I tried a few new recipe keepers this Christmas, Homemade Cinnamon Rolls using yeast and all along with Biscotti. They were both excellent and I will be making them again before the holiday season is over. I never thought about making my own cinnamon rolls. The Pillsbury variety seemed fine if I ever wanted cinnamon rolls. Now that I am trying to avoid processed food and was looking for something I could make the night before the cinnamon rolls fit the bill. All I had to do Christmas morning is take them out of the refrigerator, let them rise and bake. The original recipe came from the Early Show, Katie Lee. I didn't change much but adding vanilla to the frosting however the next time I make it I will try less of the cinnamon sugar mixture since it seemed overloaded and some fell out when I rolled them up and I will also try grinding my own sugar for powdered sugar and maybe use the OJ vs the milk for a twist in the frosting. The Biscotti was easy to make even though you did have to bake it twice you didn't have to make individual cookies so overall I think it is easier than regular cookies. This recipe came from my husbands coworker who got it off the Food Network site from Giada de Laurentiis. I have tried a few of her recipes and they all seem to be good.
CINNAMON ROLLS
Mix in small bowl:
¼ C. warm water
1 pkg. yeast (2 ¼ t.)
1 t. sugar
Mix in large bowl:
½ C. sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
¼ C. canola oil
2 t. salt
½ C. cold water
½ C. boiling water
4 C. all purpose flour, plus 1/2 C. or more as needed
Mix in a small bowl:
½ C sugar
2 T. cinnamon
Brush dish and rolls:
6 T. unsalted butter, melted
Frosting:
1 C. powdered sugar
¼ C. milk
¼ t. vanilla
In a small bowl mix warm water with the yeast and 1 t. sugar. Set aside for about 5 minutes, until the mixture starts to thicken and bubble slightly. If the mixture does not start to thicken and bubble slightly, the yeast is not working. Check the expiration date on the yeast and start over.
In a large bowl stir together the ½ cup sugar, egg, oil and salt. Mix in the cold water and then the boiling water. Add the yeast mixture and stir until well blended. Slowly add the 4 cups of flour until incorporated. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead with floured hands for about 8-10 minutes, adding in the extra 1/2 C. or more of flour as needed. Put the dough into a clean large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until doubled in size, about 3 hours.
Meanwhile, combine cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl. Butter a 9x13”baking dish with about 1 T. of the melted butter using a pastry brush.
Punch down the dough and place it onto a lightly floured surface. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a rectangle about 20 x10 inches with the long edge facing you. Using the pastry brush, spread ¼ cup (about 4 tablespoons) of the melted butter over the top of the dough. Then, sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture over the entire dough evenly. Roll up the dough starting with the long edge facing you into a long, tight cylinder. Gently squeeze the cylinder to seal it. Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into 12 even rounds. Place the rounds, cut side down, into the prepared baking dish. There will be some space in between the rounds Brush the tops of the rolls with the remaining 1 tablespoon of melted butter. Cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise in a warm place for about 1.5-2 hours. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Bake the cinnamon rolls until golden, about 40-45 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the icing by mixing the powdered sugar with the milk or orange juice in a small bowl. When the rolls come out of the oven drizzle the icing over the hot rolls. Serve warm.
Do Ahead: You can assemble the night before, remove from refrigerator and let rise the 1.5-2 hours then bake.
HOLIDAY BISCOTTI
2 C. flour
1 ½ T. baking powder
¾ C. sugar
½ C. (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1 t. grated lemon zest
¼ t. salt
2 eggs
¾ C. pistachios
⅔ C. dried cranberries
1 C. white chocolate chips
Red and green sugar crystals, for garnish
Preheat oven to 350˚ F. Line a heavy cookie sheet with parchment paper. Whisk the flour and baking powder in a medium bowl to blend. Using an electric mixer, beat the sugar, butter, zest and salt in a large bowl to blend. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add the flour mixture and beat just until blended. Stir in the pistachios and cranberries. Form the dough into a 13 inch long, 3 inch wide log on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until light golden, about 40 minutes. Cool for 30 minutes. Place the log on a cutting board. Using a sharp serrated knife, saw the long on the diagonal into ½ to ¾ inch thick slices. Arrange biscotti, cut side down, on the baking sheet. Bake until they are pale golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer the biscotti to a rack and cool completely. Add the chocolate chips to a microwave safe bowl. Microwave a minute at a time, stirring between each minute until melted. Brush chocolate on one tip of cookie, about ¼ of cookie. Sprinkle ½ teaspoon or so of sugar onto warm chocolate. Place back on parchment paper till chocolate dries.
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