The Best Cinnamon Rolls Ever!

Nothing beats a fresh, warm cinnamon roll right out of the oven.  This recipe is the best I've found in my quest to make the perfect cinnamon roll for tailgating.  When we have the occasional morning game, I like to show up with a pan of warm cinnamon rolls and of course Mimosas!  I love this version because it is a straightforward cinnamon roll.  No nuts, no raisins, just butter, sugar and cinnamon.  It makes 8 giant cinnamon rolls, so you have plenty to share but you won't want to.  Have one all to yourself.  It's well worth it.  If you aren't familiar with making yeast breads, you might think making your own breakfast rolls sounds complicated.  It really isn't.  This recipe is broken down into steps for 1) The Dough, 2) The Filling, 3) The Frosting.  I've taken lots of pictures so you can see step by step how it goes.  Definitely give these a try.  I'll bet you too will think it's the Best Cinnamon Roll Ever!

Get ready for The Best Cinnamon Rolls Ever!

Combine the flour, cornstarch,
sugar and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer.

Heat milk to 110 degrees F.  Add yeast packet.

Whisk in 3 eggs.

Gradually add the milk mixture to the
flour mixture, in an electric mixer with dough hook.

Add 12 tablespoons softened butter, a little at a time.

Place in a greased bowl. 
Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm oven.

While dough is rising, make the
filling by combining:  brown sugar, cinnamon
and salt.  Set this aside.

Go ahead and make your frosting too,
while you're waiting.  Mix together cream cheese,
milk, vanilla and powdered sugar until smooth and creamy. 
Set this aside.

After the dough has doubled in size,
remove from oven and place on a floured surface.

Roll into a rectangle that is approximately 18x12-inches

Spread with 4 tablespoons softened butter.

Sprinkle with filling mixture. 
Pat down slightly so it stays in place.

Starting with the longer side of the rectangle,
roll up trying to keep it as tight and as even as possible. 
Pinch the seam closed and cut into 8 pieces. 
Place in a greased 9x13-inch pan. 
Cover with plastic wrap and let rise 1 hour.

See how they've double in size AGAIN?

Bake 35-40 minutes

While hot, spread with about 1/2 of the frosting.

Let cool about 30 minutes and
add remaining frosting.
Enjoy your breakfast.  Or lunch.  Or dinner. 
Or midnight snack...

The Best Cinnamon Rolls Ever
For the dough:

3/4 cup whole milk
1 package rapid rise yeast
3 eggs
4 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
For the filling:

1 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
+ 4 tablespoons unsalted butter softened, set aside

For the frosting:

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Heat oven to 200 degrees F. 

Heat whole milk in a sauce pan over medium heat to 110 degrees F.  Mix in the packet of yeast and whisk in 3 eggs.

Combine flour, cornstarch, sugar and salt together in a mixing bowl with a dough hook attachment.  Add milk mixture slowly to flour mixture on low speed.  Add the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time.  Increase the speed to medium-high and mix until dough comes together and forms a ball.  (5-10 minutes)

Dough should be soft, silky and not too sticky.  Knead a few times and place in a greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Turn off the oven that you preheated to 200 degrees F.  You just want it warm, you aren't baking anything yet.  Let the dough rise until it doubles in size.  This should take about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
While dough is rising make the filling:  Mix together brown sugar, cinnamon and salt, breaking up all lumps in sugar.  Set aside.Make the frosting:  Combine the cream cheese, milk, vanilla and powdered sugar in a mixing bowl on low speed until combined.  It will be think, but still a little runny. It's more of an "icing" texture.  Set aside.

When dough has doubled in size, roll out onto a floured surface into a rectangle that measures about 18x12 inches.

Spread the dough with the 4 tablespoons of softened butter.  Sprinkle filling over butter and press down slightly so it will stay in place.  Begin rolling up on the 18-inch side.  Try to roll as tightly and evenly as possible.  Pinch the seam closed.  (I used a little bit of water to wet my fingers to moisten the dough and make a tight seal.)  Cut roll into 8 even sided pieces and placed in a greased 9x13-inch dish.  Cover with plastic and set in a warm spot.  (At this point I set the pan on top of the stove, while the oven preheated to 350 degrees F.)  Let rise 1 hour.  (Rolls will again almost double in size.)

Bake cinnamon rolls for 35-40 minutes.

Remove from oven.  While hot, frost with about 1/2 of the frosting.  Let cool slightly, about 30 minutes, then frost with remaining glaze.

Prep Time:  Approximately 2 hours     Cook Time:  Approximately 40 minutes

It's National Potato Chip Day! Your Chips Need Beau Monde Dip!

It's National Potato Chip Day!  No snack is more American than the potato chip.  They're good by themselves, but they are GREAT with a little Beau Monde Dip.  This dip goes together quickly, only five ingredients and you've got a terrific snack.  Make it the night before, so the flavors have time to blend and your chips are in for a treat!

The Beau Monde Dip Line-Up

Combine mayo, sour cream, dill,
minced onion and Beau Monde.



