Apple Cinnamon Muffins

The cinnamon flavor in these muffins is very subtle. If you're a big fan of cinnamon, I'd recommend doubling the amount of cinnamon, or using even more than that.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup apple juice
1 egg
1 cup (about 1 large) apple, peeled, cored, and finely diced

Preheat oven to 400*F. Grease or line a muffin tin with baking cups.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Whisk together the vegetable oil, apple juice, and egg. Add wet ingredients to the flour mixture; fold until dry ingredients are just moistened but batter is still lumpy. Gently stir in apple chunks. Divide batter among muffin cups. Bake for 18 - 22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into one or two of the muffins comes out clean.

Cinnamon Rolls

I got this recipe from my mother, and we love it. Everyone I know who's ever tried it loves it.


Dough:
4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (more or less as needed)
1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) quick-acting active dry yeast
1 1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract*
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 eggs

Filling:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 teaspoons cinnamon

Glaze:
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract*
4 teaspoons milk (more as needed)

In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups flour and yeast. Heat milk , vanilla, sugar, butter, salt, and cinnamon until just warm and butter is just beginning to melt (approx 110*-115*F), stirring constantly. Add milk mixture to flour and stir. Add eggs and beat on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping sides of bowl constantly. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes.

Stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can (dough will be soft). Knead in enough flour to make a moderately soft dough (approx.3-5 minutes). Shape into a ball and place in a lightly greased bowl, turning once to coat. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Punch dough down. On a lightly floured surface, divide dough in half. Shape each half into a smooth ball and then cover and let rest for 10 minutes.

Roll each half into a 12x8" rectangle. Spread each with 3 tablespoons of the softened butter. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle half over each rectangle. Roll up from the short side. Seal edges; using a sharp, serrated knife, slice each roll into 8 pieces. Arrange slices evenly in a greased 13x9" baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. Bake at 350*F for 25-30 minutes until browned. Invert at once onto a wire rack and then invert again. Cool slightly.

Whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk, adding more milk as necessary to reach desired consistency. Drizzle over rolls.

*The point of the clear vanilla is, obviously, color. If you don't have clear, I'm sure regular vanilla extract would work just as well.

Mom's Carmel Twists

Hi, I am Tiffany Sheppard from Mandy and Jen's ward. Jen asked me to join, so here I am. This is one of my favorites.

Sweet Dough

4 1/2C Flour
1/4C Sugar
1tsp salt
3/4C margarine
2 eggs
1 pkg dry yeast (2 1/4T) dissolved in
1 1/4C hot water

Cut margarine finely into dry ingredients. Add eggs and dissolved yeast mixture. Refrigerate for 2 hours, or overnight. Divide into 3 parts. Roll each part out on a floured board into 9x18 inch rectangle. Fold in thirds to make a 3x18 inch rectangle. cut into 1 inch strips. Twist strips and place side by side on the caramel mixture. Let rise for 1/2 hour. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Invert immediately onto cookie sheet. Makes 54 rolls.

Carmel
2/3C margarine
1/4C light corn syrup
1 1/2C brown sugar
1C nuts (ground)
Bring to a boil and add 1T water. Stir and pour evenly onto 12 x 18 inch jelly roll pan. Sprinkle nuts on top.

Rinda's - Cinnamon Roll - Bread

2 Tbsp dry yeast (or 2 packages or 2 yeast cakes)
½ c lukewarm water
½ c sugar
½ c butter
3 tsp salt
2 c scalded milk
2 beaten eggs
8 c flour, more or less

Softened butter
Cinnamon sugar

In a small bowl, dissolve about 3 tsp of sugar in the warm water. Sprinkle dry yeast into the water and let stand until dissolved and bubbly.
In the meantime, add butter, salt and the rest of the sugar to the hot milk. Stir until melted/dissolved, and allow to cool to lukewarm.

Stir flour before measuring, then place 4 cups of flour in a large mixing bowl. Pour in yeast mixture and milk mixture and stir. Add beaten eggs and beat at medium speed until smooth. Add remaining flour, one cup at a time until mixture makes soft dough. Change to dough hook. Dough is ready if it is relatively smooth and barely sticky, and pops back if you poke it with a finger.

Place in large, well-greased bowl, cover, and let rise until double, approx one hour. Punch down dough, then divide into three equal pieces. Roll out into a 10 x 15 rectangle. Liberally coat with softened butter, and then very liberally sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Use more than you think is enough. Starting from a short end, roll up dough and place edge down in to a greased bread pan.

Allow to rise until double, then bake for about 25 minutes on 350. Brush butter on top, then remove from pan and cool.

This is compliments of our Bishop's wife, Rinda.