Cake Mix Cinnamon Rolls

This recipe comes from a cookbook that my mom got me for Christmas a few years ago.  They're called Cake Mix Cinnamon Rolls because the main ingredient is a boxed cake mix...and when I read it, I was sold!  The finished product is moist and delicious, and even a cake-lover like me couldn't tell a cake mix was involved.  Cheating the system without consequences!?  Yay!

1 white or yellow cake mix (I used white)
2 pkgs yeast (or 4 1/2 tsp)
1 tsp salt
2 c flour
--
3+ c flour
4-5 TBSP butter
cinnamon sugar, to taste
frosting of your choice

Combine first four ingredients (cake mix, yeast, salt, and 2 c flour).  Add 2 1/4 cups hot water.  Mix.  Add 3 c flour and knead until well mixed (it took about 4-5 minutes in my KitchenAid, but by-hand is fine for a similar amount of time), adding more flour as needed to avoid a sticky dough (mine took almost 4 1/2 cups).

Let rise until doubled (somewhere between 1-1.5 hrs).

Push down and roll onto flour surface into giant rectangle.

Soften butter and brush over rectangle.  Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.  Roll up and cut into 1 1/2 inch slices.

Let rise until doubled on cookie sheet.  Bake at 350° for 20 minutes.

Frost while still warm with frosting of your choice.

Makes about 18 rolls.

Comments from the cook:  The original recipe called for 3 cups of flour in the 2nd set of ingredients, but I found that it needed closer to 4 1/2 cups.  Other than that, this recipe is just as easy as it sounds, and the result is awesome.

My favorite made-from-scratch frosting consists of whipping together about a TBSP of Crisco, a splash of milk, a dash of salt, a bit of vanilla, and as much powdered sugar as it takes to get the consistency you're going for.  (Vague enough for ya?!)  

Originally found in the "Worldwide Ward Cookbook" by Deanna Buxton.  Recipe attributed to Noryne Moss, and adjusted slightly by yours truly.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

My mom told me about these muffins quite some time ago... They're SO EASY - only 3 ingredients! And the taste? Fabulous. I even stockpiled on pumpkin this Fall (heaven forbid there be a shortage again), just so I could make these muffins anytime I wanted...

1 spice cake mix
1 (15 oz) can solid pack pumpkin
1/2 bag mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
water (optional)

Combine cake mix (powder only - no need to add the oil or eggs) and pumpkin with mixer until well blended.

Stir in chocolate chips. Spoon into greased muffin tins.

Bake at 350° for 18-20 minutes, or until they pass the "clean toothpick" test.

Comments from the cook: I add about 1/2 cup water to the batter to make it a bit thinner. I suppose if you were going to make these into cookies instead of muffins, you'd probably want the batter to be the original consistency (no water added). But, while we're on the subject, I'll just go ahead and admit that I'll probably always make these into muffins rather than cookies. Muffins sound less guilt-inducing than cookies, no? :)

Also, spice cake mixes can be a little harder to find, but rumor has it that a yellow cake mix will also work and taste fantastic. My mom even used a carrot cake mix once in a pinch.These are a great treat with a cup of hot chocolate in the dead of winter...

Makes about 24 muffins.

Originally passed on from my mom, Alane. (As you can see, she did hers in mini-bundt pans, left out the choc chips, then added caramel frosting and a pastry-dough cinnamon-sugar leaf to hers. MAN, she's always taking things to the next level... I love it!)

Pumpkin Muffins

Dry ingredients:

3 1/3 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
3 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground ginger

Wet ingredients:

1 cup oil
4 eggs
2/3 c water
2 cups solid pack pumpkin

Preheat oven to 350°.

Spray muffin tins with cooking spray or line with cupcake papers.

Combine dry ingredients. Then add wet ingredients. Stir until no longer lumpy.

Fill muffin tins 3/4 full and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until they pass the toothpick doneness test!

Brown Sugar Glaze:

1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick), melted
3/4 cup brown sugar
few shakes of salt from the salt-shaker
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk

Melt butter in medium bowl. Add brown sugar and stir until dissolved.

Sprinkle salt in. Add powdered sugar. Mixture will be chunky (and resemble oatmeal!).

Add milk and stir until dissolved.

Dip mostly-cooled muffins upside-down in glaze, or wait a few moments and spread on with a knife.

Makes 36-40 muffins.

Comments from the cook: Pumpkin muffins = Fall. And, I fought everything in me to hoard the solid-pack pumpkin I found the other day...but these muffins? I'm no match for them, I tell you.

