing
Nestle Toll House Cookie Dough -- you'll have extra so be prepared to have cookies sometime in the near future.

Directions

• Separate the dough according to package instructions.
• Using the swirly indentation in the dough as a guide; gently tear the dough into a strip and flatten with the cinnamon side as the edge.
• Place approximately 1 Tablespoon of cookie dough on each strip of cinnamon roll dough. I put in on in little balls, but you could probably spread it on too.
• Carefully re-roll the dough and place the roll, cinnamon side up, on a lightly sprayed baking sheet.  If you're using paper dessert cups like I did, put the roll in the cup then place on a baking sheet.  
• Bake in a 375 degree oven for 17 to 20 minutes.
• Remove from oven and sparingly use the enclosed frosting. Using too much of the frosting will mask the chocolate chip cookie taste. 
• For best results serve warm.

 

 

Serves

8

A Broken Oven Tip
These turned out so well I may try some different fillings, using different types of cookie dough such as peanut butter, chocolate or chocolate chip with nuts!

Dear Cinnaholic, If by chance you come across this post first let me give you a special Broken Oven shout out "Hi Cinnaholic!".  Secondly, I apologize for bastardizing your creation, but I was inspired and it just sounded too good not to give it a try. I promise if I end up in San Francisco this Summer for vacation, which is a real possibility, I promise to visit your shop and try one....or five for myself.  I also encourage all my 30 regular readers if they are in the area to do the same.

Stone Fruit Compote with Sweetened Ricotta

Both my sister and sister-in-law make fabulous jams and jellies --"Hi Annette and Kristin." I've forever been envious of this little talent of theirs, so I decided to try a batch of my own and failed miserably. Too sweet, too runny, too seedy -- the list goes on and on. But what I did learn from my experiment is I'm one heck of a fruit cooker. The compote part of this concoction is adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe, while the sweetened ricotta stems from my love of all things cheese and sugar. This is absolutely delicious and can be served for a variety of courses whether it's an appetizer at a brunch, dessert for a luncheon or a special breakfast treat, this recipe is sure to woo and impress your table guests. 

Ingredients

Compote

3 cups of stone fruit such as peaches, nectarines, cherries or plums

Pinch of coarse salt

1 wide strip of lemon zest

1 cinnamon stick

3 tablespoons of honey

2 tablespoons of water

Sweetened Ricotta

2 cups ricotta cheese

2 teaspoons of sugar

Directions

• Cut fruit into bite sized chunks removing all the pits.  It's fine to leave the skins on the fruit.
• Place fruit cinnamon stick and lemon peel in a small sauce pan and add honey, water and salt.
• Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally until soft approximately 10 to15 minutes
• Transfer to a storage container and let cool.
• Store compote in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
• To make the sweetened ricotta mix sugar with cheese and stir.
• Spread ricotta on toasted crusty bread and top with compote.

Servings

Makes approximately 2 cups of compote and 2 cups of sweetened ricotta

2 cups of sweetened ricotta

A Broken Oven Tip

Other suggestions are to serve over waffles, French toast or pancakes.  Ice cream would be pretty awesome too!

Maple Honey Oatmeal Bread

After 12 years of it sitting in my basement I dusted off my never used Kitchen Aid mixer and started concocting all sorts of treats this Summer.  One my favorite discoveries was bread making is super easy with a stand mixer and dough hook attachments. Experimenting with different recipes, flours and add-ins was fun and I actually found a few to put in my permanent file; this recipe being one of them. It's a basic wheat bread recipe with a secret ingredient -- one packet of maple brown sugar instant oatmeal.This simple addition adds just the right amount of sweetness and flavor to the bread and is perfect for PB&J or honey & cream cheese sandwiches or French toast.

