Tag: cinnamon

MULLED APPLE CIDER

Mulled Apple Cider is a perfect cold-weather treat! Made with cinnamon sticks, cloves, allspice, and fresh oranges, it will warm you from the inside out!

Everything about mulled apple cider makes it the perfect beverage for fall and winter, especially for the holidays. It’s typically served warm, flavored with warm spices, and can be made with or without alcohol, making it ideal for all your holiday parties or just sitting at home curled up in front of the fireplace. Not to mention how amazing your house will smell as the cider simmers on the stove and the scent of all the spices fill the air.

Apple Cider VS. Mulled Apple Cider

What is the difference between apple cider and mulled apple cider? Typically you drink apple cider cold with nothing added to it. You drink mulled apple cider warm or hot after it has been warmed with spices and possibly fruit. Many times alcohol is added to a mulled apple cider (more on that below).

Making Mulled Apple Cider

Mulled apple cider is incredibly easy to make, and you only need a few simple ingredients.

  • Apple cider
  • An orange, sliced
  • cinnamon sticks
  • whole cloves
  • Allspice berries
  • Star anise

Add everything to a pot on the stove and heat on medium-high until it is steaming and hot. Turn down the heat and simmer for 40 minutes. Remove the orange slices and strain off the spices. Pour into individual mugs and serve hot. That’s it! Be sure to breathe in the amazing aroma as you sip your hot mulled apple cider!

Adding Alcohol

I recommend spiking apple cider with whiskey, brandy, bourbon, or rum. Whiskey will give your spiked cider a spicier warm taste, while brandy, bourbon, and rum will give it a sweeter taste.

If you add the alcohol to the entire batch, first strain off the spices, remove the orange slices and then add the alcohol (8 to 10 ounces, depending on how strong you want it). Heat for another 10 to 15 minutes on low. Serve warm.

If you add the alcohol to individual glasses, use 1 ounce of alcohol for every 8 ounces of cider.

Mulled Apple Cider

Mulled Apple Cider is a perfect cold-weather treat! Made with cinnamon sticks, cloves, allspice, and fresh oranges, it will warm you from the inside out!
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Drinks
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients
 

  • 2 quarts (64 ounces) apple cider
  • 5 cinnamon sticks
  • 2 teaspoons whole cloves
  • 2 teaspoons whole allspice berries
  • 2 whole star anise
  • 1 orange, cut into slices

Optional Garnishes:

  • cinnamon sticks, star anise, sliced apples, cranberries

Instructions
 

  • Add the apple cider, cinnamon sticks, cloves, allspice berries, star anise, and sliced oranges to a large pot.
  • Heat over medium-high heat until hot and steaming (do not boil). Once it is hot, turn the heat to medium-low and simmer for 40 minutes.
  • When the cider is done, remove the orange slices and strain off the spices. If you want to keep it hot, leave it on the stove on low heat.
    **Do not leave the oranges in the pot after the cider is done. The oranges can take on a bitter flavor.
  • Optional garnishes: Pour cider into serving glasses and garnish with sliced apple, cinnamon stick, cranberries, and star anise.
  • Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.

Adding Alcohol:

  • Use either whiskey, brandy, bourbon, or rum. Whiskey will give your spiked cider a spicier warm taste, while brandy, bourbon, and rum will give it a sweeter taste.
  • If you add the alcohol to the entire batch, first strain off the spices, remove the orange slices and then add the alcohol (8 to 10 ounces, depending on how strong you want it). Heat for another 10 to 15 minutes on low. Serve warm. 
    If you add the alcohol to individual glasses, use 1 ounce of alcohol for every 8 ounces of cider.

Notes

**If you plan on leaving the cider on the stove longer than an hour, remove the orange slices and spices. Oranges can take on a bitter flavor if heated for too long.
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CINNABON CINNAMON ROLLS (With Overnight Option)

This copy-cat Cinnabon cinnamon roll recipe gives you extra soft, extra fluffy, ooey-gooey, amazingly scrumptious cinnamon rolls. If you are a Cinnabon fan, this recipe is for you! The best part, besides the amazing flavor, they can be started the night before and baked in the morning.

