Sticky Buns

photo from America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

Makes 12 rolls
Prep time: 2 hours 30 minutes (includes dough making and rising time)
Total Time: 4 hours 20 minutes plus cooling time

Nut Topping
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
½ cup light corn syrup
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/8 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups pecans, toasted and chopped coarse

Buns
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
¼ teaspoon cloves
Pinch salt
Flour for the counter
1 recipe Basic Sweet Dough
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for the pan

1. For the nut topping: Bring the brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, and salt to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the vanilla and pecans. Spread the mixture over the bottom of a greased 9 by 13-inch metal baking dish

2. For the buns: mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and salt together in a small bowl. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and press it into a 12 by 16-inch rectangle. Brush the dough with the butter. Sprinkle the filling over the dough, leaving a ¾-inch border along the top edge. Press on the filling to adhere it to the dough.

3. Roll the dough into a tight cylinder and pinch the seam closed. Roll the cylinder over so that it is seam-side down. Gently stretch the cylinder until it is 18 inches in length with an even diameter. Pat at the ends of the cylinder to even them.

4. Slice the cylinder into 12 evenly sized buns using a serrated knife. Arrange the buns cut-side down on top of the nut topping in the baking dish and wrap tightly in greased plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until the rolls have nearly doubled in size and are pressed against one another, 1 to 1½ hours.

5. Adjust an oven rack to the lowest position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake until the buns are golden and puffed, 25 to 30 minutes. Let the buns cool in the pan for 5 minutes before flipping them out onto a large serving platter. Scrape any glaze from the pan and drizzle it over the buns before serving.

To Make Ahead
after arranging the rolls in the baking dish in step 4, cover the baking dish tightly with greased plastic wrap and refrigerate the rolls for up to 16 hours. Before baking in step 5, let the rolls sit at room temperature until they have nearly doubled in size and are pressed against one another, 1 to 1-1/2 hours.

Gingerdoodles (or Snickersnaps)

from Budding Baketress

Snickerdoodle Dough

 

1/2 cup shortening

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 tablespoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 tablespoon cinnamon + 3 tablespoons granulated sugar for rolling cookies in

 

Cream together shortening and sugar. Add egg and vanilla and mix well, until creamy. Add flour, baking soda, salt, and cream of tartar and mix until combined. Dough will be a little of crumbly, but it'll come together when you roll it into balls.

Combine cinnamon and 3 tablespoons of sugar in a small bowl and set aside for rolling dough in.

 

Gingersnap Dough

 

3/4 cup shortening

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup molasses

1 egg

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon cloves

1 teaspoon ginger

1/4 cup granulated sugar for rolling cookies in

 

Cream together shortening and sugar. Add molasses and egg and continue beating. Add flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger and mix until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Put 1/4 cup sugar in a small bowl and set aside for rolling dough in.

 

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease baking sheets with no-stick cooking spray and set aside.

 

Roll a small amount of gingersnap dough into a ball and toss in granulated sugar. Roll a small amount of snickerdoodle dough in a ball and toss in cinnamon-sugar.

 

Place both doughs together and gently roll or squeeze together (it worked best if I kneaded the snickerdoodle dough in my hand a few times before rolling both doughs together since it's a  thicker consistency).

 

Place on baking sheets and bake for 9-11 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes before moving to cooling racks.

Chilled Strawberry Soup

1 cup apple juice

1 cup water, divided

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

2 cups fresh strawberries

2 cups (16 ounces) strawberry yogurt

 

In a small saucepan, combine the apple juice, 3/4 cup water, sugar, cinnamon and cloves; bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat; cool.

 

Place strawberries and remaining water in a blender; cover and process until smooth.

 

Pour into a large bowl. Add apple juice mixture and yogurt. Chill.

 

Garnish with additional strawberries if desired. Yield: 6 servings.

Ginger Crinkles

Original recipe from Gourmet | December 2004, Epicurious.com © CondéNet, Inc. All rights reserved.

 

Yield: Makes about 6 dozen cookies Active Time: 35 min Total Time: 1 ½ hr

 

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¾ teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon ground allspice

½ teaspoon ground cloves

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup vegetable shortening at room temperature

½ stick ( ¼ cup) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup packed dark brown sugar

1 large egg ½ cup molasses (not robust or blackstrap)

About 1/3 cup sanding or granulated sugar for tops of cookies

 

Whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves, and salt in a bowl until combined.

Beat together shortening, butter, and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes in a stand mixer (preferably fitted with paddle attachment) or 6 minutes with a handheld. Add egg and molasses, beating until combined. Reduce speed to low, then mix in flour mixture until combined.

 

Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 375°F.

 

Roll 1 heaping teaspoon of dough into a 1-inch ball with wet hands, then dip 1 end of ball in sanding sugar. Make more cookies in same manner, arranging them, sugared side up, 2 inches apart on 2 ungreased baking sheets.

Bake cookies, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until undersides are golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes total, then cool on sheets 1 minute. Transfer to racks to cool completely. Make more cookies with remaining dough on cooled baking sheets.

 

Notes:

· Added about 2/3 cup of chopped candied ginger. Mix in with the flour mixture so the ginger will not stick together & also get distributed evenly.

· Used a #50 scoop (~1.25 T) to make bigger cookies. Yield was 2-½ dozen.

· Rolled the whole dough ball in the sugar, not just the top.

· Baked them 10-12 minutes. Smaller ones would probably need less time.

· Cookies start out chewy & turn crisp with time. I love them both ways.

· Cookies keep, layered between sheets of wax paper or parchment, in an airtight container at room temperature 2 weeks (if they last that long).

Pumpkin Pasta Sauce

‎6 ounces whole wheat penne pasta

3/4 cup pumpkin puree

3/4 cup low sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup nonfat milk

1 teaspoon margarine

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 pinch ground cloves

1 pinch ground nutmeg

1 pinch ground cinnamon

1 pinch ground ginger

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Directions

1.Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the penne, and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain well in a colander set in the sink.

2.Heat the pumpkin puree, chicken broth, milk, margarine, onion powder, black pepper, salt, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger in a large skillet over low heat until heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in the drained pasta, and toss with the Parmesan cheese.

Pumpkin Gingerbread

(from allrecipes.com)
3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
2/3 cup water
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans.
2. In a large mixing, combine sugar, oil and eggs; beat until smooth. Add water and beat until well blended. Stir in pumpkin, ginger, allspice cinnamon, and clove.
3. In medium bowl, combine flour, soda, salt, and baking powder. Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture and blend just until all ingredients are mixed. Divide batter between prepared pans.
4. Bake in preheated oven until toothpick comes out clean, about 1 hour.

Libby's Pumpkin Roll with Cream Cheese Filling

Cake:
Powdered sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp salt
3 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup Libby's 100% pure pumpkin
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Filling:
1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
6 Tbsp butter or margarine, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
Powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 15x10 inch jelly roll pan; line with wax paper. Grease and flour paper. Sprinkle towel with powdered sugar.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt in small bowl. Beat eggs and sugar in large mixer bowl until thick. Beat in pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle with nuts, if desired.

Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched. Immediately loosen and turn cake onto prepared towel. Carefully peel off paper. Roll up cake and towel together, starting with narrow end. Cool on wire rack.

Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla extract in small mixer bowl until smooth. Carefully unroll cake; remove towel. Spread cream cheese mixture over cake. Reroll cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving, if desired. Makes 10 servings.