Cherry Rolls

If you saw last weeks post for Tart Cherry Cobbler, then you know about the wonderful gift from my friend.  I grew up in North Central Ohio, in the middle of Amish and Mennonite county.  My father was a UPS driver, and delivered to many of these families.  He was always bringing home treats from a farmer's wife and recipes.  One of those treats is for these wonderful cherry rolls.  They are like cinnamon rolls, but they do not use a yeast dough, so they only take 1 hour from start to finish.  And they aren't overly sweet to the taste.

You will need:
1 egg
3/4 cup sour cream
2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 teas salt
1/4 teas baking soda
2 1/2 teas baking powder
5 1/2 Tabs. softened butter
2 cups tart cherries (cleaned and pitted)
1/3 cup + 2 Tabs white sugar
1 teas cinnamon
1 teas nutmeg
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 Tabs cornstarch
1 1/2 cup 100 % cherry juice
1 teas almond extract
2 cups powdered confectioners sugar
3 - 4 Tabs milk

In a medium bowl whisk 1 egg

 Add the sour cream, and whisk together.

Add in the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.  Stir together well.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.

Lightly pat into a rectangle, this will help you get the rolling started.

Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a rectangle until it is 1/4 inch thick.

This is what your dough will look like when you get it rolled out.  the dough will be a little sticky still, so make sure you have the surface dusted with flour.

Using 2 Tablespoons of softened butter, lightly spread  it over the top of the dough.

Sprinkle the cleaned and pitted cherries over the top of the buttered dough.

NOTE:  if you don't have fresh tart cherries, you can use canned drained tart cherries, (make sure they are packed in water and not sugar).

Next sprinkle 2 Tablespoons of white sugar over the cherries.

Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of nutmeg over the cherries.

Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of cinnamon over the cherries, sugar, and nutmeg.

Roll up the dough, starting with the long end of the rectangle, (like making a jelly roll).  This is why you want to make sure your work surface has a light sprinkling of flour, (so the sticky dough doesn't stick too much).  Be gentle, so you don't tear the dough.

Once you have the dough rolled up, cut into 9 - 12 pieces, (as desired - depending on the size pan you will be cooking in).

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees

Spray coat a deep sided baking pan with cooking spray.  I like to use a large aluminum pie tin, (cutting the dough into 9 pieces), or a 9 X 13 inch pan, (cutting the dough into 12 smaller pieces).

Place the rolled dough in the prepared pan.

In a small saucepan, add 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup white sugar, and 2 Tablespoons cornstarch.  Mix together well.

Whisk in the cherry juice and 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract.

NOTE:  You can find cherry juice in most grocery stores, or you can juice some extra cherries.  If you want the juice from the cherries to be extra red, you can add a couple drops of red food coloring.  If you can't find 100% cherry juice, you can also use a box of Juicy Juice Cherry flavor, (it's pure juice).

Over medium heat, bring the sugar/juice mixture to a boil, stirring constantly.  Boil until the mixture thickens slightly, (this will take about 5 - 10 minutes).

Add 1 12 Tablespoon of softened butter, and mix well.

Pour the mixture over the rolls.  Bake for 25 minutes, (or until just lightly browned).

While the rolls are baking, you can make the icing drizzle mixture..

In a small bowl, add 2 Tablespoon melted butter.

Stir in 2 cups powdered confectioners sugar.

Add in 1/2 teaspoon almond extract, and 3 or 4 Tablespoon of milk.  Stirring after each Tablespoon of milk is added to the sugar mixture.

You want your icing mixture to be of a drizzle consistency.

When the rolls are done, remove from oven, and let cool on baking rack.

Once the rolls are cool, drizzle the icing mixture over the rolls.  And they are ready to serve.

These are great for breakfast, as a dessert, a snack time treat, a great item to serve when guest come over.

And they only take 1 hour to prepare.

Just cover loosely and store in the refrigerator.  They are great heated up for 30 seconds in the microwave, or even eaten cold, or at room temperature.

They have a wonderful cherry flavor, but they are not overly sweet, and the cherries are not too tart to enjoy.

I have always gotten compliments on my cherry rolls.  They are a nice change from the usual cinnamon rolls.

I hope you've been able to find some fresh tart cherries, and can give this wonderful cherry roll recipe a try.

Enjoy !

Breakfast Egg Muffins

Sometimes breakfast at our house can be a fast paced out the door episode.  But, you still need something healthy.  Or, maybe the grand kids are over and you need them to eat something besides cereal.  That's where my breakfast egg muffins come in handy.  I can feed my family a good protein breakfast and also hide vegetables in it, and make it a handheld on the go type of meal.

First Preheat your oven to 425 degrees

You will need:
baking spray
4 large eggs
your choice of filling, (today I am using leftover roasted chicken, spinach, and mushrooms)
2 Tabs milk
2 Tabs shredded cheese, (your choice)
salt and pepper

First, generously spray a standard sized muffin pan, (this recipe will make 6 breakfast muffins).

Next, chop your fillings in small bite sized pieces.

Chicken, spinach, and mushrooms are good.  Bacon, green onions, and peppers are a good choice.  Sausage, onion, and red and green peppers are also a good choice.  It's whatever combination you like for your filling.  Just think about what you like in an omelet.

Now layer your filling in the muffin tin.