Ingredients
2 cups of warm water (110 degrees F)
0.25 oz packet of active dry yeast
1/3 cup of honey
2 1/2 cups of  white bread flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1.6 oz packet of instant maple brown sugar oatmeal
1/2 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon melted butter

Directions

• In a large mixing bowl, mix warm water, yeast, and 1/3 cup honey. 
• Add  white bread flour and using the paddle attachment on a stand mixer stir to combine about 2 -3 minutes. 
• Replace paddle on the stand mixer with dough hook attachment. 
• Add whole wheat flour and the packet of maple brown sugar instant oatmeal. 
• Knead with dough hooks on low to medium speed for 7 - 9 minutes or until the dough has a good elasticity to it, but not sticky.
• If dough is too sticky add bread flour a tablespoon at a time until you have the right consistency.  If it's too dry, add water a tablespoon at a time.
• Place in a greased bowl, turning once to coat the surface of the dough. 
• Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes or until doubled.
• Punch down, divide and shape into 2 small loaves.  Place on a baking sheet lined with a silicon mat or parchment paper. You could spray the baking sheet with cooking spray, but I find the parchment or baking mats work best.
• Bake at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes or until slightly golden brown; do not overbake. 
• Lightly brush the tops of loaves with melted butter when done to prevent crust from getting hard. 
• Cool completely

Servings
2 medium sized loaves

A Broken Oven Tip
Use a packet of instant cinnamon oatmeal instead of the maple brown sugar and add a 1/2 cup of so of raising for delicious raisin bread.  Great for breakfast!

Soft Pretzels

This recipe was a little more work than I expected, but the results were amazing. The kids and I made these on a rainy summer day and had a blast. I tried to make traditional pretzel knots and let the shorties use their imagination to create  various creatures and shapes.  The creatures didn't hold up as well during the boiling process as the braids, nuggets and stix did and the knots didn't look like real pretzels, but they all tasted great and it was fun spending time together and sharing our creations with friends.

Ingredients

Dough
0.25 oz. package of active dry yeast
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees F)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup bread flour

Soda Bath
4 cups water
4 tablespoons baking soda

Topping
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons coarse kosher salt

Directions

• This recipe works best is mixed in a stand mixer with dough hooks. You can knead it by hand, but the dough is rather sticky to work with at first.
• Dissolve the yeast, brown sugar and salt in 1 1/2 cups warm water.
• Combine 1 cup of flour and liquid ingredients in mixing bowl with paddle or beaters for 4 minutes on medium speed.
• Gradually add remaining bread flour and knead with dough hooks for 5 to 7 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place dough in lightly oiled bowl and turn to grease top. Cover and let rise for about an hour or until dough doubles in size.
• When dough is finished rising, preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• When ready to work with the dough combine 4 cups warm water and baking soda in large sauce pan or deep skillet and bring to a low boil..
• After dough has risen, cut into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into a 2 foot rope, pencil thin.
• Twist into a pretzel shape then carefully place in the boiling water for 1 minute.
• Remove with a slotted spoon or spatula and place on parchment covered cookie sheets.
• Bake at 450 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown.
• Brush with melted butter, and sprinkle with coarse salt, garlic salt or cinnamon sugar.

Servings
12 pretzels

A Broken Oven Tip
When forming the ropes, roll each one to about half the length you want, then set it aside while you roll the rest. By the time you get back to the first rope, it will have rested enough to roll further.

Friday Night Pizza Dough

In an effort to save a little dough -- pun definitely intended, I started making our traditional Friday night pizzas. It's easy at our house, cheese and pepperoni are the weekly winners, but even if your brood prefer something a little more flavorful this dough is quick easy and cheap to make.

Ingredients

1 cup warm water

2 tablespoons of olive oil

3 cups bread flour

1 teaspoon garlic salt

2 1/4 teaspoon of active dry yeast

Directions

• Combine 1 cup of flour with remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl with paddle or beaters for 4 minutes.
• Gradually add remaining flour and knead with dough hooks 5 to 7 minutes until smooth and elastic. If the dough is too sticky for your liking add flour 1 Tablespoon at a time; too dry add water 1 Tablespoon at a time.
• Let dough  rise for about 30 minutes. 
• Lightly knead the dough and divide into 2 parts. Let rest for 10-15 minutes.
• Press each half into a generously greased 12-inch round pizza pan 
• Pre-bake for 10-12 minutes in pre-heated 400°F oven until edges of crust begin to turn light golden brown. 
• Add desired toppings and bake an additional 15 minutes.

