Cast Iron Skillet Cinnamon Rolls (without yeast)

My mom and I had big plans for Christmas cinnamon rolls. We've always just kinda used the Pillsbury canned kind and this was the first year we were going to make them from scratch. I suggested the Pioneer Woman's version but then we decided on a recipe that just made one batch. Well, Christmas Eve came and we discovered that despite multiple trips to the grocery store in the preceding days, there was no yeast in the house. So, after some quick research we found this recipe which does not require any yeast! That means there's no crazy steps of letting the dough rise and then kneading and then waiting for it to rise again. Which was just fine with us :)

Now these were a little less fluffy than your typical cinnamon rolls, but were still soft, bathed in ooey-gooey cinnamon sugary butter, and reheated really well. Plus the icing is basically a cream cheese frosting... which I love. Oh, and better than the canned, processed kind if you have a few minutes to put them together. 

What You'll Need:

for the rolls:

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, plus extra for the counter
2 Tablespoons white granulated sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

for the filling:

3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup white granulated sugar
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

for the frosting:

4 oz cream cheese, softened
4 tbsp butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1.5 cups confectioner's sugar
1 Tablespoon milk

What To Do:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Generously coat your cast iron skillet with vegetable oil spray. You could also use a 9" round cake pan.

2. First make the filling. Combine together the brown sugar, 1/4 cup granulated white sugar, cinnamon, salt, and the 1 Tablespoon melted butter until the mixture resembles wet sand.

3. Then, make the dough: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour; 2 Tablespoons white granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

4. In a separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk and 2 Tablespoons of the melted butter together.

5. Stir the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture with a wooden spoon until absorbed, about 30 seconds. 

6. Turn the dough out onto a generously floured counter and knead until smooth, about 1 minute.

7. Press the dough out into a 9 by 12 inch rectangle using your hands or a rolling pin.

8. Brush the dough with 2 Tablespoons melted butter. Sprinkle the dough evenly with the filling, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Press the filling firmly into the dough.

9. Loosen the dough from the counter using a bench scraper or a metal spatula.

10. Starting at a long side, roll the dough, pressing lightly, to form a tight log.

11. Pinch the seam to seal. Slice the dough into 8 even pieces. (The more even each roll, the more evenly they will cook!)

12. Place the slices in the greased skillet.

13. Brush with the remaining 2 Tablespoons melted butter. Bake until the edges are golden brown, 20-25 minutes.

14. Meanwhile, in a stand mixer combine all of the ingredients for the cream cheese icing until fully combined and smooth. 

14. Let cool for 10 minutes before frosting with cream cheese icing. Serve warm!

recipe adapted from Moms Who Think

and because I'm a little weird, this is a little video I took as I oohed and aaahhhed over the yummy smell and bubbling deliciousness

I know that Christmas is over, but this is the perfect breakfast treat for any cold Saturday morning. You have to leave a little wiggle room in your New Years Resolutions, and there's a lot of winter left :) These completely fill your home with a delicious cinnamon sugar fragrance and warm happiness. I'm not even kidding. These fill your home with happiness. 

Caramel Apple Cheesecake

My mom and I wanted to do something a little different for dessert this Thanksgiving. I saw this tasty idea over at Feeding My Temple and we decided to go for it! This treat went with us to day two of our family festivities and provided a delicious and decadent alternative to the pecan pie. It is full of yummy fall flavors (which normally get overshadowed by pumpkin in my house). 

This dessert is a fantastic combination of a shortbread crust, classic cheesecake, cinnamon-sugary apples, crunchy topping and gooey caramel. 

Do I have you convinced? 

By the way, the best way to prep all of the ingredients is to move everything into the living room so that you can cheer/yell/cry at the Texas football game at the same time. Oh, that's just me? 

I've adjusted the recipe slightly from the original, so you might check out her version as well :)

What You'll Need:
for the crust:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
for the filling:
2 8 oz pkgs cream cheese (the real stuff, people)
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs 
2 large apples- peeled, cored and diced
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp sugar
for the topping
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/4 cup brown sugar
4 tbsp butter
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup caramel cubes
2 tbsp heavy cream 

What To Do:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, and butter. Using 2 forks or a pastry cutter, mix until a crumbly mixture forms. Press the dough evenly into prepared pan. Bake 15 minutes or until lightly brown.

Using a mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Adding the eggs one at a time, incorporating well before adding the next. Mix in vanilla extract.In a small bowl, combine chopped apples with cinnamon and sugar. Toss to coat. Pour cheesecake mixture over prepared crust. Sprinkle apples over mixture evenly.

In a smaller bowl, mix together flour, oats, and brown sugar for the crumb topping. Cover cheesecake mixture and apples with the crumb topping. (This will be a thick layer.)Bake 30 minutes or until cheesecake is set. Let cool completely before cutting.

In a medium glass bowl, add caramel cubes and heavy cream. Microwave bowl 20 seconds at a time, stirring between each interval. Pour caramel sauce over the top.

Recipe Adapted from Feeding My Temple 

Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

I love the 24 Carrot cupcake from Hey Cupcake!

but I've never attempted to make one myself.

After getting a request from our associate pastor,

I gave it a try.

They turned out surprisingly well! 

There's a great balance of spice, moisture and sweetness

Plus, cream cheese frosting just makes every cupcake more dreamy.

I used this recipe, but don't own a food processor

so I hand grated the carrots and mixed everything in my stand mixer

It still turned out great!

I also added a vanilla bean to the frosting for some pretty

flecks of vanilla and an extra boost of flavor.

