Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Whenever we pass through a "Cinnabon", the inviting scent of cinnamon and freshly baked treats, crave us to try some of their amazingly delicious, gooey delicacies and as a result, we end up buying more than three to four varieties of cinnamon rolls which are not only tasty but very filling with all the frosting and glaze. My kids love cinnamon rolls like crazy but thinking about the amount of sugar and butter in the rolls we buy them once in a while.

Dough ready to get baked...

Recently my daughter was asking me to bake some cinnamon rolls so that she can have them whenever she wants. Before that, I never thought of making the rolls at home, because of the time and effort it would consume. But then I realized that making the rolls at home is far better than store-bought ones as we can adjust the sugar and butter according to our taste and usage. I made this for the first time and these rolls came out perfectly soft, moist and melt in the mouth kind. The best Cinnamon Rolls ever. My little one calls them breakfast sweet rolls.

The ingredients are very basic. We can add sugar according to our choice. While mixing the dough itself, we can add enough sugar and make the dough sweeter. Here I have used instant yeast, then too I gave a little time to proof. Some will add eggs in the dough, but here I didn't use any as without using them the dough was smooth and soft. Here I have mixed with a spatula, you can also use a stand mixer. The dough should be sticky, for a soft roll, don't add too much flour.

For a gooey, rich cinnamon roll, we can add the heavy cream just before keeping the rolls in the oven. But I didn't as I liked it this way. I have used a simple glaze to frost the cinnamon rolls. We can also make a cream cheese frosting to spread on top. The glaze should be added when the rolls are warm and allow it to soak in.

The process looks time-consuming, but once you start making the recipe, it will go with the flow. Here the time-consuming part is the proofing of the dough. Hope with all these tips and tricks you will try making this at home and let me know how they turned out.

Ingredients:

1. All Purpose Flour- 2 Cups
2. Milk- 1 Cup
3. Salt- 1 Tsp
4. Sugar- 1 tbsp
5. Yeast- 2 tbsp
6. Butter- 2 tbsp

For filling:

1. Butter- 3 tbsp
2. Cinnamon powder- 1 tbsp
3. Sugar- 3 tbsp

For the Glaze:

1. Powdered Sugar- 1/4 Cup
2. Milk- 2 tbsp

Method:

1. In a measuring cup, add the warm milk, sugar, salt, butter, and yeast. Keep this till the yeast foams. 
2. Take all purpose flour in a mixing bowl, add the foamed yeast mixture and mix well using a spatula, till the dough becomes sticky. Keep this covered for about 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, mix the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon powder together and keep this ready.
4. By this time the dough will rise and doubled in size. Drop this on a floured surface and roll the dough using floured rolling pin into a rectangle.
5. Spread the cinnamon- sugar filling on top evenly using a rubber spatula. Starting at the long end, roll the dough into a tight roll and cut into 10- 12 slices and place on a greased baking tray and allow the slices to rise for another 15 minutes.
6. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes until the rolls lightly golden brown and cooked well.
7. When they are getting baked, prepare the glaze by mixing the sugar and milk in small portions until they reach pouring consistency.
8. Once the rolls get baked, remove from oven and pour the glaze on top so that the rolls absorb the glaze very well. Serve the cinnamon rolls warm. Store the remaining cinnamon rolls in airtight containers.

Dal Gosht/ Goat in Lentils Gravy

Dal gosht is a popular Indian dish which is a medley of mutton, spices, and lentils cooked till perfection. Dal gosht is a recipe I am sure that will be liked by all. This is so delicious and flavorful that it goes well with anything like rice/ rotis/ flavored rice/ naans. Even you can eat this along with brown bread (I like it that way). In this recipe, the lentils play an important role. This recipe can be prepared using any variety of lentils. Some use split Bengal gram, some use split pigeon peas. It all depends upon your taste and choice.

As a kid, I used to eat this dal gosht, when we were living in Andhra. Our neighbors often made this and whenever they make, they would share with us. Like all the other Hyderabadi dishes, I loved it at first bite. But as we moved out of Andhra, I completely forgot about this dish. Recently when I ate this at my friends' place, all the memories associated with this dish came through and my liking for this dish once again started.

Before I forget about this recipe, I thought of making it and posting it in my blog, so that it will be always there as a reference for me whenever needed.  In this dish, the mutton pieces are simmered along with the flavorful combination of spices and mixed with lentils to a perfectly thickened gravy. This will be a finger-licking delicious dish, which will be an instant hit among the guests and family members.
What are you waiting for????? Without wasting a single minute, let's get started with this recipe and let me know how this turned out.

Ingredients:

1. Tur Dal/ Split Pigeon Peas- 1/2 Cup
2. Split Red Lentils- 1/2 Cup
3. Goat Meat- 2 lbs (washed and drained)
4. Onions (sliced)- 2 nos
5. Green Chilies (slit)- 3-4 nos
6. Tomatoes (chopped)- 2 nos
7. Ginger n garlic Paste- 1 tbsp
8. Red Chilli Powder- 1 tbsp
9. Coriander Powder- 2 tbsp
10. Turmeric Powder- 1/2 tbsp
11. Garam Masala Powder- 2 Tsp
12. Lemon juice- 2 tbsp
13. Oil- 2 tbsp
14. Water- as needed
15. Salt- as required

Method:

1. Wash the lentils and pressure cook them till cooked and mushy. Keep this aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan, add the sliced onions and fry till translucent. Add a little salt to get the onions to cook fast.
3. Add the green chilis along with ginger and garlic paste. Stir well. When the raw smell disappears add all the spice powders. Mix well.
4. In the above add the drained meat along with the required amount of salt, mix well till everything gets well incorporated.
5. Close with a lid and let the meat cook till tender. Once when the meat gets cooked well add the cooked lentils, mix, drizzle the lemon juice, adjust salt accordingly and enjoy along with steaming hot rice, rotis or naan.

Oats and Peanut Butter Energy Bites

These are healthy no-bake energy bites which we can be had before or after a workout. These energy balls are also called as protein balls, power balls, truffles. These will be liked not only by adults but also by kids. Nowadays, I have started making different varieties of energy bites. Some are baked and some are not, like these. These energy bites are a hit among everyone. These bites will make a perfect gift for your friends and family.

The best thing about these energy bites are, you can add anything of your choices like chocolate chips or raisins or chopped dates. Instead of peanut butter, you can also use almond butter. I made these one day when I was searching for healthy snack recipes and I stumbled upon many different energy bite recipes which are easy to prepare, no- bake and is not time-consuming. These are quick to- go snacks, which is very healthy and filling too.

This time for the MFB challenge we have to post "healthy Bites" and I this these no-bake Oats and Peanut Butter Energy bites are perfect.

I have become a huge energy bite aficionado. This is a simple, foolproof method. Within minutes a perfect, healthy, nutritious, and delicious snacks can be made and that too without any effort. Hope you all will try this and let me know how it turned out.
Ingredients:

1. Oats- 1 Cup
2. Peanut Butter- 1/2 Cup
3. Dried Cranberries- 1/4 Cup
4. Flax Seeds- 2 tbsp
5. Chia Seeds- 1 tbsp
6. Vanilla Extract- 1 tsp
7. Honey- 2 tbsp

Method:

• Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and make small round bite-sized balls. Keep them in the refrigerator till set for about 1 hour and enjoy.

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