In a bowl, whisk 4 eggs and 2 Tablespoons of milk.  Don't forget to salt and pepper your eggs.

Pour the egg mixture over the filling.

Top the egg and filling with your choice of cheese.  Any kind of shredded cheese will work.

Bake for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, this is how your breakfast muffins will look.  No stirring, no fussing over them.

Remove from the muffin tin, and if you're feeding them to little ones, let them cool a few minutes, (so they kids don't get burned).  Then enjoy!!

As you can see, the inside is nice and fluffy.  You can eat them with your hands, (as your heading out the door).

Or sit down, and have a couple on a plate with your juice, (or coffee).

I like to make these on Sunday evening, place them in a plastic bag in the refrigerator, (after they have cooled completely), and then they are ready to grab and go, (yes, you can eat them cold), or microwave them for 20 seconds and enjoy them nice and warm.

Make up a batch, with different fillings and have breakfast ready to go.  Just look at what leftovers are in your refrigerator.

ENJOY !

Blueberry-Lemon Muffins

Many years ago, when my dear friend and co-worker, (Gayla), received her heart transplant, I decided that I would deliver her a box of 1 dozen freshly made muffins each week for one year.  Gayla loved muffins for breakfast, and I knew this would be the perfect thing to give her and her husband.  I could make them on Friday afternoon, deliver them that evening, and they would have the week to enjoy them.  I gathered together 50 of my best muffin recipes, so they would have a different batch each week for the year.  At the end of the year, I asked Gayla to choose the 2 types that she enjoyed the most for the last 2 weeks.  She said that rather then 2 different muffins, they would like to have my Blueberry-Lemon muffins for the last 2 weeks.  They said they so enjoyed opening the box and finding out what new flavor the week had in store, but when they took a bite of the blueberry-lemon muffins, that was in deed their favorite.  My husband loves anything that is blueberry, so when I make these muffins - I know they will again be enjoyed as much by him as they were many years ago by Gayla and Wayne.  I now share with you the same recipe.  This recipe makes 12 medium sized, (2 1/2 inch), muffins / 6 large sized muffins / or 1 loaf, (9" X 5"X 3"  pan).  The recipe comes together very quickly, and each muffin costs less than 30 cents to make.  A real deal compared to the retail cost of muffins at the market these days.

For the batter, you will need:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 Tabs baking powder
1 teas salt
6 Tabs cold butter
1 egg
2/3 cup milk
1 lemon
1 teas vanilla extract
1 cup blueberries
For the topping, you will need:
2 Tabs all purpose flour
2 Tabs sugar
2 Tabs butter
1/2 teas ground cinnamon / 1/2 teas ground nutmeg / 1/4 teas ground ginger

Line your muffin pan with muffin cups.


NOTE:  you can also spray the muffin tin, if you don't have paper muffin liners.

Grate the lemon and measure 1 teaspoon of lemon rind.

Squeeze 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice from the lemon.

Cut the 6 Tablespoons of COLD butter into small pieces.

Measure out the 2/3 cup of milk.

Slightly beat the egg.

Now that you have done the prep work, turn on the oven to 400 degrees, (350 degrees for a loaf).

In a large bowl, measure the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Stir together to mix.

Add the 6 Tablespoons of cut COLD butter.  Mix into the flour mixture.

Note:  you can use a pastry blender, knifes, forks, or as I do - the tips of the fingers.  I find that just using my fingertips to blend the butter into the flour mixture works well and allows me to know if I have any large lumps of butter that need incorporated.

You want the mixture to resemble fine crumbs.

Now into the milk, add the slightly beaten egg.

 Add the lemon zest.

 Add the lemon juice

Add the vanilla extract, and stir to mix together.


You don't want to do this ahead of time, or the milk will start to curdle.

Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture.  Stir just to incorporate.  Do not overwork the batter.

 Fold in the blueberries, gently (you don't want to mash the berries).


Note:  you can use fresh or frozen blueberries.  If you use frozen blueberries, you do NOT need to thaw the berries.   I like to buy my berries on sale and freeze them, then I always have them on hand for baking.

Spoon the batter evenly into the muffin cups.

 For the topping:
In a small bowl, combine
2 Tablespoons flour,
2 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ginger

Stir well.

Melt 2 Tablespoon of butter, add to the flour/sugar mixture.  Stir well.

The topping will look like this.

Sprinkle the topping over the muffin batter.

Bake for 20 minutes, (1 hour for loaf), until golden brown.

 It's been 20 minutes, and a toothpick comes out clean, when inserted in the center of a muffin.

Remove the muffins from the tin, and let cool for a couple of minutes on a baking rack.

As you can see, the inside of the muffin is very light and airy.  These delicious little cakes have wonderful layers of flavors.  As the cold butter lets off steam in the batter, it generated pockets of wonderful light airy deliciousness.

And the touch of lemon juice and lemon zest go so well with the blueberries.  Plus, there's not too much topping to overpower the muffin's wonderful taste.

 When you bite into the little cake, it is like heaven.

 And the blueberries are distributed evenly throughout the muffins.

These muffins are good whether you eat them warm, or cold, plain, or with a little butter or honey on them.  They are a great breakfast item as well as a snack item.

I hope you enjoy these luscious little cakes as much as my friends and family do.