No-Knead Rich Dinner Rolls

It's getting really cold. Today it's a dark, rainy, windy, and foggy day. It's definitely baking weather; and one of my favorite things to bake is bread. Not too long ago, I made some No-Knead French Bread and it got me thinking about other breads that I could make "no-knead." I tried it a couple weeks ago with a Rich Dinner Roll recipe I had, and it worked very nicely! They're not my Grandma's Parker House Rolls (which are probably my favorite rolls), but these dinner rolls were a very nice companion to my Awesome Pot Roast. They are light and fluffy, with a golden buttery exterior, and a slightly sweet taste. I've actually made them a couple times, and they are always gone in a flash.

Here's how it starts:
water, milk, butter, salt and sugar go into a microwave safe bowl/measuring cup. (You could do this on the stove too, but I find it easier to clean a glass Pyrex dish than it is to clean a pan.)

I microwaved everything for 1 minute, so that it all melts and comes together. (Make sure to stir the sugar at the bottom to get it all dissolved.) You want the mixture to be between 105F and 115F.

In a mixing bowl, combine half the flour and all of the yeast.

I just mix them together with the wooden spoon I'm going to stir the bread with.

Then add the milk mixture to the flour mixture, and stir.

Next, use one room temperature egg. Use the same container that you warmed the milk up in, so the residual heat will warm the egg slightly while you beat it.

Make sure to beat the egg quickly after you put it in the warm dish, so it doesn't cook.You want the egg to warm up so it doesn't scramble when you add it to the warm dough.

Pour the egg into the bread dough.

It will look like it's not going to come together . . . but just keep stirring and it will.

When everything is smooth, like this . . .

top everything with the other half of the flour. DO NOT STIR!

Just place a towel on top, and put it in a warm place.

After 10 minutes, come back and stir it. - I actually forgot about mine for 20 minutes, so this is what it looked like.

Stir it together as much as you can, and then place a towel over it again.

After 10 minutes, it will haven risen again.

Stir it down again . . . and repeat every 10 minutes until 50 minutes has passed. (A total of 5 times since the start.)

When you're waiting for it to rise between stirrings, keep a towel over it and put it in a warm spot. On this day, I didn't have my oven on already, because I was making my Awesome Pot Roast in the crock-pot. So, I just nestled the mixing bowl by the warm crock-pot and it worked perfectly.

So, you get the idea . . . it rises and you stir it down.

Repeat 5 times and it's done.

Dump it out onto a floured work surface (I just used my clean counter-top), and flatten it out.

Once flat (about 1 or 2 inches thick) cut it in half.

Then roll each half into a log.

Cut each log in half.

And cut each half into thirds.

Take each small piece and fold it onto itself to make a ball. Once it's in a ball, I usually pinch the bottom of it with my thumb and first finger - in the shape of a fist (see picture). This makes the dough taught and the ball more spherical.(Squeeze hard.)

Repeat until all the pieces are in equally sized dough balls.

Place the dough balls into a baking dish (You could make them on a cookie sheet, but I like more soft edges than crispy edges, so I put them in a dish.) I used an 8x8 baking dish so that I would have tall rolls, but if you like them shorter and crispier you can use a 9x9 or bigger. You could also bake them in a muffin/cupcake tin. Spray the dough with cooking spray (or rub them with butter or oil) and cover the dish with plastic wrap.

At this point you could freeze them for later use. If you are baking them right away, then you'll want then to rise now. Place in a warm spot for 30 minutes.

After they have at least doubled in size, brush them with butter. (I just used my fingers - the butter was VERY soft.) - The more they rise, the lighter and fluffier they will be.

Bake @ 350F for 12 minutes (or until golden brown). Remove and brush once more with butter (this softens the crust).

Nothing left to do but serve them up. (I usually rest them with a towel on top until dinner is ready - about 20 to 30 minutes. This helps the dough set better in the center.)

