Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Glaze

Walt and I house-sat for his parents this weekend while they went away for a wedding. House-sitting at Fair Oaks Manor includes 5 crazed dogs, so Walt's brother Hunter and his girlfriend drove up from Athens to assist, thank god. Turns out we needed all the help we could get. So with burgers on the grill and much-needed cocktails in hand (and no parents in sight), we set out to party away the weekend in true Thompson fashion.

On Saturday evening we were to attend a cocktail party for their soon-to-be-married cousin Courtney. Pre-gaming started early with a round of margaritas. While we sipped our frozen concoctions around the kitchen island, I began working on a batch of "Mother's Day" cinnamon rolls. (Yes, I drink and bake. Call it multi-tasking at it's finest.) 

The plan was to eat these on Sunday morning; however, they looked so tasty once rolled and cut that I decided they'd make a pretty good pre-party appetizer. I put 3 slices in a small pan (Hunter meanwhile gathered the remaining dough into a ball, smothered it with white chocolate chips, and tossed it into the lot) and waited patiently until done. At about 7:25 PM -- 10 minutes after we should have left the house -- out came the little balls of heaven. I slathered them with a little glaze and we promptly gobbled them up. Who knew how well cinnamon rolls went with tequila?

The next morning, veeeerrry groggy from last night's festivities, I dutifully drug myself out of bed at 7 AM to pull the rolls from the fridge to rise. Two hours later (oops), I awoke from a catnap with a very rumbly -- and hung-over -- tummy. Must. Eat. Cinnamon rolls. I stumbled back upstairs and into the oven the dough went. Tick tock tick tock tick tock. 

And oh my goodness, were these guys ever worth the wait. Although not the Pillsbury rolls from my past (I'm not gonna lie -- I love those things), they were doughy, soft, and delicious. And with the glaze? Don't mind if I have another. Go make these for your mom, ASAP!

ON A SIDE NOTE: Mom, thanks for always being supportive of my crazy shenanigans. I appreciate it (and you) more than you will ever know. 

Xoxoxox, Daughter Number 3

OVERNIGHT CINNAMON ROLLS WITH CREAM CHEESE GLAZE
Source: Adapted from Bon Appetit, March 2008
Yields: 18 cinnamon rolls

FOR THE DOUGH:
1 cup whole milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 1/2 cups (or more) unbleached all purpose flour, divided
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 1/4 teaspoons rapid-rise yeast (1 envelope)
1 teaspoon salt
Nonstick vegetable oil spray

FOR THE FILLING:
1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
4 - 6 tablespoons ground cinnamon, or to taste
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

FOR THE GLAZE:
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

FOR THE DOUGH: Combine milk and butter in glass measuring cup. Microwave on high until butter melts and mixture is just warmed to 120°F to 130°F, 30 to 45 seconds. Pour into bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Add 1 cup flour, sugar, egg, yeast, and salt. Beat on low speed 3 minutes, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl. Add 2 1/2 cups flour. Beat on low until flour is absorbed and dough is sticky, scraping down sides of bowl. If dough is very sticky, add more flour by tablespoonfuls until dough begins to form ball and pulls away from sides of bowl. Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, adding more flour if sticky, about 8 minutes. Form into ball.

Lightly oil large bowl with nonstick spray. Transfer dough to bowl, turning to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, then kitchen towel. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 2 hours.

FOR THE FILLING: Mix brown sugar and cinnamon in medium bowl.

Punch down dough. Transfer to floured work surface. Roll out to 15x11-inch rectangle. Spread butter over dough, leaving 1/2-inch border. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture evenly over butter. Starting at 1 long side, roll dough into log, pinching gently to keep it rolled up. With seam side down, cut dough crosswise with thin sharp knife into 18 equal slices (each about 1/2 to 3/4 inch wide).

Spray two 9-inch square glass baking dishes with nonstick spray. Divide rolls between baking dishes, arranging cut side down (there will be almost no space between rolls). Cover baking dishes with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

The next morning, position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Remove dough from fridge and allow to rise in warm draft-free area for at least one hour, or until almost doubled in volume. Bake rolls until tops are golden, about 17 - 20 minutes. Glaze immediately and serve warm.

