Friday, October 21, 2011

NanoWriMo Take 2!

I can't believe it's that time again! It's nearly November and that means it's nearly time for my second annual venture into the world of writing a novel in 30 days! NaNoWrimo 2011 is almost here!

I, for one, can't wait! I have a few ideas in mind, but am still working on planning out the details of my 2011 adventure. Expect updates on the way. It's my most wonderful time of the year!

For my fellow NaNoers- good luck and happy writing!

And, if you're anything like me, your October may look something like this. Hooray for NaNoWriMo!


Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Recipe Box: Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Tonight I got in the mood for fall baking. I've been in the mood for pumpkin-flavored fall treats. To kick off the craving, I made a batch of pumpkin cinnamon rolls, which I found on one of my favorite baking blogs, Baked Bree.

They are in the kitchen rising now. I can't wait to taste one! I am so confident that they will be delicious that I'm sharing the recipe even before trying one myself. (Original recipe taken from Good Life Eats blog).

Watch for more from me soon-- I bought six cans of pumpkin pie filling at the grocery store tonight!



Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing

roll dough adapted from King Arthur Flour
makes approximately 15-16 rolls
Print Save Recipe

Ingredients:

Roll Dough:
1/4 cup warm water (not hot, about 110 degrees)
1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
1/3 cup warm milk
1 large egg, beaten
3/4 cup pumpkin puree, either fresh or canned
tablespoon melted butter
2 cups (approximately) All-Purpose Flour
1 1 /4 cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
Filling:
1 stick butter
2/3 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon each of allspice and ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cloves
Cream Cheese Frosting:
4 ounces cream cheese
1 stick (4 ounces) butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon lemon juice
2-3 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

Stir yeast into water to soften in a large bowl. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before stirring to combine. Stir in the milk, eggs, pumpkin, butter, 1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cardamom to yeast mixture. Beat vigorously for 2 minutes.
Slowly add the rest of the flour (all purpose), a bit at a time, until the dough is stiff enough to knead. Begin with 1 1/2 cups of flour and increase if necessary. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead, adding flour as necessary, until you have a smooth, elastic dough.
Place the dough into a greased bowl. Turn the dough in the bowl to coat the entire ball of dough with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and rise until doubled, approximately 1 hour.
Combine the white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, nutmeg and cloves in a another bowl, set aside. Transfer the risen dough to a lightly greased work surface, and pat or roll it into a 16" x 12" rectangle. Spread softened butter over dough and then sprinkle with the sugar mixture.
Roll the dough into a log the long way; it'll stretch to about 20" long as you roll. Using a very sharp knife, slice the log into 15 slices. In order to cut down on drag, it helps to rinse the blade in hot water, and wipe it off, between slices. Place slices in a greased 9x13 inch baking pan (or in two 8 or 9 inch round cake or pie pans). Cover with a towel and let rise until almost doubled, about 45 minutes.
Bake in a preheated 375°F oven. Bake the rolls till they're brown around the edges and beginning to turn golden brown across the center, about 20-30 minutes.
While rolls bake, prepare the cream cheese frosting. Add the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and lemon juice to a small food processor. Blend until smooth and combined. Add the powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time, blending in between, until well mixed and desired consistency is reached. (I used 2 cups powdered sugar)
Frost warm rolls with the cream cheese frosting and serve immediately.
For night before prep: Prepare the rolls up to the point where you roll and place in the pan. Then, cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, remove the pan from the fridge and proceed with the instructions where you left off. Rising time may be slightly longer than noted in the recipe due to the dough being cold vs room temp.

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Getting organized...or trying at least

I'm trying to organize more stuff in my life. I've spent a significant amount of time lately gathering together a lot of things I find interesting... recipes, home improvement projects, pet stuff, and more. So, thanks to my wonderful friend, Jenni, I've discovered Evernote, a great organization tool. I have it synced on my home computer, my work computer and my phone. I love it. Lately, I've been using it to save recipes. I love to cook and follow foodie blogs so Evernote has been a great place to save the delicious looking recipes I find.

I was a slow adapter, but am finding it more and more useful. So much so that I am even considering upgrading from their free account to their premium account. The only reason I haven't is that the premium account is $45 and I haven't yet decided if its worth it to me yet. I like it, but I haven't decided yet if I'm just having a moment of excitement or am really ready to upgrade and be a full adapter.

Jenni raves about it. So much so that she was featured on their blog for how she uses it. (She saves like her entire life in Evernote. I'm not kidding.)

I am seeking more ways to be organized in my life. And more hobbies. And more interesting things to post about. Does anyone have great ideas? I'm sure I can save them in Evernote for future inspiration!

Oh and Jenni, here's to you, friend!