I have been making these cinnamon rolls for years, and they are a family favorite. I usually make them once a year on Christmas morning. And it has become a family tradition to have our house filled with the fantastic aroma of baking cinnamon rolls as we open our Christmas gifts.

If you are a fan of the iconic Cinnabon cinnamon rolls, this recipe is for you! These cinnamon rolls have all the ooey-gooeyness of Cinnabon cinnamon rolls and a rich cream cheese icing that might just have you licking your plate.

For most people, the thought of getting up at the crack of dawn to start cinnamon rolls that take almost 4 hours to make, from start to finish, is a deal-breaker. I get it, I am not a morning person, and I wouldn’t want to do that either! But my favorite part about this recipe is that you can start the cinnamon rolls the night before, put them in the refrigerator and finish them in the morning with minimal work!  I’ve included instructions in the recipe to make them all in one go and the overnight option.

Tips and Tricks:

Yeast:

You can use active dry yeast or instant yeast. The instructions are the same for both. When working with yeast, “blooming” or “proofing,” the yeast is an important step. This step ensures that the yeast is active and not expired. This is especially important if you’ve had your yeast for a while. If your yeast is old and no longer has live yeast cells, the dough will fail to rise, and you’ll waste your ingredients and time.

Blooming or proofing your yeast is easy. You just need a warm liquid, usually water or milk, yeast, and sugar. The most critical step is the temperature of your liquid; it needs to be between 100°F and 110°F. If your liquid is too hot, you will kill the yeast. The sugar helps activate the yeast and causes it to bubble up, further proving your yeast is active and ready to use. You just need to stir together the warm liquid, yeast, and sugar and let it sit for 10 minutes. If it bubbles and gets foamy, your yeast is active and ready to use. It’s a quick 5-10 minute step that prevents you from wasting your time just in case the yeast has expired.

Helping the Dough Rise:

For the dough to rise and double in size, you need a warm place to put it. Unfortunately, not everyone’s house has a nice warm spot to do this. Our house uses air conditioning year-round because we live in the tropics, so our house is on the cool side.

You can create a nice warm spot in your oven. Preheat your oven to 150°F, turn the oven off and wait a few minutes. Then place your covered dough inside to rise; leave the oven door open a crack to allow some of the heat to escape. After 30 minutes, shut the oven door to retain any remaining heat. Remove the dough when it has doubled in size.

Cutting Beautiful Rolls:

My new preferred way to cut cinnamon rolls is to use a Pizza Cutter. This method is incredibly quick and easy. First, roll the dough into a 20-inch x 12-inch rectangle and add the filling. Then cut the dough into 1 1/2-inch strips, roll each cinnamon roll individually, and place them in the prepared pan.

Dental floss is the most common way to slice your rolls before baking them. It’s better than a sharp knife or a serrated knife. Be sure to use unflavored floss unless you want your cinnamon rolls to have a minty flavor! First, measure out about 12-15 inches of floss, and slide it under your dough until you reach the point where you want to cut. Next, bring the floss around the top of the dough and, crossing the floss, pull both ends of the floss in a smooth, quick motion. The floss should cut cleanly and easily right through the dough. Repeat until all your rolls are cut. (See my step-by-step photos below).

 

Step-By-Step Instructions with Photos:

Start by proofing your yeast. Combine the yeast, warm milk (100°F-110°F), and sugar. After letting it sit for 5-10 minutes, it should look foamy. This is what you want as evidence your yeast is active and hasn’t expired.

Combine the remaining dough ingredients in the bowl of a standing mixer. Mix until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. It should be tacky but not too sticky.

Place in a lightly greased bowl and cover with a towel. Allow the dough to rise in a warm place for about an hour or until it has doubled in size.

Punch the dough down and roll it out onto a floured surface. Roll it out into a rectangle that is 20-inches by 12-inches and 1/4 inch thick.

Prepare the filling. Mix together the melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Gently spread the filling evenly on the rolled-out dough.

