Cinnamon Buns

This year we have have only gotten one good snow day so far. I didn't think we would get any but it just waited a little before it it dumped a few inches on us. I am not a fan of snow or any kind of cold weather but it is pretty to look out. From the window. Wrapped in a blanket. With a mug of hot chocolate. Far far away from the snow. Since I had a boyfriend lazing around the house and enjoying his snow day I thought I'd make something sweet and simple. 

I found this nice recipe in a 1936 booklet from Arm & Hammer and Cow Brand called Successful Baking for Flavor and Texture. Looks super easy and uses sour milk, just like my last baking adventure.

There is nothing too unusual about these ingredients. Except for the sour milk. 1/2 tablespoon of vinegar then add milk to the 1/2 cup line. Easy peasy. Still looks gross.

Man, this came together really easy! Pretty much just mix everything together.

A quick knead gives me this lovely little ball.

Even though I now have marble countertops, I still love to use my marble slab. And now I have a lovely, new, handmade, rolling pin! I am pretty certain it is about a quarter of an inch think even if it's not exactly a perfect rectangle. 

Such a beautiful layer of cinnamon and sugar!

In true Jenn fashion I decided not to measure. But I'm feeling good about this! It cut nice and easy and almost no filling fell out. Yeah!

The recipe said I could add pecans if I wanted. What a weird thing to say. Who wouldn't want to add pecans?! After placing all the buns in the pan I think I may have cut them a little too thin. I had to squish the last 2 in the middle but it doesn't look too bad.

Such cute little buns!

I'm not going to admit how long it took me to find the baking information on the recipe. Always read the entire recipe before starting even the fine print at the bottom. I ended up baking them for 30 minutes total, 10 more than recipe. The center ones were looking a bit undercooked.

Smells delicious! Looks...okay. I can't tell if the pecans burned or just caramelized. I thought there was going to be a little more sauce on the top almost like a sticky bun. That didn't happen. Still smells really good!

Delicate little pecan cinnamon buns!

Is this picture sideways?

Although not the prettiest, these turned out pretty tasty! I still think the pecans burned a bit but Dylan insisted it was all caramelization. I probably over baked them. Next time I think I would do slightly wider rolls and a larger pan. These were the perfect size to snack on all day. None of them made it to the next day. 

My Rating: Easy and tasty enough to bake again!

Dylan Rating: I really like these! Delicious!

Three Layer Cookie

During the Holidays I like to makes dozens and dozens of cookies for friends and co-workers. It's my gift for everyone. I set them out and then have to listen to everyone complain about their weight as they are stuffing their faces. That's why I make the cookies small, people! Don't blame me for your lack of control. But do tell me which one was your favorite... Ha Ha Ha I actually think that complaining about your weight has become a part of polite society. It reminds me of when you tell someone they didn't need to get you a gift even though you really (really) wanted one. Pretending they don't want goodies...whatever. Just take a plateful! Planet Fitness is open 24 hours.

I got a little tired after baking 10 different cookies so I had to try something a little different. Technically these are listed as cookies but they are bars. Wisconsin Power and Light Company providing another great cooking pamphlet, Festive Traditions 1969!

The only thing I didn't have was the orange juice. This looks like a great recipe looked a little time consuming since it has to cool between all the layers. Looks like a great day to wrap presents!

 I tried to separate ingredients by layers but my kitchen is too small!

 The first layer was very powdery. Not feeling really confidant about this...

 I had to increase the baking time time but it eventually browned up nicely! Now to wrap presents and wait for it to cool.

What a delicious group of ingredients! Nothing bad can come of this.

Looks like pecan pie going in...

 ...Smells like pecan pie coming out! I was concerned about the 'soft' corners on the left but we are going to hope for the best. And more presents while cooling.

The top layer is basically an icing. It was very thin going on so I stuck it in the fridge to harden. Worked like a charm! My sweetie came over for dinner so these became the dessert and I may have forgotten to get a picture before we dug in. Oops.

These are sooooo sweet! It's hard to tell but I cut these into tiny little bars, maybe an inch long.

Lovely layers! Can you feel the sugar?!

These were fantastic! and super sweet! The bottom layer was similar to a sugar cookie, the middle was like pecan pie, and the top layer was icing. I wasn't certain how the combination of flavors would fit together. But pecans, coconut, oj, and walnuts work well together! Neat.
Depending on your oven, you may have to adjust the baking time for the bottom layer. I am still learning how to use a gas oven. I would also recommend adjusting the top layer for a thicker icing. After being cooled the top layer stayed together nicely and softened up perfectly after sitting out for a few minutes. Soft but not runny.

My Rating: Wonderful! Will make again.

Friends and Family Rating: "Sweet. Different. But delicious." "Tastes almost like pecan pie!"

Moldy Mice (Sand Tarts)

Sometimes it's all in the name! I was randomly flipping through the Charleston Receipts, the 1963 edition, and found this gem. To be honest I never looked really looked closely at this cookbook because it did not interested me. It's not that old and I am not into collected recipes.

Apparently these are also called "Sand Tarts" but what is the fun in that?!

 Easy looking recipe with easy ingedrients! It does not look like there is enough sugar though...

 Mix it seperately...

And then together!

 The dough was very dry and made it difficult to roll into small bars. This was definately not going to make 3 dozen cookies!

 Smells so delicious! Every kitchen should smell like pecans cookies!

 Everything is better rolled in powdered sugar!

 Ta Da!

They taste pretty similar to Russian Tea Cakes but a little dryer. All in all not bad but nothing special, except for the name. I still don't know how I was suppose to get 36 cookies out of this and I had to lower the baking time a couple of minutes.

My Rating: Good but not enough to make again.

Friends and Family Rating: "Yum!" "These taste like something you have made before."