I hope you enjoy these rolls, and let me know if you try any other bread recipes as no-knead. :)

Here's the recipe:

No-Knead Rich Dinner Rolls  
*makes 12 rolls

1/4 cup water
1/2 cup milk
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp salted butter
1 Tbsp instant (rapid rise) yeast 
2 1/2 cups flour, divided
1 egg, room temperature

Combine water, milk, sugar, salt and butter in a microwave safe dish (or in pot on the stove). Microwave for 1 minute, and stir to combine. You want the mixture to be between 105F and 115F. In a mixing bowl, combine 1 1/4 cups of flour and the yeast. Stir in the warm milk mixture. Beat the egg. (I recommend doing this in the same dish you warmed up the milk mixture, so that the egg warms up a bit and doesn't cook when you add it to the dough.) Add the egg to the dough and stir until completely smooth. Cover the dough with the remaining 1 1/4 cups of flour, but DO NOT STIR. Cover the bowl with a towel and place in a warm spot. Stir the dough every 10 minutes until 50 minutes has passed (stir 5 times). Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface. Flatten the dough, and divide it in half. Roll each half into a log. Cut each log in half and then each half into thirds - so you have 12 equal pieces. Fold each piece onto itself to make a tight ball. Place the balls into a greased dish (8x8, 9x9 or 12 cup muffin tins). Spray with non-stick cooking spray (or brush with veg. oil or melted butter) and cover the dish with plastic wrap. Place in a warm spot for 30 minutes. After the 30 minutes, the dough should have at least doubled in size. Bake @ **375F for 12 -15 minutes - or until the rolls are browned and sound hollow when tapped. Turn out and cover with a towel until ready to serve. (**If you prefer a darker roll, bake @ 400F)

Earthquake Cake

 
I made this for dessert last week, when my son was having a sleep-over. It was a big hit. My husband took what was left to work the next day and it got rave reviews. So much so, that he asked me to bake another one today and bring to the station. Things are a little tight lately, because of the government shutdown, but I do have one more cake mix and the little mix-ins that are required. So, the second one is in the oven right now and I hope it's as big of a hit as the first one was.
   If you've never had earthquake cake before, it's kind of like an upside down German chocolate cake. It's called earthquake cake because the top gets cracked, like the ground in an earthquake. It's a very simple cake with few ingredients, so it's great for a weeknight, but impressive enough for a crowd. This recipe is my take on my friend Kim's recipe that was published in our church cook book. The original recipe calls for German chocolate cake mix (I used Devil's Food, because that is what I had) and it has no chocolate. (Gasp! Most every dessert is improved with chocolate, so of course I added some.) I hope you and your family likes it as much as we do.

Here are the main characters:
1 box cake mix (and ingredients to make it), chocolate chips, pecans, flaked coconut, butter and cream cheese

The butter and cream cheese go into a small sauce pan to heat together on the stove.

The pecans get toasted in a dry saute pan (or spread out on a cookie sheet in a 350F oven)

When the nuts are fragrant, and slightly browned (be careful - they burn quickly), chop them and sprinkle them into an even layer on the bottom of a greased 9x13 dish. (If your family is allergic, you can omit the nuts. - You can also substitute any nut of choice, if you prefer.)

Next, sprinkle on some chocolate chips. (This is to taste. I did about 2 handfuls which is probably a little more than 1 cup.)

Next comes the coconut. Again, this is to taste, but I probably used about 1 cup.

When the butter and cream cheese have melted together, add 3 cups of powdered sugar. (I buy mine in bulk, so I did 3 cups. If you buy the little 1 pound boxes, then just add a whole one of those.) And don't worry about any lumps of sugar, they will melt out in the oven.

Prepare the cake mix per the box directions and then pour the batter evenly over the nuts/chocolate/coconut.

When the cake batter is evenly spread out, drizzle on the cream cheese/butter/sugar mixture. (This is basically cream cheese frosting, so you don't frost this cake at the end. The frosting is baked in.)

The whole thing goes into the oven @ 350F for 50-60 minutes. (Mine took 55 - until it's no longer giggly.)

This is what it looks like when it's all done.

When it's cut into, it holds it's shape pretty well. The chocolate is all melted, the frosting has seeped down through the cracks of the cake and made the coconut layer all gooey and delicious. It really is an awesome cake.

You could have fun with this recipe and use different flavors of cake mix. My mom would appreciate a vanilla cake with white chocolate chips. There are no limits. Have fun with it. And if you try any new and delicious combinations, be sure to drop me a comment and let me know! :)

Here's the recipe:
adapted from Kim's Earthquake Cake

Earthquake Cake

1 box cake mix, and ingredients to make it (I used Devil's Food)
1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped (to taste)
1 cup chocolate chips (to taste)
1 cup flaked coconut (to taste)
non-stick cooking spray 
1 stick (1/2 cup) salted butter
8 oz cream cheese
3 cups (or 1 lb) powdered sugar
 
Preheat oven to 350F. Melt together the butter and cream cheese in a sauce pan over low heat on the stove. While those are melting, spray a 9x13 baking dish and sprinkle the nuts on the bottom, in a single layer. Then evenly sprinkle on the chocolate chips. Do the same with the coconut. Prepare the cake mix according to the box directions, and the pour the batter evenly over the nuts/chocolate/coconut. Spread the batter out into an even layer. 
  When the butter and cream cheese are melted, take them off the heat and whisk in the powdered sugar until smooth (don't worry if there are any sugar lumps, they will melt in the oven). Pour the cream cheese mixture evenly over the top of the cake batter. Bake @ 350F for 50-60 minutes (until the chocolate cake is set). Cool and serve warm or at room temperature.

