Cinnamon Rolls

Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

Lately, I've been turning my attention towards dough making! I want to learn how to make more bread and pastries, and being able to master the dough is crucial. The bread of any pastry can make or break it. I found a cinnamon roll recipe from silk.com, which this recipe is based upon. I did change a few things from the original recipe, by replacing the butter with shortening and water, and lowering the amount of white sugar. Also, the portions here are much smaller because I made mini cinnamon rolls. They might not look very small in the photo, but they're literally bite-sized! In the past 2 weeks, I've made 5 batches of cinnamon rolls. These turned out super moist and tasty!

Serving Size: 12 mini cinnamon rolls

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 12 min

Total Time: 2-2.5 hours

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup vanilla almond milk
• 2 tbsp shortening
• .75 tsp water
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1.5 tbsp white ultra fine sugar
• .75 tsp active dry yeast
• .125 tsp baking powder
• .125 tsp baking soda
• .125 tsp salt
• cinnamon
• brown sugar
• confectioner's sugar (optional, for the icing)
• milk (optional, for the icing)

Directions:

1. Microwave shortening, water, and almond milk for 1:30 minutes.
2. While it is microwaving, combine flour, sugar, and yeast in a medium sized mixing bowl. 
3. Once the wet ingredients are heated, slowly pour it in the dry ingredients while stirring.
4. Mix the ingredients until it forms a circular dough.
5. Knead for 8 minutes.
6. Grease the bowl and cover. Wait an hour to let it rise.
7. Add baking soda, baking powder, and salt to the mixture and mix well.
8. Roll out the dough in a rectangular shape and rub shortening, cinnamon, and brown sugar on top of it.
9. Roll dough to a cigar shape.
10. Cut into pieces with a knife or pastry cutter. (For mini cinnamon rolls, cut into 12 mini pieces.)
11. Let the rolls rise for 30 minutes.
12. Bake for 300F for 12 minutes. 
13. To prepare the (optional) icing glaze, combine confectioner's sugar and milk until it forms a thick liquid paste. Pour over the rolls.

Done!

Tips & Tricks:

• Make sure the shortening, water, and milk mixture isn't too hot! 
• Slowly pour the wet to the dry ingredients. If it's too hot and you pour it all at once, it will start to curdle and will take more time to form your dough.
• If it's hard to cut the rolls, freeze the rolled dough for 30 minutes before trying again.
• Also, it's much easier to cut the rolls if there are more layers within the cinnamon rolls.

Green Tea Macarons

Green Tea Macarons

Macarons are known to be one of the most difficult cookies to make. Not only are the ingredients difficult (and quite pricey) to find, but they are extremely finicky to bake. I recommend reading and watching as many how-to-make-macaron videos and articles you can find. One of the most helpful youtube videos are from chef Byron Talbott's, where this recipe is derived from.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium-large egg (room temp)
• 55g flaxmeal (or almond meal)
• 65g powdered sugar
• 20g baker's ultrafine white sugar
• matcha green tea powder
  
  
  

Directions:

1. Combine flaxmeal and powdered sugar in a medium sized mixing bowl through a sifter.
2. Mix the above with a wooden spoon.
3. In a separate mixing bowl, add egg whites and mix well for about 4 minutes. 
4. Add baker's sugar gradually and continue to mix for an additional 4 minutes. 
5. After the meringue forms stiff peaks, combine it with the previous bowl and mix well. 
6. Add matcha green tea powder.
7. Mix for 50-60 strokes with a rubber spatula.
8. Using a pastry bag, put the batter inside and make 1.5 inch shaped macarons on a baking tray. 
9. Tap tray and leave out for 30 minutes.
10. Bake for 10-11 minutes at a 300F degrees oven.

Done!

Tips:

-Do not substitute all-purpose flour into this recipe. If you must substitute, like I have, use a nutty grounded flour. Using all-purpose flour will result in regular sugar cookies, both in taste and texture. They won't have the macaron feet and will be completely flat. Another example besides flaxmeal is pistachio flour.

Seaweed Udon in Shrimp Soup Base

Seaweed Udon in Shrimp Soup Base

I love cooking meals that are simple and easy. Because who has time to cook fancy meals on a daily basis? This recipe is only two ingredients, and the total cost for the ingredients is roughly $1 or less!

Ingredients:

• 1 packet of Myojo shrimp flavored udon
• 1 packet of GimMe organic roasted teriyaki seaweed

Directions:

1. Boil water in a medium saucepan and add a pinch of salt
2. Once boiled, add udon and stir until the noodles are no longer bunched together.
3. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
4. Turn off stove.
5. Add soup base and mix well.
6. Pour udon and soup in a bowl and add seaweed.

Done!