FOR THE GLAZE: Combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat until smooth. Spread glaze on rolls. (This makes a lot of glaze, but don't worry, I'm sure you can find a good use for it)

Kitchen tip: If you don't need all of these, freeze half for later. Place the rolls on a large sheet pan and freeze. Once dough is frozen, remove from pan and place in freezer-safe zip lock bag. When ready to cook, remove from the freezer and allow to thaw completely at room temperature. Bake according to the directions above.

Recipe: King Ranch Chicken Casserole

New neighbors moved onto Georgian Drive yesterday. Walt and I peered out the window, watching and waiting for any signs of strange behavior (we may or may not have seen The 'Burbs too many times), but all I saw was a steady stream of Pampers. Nothing too out of the ordinary.

So in my good Southern nature, I figured a housewarming casserole was in order. And not just a throw-in-some-cans-of-cream-of-something kind of casserole, but a my-name-is-Dixie-Caviar-and-I'm-a-kitchen-goddess kind of casserole. 

But then the unthinkable happened. Our DIRECT TV went out in the middle of the -- GASP -- Braves game. And it was all because of themmmmm. I won't elaborate, but something about shared wires getting mixed (blah blah blah). All I know is the screen was blank, and Walter was. not. happy. I'm not quite sure how they had anything to do with it, but who am I to question Walt's television authority.

So today, as I was whisking and stirring and tasting, I made a decision. No King Ranch Casserole for them. They would be banished to a plate of chocolate chip cookies. Take that, new neighbors. Now you know who you're messing with! 

P.S. -- In all honestly, I had every intention of sharing this with the newbies. But it just looked (and tasted) too good to give away. I know, I know. I'm a bad person. I'll repent later. But right now I'm too busy gobbling it all up.

P.S.S. -- I really hope the neighbors don't read this blog. 

King Ranch Chicken Casserole
Source: Adapted from Homesick Texan
YIELDS: 6 - 8 servings

FOR THE CHICKEN:
1 whole chicken, roasted and shredded (I used store-bought rotisserie)
2 teaspoons lime juice
2 teaspoons chili poweder, or more to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt, to taste

FOR SAUCE:
4 tablespoons butter
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 poblano pepper, diced
2 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (or red pepper flakes)
2 teaspoons cumin, or more to taste
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup half and half
1 (10 ounce) can of Ro-Tel tomatoes
1/3 cup of sour cream
2 teaspoons lime juice
1/4 cup of cilantro, chopped

TO ASSEMBLE:
3 cups grated pepper jack and cheddar cheese
10 corn tortillas
Salt and pepper, to taste

Heat olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat and stir in the chicken. Add lime juice, chili powder, and salt, to taste
(should yield about 3 cups of chicken). Remove chicken from pot once heated through and set aside.

Melt the butter in the same dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions, bell peppers, and poblano pepper and saute for 10 minutes until softened.
Add the garlic, flour, cumin, cayenne pepper and chili powder, and cook for 1 minute.
Add the chicken broth and cook on low until mixture is thickened, a few minutes. Stir in the half-and-half and Ro-Tel tomatoes and cover the pot. Simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Uncover the pot and turn off heat. Add the sour cream, 2 teaspoons of lime juice, and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Ladle 1/2 cup of the sauce onto the bottom of an 11 x 7 inch baking pan.
Layer half the tortillas along the bottom of the pan (on top of the sauce). To make sure entire pan is evenly covered, you can rip some of the tortillas into strips to fill any gaps. Add half the chicken mixture, half of the remaining sauce, and 1 1/2 cups of grated cheese.
Repeat the layering, leaving the cheese layer on top.

Cook uncovered for 35 minutes or until brown and bubbling. Serve with sour cream and cilantro.

Recipe: Perfect Meatloaf

Most girls spend their hard-earned cash on clothes, purses, and shoes. I'm not most girls. Give me a paycheck and I head straight to Sur la Table. Or the farmers' market. Or both. And you should see my cookbook collection. Oh Lordie, I may personally keep Amazon in business. 

