How to make the BEST rolls you've ever made: Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting

Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting 

There's nothing like a bad cinnamon roll. Actually, there is nothing like a good cinnamon roll topped with bad frosting. Just so we are clear here, let's get all the crimes against a cinnamon roll out on the table:

1. A roll that tastes like you are eating a pile of cinnamon with some roll on top.
2. A bad glaze.
3. Dry rolls.
4. Overcooked edges and undercooked centers.
5. A monstrous pile of cinnamon in the center. Bad.
6. Burnt bottoms!

Now that we have the "What not to do" list covered, lets move on to the cinnamon roll that will change your life, or should I say the cinnamon roll FROSTING that will change your life. I consider myself somewhat of a "connoisseur" of breakfast foods. I love a good brunch and truly have an appreciation for that amazing breakfast buffet you encounter at least once in your life. And lets give a round of applause for eggs. So much potential, versatility, a great contribution.

My point is that when I tell you, "Make this frosting," I would never steer you wrong. I believe very strongly in the code of food ethics: 

THE CINNAMON ROLL

You Need:

• 1 Pillsbury Hot Roll Mix (I use this or make a recipe for dough in my bread machine. If you have some secret family roll recipe to use, more power to you! But I do love the speed of the Pillsbury Rolls Mix, it only requires 30 mins to rise. You will follow the directions on the box and will need an egg and some water.
• OR if you have a bread machine you can use the recipe at the bottom of this post. Keep in mind for the bread machine, the ingredients go into the machine in the exact order listed.
• 1 1/2 c brown sugar
• 2-3 TBSP cinnamon
• 2 sticks of butter softened-not melted (not margarine, not pretend butter. REAL BUTTER)
• 4 oz cream cheese softened (Philly all the way)
• 1 3/4c to 2 c of powdered sugar (Start with 1 3/4 c and if you want it sweeter, add some more sugar!)
• 1 1/2 TBSP Vanilla

Instructions:

1. To make frosting, Mix on high speed cream cheese and ONE STICK of butter for a good 10 mins. Yes 10. If you have a hand mixer, plan your day while you are mixing, if you have a standing mixer like a Kitchen Aid, you are probably smiling. The mixture should be very light and fluffy, and lighter in color. (But if you aren't in the mood to stand there for 10 mins, we can compromise at 5mins and call it a day and still have a decent frosting! It will still be fluffy, just not ultra, ultra fluffy.)
2. Add powdered sugar and mix until well blended.
3. Slowly add the vanilla and blend for a minute.
4. Done! Put directly on rolls or keep refrigerated.
5. For rolls: Follow instructions on the roll mix. Try to roll the dough into a rectangle. Once you have rolled out your dough, spread the other one stick of butter on top. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle mixture on top of dough. You can always add more cinnamon, but you can't take it away! You can also add more brown sugar for extrastickiness!
6. Starting at the end closest to you, roll the dough away from you into a roll. Pinch the outer edge to itself to seal the roll.
7. Now cut the rolls, about an inch thick. Lay them on a greased pan with a little space in between. Let rise according to the box instructions and bake.
8. Top warm rolls with yummy frosting and eat!

Helpful tip: Sometimes I will bake the rolls the night before I want to have them, and then just warm them in the oven and top with frosting the next day!

This is another one of those recipes that will increase your likability. When you make fresh baked cinnamon rolls with "better than cinnabon frosting" for whatever occasion people will "Oooo" and "Awww" And just because the Pillsbury Dough Boy helped with the roll making does not take away from the domesticity. Any dough that has to rise is considered "made from scratch" in my book! So-Make. Eat. Serve. Enjoy. Become known for your cinnamon rolls :-)

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Cinnamon roll Dough for bread machine:

Large batch:
Dough:
2/3 cup lowfat milk, room temperature
3 large eggs, room temperature
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into small cubes
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1.5 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 cups bread flour
2/3 cup cornstarch
2-1/4 teaspoons yeast, active dry, instant or bread machine (this is how much is in one of the yeast packets from the store)

Medium batch:
Dough:
½ cup lowfat milk, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into small cubes
1/3 cup granulated sugar
¾ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 cups bread flour
1/3 cup cornstarch
1-3/4 teaspoons yeast, active dry, instant or bread machine

Small batch:
1/3 cup lowfat milk, room temperature
1 large eggs, room temperature
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into small cubes
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups bread flour
1/3 cup cornstarch
1-1/8 teaspoons yeast, active dry, instant or bread machine

Brown Sugar Maple Granola (Includes Gluten Free Variation)

After trying a variety of granola recipes and making additions and omissions, we came up with the "Fuller Family Favorite Granola Recipe" This recipe makes easy and awesome granola, not that I'm biased. You can easily add additional ingredients like dried fruit, and nuts, as well as eliminate some of the items you don't like. I have even made a Gluten Free version of this for a friend using Gluten free oats. 