Raspberry Streusel Muffins

Raspberries are on sale in my neck of the woods, so I bought a bunch and am in raspberry heaven. Usually they are on the pricey side, so I do without (usually using my second favorite berry - the blueberry, because I don't live where they grow my first favorite berry - the huckleberry). This morning I served my kids these muffins for breakfast before school and they loved them! I think next time I might make them without the streusel topping, because it's kinda messy, but very tasty all the same!
   Really any berry for fruit could be substituted here. If you went with a harder fruit, like apples, you might want to cook them a little first so they are soft by the time the muffins are done. Do you have a favorite muffin recipe? Let me know what it is so I can try it out! :)

Here's how these muffins are put together:

It starts with the streusel topping (if using). It's 1/4 each flour and brown sugar with 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon and 2 Tbsp cold butter (I like salted).

Cut the butter into the brown sugar/flour/cinnamon with a pastry cutter, two knives or a fork. (You fingers would work too.)

When everything is combined and the butter is in tiny pieces (like this) put it in the fridge until later.

Then mix the wet ingredients together: milk, oil, vanilla, lemon zest (if using) and 1 egg go into a mixing bowl.

After they are mixed together, 

add the sugar, 

salt, 

baking powder,

and flour. Whisk it all together (or use an electric beater, but make sure not to over mix).

When the batter is a homogeneous mixture, switch to a rubber spatula. Scrape down the sides and bottom on the bowl. 

Add the raspberries,

and GENTLY fold them in. They are very delicate, so if you go beating the thing, you'll end up with a red batter instead of a white batter with lovely raspberries hidden inside.

When all the raspberries are folded in, grease a 12 cup standard size muffin tin.

Scoop the batter into the greased muffin cups (or you could use cupcake liners if you don't want to grease the pan, but I find that I loose a lot of muffin that way - it gets stuck to the liner). Fill each cup 3/4 of the way full. (Angel Girl was helping - per usual - so you can see her little fingers in the top of the pic.)

If you are using the streusel topping, then now is the time to get it out of the fridge. Top each muffin with about 1 Tbsp of topping. (Just make sure they are all evenly topped. I used a rounded Tbsp for each.)

When they are all evenly covered, they get baked @ 400F for 20-25 minutes (mine took 22). They should be done in the middle (not gooey) when poked with a skewer, toothpick or cake tester.

This is what they look like right out of the oven. (Ignore the Legos my son left in the frame.) :) If you used cupcake liners you can take the muffins out of the pan right away and place them on a cooling rack. If you didn't (like me) then let the muffins sit in the hot pan for at least 5 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack. 

This is what they look like after they are cooled: Very pretty!

You can eat all 12 yourself or share with your friends and family - the choice is yours. :)

See how moist and lovely they are in the center? Mmmm.

*These muffins would be good with 1/2 tsp of almond extract in place of the vanilla.

Here's the recipe:
adapted from Betty Crocker Blueberry Muffins

Raspberry Streusel Muffins

Streusel Topping:
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup brown sugar 
2 Tbsp cold butter
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Muffin:
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup veg oil (or canola oil)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract* 
zest of 1 lemon (optional)
1 large egg
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
2 cups flour (I always use all-purpose)
1 6 oz container of clean raspberries (about 1 1/2 cups)

Preheat oven to 400F. Grease a 12 cup standard muffin/cupcake tin. Using a pastry cutter (or two knives or a fork) mix the streusel topping together, cutting the butter until the mixture looks crumbly. Set the topping aside in the fridge until needed.
In a mixing bowl, beat together the milk, oil, vanilla, lemon zest (if using) and egg. Add in the sugar, salt, baking powder and flour until just combined (there will be lumps). Don't over-mix the batter. Gently fold in the berries. Fill each of the prepared muffin cups 3/4 of the way with the batter. Top with about 1 Tbsp of topping. Bake @ 400F for 20-25 minutes (until golden and done in the center - mine took 22 minutes). Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before carefully removing them and placing them on a cooling rack.