This is a huge recipe, and makes a LOT of muffins. My mom usually makes loaves, and just bakes them for longer. From what I remember, she usually made some loaves with walnuts. Just smother your bread/muffins with butter before eating, and you can't go wrong. Mmmmm-hmmmm.

This glaze was my first attempt at a non-cream-cheese frosting, and it is quite sweet. A brown sugar flavor without the thickness of frosting...

Originally a recipe from my mom. I managed to misplace it (or never wrote it down in a safe place), and then found a close facsimile online, here. (Mom, if yours is different, please email me IMMEDIATELY!)

Banana Streusel Muffins

Muffins:

1 cup flour
1/2 c granulated sugar
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
4 TBSP (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup plain yogurt)
1 lg egg, lightly beaten
1 lg banana, mashed
1 tsp vanilla
Topping:

1 TBSP cold butter, cut into pieces
1 TBSP brown sugar
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 TBSP flour
salt

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a loaf pan or muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together 1 cup flour, the sugar, baking powder, baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Stir in the melted butter and plain yogurt. Add the egg and beat for 1 minute. Add the banana and vanilla. Stir until well combined. Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared pan or into muffin tin (makes about 12 muffins).

Make topping by mashing together the tablespoon of cold butter with the tablespoon of flour, the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and a pinch of salt. Distribute the topping evening over the batter. Bake for 40-45 minutes for loaf or 20-25 minutes for muffins, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Cool for 10 minutes before removing from loaf pan or muffin tin.

Comments from the cook: A.Maz.Ing. These muffins represent one of my few cooking ventures since I've been so sick and pregnant. They are fantastic, and the streusel topping is to DIE FOR.

I doubled this recipe, and it made about 20 muffins. I've always been a fan of streusel, so I actually did a little more than the recipe called for. That can't hurt anything, right??

Best served with Mylanta...or your juice of choice! :)

Originally found on this website, taken from this book. (Most text taken from website).

Brian's Pizza Hut Pan Pizza & Breadsticks

Sauce:
1 (15oz) can tomato sauce
2 tsp dry oregano
1 tsp marjoram
1 tsp dry basil
1 tsp garlic salt

Dough:
1 1/3 cups warm water
1/4 cup non-fat powdered milk
1/2 tsp salt
4 cups flour
1 TBSP granulated sugar
1 package dry yeast
2 TBSP canola oil (for dough)
canola oil (for pan)
cooking spray

Pizza toppings:
mozzarella cheese
pepperoni

Breadstick seasoning:
2 TBSP parmesan cheese
1 1/2 TBSP garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp oregano
1 1/2 tsp onion salt

Combine sauce ingredients and allow to sit for 1 hr.

Put yeast, sugar, salt, and dry milk in KitchenAid bowl (or mixer of your choice).

Add water and mix well using whisk attachment. Let rest for 2 minutes.

Add oil and stir again. Let rest 2 more minutes.

Now using the hook attachment, add flour and stir until dough forms and flour is absorbed.

Remove from bowl and knead by hand for about 1 minute. Put back in KitchenAid bowl and knead with dough hook on medium speed for 4-5 minutes.

Roll out to 1/4"-3/8" for one large pizza and one small pan of breadsticks. Turn large (14") deep-dish pizza pan over top of dough. Press down hard (cookie-cutter style) to cut the dough. Use knife if cut is not entirely clean.

Collect cuttings. Roll out to same thickness, and turn small deep-dish pan (round 9" cake pan will work) over cuttings to slice.

After cutting and before placing dough in pizza pans, spray sides of pan with cooking spray. Add a small amount of oil to the bottom of the pizza and breadstick pans. Original recipe calls for a large quantity (tastes better, but a lot more fat!), but a thin coating to cover the bottom of the pan is sufficient.

Add dough to both pans. Cover with foil. Place in oven heated to lowest setting ("warm", usually) and allow to rise for 1-1 1/2 hrs.

Add sauce and toppings as desired, and cook at 475° until outer crust is brown.

For breadsticks:

Sprinkle with seasoning, then cook at 475° until edges of crust turn brown.



Comments from the cook: We were on a real knock-off kick for awhile, and this has become one of our staple pizza recipes. While the crust is not quite as chewy as Pizza Hut's pan pizza, the taste is very similar.

One of the most important things about this recipe is the pan. You must (read: MUST) use a deep dish pan. Using a flat pizza pan obviously won't work, but you can get creative otherwise. We've made it in a 13x9 pan before (and it worked perfectly) and have made it in multiple 9" round cake pans before too.

