Cinnamon Rolls

I've been making (and selling) these cinnamon rolls. It's a revised version of The Pioneer Woman's recipe. I like the simplicity of the method of this particular yeast dough. The flavor is incredible, and the rolls stay moist and tender for a long time.

Cinnamon Rolls
8 cups flour
2/3 cup dry milk
3/4 cup sugar
4 1/2 tsp. yeast
4 cups warm water
1 cup oil
additional 1 cup of flour
1 T. salt
1 scant tsp. baking soda
1 heaping tsp. baking powder

Cinnamon/Sugar & Spread:
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 T. cinnamon
1/2 cup softened butter

Icing:
1 package (2 lbs.) powdered sugar
1/2 cup softened butter
2 tsp. vanilla
milk or cream (add slowly; enough to achieve a fairly thick but spreadable consistency)

In large mixing bowl, whisk together 8 cups flour, dry milk, sugar, and yeast. Add warm water and oil to mixing bowl and beat mixture with cookie-dough paddle until well combined. Remove paddle and cover mixing bowl with a cloth. Let dough rise for approximately 1 hour. Remove the towel and add remaining cup of flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Knead with dough hook or stir thoroughly until combined. You can use the dough right away, or place it in a mixing bowl and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Be sure to punch down the dough if it rises to the top of the bowl.

Make cinnamon-sugar mixture by mixing granulated sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon.

To make cinnamon rolls, divide dough in half. Roll out half the dough in a rectangle (a long, narrow rectangle of about 30" x 8" to make 24 small rolls, or about 18" x 10" to make 12 large rolls). Spread 1/4 cup softened butter over rolled out dough. Sprinkle with half the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Roll dough up and cut apart into rolls using a bench knife. Place cut rolls on parchment-lined baking sheet (4x6 for small rolls; 3x4 for large rolls). Repeat with other half of dough. Let rolls rise for at least 20 minutes. Bake rolls in a preheated 375 degree oven for approximately 20 minutes until golden brown. Let rolls cool slightly before adding icing. If you're going to freeze the baked rolls, don't add icing at all. Instead, add icing when serving the rolls so they taste fresh.

Mexican Style Meat

Cross-rib roasts were on sale, so here's what I made with the meat I purchased. It is SO good! And I love that I have meat in my freezer already cooked for a really quick meal. We made burritos today, and they were delish!

Mexican Style Meat
8 lbs beef roast, pork roast, or chicken
salt & pepper
2 T. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cans (7 oz each) diced green chilies, undrained
2 T. chili powder
2 T. ground cumin
2 T. garlic powder
1 bottle (5 oz.) Cholula hot sauce
1/4 cup water

Trim meat of any excess fat. Season meat liberally with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Sear meat on all sides. Place seared meat and remaining ingredients in a 6 qt crockpot. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours or until meat is tender and falling apart. Transfer the meat to a platter or bowl and shred it with two forks. Let juice cool in refrigerator until you can skim off the layer of fat. Add meat back to juice. Freeze portions in quart freezer bags. Use meat for quesadillas, burritos, enchiladas, taquitos, nachos, etc. We like to serve these meals with Spanish or Lime Rice and refried beans or pinto or black beans.