Once the filling is added to the dough, use one of these two methods to slice the cinnamon rolls. You can either use a pizza cutter and slice 1 1/2-inch wide strips and then roll each roll individually or use floss to cut the rolls (see more details on these cutting methods above in my Tips and Tricks).

Place the cut rolls in the baking pan. Cover with a towel and allow to rise a second time. This should take 45 minutes to an hour. They should almost double in size.

Bake your cinnamon rolls in a preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown on top. While the rolls are baking, make the cream cheese icing.

When the rolls come out of the oven, immediately add a layer of icing. This allows the icing to melt into all the cracks and crevices of the cinnamon rolls and adds to their gooey deliciousness. Allow to cool for 15 minutes, then add a final layer of icing.

Over-Night Instructions:

To start these the day before, you follow the instructions through to the point where you place your cut rolls into the pan. Do not raise them a second time. Instead, wrap them tightly with foil and put them in the refrigerator.

When you are ready to finish the cinnamon rolls, remove them from the refrigerator and loosen the tinfoil from around the edges of the pan, but keep the cinnamon rolls loosely covered (this helps them not to dry out). Preheat the oven to 170°F, then turn the oven off. Place the covered cinnamon rolls in the warm oven, with the oven door open a crack, for 45 minutes to an hour to rise until they are almost doubled in size.

Remove the cinnamon rolls from the oven, and preheat the oven to 360°F. When the oven is preheated, return the cinnamon rolls to the oven, uncovered, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Keep an eye on the cinnamon rolls; if they begin to brown on top, place a piece of foil loosely over the rolls and finish baking.

Freezing Instructions:

To freeze the cinnamon rolls, bake and add the icing and allow them to cool completely on the countertop. Place them in the refrigerator for an hour to slightly harden the icing (this helps the icing not stick to whatever container you are storing them in. Cover the top of the rolls with parchment paper and place them in a freezer bag or an airtight container.

To thaw the rolls, either set them out at room temperature for an hour or two or thaw them in the refrigerator overnight. Once thawed, place individual rolls in the microwave for 15-20 seconds for that fresh-out-of-the-oven taste.

Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls

This copy-cat Cinnabon cinnamon roll recipe gives you extra soft, extra fluffy, ooey-gooey, amazingly scrumptious cinnamon rolls. If you are a Cinnabon fan, this recipe is for you! The best part, besides the amazing flavor, they can be started the night before and baked in the morning.
4.60 from 22 votes
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Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Rise Time 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours 15 minutes
Course Breakfast
Servings 12 rolls

Ingredients
 

Dough

  • 2 packages active dry yeast or instant yeast (1½ tablespoons or ½ ounce)
  • 1 cup warm milk (100°F-110°F)
  • ½ cup + 2 teaspoons granulated sugar, divided
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs, room temperature
  • 4½ cups all-purpose flour

Filling

  • 6 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1 cup brown sugar (light or dark), packed
  • 3 tablespoons cinnamon

Icing:

  • 8 tablespoons butter (1 stick), softened
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
  • 2½ cups powdered sugar
  • 1½ teaspoons vanilla
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions
 

  • Grease the bottom and sides of a metal or glass 9×13 inch baking dish, set aside.

Dough:

  • In the bowl of your standing mixer, mix together the yeast, warm milk, and 2 teaspoons of sugar. Allow the mixture to sit for about 5-10 minutes or until foamy on top.
  • Add the remaining ½ cup sugar, softened butter, salt, and eggs. Mix on medium speed, using a dough hook or paddle attachment, until combined. Next, switch the mixer to low speed, and with it running, add 1 cup of flour at a time, making sure it’s fully incorporated before adding the next. After all the flour has been added, mix until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 3 minutes. The dough should be tacky but not too sticky.
  • Place the dough in a large, lightly greased bowl, flipping the dough once to grease all sides. Cover with a kitchen towel and allow to double in size in a warm spot in your kitchen for about an hour.
    ** If your house is on the cool side, you can preheat your oven to 170°F, turn it off and place your covered dough inside to rise; leave the oven door open a crack to allow some of the heat to escape.
  • Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and roll it out onto a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin until it is approximately 20-inches long,12-inches wide, and about ¼-inch thick.