Place a layer of plastic wrap directly
on the surface of the dip before putting on the lid and refrigerating.  This will keep the top smooth and creamy.



Serve with potato chips, and celebrate
National Potato Chip Day!

Beau Monde Dip
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon dried dill
1 tablespoon dried minced onion
1 teaspoon Beau Monde seasoning (see below)

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients.  Blend well.  Cover and refrigerate overnight before serving.  It goes great with dipping vegetables, crackers, and of course:  potato chips!

Prep Time:  Approximately 10 minutes     Cook Time:  0

Note:  Beau Monde seasoning is a seasoning salt made from a blend of spices.  It gives a hearty flavor of celery and onion to any dish.  Beau Monde is French for "fine world".  It will make your dishes taste fine!  It is sometimes packaged under the name "Celebration Seasoning".  If you are unable to locate Beau Monde seasoning at your store, you can find it HERE on Amazon, or you can put together your own by mixing the following:

1 Tablespoon each of:  ground cloves, salt, ground bay leaf, ground allspice
2 Tablespoons each of:  ground white pepper, ground black pepper
1 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 Teaspoon each of:  ground nutmeg, ground mace, ground celery seed

Bear With Me, I'm a Slow Learner!

So I've told you all along that The Devilish Dish is a work in progress.  And since I'm forced to lay on my back with my foot propped up staring at the ceiling for a better part of my day, I have lots of crazy ideas running through my head.  Well not really running, racing like a rabid bear is chasing them.  Anyhoo, there are many things I want to add to my blog, to make it more interesting and user friendly for all of you.  You make click on here from time to time and see things that don't make sense.  Bear with me...as I recuperate from my surgery, I'm going to waste as much time as I can fiddling with the blog.  The original content is still here, and I will be adding new recipes often so please continue to visit me!

Gone Fishin' (Not Really)

I wish! 
As most of you know, I was in a serious auto accident last year.  I will be having surgery on my foot to try an repair some damage.  Hopefully this will result in less pain and better mobility in the future.   (Which equals more cooking and more recipes!)

I'm not sure how extensive this is going to be, or how soon I can return to the computer!  I have lots of recipes archived and ready to share with you, and I have my laptop, so we can keep in touch.  It may be a few days before I get anything new posted, but I will be posting new recipes as soon as I can. 

During the recuperation process, I have lots plans for The Devilish Dish, and can hopefully get some things polished up on the blog, such as a way to print the recipes, etc...I will keep you advised as things progress.

In the meantime, please continue to try the recipes already posted, and visit the advertisers on my blog.

Feel free to email me at:  thedevilishdish@gmail.com if you have any questions or comments.  I'll be happy to to help as much as I can from a sitting position.  I'd love to hear from you if you've tried any of the recipes and what you think. 

Happy Cooking,
The Devilish Dish

Heaven In A Bowl: Baked Potato Soup

We've all had potato soup.  It's okay.  And we all enjoy a loaded baked potato now and then.  Put those two together and you've got something way better than either of those two could ever be on their own.  This soup is creamy, comforting and oh-so delicious.  It's got bacon, cheese, green onions, sour cream...Everything you'd want on a baked potato right in the bowl.  Garnish with additional cheese and crumbled bacon and you've got a soup that is hearty enough to be a meal in itself!  Baking your potatoes and cooking your bacon ahead cuts way down on the preparation time.  Do those the night before, and you've got a wonderful soup that is easily prepared after work, and ready for dinner in less than a half hour!

The Baked Potato Soup Party!

Scrub potatoes clean, and pierce with fork.

Bake potatoes for 1 hour. 
I put them directly on the oven rack.

Remove from oven.  Cool completely.
Peel and cut into cubes. 
(Doing this step the day before will
make this process a lot easier. 
Also peeling an already baked potato i
s more difficult than it sounds,
so don't worry if you're potato looks kind of weird.)

Melt butter in a Dutch oven. 
Whisk in flour until smooth.
(Whisk constantly because you don't want the flour to burn.  You've just created a Roux which
is the thickening agent for our soup!)

Gradually whisk in the milk, and
keep whisking until mixture is thickened.

Add cubed potatoes.

Add chopped green onions. 
I added some fresh chopped chives
that I had on hand too. 
Season well with salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer 10 minutes.

Stir in sour cream, bacon and cheese.

Serve garnished with additional toppings if you'd like. 
Delish!

Baked Potato Soup

12 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
2/3 cup unsalted butter
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
7 cups milk
4 large baking potatoes
6 green onions, chopped
1 1/4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup sour cream
salt and pepper to taste

Scrub potatoes clean and pierce several times with a fork.  Bake in a preheated 450 degree F oven for about an hour.  Allow to cook, then peel and cut into cubes.  Set aside.  (Or do this step the day before and have cooled, cubed potatoes ready ahead.)  In a Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat.  Whisk in flour until smooth.  Gradually whisk in milk.  Whisk constantly until thickened.  Season well with salt and pepper.  (Soup will thicken very quickly once milk reaches the point of just boiling.)  Stir in potatoes and onions.  Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.  Mix in bacon, sour cream and cheese.  Continue cooking until cheese is melted.  Serve.  Garnish with additional cheese, bacon and chopped green onions if desired.

