‘Homemade’ Cinnamon Rolls

What’s not to love about cinnamon rolls?? We love them in our house – and we don’t mind popping open a store bought can of them, they are delicious. But, I decided that I wanted to make some myself. Now, I didn’t want to roll out dough – at least not this time – so I decided to use store bought puff pastry. So, I guess they are ‘semi-homemade’ – but, so delicious!!

Puff pastry is something that I’ve started keeping on hand – there is just so much that you can do with it. I started by letting the puff pastry thaw, until I could open it up (it comes folded in thirds) and roll it out just a bit.

Then I just sprinkled on brown sugar, cinnamon and a little bit of white sugar. I just eyeballed it and added as much as ‘looked right’ to me.

Then I rolled the pastry up, being sure to not let any of the sugar and cinnamon fall out, into kind of a log.

One sheet of pastry dough easily makes 8 cinnamon rolls. To ensure that I got the rolls the same size, I started by cutting the log in half, then cut the 2 halves into half again. Eight perfectly sized cinnamon rolls!

I put the rolls onto a baking pan (on parchment paper, for easier clean up).

I baked the rolls in the oven, at 400 degrees, for about 15 – 20 minutes (until the rolls are golden brown).

Cinnamon rolls aren’t complete without a glaze! While the rolls were baking, I made a simple glaze using confectioners sugar and heavy cream. Yum!

After the rolls were done, I slathered on the delicious glaze!

They are best served warm, right out of the oven, but even reheated (or even cold) – they are still good.

I’m thinking that these cinnamon rolls may be our Christmas morning breakfast!!

Apple Pancakes

Continuing with the apple kick – we had apple pancakes for breakfast / brunch on Sunday. I can’t seem to get enough apples, these days! I’m already thinking of other things – and planning to buy more apples, this week.

The apple pancakes started pretty much the same as the banana pancakes that I’ve posted, before, but with some quick, and delicious, apple compote as part of the mixture and on top of the pancakes!

Apple Pancakes

Batter
2 eggs
1 cup milk
3 tbsp melted butter
1 1/2 cup self rising flour
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup cooked apple mixture

Apple Compote
4 small apples, chopped
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

  • Prepare apple compote over medium – low heat, by combining ingredients and allowing to simmer, covered, 5-10 minutes
  • Prepare batter by mixing wet ingredients (eggs, milk and butter) – then add in the dry ingredients (flour, sugar and cinnamon), mixing well
  • Fold in the 3/4 cup of the apple compote
  • Cook on hot griddle (or pan) that has been lightly oiled – 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake
  • Remove pancakes, when bottom is golden brown
  • Top with apple mixture and enjoy!

Oven Baked Apple and Cinnamon Rice Pudding

I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, but every now and again, I do. I thought I would do a small rice pudding to see if that satisfied the sweet craing I was having. I didn’t have any raisins, but I did have some honeycrisp apples, so I decided to do an apple rice pudding.

I used basic ingredients, with the addition of the apple.

In a large bowl, I whisked the eggs, milk, cinnamon, salt, sugar and vanilla together.

After that, I stirred in the rice and apples.

The mixture was added to a 5×5, buttered, baking dish and placed in a water bath and cooked in a, preheated, 350 degree oven for 1 hour.

When the rice pudding was one, I removed it from the oven and stirred it up to ensure that the apples were well distributed.

Oven Baked Apple and Cinnamon Rice Pudding

1 – 1 1/2 cup cooked rice (depending on how wet/dry you like your rice pudding)
3/4 cup milk
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 small honeycrisp apple, diced

  • In bowl, whisk eggs, milk, cinnamon, salt, sugar and vanilla extract
  • Add in Rice and apples and mix
  • Butter small baking dish (I used a 5X5 baking dish)
  • Pour mixture into baking dish
  • Bake for 1 hours, in a water bath, at 350 degrees
  • Fluff rice pudding when it comes out of the oven, add a little more cinnamon to each serving if you like

Banana Pancakes

I’m not a huge pancake person, but my family loves them. We had some bananas that needed to be used, so I thought ‘banana pancakes’ (well, actually, I thought ‘banana pancakes or banana waffles?’ and decided on pancakes.).

Only a handful of ingredients are needed for these pancakes: a banana, 2 eggs, flour, sugar, milk, butter and cinnamon.

Prep started by whisking the eggs and adding in the other wet ingredients and mixing with everything but the flour and bananas.

I, then, mixed in the flour. After the mixture is well incorporated, I whisked in the bananas, making sure to not over mix.

I used a hot griddle and poured the pancake batter out in 1/4 cup portions. I flipped them, once the batter started to bubble and once the bottoms are golden brown, your pancakes are done.

** Note: the extra sugar from the bananas will result in a more golden pancake.

Banana Pancakes

1 ripe banana, mashed
2 eggs
1 cup milk
3 tbsp melted butter
1 1/2 cup self rising flour
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tbsp cinnamon
Oil for griddle

  • Mash banana in small bowl
  • In large bowl, whisk eggs
  • Add milk, butter cinnamon, sugar and cinnamon to bowl and mix well
  • Add in the bananas and mix well
  • On a hot griddle, pour 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake
  • Flip pancake when the batter starts to bubble
  • Remove pancake, when bottom is golden brown.