Funny story. Brian and I had been married about a year, and went home to be with my family for Thanksgiving. They wanted him to make this pizza (my brother, Neil, is the 2nd biggest pizza fan ever...behind Brian, that is) and we needed a large deep-dish pan in order to make pizza for such a large crowd. So we set out to find one. We didn't find anything in the pizza pan section at Wal-mart, until my mom was walking away. There was a large metal deep-dish pan sitting there that was PERFECT for the job. We needed 2, but only found the one...and figured we'd just use cake pans for the rest. We got to the register to find out how much the pan was. It rang up $3. Score! Best part? The description was PET DISH. ha! Sturdy, metal, and perfect for $3. When we returned from vacation, we went and bought 2 for ourselves. Still use them to this day. :)

Originally found online and adapted by Brian, the pizza king.

Brian's Thin-Crust Pizza & Breadsticks

1 cup warm (but not hot) water
1 1/2 tsp yeast
1 1/2 tsp sugar
3 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup oil
1/2 tsp salt

Add yeast and sugar to warm water. Stir until dissolved.

Add sugar/yeast/water mixture to a mixing bowl containing remaining ingredients (flour, salt, and oil).

Mix with dough hook on medium speed until dough forms a ball and no longer sticks to sides of mixing bowl.

Cover (moistening surface of dough with a bit of oil, if desired) and allow to rise for 1 hr 30 min.

Roll dough out.

Recipe makes enough dough for 2 large pizzas... or an extra large pizza and a small pan of breadsticks.

Bake crust only at 450° just until slightly browned. Add sauce and toppings, and return to oven until cheese is melted and pizza appears to be done.

For breadsticks:

Roll out, sprinkle with garlic salt, oregano, basil, and parmesan cheese. Add a bit of mozzarella if you're feeling crazy!

Comments from the cook: Another one of Brian's masterpieces! This recipe came from the same guy that gave him the awesome sauce recipe found in this recipe, and has been one of our favorites for a few years now.

And, beware...this crust can make a person fall in love with thin-crust!

Super-Thick French Toast

French toast:

3 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1 loaf french bread, sliced into 1" slices
cinnamon sugar mixture

Heat griddle to 400°.

Combine eggs and milk. Whisk together with fork until combined. (I used a pie plate to prep this in...)

Dip french bread into mixture one side at a time, saturating.

Sprinkle hot griddle with cinnamon and sugar mixture (just covering area that one bread slice will take up).

Place saturated bread directly over cinnamon sugar mixture.

Sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top of saturated bread.

Flip and brown both sides until thoroughly cooked.

Comments from the cook: I like cinnamon in french toast, but have never liked how the cinnamon sits on top of the egg mixture and doesn't coat evenly. Using a sprinkling of cinnamon-sugar (we have a small shaker of it) and applying it directly to the soaked bread was the perfect solution!

Top with syrup or real whipped cream and strawberries. Makes 10-12 slices.

--

Butter syrup:

3/4 cup evaporated milk (fat free ok)
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup corn syrup
1 TBSP butter
1 tsp vanilla

Combine all ingredients and bring to a boil over medium high heat.

Heat at a rolling boil 2-4 minutes, until desired consistency is reached, stirring constantly.

Comments from the cook: Sometimes maple is a little strong for my tastes, so I wanted to try my hand at a butter syrup. I cooked my syrup on and off for about 4 minutes in hopes of getting the right texture. I boiled it, stirred it, took it off the heat to cool slightly, then would put it back on the heat when the texture seemed too thin. After several rounds of doing so, I overcooked it just slightly and my syrup was a little bit thicker than I was going for. But the taste was fantastic!

Our attempt to knock off the only-in-UT Kneaders french toast...and thus a CookieSheets&CakePans original!

Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

1/2 c shortening
1/2 c sugar
2 eggs
3 mashed bananas
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
2 c flour
1/2 bag (6 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Cream sugar and shortening. Add eggs one at a time. Add mashed bananas and mix until smooth.

Add dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Add chocolate chips and mix just until blended.

Pour mixture into muffin tins (greased if not using papers).

Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes.

Comments from the cook: Somehow in college, the page from my Betty Crocker cookbook that had banana bread on it disappeared. When Brian and I got married, a banana bread recipe was (fantastically enough) actually part of his dowry. (Do men have a dowry?) This is his mom's recipe, and it's a go-to one for us. Could be because we seem to be a dead-banana harvesting FACTORY around here. We just never get to the last one before it dies a terrible death and moves to the freezer. But, not all death is terrible...as dead bananas make the best muffins!

