Here it is!

Super easy chocolate desert from my new favorite cook book.

 

 

 

 

In a food processor place melted chocolate, ricotta, brown sugar and cinnamon.

 

 

Blend until smooth. It won’t take long.

 

 

Spoon into dishes.

 

 

Garnish with whipped cream and chocolate shavings or Greek yogurt and mini chocolate chips like I did.

 

 

Then see if it’s any good.

 

Chocolate Ricotta Mousse

From Erin Gleason’s Cook book The Forest Feast

ingredients

4 oz chocolate melted

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 Tablespoon brown sugar

2 cups ricotta

 

Blend everything in a food processor then spoon into dishes and chill.

Garnish with whipped cream and chocolate shavings or Greek yogurt and mini chocolate chips like I did.

From a 2009 Martha Stewart magazine, my newest favorite cinnamon roll cookies!

So much butter, so much sugar and so good.

 

In a bowl cream orange zest

 

butter and sugar together.

 

Add eggs and mix.

 

Add dry ingredients flour salt and baking powder and combine.

 

This dough is really soft. Martha said to shape into two balls and refrigerate for an hour. I was in a bit of a hurry so I rolled the dough out right then. I probably ended up using a bit more flour.

 

Anyway whichever way you decide to go once you get the dough rolled out on wax paper 

 

place on a baking sheet and refrigerate for about 10 minutes.

 

In a bowl mix up the cinnamon filling butter brown sugar, chopped walnuts and of course cinnamon.

 

Get the dough back out

 

and sprinkle filling evenly over the dough.

 

Starting at the long side roll it up. I used the wax paper to help roll it evenly.

 

Refrigerate for an hour or overnight.

 

Slice logs into 1/4” slices.

 

refrigerate on baking sheet for 10 minutes while oven is heating. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or until the edges start to brown.

 

 

Cinnamon roll cookies

Recipe from Martha Stewart living

Ingredients

    For the Dough
       
        2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
        1 cup granulated sugar
        1/4 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest
        2 large eggs
        2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
        1 teaspoon salt
        1/2 teaspoon baking soda
    For the Filling
        4 tablespoons butter, softened
        1 cup brown sugar
        1/2 cup chopped walnuts
        1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

    Make the dough:  Cream butter, sugar, and orange zest . Beat in eggs. Add flour,salt, and baking powder and beat until just combined. Divide dough in half, wrap each half in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour (or overnight).
     Roll into a 10-by-12-inch rectangle, then trim edges  sorta straight. Repeat with remaining half of dough. Transfer rectangles to a baking sheet, and refrigerate until firm but pliable, about 10 minutes.
    Make the filling: Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl. Crumble mixture evenly over rectangles. Starting on a long side, roll 1 rectangle into a log. Repeat with remaining rectangle. Refrigerate logs for 1 hour (or overnight).
    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut each log into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Transfer to baking sheets, and bake until edges are golden brown, about 19 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks. Cookies will keep, covered, for up to 3 days if you haven't eaten them all before then.

Cinnamon rolls. Yum, need I say any more?

 

Add yeast to milk warmed to about 110

 

Stir it to dissolve.

 

Add eggs

 

and whisk or fork them together.

 

In another bowl add the dry ingredients.

 

flour, salt, sugar, and corn starch.

 

Then carefully pour in the egg mixture and mix it all together.

 

I was a bit nervous when I got to this point, it looked all dry and I still had flour at the bottom of the bowl.

 

Chop a stick and a half of butter up into small pieces

 

and add it o the dough. Do what you ever you gotta do to work it in. I looked both ways and put both hands in the bowl and worked it in. It made me think of those exercises they have people do bring back hand flexibility by squeezing a ball. Or is that to relieve stress?

 

Shape it into a ball

 

and place in a greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise for about 2 hours. It was more like 3hours for me.

 

Mix up Cinnamon filling.

 

Roll dough out in a rectangle.

 

Spread with soft butter.  

 

Sprinkle with cinnamon filling.