What You'll Need:
makes 20-22 cupcakes
2½ cups (12.5 oz) all-purpose flour
1¼ tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. grated nutmeg
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
½ tsp. salt
1 lb. (6-7 medium) carrots, peeled
1½ cups (10.5 oz) granulated sugar
½ cup packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs
1½ cups canola, safflower or vegetable oil
1 cup chopped pecans

For the frosting:
12 oz. cream cheese (not softened)
7½ tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
3¾ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

What To Do:
Preheat the oven to 350° F.  Line two cupcake pans with paper liners.  In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt; whisk together and set aside.

In a food processor fitted with a shredding disk, shred the carrots (you should have about 3 cups).  Add the carrots to the bowl with the dry ingredients and set aside.  Wipe out the bowl of the food processor and fit with the metal blade.  Process the sugars and eggs until frothy and thoroughly combined, about 20 seconds.  With the machine running, add the oil in a steady stream through the feed tube.  Continue to process until the mixture is light in color and well emulsified, about 20 more seconds.  Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl.  Stir in the carrots and dry ingredients until incorporated and no streaks of flour remain.

Scoop evenly into the prepared cupcake liners.  Bake for about 20-24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool in the pan at least 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat the cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed until well combined and smooth, about 2-3 minutes.  Mix in the vanilla extract.  Gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar until totally incorporated, increase the speed and then beat until smooth.  Frost cooled cupcakes as desired.

Source: Annie's Eats, cupcakes adapted from Baking Illustrated, frosting adapted from Confections of a Foodie Bride

Chocolate Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

I christened my new stand mixer 

by making these beauties

The great part was that I had all the ingredients already 

and didn't have to go buy anything

the other great part was that they came out moist and fluffy, 

but still firm enough to hold a pretty shape and some yummy frosting

And since one roommate doesn't eat gluten and one doesn't eat refined sugar,

I'm enjoying these a LOT more than I should :)

What You'll Need:
for cakes:3/4 c. cocoa powder
1 & 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 & 1/2 c. sugar
1 & 1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. coarse salt
2 eggs
3/4 c. warm water
3/4 c. buttermilk
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
for frosting:
2 8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract 


What To Do:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 18 muffin tins with cupcake liners; set aside.

With the whisk attachment of an electric mixer, whisk together cocoa powder, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add eggs, warm water, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla, and mix on low speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of bowl as needed.


The batter is very wet. Pour into a large glass measuring cup to easily pour into muffin cups.

Fill baking cups 2/3rd full of batter. Bake about 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean and the tops bounce back when lightly pressed. Cool on wire racks 10 minutes, then invert and remove from pans.  Cool completely on the wire racks.


Meanwhile, on medium speed beat together cream cheese, vanilla, and powdered sugar until fluffy and well blended. Check frosting for sweetness. If you like it sweeter, add another 1/2 cup powdered sugar, blend well and taste. (I don't normally measure out sugar for this part because I don't use a whole lot.)


Once cupcakes are completely cooled, fill a piping bag or Ziploc bag with frosting and pipe a generous amount of frosting in a swirl on each cake.

Cupcake recipe from Bake at 350, originally from Martha Stewart Cupcakes

Tuxedo Cake

This was the finale to our Christmas dinner.

Isn't it pretty?

The best part about this cake it that the components are simple

I put this together over two days 

(which further simplified the process)

It's a basic, but very moist, chocolate cake 

whipped cream filling and frosting

and a chocolate ganache

I garnished with chocolate covered strawberries

but I've seen all kinds of cool things you can do on Pinterest! 

I also cut the recipe to 2/3 its original proportions

and made it a two layer cake. 

It was still HUGE. 

What You'll Need: 

For the cake:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups water
1 cup canola oil
4 cups sugar
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4 cups all-purpose flour
4 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 tbsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 tbsp. vanilla extract

For the frosting:
4 cups chilled heavy whipping cream
1¼ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

For the chocolate topping:
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
½ cup heavy whipping cream
¼ cup light corn syrup
2 tsp. vanilla extract

What To Do:

To make the cake layers, preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Line three 9-inch round cake pans (or two 10-inch round cake pans) with parchment paper.  Butter and flour the inside edges of the pan, shaking out the excess flour.

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, water and canola oil; heat until the butter is melted.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, cocoa powder, and flour; whisk to blend.  Pour the melted butter mixture into the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth.  Whisk in the eggs one at a time, then whisk in the buttermilk.  Add the baking soda, salt and vanilla to the bowl and whisk just until incorporated.  Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.  Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let cool in the pans for 15 minutes.  Run a knife around the edge of each cake layer and invert onto a wire cooling rack.  Allow the cake layers to cool completely before frosting, at least 2 hours.

To make the frosting, add the heavy cream to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.  Whip on medium-high speed until soft peaks form.  Add the powdered sugar and continue to whip until thoroughly combined and stiff peaks form.  Be careful not to over-beat!

To assemble the cake, place one cake layer on a cake platter and spread a layer of the whipped cream frosting over the top.  Top with a second cake layer, more frosting (and the third cake layer, if using).  Frost the top and sides of the assembled cake.  Refrigerate until the frosting has stabilized, at least 1 hour.

To make the chocolate glaze, place the chocolate in a medium bowl.  Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until simmering.  Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let sit 1-2 minutes.  Whisk until the mixture is smooth and homogenous.  Blend in the corn syrup and vanilla.  Pour the glaze into a pitcher or measuring cup and let cool for 10 minutes.  (Do not let the glaze cool longer or it may become difficult to pour over the cake.)  Slowly pour the glaze over the cake, ensuring that the top is covered and the glaze drips over the sides.

Refrigerate the cake until the glaze is set and the whipped cream frosting is firm, at least 1 hour.  Slice with a long, sharp knife, wiping the blade clean between slices.

adapted from Annie's Eats