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Cinnamon Rolls with Orange Cream Cheese Filling

For me there is nothing quite like a freshly baked cinnamon roll first thing in the morning for breakfast with a freshly brewed cup of hot coffee. This recipe, with the addition of orange flavoring, adds a significant twist that I think you will find refreshing.

Cinnamon Rolls with Orange Cream Cheese Filling

Ingredients
Dough
2 ¼ t Yeast
½ c Water, warm (110 degrees)
¼ c Sugar

½ c Milk, scalded
½ c Butter, melted
2 T Honey
1 t Salt, Kosher
2 Eggs

4 c Flour, bread

Filling
½ c Sugar, powdered
¼ c Sugar, brown
6 oz Cream cheese, at room temperature
½ c Butter, at room temperature
1 t Vanilla extract
2 T Orange juice reduction *
2 T Cinnamon, ground
¾ c Pecans, chopped

Glaze
4 T Butter (melted)
2 c Sugar, powdered
1 t Vanilla extract
2 T Orange juice reduction *
3 to 6 T Hot water

Instructions
In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water and set aside.

In a large bowl mix milk, sugar, melted butter, salt and eggs. Add 2 cups of flour and mix until smooth.

Add yeast mixture. Mix in remaining flour until dough is easy to handle. Knead dough on lightly floured surface for 5 to 10 minutes. Place in well-greased bowl, cover and let rise until doubled in size, usually 1 to 1 ½ hours.

TIP: To facilitate the rising of the dough, place a cup of water in the microwave on high and bring the water to a boil. Immediately remove the boiling water from the microwave and place the bowl with the dough in the microwave uncovered. Check the dough after one hour. If necessary, repeat the process, but only leaving the dough in the microwave for an additional ½ hour. Do not turn the microwave on while the dough is inside. The purpose of this process is to provide the moist, warm environment that is perfect for the yeast to do its work causing the dough to rise.

After the dough has doubled in size roll out on a floured surface into a 10 x 15 inch rectangle.

Spread the filling evenly over the rolled out dough, leaving an inch at the bottom uncovered. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts, pecans, or raisins if desired.

Beginning at the 10 inch side, roll up dough and pinch edge together to seal. With a very sharp knife cut into 8 slices.

Coat the bottom of two baking pans with butter and place cinnamon roll slices close together in the pan and place in the cold oven.

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Bake for about 30 minutes or until nicely browned.

Meanwhile, mix together the glaze ingredients adding hot water 1 tablespoon at a time until the glaze reaches the desired consistency. Drizzle over slightly cooled rolls.

* To make the orange juice reduction, place 1 cup orange juice and ¼ cup sugar in a pan. Bring to boil then reduce heat to simmer and cook until liquid has been reduced to ¼ cup (8 tablespoons).

Two Party Quiche Recipes

Christmas Eve is a traditional time for our family to get together. Everyone brings a dish (or two) to share and it is an opportunity for me to try some new dishes that I hope all will enjoy.

This year I decided to create two new delicious quiche recipes. Quiche makes a good party food. It is versatile, can be served at room temperature, and is easy to dish up and eat.

Trouble was, at 10:00 am my gas oven decided to start acting up. I still had several dishes, including these two quiche, to make, and guests were due to start arriving at 2:00 pm.

So, the solution was to rush down to the closest store and purchase a temporary replacement. What I ended up purchasing was the largest countertop style electric oven I could find (this is on Christmas Eve, mind you).

How well this oven works will be the subject of a future review, as will be the Ninja Express Chop (also featured in the picture), which I received as a present.

Here are the recipes:

CRAB ARTICHOKE QUICHE

Ingredients
1 T Olive oil
3 Onions, green chopped

3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 c Cream
1 c Parmesan cheese, grated
1 t Salt, Kosher
½ t Pepper

1 c Crab Meat
1 c Artichoke hearts, coarsely chopped

Prepared pie crust

Instructions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Bake the piecrust for ten minutes.

Sauté onion in Olive Oil until softened.

Mix together the eggs, cream, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper.

Mix the onions into the egg/cream mixture.

Next add the crab and the artichoke hearts, stirring gently.

Pour into the lightly baked piecrust.

Bake at 325 degrees for about 45 to 55 minutes, or until the quiche is set and the internal temperature is 165 degrees.

SPINACH SWISS QUICHE

Ingredients
1 8 oz pkg Cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 c Cream, heavy whipping
3 eggs

10 oz Spinach, chopped frozen (thawed and drained)
½ c Gruyere cheese, grated
¼ c Parmesan cheese, grated
1 c Swiss cheese, 1/4 inch cubes

6 Green onions, chopped

1/4 t Salt, Kosher
1/4 t Pepper

Prepared pie crust

Instructions
Preheat oven to 425°.