 

Roll up starting with the long edge.

 

Slice in thin !/2” slices for small muffins or 1-1 1/2” slices for rolls. I made some of each.

 

Place in a greased pan cover and let rise. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until lightly brown.

 

Mine were a little more on the medium brown side because I ran over to my neighbors for just a minute while they were cooking. Next time I won’t do that.

 

Frost and serve.

 

Cinnamon Rolls

adapted minorly from momswhothink.com 

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup whole milk, warmed (110 degrees)
• 2 1/4 teaspoon yeast
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat organic bread flour
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 and a half sticks unsalted butter, cut into pieces and softened to room temperature

Filling Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 1/2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt 
1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 4 oz cream cheese
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 Tablespoon milk
  *To make frosting, mix all ingredients until smooth.

 

Directions:

Whisk warm milk and yeast until yeast dissolves, then whisk in eggs.

In another bowl, mix flour, cornstarch, sugar, and salt until combined.

pour warm milk mixture in steady stream and mix until dough comes together.

add butter, this may take a bit. Continue to mix until butter is worked in and dough is smooth and comes away from the sides of the bowl. I just put both hands in the bowl and worked the butter in.

Turn dough out onto clean surface and knead to form a smooth, round ball.

Transfer dough to a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and place in a warm place in your house, my warm place is on top of the freezer. Let rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours.

Combine brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in small bowl.

Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Roll dough into 18-inch rectangle, spread with butter, and sprinkle evenly with the filling.

Starting with the long edge nearest you, roll dough, pinch to seal seam, and cut into slices however thick you want your rolls.

Transfer rolls, to greased pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in warm spot until doubled in size.

After rolls are done rising, heat oven to 350 degrees F.

bake rolls until deep golden brown and filling is melted, 35 to 40 minutes.

When cinnamon rolls are done baking, transfer pan to a wire rack and cool 30 minutes.

frost with cream cheese frosting before serving or eat plain.

 

This recipe was from a King Arthur Flour scone recipe. I settled on this one because it didn’t call for cream. Not because I dislike cream, I just didn’t have any cream.

 

 

In a bowl mix flour, sugar, salt and baking powder.

 

One stick of cold butter. Probably even frozen would be fine. I like to cut it up into pieces first.

 

Cut it into the flour mixture until it’s the size of small peas. A few bigger pieces are ok.

 

Beat eggs, milk and vanilla together and pour into flour.

 

Mix it together.

 

Then add the cinnamon chips.

 

Because that’s what these are all about, an excuse to eat cinnamon chips!

 

Scoop out about half, this wasn’t hard, it was all sticking to my fork anyway

 

and place in the center of a cookie sheet.

 

Flatten into a circle about 3/4” in height. 

 

Cut into sixths or eighths or sevenths if that's you’re lucky number.  Separate slightly.

 

Brush with milk

 

and sprinkle with sugar. 

 

place in the freezer for 30 minutes and preheat the oven to 425.  Bake for about 30 minutes.

 

Let cool on pan for a few minutes.

 

Serve with tea or not.

 

Cinnamon Chip Scones

Dough

• 2 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup cold butter
• 1 cup cinnamon chips
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup to 2/3 cup milk

Topping

• 2 teaspoons milk
• 2 tablespoons white sugar

In a bowl mix together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder.
Cut in the butter until it's the size of small peas. It's ok if a few pieces of butter are larger.
Stir in the cinnamon chips.

In another bowl, beat the eggs, vanilla, and milk.
Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until all is moistened and holds together.
 
Scoop half the dough onto a baking sheet. flatten dough into a circle about 3/4" thick.
Using a knife or bench knife that you've run under cold water, slice each circle into wedges. Carefully pull the wedges away from the center to separate them just a bit.

Brush with milk, and sprinkle with sugar.

Place the pan of scones in the freezer for 30 minutes, uncovered. While the scones are chilling, preheat the oven to 425°F.
 
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until they're golden brown.
Remove the scones from the oven, and let cool on the pan for a minute or two. Serve warm.