But currently Walt and I are on a budget. Turns out, moving across the country is expensive. So is rent. And bills. And gas. So until I'm gainfully employed, I've got to keep it all in check.  Mainly so Walt doesn't break up with me. This however, means no stinky cheese, no Italian reds, and especially no impulse Ferrero Rocher in the checkout aisle. It also means Kroger discount cards, strictly adhering to grocery lists, and actually eating our leftovers instead of watching them grow (both literally and figuratively).

So you may be wondering how my negative bank account correlates to a meatloaf sandwich. Well, this meal came about from a pantry/freezer raid. Back when I had some cash in my pocket, I stocked up on extra meat and threw it in the freezer. Brilliant! So I had some beef and pork. And I actually am the type to keep bread, onions, potatoes, and eggs on hand at all times. 

Normally I concoct a pretty fancy meatloaf that involves specialty sausages, a variety of sauteed veggies, and a multitude of steps. This is not that recipe. This, my friend, is a dump-in-the-pot type of meatloaf, and a most delicious one at that. To sum it up, the first thing that came to mind after a few bites was, "Man, this is soooo good. I can't wait until lunch tomorrow, 'cause this is going to make the best meatloaf sandwich ever." Yep, that's me. Always thinking about the next meal. 

If only leftovers were  always this good...

Perfect Meatloaf
Source: Adapted from My Mother's Southern Kitchen by James Villas
Yields: 8 Servings.

1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
1 small onion, grated
4 - 6 slices white bread, moistened with milk and squeezed dry
1/4 cup ketchup, or more to taste
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Additional ketchup for topping (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients and mix well with your hands. Scoop mixture into a metal loaf pan, and flatten top. Pour ketchup on top and smooth with a spatula. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Serve with a side of mashed potatoes.

For the ultimate meatloaf sandwich, toast white bread slices. Add mashed potatoes and top with meatloaf.

Savannah Cream Cake

I've had this Savannah Cream Cake recipe bookmarked since the day I received the January 2008 issue of Gourmet magazine, dedicated to all things Southern. Well this, and every other recipe on every other page. But then the magazine got tucked away into an ever-expanding collection of food magazines, never to be seen or heard from again.

While trying to find a home for my magazine collection in our new digs -- besides Walt's recommendation of the recycle bin -- I found myself paging through old issues of Gourmet. A little bit of me was mourning the loss of such a beautiful and inspiring publication, a lot of me was procrastinating from the actual task at hand. 

Now reunited with this delicious looking recipe, I just knew it had to be my Easter dessert. Walt and I split the holiday (AM with my parents, PM with his), so I wouldn't be cooking my usual fare, but I doubted anyone would decline my offer to provide the sweets.

I planned ahead and made the Angel Food Cake on Friday night, with the goal to assemble the rest of the creation at my parents house on Saturday afternoon. Unfortunately the baking gods had other things in mind. Not going into (most of) the whiney details, I was pretty much having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. 

Cocktail in hand, I prepped all of my ingredients (hooray for mise en place!) and set about making the sherry custard. Following the recipe to a tee, I brought the custard to the perfect thickness, taking extra care not to scramble the eggs. I poured the silky delight into a pyrex dish and set it in a water bath to chill to room temp. Then I whipped heavy cream into a fluffy mound and straightened up the kitchen a bit. Okay, that second part was a lie. My mom did the cleaning. 

Cream whipped, I was ready to forge ahead. Unfortunately, I went to grab what was formerly known as custard to find what now resembled congealed butter. Apparently the ice bath was toooo cold. Me being me, I even went as far as folding it into the cream while praying for salvation. Nope. After I saw the look on my mom's face, into the trash it went.

Second cocktail in hand, I tried again. With a little rearranging of steps, I was well on my way. New custard made, I was ready to pour in my second gelatin mixture, only to realize my mother had dumped it out in her cleaning madness. Gaw. Let's try this one more time, folks!

At this point, I finally heeded my family's advice and decided to wait until the next morning. If you ever want to start anew, I can't think of a better day than Easter to do it. I woke up with a cake to finish, people. Feeling good and full of pancakes, I whipped and stirred and mixed my way to pure perfection. Sometimes, third time really is a charm -- this Savannah Cream Cake didn't make it through the night.