I generally don't like to add an entire bag of chocolate chips to any recipe. I use half a bag for these, and they're fantastic.

Best when served warm...and perfect defrosted after a bout in the freezer. (Would you expect anything less from a recipe made from dead bananas that live in the freezer for AGES before they become muffins??)

Originally shared by Debby Mathias (by way of Brian Mathias' dowry).

Sweet Wheat Muffins

1 c whole wheat flour
1 c white flour
1/2 tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 c brown sugar
1 c milk
2 eggs
1/3 c canola oil

Beat eggs. Add milk and canola oil. Stir.

Add brown sugar. Stir.

Stir in flours, salt, and baking powder.

Add 1/2 c walnuts (optional).

Cook for 15 minutes at 425°.

Makes about a dozen.

Comments from the cook: These muffins are great with a little bit of honey-butter. While we eat them for breakfast, they are quite dense and would be a great companion to soup or stew.

In the future, I am going to try to substitute applesauce for part of the oil...not because they don't taste really good (they do!), but why not cut down the fat if possible, right? I also may try to go all whole-wheat flour, as the name suggests. We'll see what happens...

p.s. Sorry for the brief hiatus! When I'm not happy with the photographs, I don't post the recipes. This one was a struggle. You want new stuff, and I want these little guys to appear in a better picture. You win!

Originally shared by Alane Sleight (Mom!).

Brown Sugar Muffins

1/2 c margarine or shortening, softened
1 c brown sugar
2 eggs
1 c milk
2 c flour
1 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla

Mix ingredients together and pour into greased muffin tins.

Bake 15-20 min at 375°.

Makes about 16 muffins.

Comments from the cook: These are my new favorite! They are nice and chewy, and are the perfect companion to homemade stew. Brian's mom even made them for breakfast sometimes. Their sweetness is just right, and they're likely to become a staple around here.

I accidentally used butter instead of margarine, and it browned the edges perfectly. Next time, I will probably try them with wheat flour, just to change things up...

Originally shared by Debby Mathias, my mother-in-law

Quick and Easy Breadsticks

1 TBSP (heaping) yeast
1 1/2 c warm water
1 TBSP (heaping) malted milk powder
1 TBSP honey
4-4 1/2 c flour
1 tsp salt
2 TBSP parmesan cheese (optional)
1/4 tsp garlic salt (optional)
1/4 tsp basil leaves (optional)
butter, partially melted

Mix yeast, warm water, malted milk, and honey together.

Add flour and salt to yeast mixture.

Roll out. Brush with partially melted butter.

Combine parmesan cheese, garlic salt, and basil leaves (optional). Sprinkle over top of buttered dough.

Using pizza cutter, cut dough into desired segments.

Raise 15 minutes.

Bake for 12 min at 400°.

Comments from the cook: We ate these with spaghetti, and they were excellent! Our first batch was a little on the thick side, and we will likely roll them out to be a little thinner next time.

Originally shared by Debby Mathias, my mother-in-law

Honey Wheat Bread

2 tablespoons yeast

1/2 cup honey

1 tablespoon salt

4 cups warm water

5 cups of whole wheat flour

3 cups white flour

Stir yeast, honey, salt, and water together.  Allow yeast to foam (about 5 minutes).

Add mixture to KitchenAid with dough hook attachment installed.  Add 2 cups of flour, then knead on low speed.  Add remaining flour 1 cup at a time, mixing thoroughly between flour additions until dough is no longer sticky. (Mine often takes another 3/4 c or so of flour for a half batch to not be too sticky.)

Knead on low speed for 10 minutes in KitchenAid.

Remove from bowl, spray sides with non-stick cooking spray, then return dough to bowl.

Cover, and allow to rise until doubled - about 55 min.

Cut into fourths and mold into 4 giant smooth mounds.

Put all 4 mounds on a cookie sheet and let rest about 15 min.

Bake at 350° for 35 to 40 min. Cover loaves with foil after 25 min baking.

Brush with butter.

Makes 4 loaves.

Comments from the cook: This bread makes for the most amazing sandwiches and toast! It, like many breads, takes very well to freezing...so save some for later, too.

In order to make this in my KitchenAid, I have to make a half batch.  If I do more than 2 loaves worth, the dough rises out of the bowl and onto the gears.  Ugh!  Doing it by hand is more work, but you can make all 4 loaves that way.

I've made this recipe with only whole wheat flour, and the result is a heavier, more dense bread... Still tasty, but not as tall :)

Originally shared by Alane Sleight, my MOM!