Prep Time:  Approximately 1 hour     Cook Time:     Approximately 30 minutes 

All The Single Ladies: Chocolate Beau Catchers

I love old cookbooks.  Every time I visit an antique store or used book store I find myself bringing home "just one more."  The best is when they've been used, and written in.  Sometimes I find a star drawn next to a recipe.  The original owner must have thought that recipe was good.  That's usually the first recipe I try!  Sometimes the pages are dog-eared, so I know something on that page caught their attention.  Another aspect of vintage cookbooks that I really like is the titles.  Some of them make no bones about their purpose.  The titles read something like, "How To Trap Yourself A Man."  My latest find was a cookbook called "12 Pies Husbands Like Best."  I haven't tried those 12, so I don't have any feedback from my husband yet.  I received this cookbook from a friend several years ago.  While the title is benign, one of the recipes caught my eye and made me laugh.  Chocolate Beau Catchers.  That's gotta be better than Love Potion #9.  I didn't bake them, cuz I already have a beau.  But I thought the single ladies might want to give them a try!

Here's the cookbook

This was written inside.  I love it!  (And I'm not even Roberta)

Well you know what they say?  A way to a man's heart is through his stomach...

Originally printed in the  We Cook in Maracaibo Cookbook

Published by:
Donna Rankin
Lila Kennedy
Jere Edwards
Helen Lilly
of
Maracaibo, Venezuela
1967

Bake 350 degrees F for 10 to 12 min.

Sift Together:

2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Cream:

3/4 cup butter
1 cup sugar

Blend In:

1 1/2 squares melted unsweetened chocolate
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 unbeaten egg

Add 1/2 cup milk alternately with dry ingredients.  Stir in 1 1/4 cup (8 ounces) cut dates and 1/2 cup chopped walnuts.  Drop by teaspoonful onto greased cookie sheet.

Browned Butter Frosting:

Brown 1/4 cup butter in saucepan.  Blend in 2 cups sifted confectioner's sugar and 2 to 3 tablespoons water until of desired consistency.
- Edith Knauer

The inside text of the book reads:

The Women who compiled this book,
collected the recipes from their
friends and neighbors who live in
Maracaibo or who have lived in
Maracaibo at some time.
This is a book for cooking not
for profit.  The proceeds from the
book will go to pay for the printing only.

Chocolate Beau Catchers

National Chocolate Souffle Day: Easy Chocolate Souffles!

February 28th is National Chocolate Souffle Day.  It's only appropriate that we say good-bye to the Sweet month of February with a decadent, chocolate send off.  If you thought making a souffle was difficult, think again.  This recipe is no more difficult than making a batch of cookies.  Easier I think.  Less ingredients and less dishes to wash!  The end result is much more sophisticated than a mere cookie.  If you want a chocolate dessert that is to die for, and something that will absolutely WOW your friends and family, give this a try!

The Chocolate Souffle Party!

Chocolate mixture should be melted
and smooth.  Set aside.

Whip egg whites until foamy.

Add sugar

Beat until stiff peaks form.  Look how glossy it is!

Combine egg yolks with chocolate mixture.

Stir in flour, cocoa and vanilla until well combined.

Fold 1/3 of the egg whites into
the chocolate mixture. 
Remember:  Folding is a delicate technique
used to mix or incorporate ingredients
thoroughly into a batter without deflating either
the batter or mixture folded into it.
It is always done by hand,
with a rubber spatula, rather than with a mixer.
Cut down into the center of the batter and
sweep the spatula up the side of the bowl,
scooping up batter from the bottom of the bowl
and bringing it to the top. Repeat the folding stroke,
giving the bowl a partial turn after each, until the batter is uniform. 

Continue folding in remaining egg whites
until batter is combined.

Spoon batter into individual oven-safe
ramekins and place on a jelly roll pan.

Bake about 18 minutes.  Don't peek
and don't slam any doors!

Serve immediately with whipped cream.

Look at that luscious molten center. 
Death by chocolate.  Happy National Chocolate Souffle Day!

Easy Chocolate Soufflés

¼ cup butter or margarine
5 ounces semisweet chocolate (5 squares), chopped
3 large eggs at room temperature, separated
½ cup sugar
¼ cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons cocoa
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup heavy or whipping cream, whipped

Heat oven to 375 degrees F.  Microwave butter and chocolate in a large bowl 1-1 ½ minutes.  Stir until smooth; set aside.  Beat egg whites in a small mixer bowl on medium speed until foamy.  Gradually beat in sugar.  Continue beating until stiff peaks form.  Stir egg yolks, flour, cocoa, and vanilla into chocolate mixture.  With rubber spatula, gently fold in one third of whites to lighten, and then fold in remaining whites.  Spoon batter into four 6-ounce individual baking dishes; place on jellyroll pan.  Bake 18 to 20 minutes until tops are puffed and barely set in center.  Serve immediately with whipped cream.
Prep Time:  Approximately 20 minutes     Cook Time:  Approximately 18 minutes