2 summers ago, I made 50 lbs of granola for a friend's sister's wedding. I love a challenge. Ha! I was mixing it with huge spoons in huge bins. I felt like I was making granola for giants or something. 

Fuller Favorite Granola

3 1/2 c oats (works better with regular oats not quick oats)
1/4 c wheat germ (optional)
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 c almonds (sliced, slivered, crushed, whatever)
*You can add other nuts or raisins/dried fruit instead if you want in 1/2 c and 1 cup portions. 

Mix the above ingredients together than add the ingredients below:
1/4 c olive oil
1/4 c maple syrup (you can substitute honey but you might want to reduce brown sugar so its not too sweet unless that's how you like it!)
2-4 tbsp water (more or less if you want it more spread out or more clumpy)

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. 

Bake on a sheet pan at 250 degrees for 1 hour to 1.5 hours. Mix granola once or twice while baking. 

*To make a GLUTEN FREE version, use no wheat germ and gluten free oats that can be found at many organic/specialty store, whole foods, and Trader Joes. Also double check the other ingredients, but if you are using quality ingredients the rest should all be naturally gluten free. Note: Some gluten intolerant people still have difficulty with oats even gluten free ones. If you are making this version for someone who eats gluten free or has celiac disease check with them. 

Let cool and eat! Awesome on yogurt with fruit. Keep in a container or bag so it stays crunchy.

Get some cheap poly bags from the dollar store or craft store and give this granola as gifts!

DIY Frilly Satin Flower-No sewing of any kind required.

I should be mopping my floors while the girls are taking a break, but sharing a tutorial seems like more fun. I love to make satin flowers of all kinds. Today I am sharing with you an easy, no sew satin flower that can be made into a hair clip, or embellishment of any kind.

Materials:

• Glue gun and glue sticks
• Sharp scissors-ideally sewing scissors
• A lighter, or long candle lighter (as pictured). If you have neither, a candle can be used.
• Satin material. In the US, 100% poly satin is available at Hobby Lobby for around $2.99 a yard. Or at fabirc store, try costume satin or "SILKY SOLID" as it is titled which I am using in this tutorial from Joann Fabrics. It is roughly $4.99 a yard and I used a coupon (You can always find Joanns coupons in an online search). You barely need a 1/4 of a yard. 
• A clip or pin of some sort, or a headband, etc.. Also available at any craft or fabric store
• Craft felt (tiny piece) for backing. Use a scrap if you have it or one of those little sheets of craft felt can be found at craft/fabric stores or even walmart for about 25-50 cents. 
•  A jewel, button, bead, etc. Whatever you want to put in the center of your flower.

Template: You only need one size. Choose your size and cut out 9 of that size. To print these out you can highlight them and print selection, or cut and paste them into a doc to print. However you want!

SMALL

MEDIUM

LARGE

LET'S GO:

1. Use the template I have provided. Cut out the template on a piece of thin cardboard/carstock. Cut out 9 squares of satin-they don't have to be perfect-just big enough to trace the pattern onto. Use a fabric pen or regular pen/pencil to trace around the template onto the satin. Satin is thin so you should be able to cut through at least half of the squares at once. Satin is actually easiest to cut the denser the pile (less shifty). 

2. Learning to singe: Its a good idea to practice this a few times on scraps first. Hold the satin shape in one hand and the long necked lighter in the other. Click the lighter on and run it along the edge of your satin shape quickly. You want to run it close enough that it melts the edge slightly without distorting the shape too much or melting a big divot in the shape. Practice steadily running the flame along the edge of one piece. Once you feel comfortable with this you can being singing your real shapes!

Troubleshoot: If your edge is turning black underneath soot like, try holding the lighter more level with the shape, not below it. If your shape is becoming really distorted or too melted, you are holding the flame too close and moving too slow.

3. Begin singing around the edges of all the flower shapes one at a time. You can always add more cut outs to create a fuller flower or less cut outs for a simpler one. Once you have singed all your template pieces, this is what you should have (9 singed flower pieces):

4. Take one piece and lay flat. This will be the base. Now take the second circle, fold it in half and then in half again. Pinch it to keep its shape. Put a dab of glue on the tip of the triangular shaped piece and glue to the center. Do this with 3 additional pieces, like you are piecing together a pie with the tip pointing into and touching the center. 

***As you attach each triangular piece makes sure they all are folded the same way and open in the same direction.

5. Now add a 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th folded up piece as a second layer on top of the first 4 circles you attached. Now cut a wavy circle shape free hand out of a piece of satin that is smaller than your template shape. Singe it,  then put a dab of glue in the center of the flower and attach this circle.