Servings

2 - 12 inch thin crust pizzas OR 1 - 12 inch thick crust.

A Broken Oven Tip

Dust the pizza pan with cornmeal before stretching to add a little bit of flavor and prevent the pizza from sticking to the pan.

Mini Monkey Buns

I love the title of this recipe -- it's hilarious. If you're wondering if I am the creator of this fabulous title -- well yes I am!  Hopefully  I'm not the only one giggling.

The first time I heard of monkey bread was on a visit to Pennsylvania to visit my grandma many years ago.  The one I originally ate was a cinnamon and sugar bread baked in a bundt cake pan. I've modified the recipe from sweet to savory and make it often whether it's for bread at dinner or served with red sauce for dipping and a side salad for an easy weekday meal.

Ingredients
12 Rhodes frozen dinner rolls, thawed but still cold
1/3 cup melted butter
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
2 cloves of minced or crushed garlic
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
1/2 cup Italian blend shredded cheese

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and coat 12 cup muffin tin with cooking spray.
• Cut each dinner roll into 5 equal pieces and roll into little balls. Place in a large bowl.
• Combine butter, parsley, onion, garlic and Parmasen in a small bowl.
• Pour over rolls and toss to coat well. 
• Place 5 pieces in each well sprayed cup of a 12 cup muffin tin.
• Cover with sprayed plastic wrap and let double in size.
• Remove wrap and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
• The last 5 minutes of baking top with shredded Italian cheese blend to melt.
• Cool 3-4 minutes before removing from pan.

Servings
12 mini monkey breads

A Broken Oven Tip
You can make this a sweet bread by omitting all the savory ingredients and adding some cinnamon & sugar, maybe even some raisins.

Baked Doughnuts

I'm not going to lie to you dear friends.  These doughnuts are NOT as good as the fried version Charlie makes for the kids every once in a while. However, I do like this recipe because even with the amount of sugar and butter used, this not so deep fried version is still a tad healthier than the original. While I'm being honest here, let's face it, top anything with chocolate frosting and sprinkles, and  kids are going to love it and it's going to taste pretty darn good.

Ingredients
7.5 ounce can of refrigerated Pillsbury Country Style or Buttermilk biscuit dough
1/4 cup melted butter or margarine
1/4 cup sugar
Chocolate frosting and sprinkles are optional, but fun!

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees
• Separate dough into 10 biscuits and flatten to a 2 1/2 inch rounds.
• With a 1 inch round biscuit cutter cut a hole in the center -- I used a cap from a bottle, works just as well.
• Dip Biscuits and centers into butter then into sugar.
• Place on an ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until golden brown.
• Let cool then frost and top with sprinkles if desired.

Servings
10 small doughnuts and 10 doughnut holes

A Broken Oven Tip

Get creative with the toppings! Use chopped nuts, make a glaze or top with jelly -- it's ALL good!

Breakfast in a Biscuit

If it's not a big Sunday breakfast at Grandma's house, our family usually doesn't eat in the morning.  Bad habit I know, but we all seem to be wired the same way. However, I still like the kids to try and eat a little something before school. These easy ham and cheese drop biscuits are an ideal solution for a tummy filling grab and go breakfast that can be eaten in the car on walking to the bus stop.

Ingredients
2 1/4 cups Bisquick
3/4 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3/4 cup chopped fully cooked ham
3 tablespoons of melted butter (2 for the batter and 1 to brush biscuit tops)
Be creative with the fillings. Cooked bacon or sausage, veggies such as peppers and onions, as well as  different cheeses work nicely in this recipe too.

Directions

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Combine the biscuit mix, milk and 2 tablespoons melted butter.
• Stir in the ham and cheese.
• Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto greased baking sheet.
• Brush remaining tablespoon of butter on unbaked biscuits with a pastry brush.
• Bake at 450 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.

Servings
12 large biscuits (pictured above)
20 small biscuits

A Broken Oven Tip
Store the biscuits in the freezer. Pop 1 or 2 in the microwave for 30-45 seconds to reheat and eat.