Craisin Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake

It's Breakfast time!!

This is definitely a treat you'll want to add to your rotation.  It would be perfect for a lazy weekend morning or a family brunch.  Not a fan of Craisins?  You could always substitute nuts.  You could even go a little crazy and use chocolate chips for an extra sweet treat!!

CRAISIN CINNAMON ROLL COFFEE CAKE

YIELDS: 6-8 servings

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons Craisins
• 2 cans (8 rolls) refrigerated cinnamon rolls with icing

COOKING DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in an 8-inch loaf pan. Combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.  Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the mixture over the butter in the pan. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the Craisins over the sugar mixture.
2. Separate 1 can of the dough into 8 rolls {reserve icing from 1 can}; cut each roll into quarters. Place the pieces evenly over the Craisins in the bottom of the pan ~ some pieces will overlap.  Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the sugar mixture of the dough. Cut 1 tablespoon of butter into thin slices, lay over dough.  Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons of Craisins. 
3. Separate the second can of dough into 8 rolls and cut each roll into quarters.  Place the pieces evenly over the first layer in the pan.  Cut the remaining tablespoon of butter into thin slices and lay over the dough.  Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon sugar mixture.
4. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.  Remove foil and bake for another 15 - 20 minutes or until golden brown.  Drizzle the reserved icing over the rolls.  Devour warm cinnamony goodness.

RECIPE INSPIRED BY: Pillsbury

 

Slow-Cooked Tostadas al Pastor #SecretRecipeSwap

I have to admit I was pretty stoked about my Surprise Recipe Swap partner this month!  I've known this gal for a while & I absolutely love her recipes.  I'm pretty sure I have her whole blog pinned.  So, wondering who I had???

The awesome Meghan from The Tasty Fork :)

Like I said, I have so many of her recipes pinned that I've been wanting to try, I had a hard time deciding on a final recipe.  I finally narrowed it down to two & the fact that I already had a pork tenderloin in my freezer helped make the final decision.

 

 

The flavors in this were amazing!  The pork had just the right level of spiciness and then add in the sweetness of the pineapple and the creaminess of the avocado ~ perfection!!  The only thing I did differently from Meghan's original recipe was turn it into a tostada and add in the addition of the avocado instead of making tacos.  Either way you decide to go with this recipe, you won't be disappointed!!

 

 

 

 

SLOW-COOKED TOSTADAS AL PASTOR

YIELDS: 6-8 servings 

 

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 pounds pork tenderloin
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple, with juice
• 4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 1 & 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• juice from 2 small oranges ~ about 1/3 to 1/2 cup
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 can (8 ounces) pineapple chunks, drained
• 1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
• juice from 1 small lime
• 1 avocado, peeled & mashed
• tostado shells

COOKING DIRECTIONS:

1. Place the first 10 ingredients in the slow cooker. Cook for 6 to 8 hours on low. Do not chop the chipotle peppers up, just put the peppers in whole so you can fish them out.
2. Shred the pork in the slow cooker.
3. Combine the pineapple chunks, cilantro, onions and lime juice in a small bowl to make the salsa. Store covered in the fridge until ready to serve.
4. Spread a large spoonful of the mashed avocado on to a tostado shell. Top with the shredded pork and the pineapple salsa.

 

RECIPE INSPIRED BY: The Tasty Fork  

    

 

Interested in joining the Secret Recipe Swap?  Find out more here:
 



 

Vanilla Pudding Snickerdoodles

Yesterday I did something sneaky and deceptive.  But I had to y'all.  I'm forced into these situations.  As I was baking these Vanilla Pudding Snickerdoodles, I really needed to taste test one.  I have to make sure my recipes don't suck.  But Princess P has learned when the stand mixer comes out, something she likes to eat is getting made.  And when the timer goes off on the microwave that means "It's done mommy, it's done!!"  She is all up in the business in the kitchen when I'm baking.  She's not missing nothing.

But I didn't really want her to have a cookie at 10:30 in the morning.  She hadn't really had breakfast, giving her a cookie just didn't seem like the right mother decision.  So I got crafty.  In a moment when she wasn't paying attention to me, I grabbed a cookie, hid it in my palm behind my phone {thank you Apple for making somewhat larger phones that are great for hiding things} and dashed into the bathroom before she could follow after me!

So, yeah.  That's me.  Hiding out from an almost 3 year old.  In my bathroom.  Eatin' a cookie. 

I'm awesome. 

But so are the cookies so it was worth it.

VANILLA PUDDING SNICKERDOODLES

YIELD: 4-5 dozen cookies

 

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 package (3.5 ounces) instant vanilla pudding & pie filling
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 & 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

COOKING DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line your cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a large bowl in your stand mixer, cream the butter, shortening and both sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla and dry pudding mix.
3. In a separate bowl combine the flour, cream of tartar and baking soda; gradually add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture and beat until just combined.
4. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar & the cinnamon.
5. Roll the dough into 1/2 tablespoon sized balls. Toss the balls into the cinnamon sugar mixture until well coated & then place the dough onto the prepared baking sheets.
6. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.

RECIPE INSPIRED BY: a sweet baker

 

 

SOMEONE, ANYONE, PLEASE TELL ME I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO HIDES OUT IN THE BATHROOM!?!