6. Take your gem or embellishment and glue to the center. Now take a small oval or circle of craft felt and glue to the back. At this point you can also glue leaves to the back out of felt if you wish. Now glue the back of the flower to your clip, headband, pin, etc.

Here's some samples of clips you can use, that can be found at craft/fabric stores or online. 

7. Put in hair!

Finished Product

Here is a simple easy variation:

Take only 5 of the template shapes, cut out, singe, and layer directly on one another. Attach your gem, felt backing and optional leaves, and clip and you are good to go!

A few resolutions.

I'm not really one for New Years Resolutions but I figured what the hey, I'm all for shaking things up this year and my first resolution is to make some New Years resolutions...a day late of course. I have to keep it real. So without a long drawn out reintroduction, or my stating the obvious-its been a long time-or explaining what has been going on this last year to fill my time, here's some good ol' fashioned resolutions.

---Here's what made my 2012 List---

1. Make some New Years Resolutions.
2. Try to keep at least half of the resolutions.
3. Read 2 books. Don't gasp too loudly all you readers who have already completed 2 books on this second day of the new year. I read a lot online, articles, pieces of books, but not entire books from start to finish and definitely not fiction. I don't have anything against books. My reader sister said, "You should read The Hunger Games!" My thoughts, uh, that seems a bit intense for my non-reading self to take on and isn't that going to be a movie? I have some great intentions to read books that look good, but I can usually find 30 things I would rather create.
4. Write more.
5. Learn how to play the ukulele. I bought Aislynn a pink ukulele for Christmas. She loves all things musical and she loves it. However, so far all we know how to do is tune it. Ha! I was going to say "learn how to play the guitar." Yes, I am one of those people who owns a guitar she can't play. Some how I have to think a ukulele is easier to learn to play than a guitar? Hawaiians are welcome to weigh in on this one.
6. Document all the tutorials and patterns I have floating around in my creative ADD head and post them!
7. Try and become a morning person and be slightly happier in the morning.
8. Go to bed earlier. I think I have finally reached the conclusion that my 31 year old body can't quite handle the late nights my 21 year old body could! I'll shoot for getting to bed by 11:30pm.
9. Work out at least once a month. I don't want to shoot too high.
10. Organize something.
11. Write thank you notes and really get my girls involved. I am really bad at this one. Shame on me.
12. Remember my family and friends birthday's before they actually arrive or are past...
13. Write a food blog with my husband. Yes!
14. Do more laundry more often so I will have less sweat shop laundry days. You know the days where you do load, after load, after load, and small mountainous regions of clean laundry in your living room start to form. Or maybe that's just me.

In the words of my sister "that's kind of a lot of resolutions." And in the words of me to my sister, "Sorry I'm ambitious." Ha! I figure if you make enough resolutions, and set your bar just low enough, you are bound to complete at least a few of them.

Here's to a new and exciting year, still learning life.

I'm back! And sharing a fun and simple tutorial. T-shirt flowers

Wow! Its been TOO long. A lot has happened since my last post in August-mainly lots of snow, lots of designing, and one cute baby being born now 3 months old.

I also opened my Design store on Etsy. It will be the home for flower appliqués, hair and bridal accessories, PDF tutorials, baby items, and possibly some carriers. I am also working on a PDF of the hood to headrest tutorial that you love so much! In honor of all these exciting things I have included my tutorial for the cheap, fun, and easy T-shirt flower below. It is currently in my Etsy store for $3 so you get a sweet bargain here for free :) If you like it, check out some of the other patterns I am working on in my store.

I am patterned challenged which is why I started writing my own patterns packed with photos. I have so many pattern projects in the works, so get ready!

Visit here for more tutorials! And feel free to email me Brooke at elizabethbrookedesigns@gmail.com with any questions.

Repurposed t-shirt flower tutorial PDF


Re Purposed T-shirt Flower Tutorial PDF

So...again...still no blogging, but at least a snapshot update.

Wow. Time is flying.

Today this little girl started preschool 2 days a week.

She could lead a class on scholastic enthusiasm.

And in 13 weeks little girl #3 will be here and there will be lots of coordinating outfits.

So.

I am in desperate need of some blogging but it is 1 am and far past my bedtime.

Here's at least one little piece of news well worth a quick blog post which I am sure will be apart of much blogging to come...

THIS LITTLE GIRL...

WILL BE JOINING THESE LITTLE GIRLS COMING NOVEMBER TO A HOSPITAL POSSIBLY NEAR YOU!

(photo by the awesome Julie!)