Raspberry Sweet Rolls

Jeremy made these for me for Mother's Day and we all agreed that they were so yummy.  The dough is very light and fluffy and the flavor is fabulous.

RASPBERRY SWEET ROLLS

These raspberry sweet rolls with cream cheese frosting are the perfect treat for breakfast or brunch!

yield: MAKES 24-30 ROLLS

 

cook time: 17 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE DOUGH:

• 2 packages yeast (4 1/2 teaspoons), dissolved in 1 cup lukewarm water
• 6 tablespoons shortening (Crisco)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 9 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 cups hot water
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 tablespoon salt

FOR THE FILLING:

• 1/2 cup softened butter
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 3 1/2 cups frozen raspberries
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• Zest of 1 large lemon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch

For the frosting:

• 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 cup powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoon lemon zest

DIRECTIONS:

1. Add yeast to 1 cup of lukewarm water. Stir with a spoon and set aside for about five minutes.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add shortening, sugar, and salt to hot water and beat for 30 seconds. Let cool to lukewarm temperature. Stir in 2 cups of flour and mix until smooth. Add yeast mixture and mix until well combined. Mix in the beaten eggs.
3. Gradually stir in the remaining flour and mix with the dough hook for about 2 minutes. Remove dough from the bowl and place on a lightly floured counter. Knead by hand, add a little flour if the dough is still sticky. Knead until dough feels satiny and smooth.
4. Put the dough in a greased bowl and cover with a towel. Let rise for 30 minutes or until dough doubles in size.
5. Remove dough from bowl and place on a lightly floured counter. Divide dough in half. With a rolling pin, roll one half of the dough into a rectangular shape. Spread dough evenly with 4 tablespoons of softened butter. Sprinkle dough with 1/4 cup brown sugar. In a medium bowl, carefully stir together the frozen raspberries, granulated sugar, lemon zest, and cornstarch. Sprinkle half of the raspberry mixture over the dough.
6. Gently roll up dough into one long roll. Cut rolls, using a piece of dental floss or thread, about two inches thick. Place rolls into a greased 9X13 baking pan.
7. Now follow the exact same steps with the other half of the dough, using the remaining ingredients.
8. Place rolls in a warm spot and cover with a towel. Let rolls rise until double in bulk, about an hour. Bake rolls at 350 degrees F for 25-32 minutes or until golden brown on top. The insides should be soft, but not doughy. Remove pans from oven and let cool on a wire rack.
9. While the rolls are cooling, make the frosting. In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and lemon zest. Using electric mixer, beat until smooth. Spread frosting on rolls and serve.

All images and text ©Two Peas & Their Pod.

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This delicious recipe brought to you by Two Peas & Their Pod
https://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/raspberry-sweet-rolls/

CHEESY FLORENTINE PASTA

Another yummy pasta recipe.  I didn't used to love pasta with spinach in it, but I realized that's because everyone leaves the spinach in huge leaves and then you get a huge bite of soggy spinach.  I started using my kitchen shears to sliced it, a handful at a time, into really thin pieces and that has made all the difference.

CHEESY FLORENTINE PASTA

PREP:15 MINUTES

COOK:15 MINUTES

TOTAL TIME:30 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS:

·         1 pound penne pasta

·         3 tablespoons unsalted butter

·         3 tablespoons flour

·         2 cups whole milk

·         1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

·         1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

·         1 cup mozzarella cheese

·         1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

·         4 cups fresh baby spinach, thinly sliced

·         1/4 cup roasted peppers, diced

DIRECTIONS:

1.    Cook the pasta one minute shy of the directions listed on the box and drain (do not rinse).

2.    Add the butter to the pot you just used for the pasta (make sure to have at least rinsed it out well).

3.    Once melted add in the flour and whisk well, cooking for about a minute.

4.    Add in the milk slowly while whisking until smooth.

5.    Add in the salt, pepper, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese and whisk well.

6.    Add the pasta back in and toss well.

7.    Add in the spinach and bell peppers and toss a bit more before serving.

All images and text © for Dinner, then Dessert, Inc.

Recipe Permalink: https://dinnerthendessert.com/cheesy-florentine-pasta/

Caramelized Frozen Green Beans with Mushrooms

I am trying to clean out our freezer before the move and I realized that I have a whole lot of frozen green beans that I never use.  I always defer to broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts and asparagus.  I'm glad I tried this recipe for green beans because Jeremy and I both loved it.  None of my kids would eat them, but you can't win 'em all.

Caramelized Frozen Green Beans with Mushrooms

This recipe is originally from cookbook author Anne Willan who calls them "burnt beans." It deals with the problem of mushy green beans, which is what happens when you cook any frozen green bean--even those you've picked, blanched and frozen straight from your garden. But in this recipe, the beans slow cook until crispy. Don't fret the butter.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

·         6 tablespoons unsalted butter

·         1 pound frozen green beans

·         1/2 teaspoon salt

·         1/8 teaspoon black pepper

·         1 medium shallot, diced

·         1 package mushrooms, sliced

Instructions

1.      Heat a large cast-iron pan or skillet over medium-high heat and add the butter. 

2.      When the butter foams, add the green beans, stir to coat them in the butter and leave them to heat until they're no longer frost coated, about 5 minutes. 

3.      Add the salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low so that you can still hear them sizzling and stir the beans intermittently until they shrink, wrinkle and about half of them are darkly colored, about 30 minutes more. 

4.      Add the shallots and mushrooms for the last 10 to 15 minutes of cooking until the mushrooms brown and the shallots soften (you may need to turn up the heat for this in order to keep caramelizing, as the mushrooms will introduce more liquid, but watch it an turn it back down if it gets too hot).

5.      Taste for seasoning before serving. 

https://lynnecurry.com/2012/02/best-frozen-green-beans/