Bake the piecrust for ten minutes.

Beat cream cheese, cream and eggs until smooth.

Mix in remaining ingredients.

Pour mixture into prepared crust.

Bake until crust is golden brown and filling is set, about 25 minutes.

Cool before serving.

Cookies for Santa – Oatmeal Raisin

Christmas Eve is coming up quickly. Maybe you are wondering what kind of cookies to make for Santa’s special visit, or are just looking for the right cookie to serve to your guests. Here is a winning cookie recipe crafted in the Lukewarm Legumes test kitchen for you to try and just in time for the holidays. These cookies are not too sweet, or too filling, but are definitely delicious. They have the heartiness of oatmeal and the subtle sweetness of raisins combined with brown sugar and real butter. How could you go wrong?

OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES

Ingredients
1 c Butter, softened
¾ c Sugar, brown packed
½ c Sugar, white
2 Eggs
1 t Vanilla

1 ½ c Flour, all purpose
½ t Salt, Kosher
1 t Baking powder
1 t Baking soda
1 t Cinnamon, ground

3 c Oats
1 c Raisins

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F.

Cream together the butter, brown sugar, sugar, eggs and vanilla until smooth.

In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt together.

Mix the flour mixture into the butter/sugar mixture.

Stir in the oats, and raisins.

Form into balls and place on cookie sheets covered with parchment paper.

Cookies should be placed about two inches apart to allow for spreading since they have a lot of butter.

Bake them for 5 minutes then rotate and switch oven shelf placement, if baking more than two sheets at a time. Bake for 5 minutes and repeat until fully baked.

Remove from the oven when they begin turning golden brown.

Transfer to cooling racks.

Fantastic Breakfast Casserole

Sometimes breakfast is a rushed time of day. When this is the case it can present a number of challenges to the cook especially if they are preparing breakfast in someone else’s kitchen.

I had promised to prepare breakfast for a special occasion at someone else’s home, and wanted to have it ready when I arrived. The challenge was to make a breakfast that would taste great, be hearty, satisfying, and portable, yet not take a lot of time to get ready. So, my idea was to make a one dish recipe that could be made in advance, baked, transported, and ready to serve on arrival.

The following is the result of a dish prepared in the LukewarmLegumes Test Kitchen that is not only easy to make, but your guests will all be clamoring for seconds. With the holidays upon us and all the visiting, visitors, and meal preparation that goes along with it, this dish just might be what you need. I promise your guests won’t be disappointed.

FANTASTIC BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

Ingredients
1 c Rice, cooked (3 cups)

3 Eggs
½ t Salt
¼ t Pepper
¼ c Cream

2 T Flour
2 T Bacon drippings or butter
1 c Milk

Bunch Green onions, chopped
½ Red Bell pepper, chopped

12 oz. Bacon, cooked and chopped *

3 c Cheddar cheese, grated

Instructions
The base of this dish is a bed of rice. So the first task in preparing it is to cook the rice by taking one cup of rice, adding it to two cups of boiling water, and simmering for 30 minutes.

Place the cooked rice in the bottom of a 9 x 13 casserole dish. Mix together the eggs, salt, pepper and cream and pour over the rice. Prepare gravy with the flour, bacon drippings (or butter), and milk and pour over the rice/egg layer.

For the next layer sprinkle the chopped green onion and red bell pepper. Then comes the chopped bacon layer.

Spread the grated cheddar cheese over all.

Then prepare the biscuit dough (see recipe below) and spoon over the top.

Baked in an oven preheated to 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until the top is a golden brown and the filling is bubbling.

Here is a list of the layers in order:
• Rice
• Egg mixture
• Gravy
• Veggies
• Bacon
• Grated Cheese
• Biscuits

BISCUITS

Ingredients
2 c Flour
1 T Baking powder
½ t Baking soda
1 t Salt
½ t Garlic powder
1 t Parsley
½ t Pepper

12 T Butter

1 c Buttermilk

1 c Cheddar cheese

Instructions
Combine dry ingredients. Cut in butter. Stir in buttermilk. Mix in cheese. Work the dough only until it is blended.

* After cooking the bacon, in order to conserve the bacon drippings for use in your recipe, I recommend using a metal colander and draining over a dish to capture the drippings rather than using paper towels because the paper towels will absorb the juices and make then unusable.

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