Chocolate Buns

Ask and you shall receive, kinda. So last week I proposed a question, “What sweet should I make next?” With the choices of a. Layer cake, b. cinnamon rolls, c. cookies or d. scones, I knew which one would win. And I was correct. The winner was cinnamon rolls! Of all the choices, I knew cinnamon rolls would be the most work and time intensive. Cookies I could throw down in ten minutes, same with scones. A layer cake would take some time to frost, but maybe two hours tops.

Cinnamon rolls are a yeast bread. This meant that I would have several times to sit and wait, something that I am not good at. The yeast breads that I have made in the past haven’t turned out so well because I get antsy. That dough ball looks doubled in size, right? I need to let the dough rest for how long? Oh boy, now I need to let the dough rise again? I call shenanigans on this recipe!

So this weekend I took on the cinnamon rolls, but I wasn’t in the mood for cinnamon. I was in the mood for chocolate! Here I am, standing in front of my spice rack, trying to figure out what will go well with the chocolate pastry. Then it hits me, the blackberry jam! Mmm, chocolate pastry filled with sweet jam. Perfect.

A little internet search lead me to a chocolate cinnamon roll recipe from Cooking Light. So not only is this delicious, but it’s good for you! (That’s what I’m telling myself, don’t say anything) The recipe just needed a little tweaking, the dough was too wet, the spices wouldn’t work with the jam, but I think we came out with a winner.

The chocolate buns themselves aren’t terribly sweet, so I decided a cream cheese frosting was in order. When is cream cheese frosting not a good idea? Okay, maybe you shouldn’t slather it on your steak, but other than that, pile it on. I’m actually eating a spoonful of it right now, don’t judge.

Broccoli Slaw

Have you ever had something to eat that was so delicious, you couldn’t stop thinking about it? Five years ago I was at a picnic in Madison, enjoying some rare summertime sun. A pot luck event, everyone brought something to share. Being a baker, I brought cookies. Everyone loves cookies. There was something unexpected on the table, a broccoli slaw.

Now I am not usually one for raw broccoli. In fact I find it hard to get down if it’s not cooked. This slaw was surprising. I piled a little on my plate, along with my Boca burger and chips. Trying a little of everything (to be sure I didn’t insult anyone) I filled my plate. After my first taste I was hooked on this slaw. I went back to get more, and more, then I picked up the bowl and brought it to the table so I could continue to graze.

I must have eaten half of the bowl, and then I realized that the person who made it was gone! I didn’t know this person other than a name. I was too busy eating platefuls of broccoli and now the slaw was a mystery!

For years I kept thinking about this dish. I’m not a slaw expert, so I had no idea where to start to replicate the recipe. Finally this year, the craving was satisfied. And because of this, my undying love and devotion go out to Deb from Smitten Kitchen. I can take no credit for this recipe because it was perfect the way it was written. Now with this recipe, I find myself standing by the fridge nibbling from the bowl. At least it’s a vegetable, right?

Peanut Butter Pancakes

I am a pancake connoisseur. It’s true, I have a badge to prove it (just don’t ask to see it!) Like some people are expert wine sommeliers, or perhaps they are professional perfume makers, I am a specialist when it comes to pancakes. Let’s not get confused, I’m not saying that I make the world’s best pancakes. No. What I’m saying is, I’m really good at eating pancakes.

I can say that I’ve had a fair number of pancakes in my life. I’m a big fan of the harvest pancakes at IHOP, and that the pancakes from the Pancake Café in Madison are amazing. An oven-baked apple pancake is the perfect breakfast to share with someone else and oatmeal pancakes are super filling. The type of pancake that I’ve yet to have an amazing one is the peanut butter pancake.

I’ve gone on a search to find a good peanut butter pancake. It is very hard to get this flavor just right. I’ve had all kinds, from the taste-less to the over-powering. The sad flat peanut butter pancake, riddled with too much fat and the worst, a regular pancake with peanut butter chips, ugh. I thought it was hopeless, so I started experimenting on my own.

I discovered one very important thing, using real peanut butter makes the pancakes too heavy. This is perhaps why the Pancake House in Amherst went with peanut butter chips. But how do you get peanut butter without all the fat? The answer is PB2. Made by Bell Plantation, PB2 is made by pressing peanuts to remove all the oil, and grinding them into a powder. I love it in shakes and decided this was just what I needed to make my own delicious pancakes.

Sure enough, PB2 came through. I was rewarded with peanutty, fluffy, tasty pancakes. Adapting my tried and true pancake recipe to accommodate the additional dry ingredients was easy and resulted in something I am happy to share with you. If you don’t have PB2 (it’s sold in specialty stores and online) you can use regular peanut butter (I’m talking Jif, not fancy natural PB), just cut down on the butter/oil you use. Serve it up with some of that blackberry jam that you made last week (thin it out with a little water on the stovetop) and enjoy. Mmmm, PB&J for breakfast.