(PS - The instructions below have been modified to make your life easier.)

SAVANNAH CREAM CAKE
Source: Adapted from Elizabeth on 37th and Gourmet Magazine
Yields: 8 - 10 slices

FOR ANGEL FOOD CAKE:
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon cake flour
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3/4 cup sugar, divided
6 large egg whites
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

FOR SHERRY CUSTARD:
1 1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin (from a 1/4 oz. envelope)
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons water, divided
1 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
2 large egg yolks
1/4 cup cream sherry

FOR THE FROSTING:
1 cup chilled heavy cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Splash pure vanilla extract

EQUIPMENT:
10 x 4-1/2 inch (16 cup) tube pan (preferably with a removable bottom)
9 inch springform pan

MAKE CAKE: Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in middle.

Sift together flour, nutmeg, and 1/4 cup sugar 3 times. Beat egg whites in a large bowl with an electric mixer until frothy, then add cream of tartar and salt and continue beating until whites barely hold soft peaks. Beat in remaining 1/2 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time. Add vanilla and beat until whites just hold soft peaks.

Sift one fourth of flour mixture over whites and fold in gently but thoroughly, then sift and fold in in remaining flour mixture, all at once, in same manner. Spoon into ungreased tube pan and smooth top (pan will not be full), then rap pan on counter twice to eliminate any air bubbles.

Bake until springy to the touch and a wooden pick comes out clean, about 30 minutes. If pan has feet, invert it on a work surface; otherwise, invert it over a long necked bottle. Cool cake completely, about 30 minutes.

Run a thin knife in a sawing motion around edges of pan and tube to loosen cake. Cut cake with a serrated knife into 1-inch cubes.

MAKE SHERRY CUSTARD: Butter bottom and sides of springform pan, then line bottom with parchment paper.

Combine gelatin and 1/4 cup of water in a small bowl. Heat mixture in microwave, 10 seconds increments at a time, stirring after each increment, in order to dissolve gelatin (about 20 - 30 seconds). Set aside.

Beat cream, vanilla, and 2 tablespoons sugar in a large bowl until mixture just holds soft peaks. Chill.

Beat yolks with an electric mixer until very pale. With mixer at low speed, add sherry, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar, and remaining 2 tablespoons water. Cook mixture in a small heavy sauce pan over low to medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until very thick and you can see "ribbons" when you run a spoon through.

Remove from heat and whisk in gelatin mixture until dissolved. Quick chill by putting sauce pan in an ice bath and stirring for one to two minutes. Remove from ice bath and cool mixture to room temperature, stirring occasionally.

Fold in sherry mixture to whipped cream mixture gently but thoroughly, then fold in cake cubes. Transfer to springform pan and smooth top. Chill, covered with plastic wrap until set (at least 4 hours).

Run a thin knife around cake and remove side of pan.

MAKE FROSTING: Beat cream with sugar using an electric mixer until it just holds stiff peaks. Frost cake.

Homemade Irish Cream... Heaven in a bottle!

Two days until St. Patrick's Day, folks. What are you making? I'll be participating in a competitive "Corned Beef and Cabbage" dual with Mrs. Thompson. She may have experience working in her favor, but I've got whiskey working in mine.

Maybe if I spike this homemade Irish Cream strong enough, she'll be too drunk to win? Then again, maybe I will (be too drunk, that is).

P.S. This recipe may not be Southern per se, but I've never met a Southerner who didn't like his whiskey. Maybe next time I'll throw in some Bourbon instead and declare it "Southern Cream." That's a pretty good excuse to make it again...

Homemade Irish Cream
Source: Nealey Dozier
Yields: 5 cups

2 cups half-and-half
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/4 cups Irish whiskey (or, to taste)
1/4 cup strong coffee
4 tablespoons chocolate syrup
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Mix all ingredients in blender or food processor. Store in a sealed bottle in refrigerator for up to one month. Serve straight up, over ice cream, or in coffee.

Note: This beverage only gets better with age, so allow 24 hours for the flavors to "marry," if you've got the time. If not, enjoy immediately. Then make some more!