Filling:

  • Combine the brown sugar and the cinnamon. Then, stir in the melted butter until everything is equally moist. Sprinkle the filling over the dough, pressing it gently to spread it out. Keep the filling about ¼-inch from the edge of the dough.
  • **Using one of the methods listed in the notes, cut the dough into 12 rolls, each about 1.5 inches.
  • Place the slices of dough into the prepared pan.
    **If you are baking the cinnamon rolls tomorrow morning, stop here, cover tightly with tinfoil, place the cinnamon rolls in the refrigerator and pick up tomorrow at "Make-Ahead/Overnigth Instructions."
  • (If continuing), place a kitchen towel or foil over the pan of cinnamon rolls, set in a warm place, and allow to rise until almost doubled in size (about an hour).
  • Preheat the oven to 360°F. When the oven is preheated, bake uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Keep an eye on the cinnamon rolls; if they begin to brown on top, place a piece of foil loosely over the rolls and finish baking.
    **To be sure the cinnamon rolls are completely baked in the center, insert a thermometer into the center of the rolls; the temperature should be between 190°F to 200°F.

Icing:

  • While the cinnamon rolls are baking, begin making the icing. Add all the ingredients to a medium bowl and beat well with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
  • When the cinnamon rolls come out of the oven, spread a layer of icing over the rolls, letting it melt into the rolls. After the rolls have cooled for 15 minutes, spread a second layer over the cinnamon rolls and serve immediately.
  • Cover leftover frosted rolls tightly and store at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
  • To reheat individual rolls, place in the microwave for 15 to 20 seconds.

**Make-Ahead/Overnight Instructions**:

  • When you are ready to finish the cinnamon rolls, remove them from the refrigerator and loosen the tinfoil from around the edges of the pan, but keep the cinnamon rolls loosely covered (this helps them not to dry out). Preheat the oven to 170°F, then turn the oven off. Place the covered cinnamon rolls in the warm oven, with the oven door open a crack, for 45 minutes to an hour to rise until almost doubled in size.
  • Remove the cinnamon rolls from the oven, and preheat the oven to 360°F. When the oven is preheated, return the cinnamon rolls to the oven, uncovered, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Keep an eye on the cinnamon rolls; if they begin to brown on top, place a piece of foil loosely over the rolls and finish baking.
    **To be sure the cinnamon rolls are completely baked in the center, insert a thermometer into the center of the rolls; the temperature should be between 190°F to 200°F.
  • While the cinnamon rolls are baking, follow the instructions for making the icing.

Notes

Pizza Cutter: This method is incredibly quick and easy. Roll out the dough into a 20-inch x 12-inch rectangle and add the filling. Then cut the dough into 1 1/2-inch strips, roll each cinnamon roll individually, and place them in the prepared pan.
Dental floss (unflavored): After adding the filling, roll the dough into a 20-inch long log. Measure out about 12-15 inches of floss, and slide it under your dough until you reach the point where you want to cut. Bring the floss around the top of the dough, and crossing the floss, pull both ends of the floss in a smooth, quick motion. The floss should cut cleanly and easily right through the dough. Repeat until all 12 of the rolls are cut.
Freezing: To freeze the cinnamon rolls, bake and add the icing and allow them to cool completely on the countertop. Place them in the refrigerator for an hour to slightly harden the icing (this helps the icing not stick to whatever container you are storing them in. Cover the top of the rolls with parchment paper and place them in a freezer bag or an airtight container. 
To thaw the rolls, either set them out at room temperature for an hour or two or thaw them in the refrigerator overnight. Once thawed, place individual rolls in the microwave for 15-20 seconds for that fresh-out-of-the-oven taste. 
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CAMPFIRE APPLE CRISP

Look out s’mores; you’ve got competition! This just might become your new favorite campfire dessert! So whether you are camping in the woods or gathered around a fire pit in your backyard, you can enjoy the warm, comforting flavor of apple crisp. 

Our family loves to go camping, and I mean hard-core tent camping where all of your food is cooked over a campfire! And every year, I try to keep the food interesting by thinking outside the box. Of course, S’mores are a given, and my kids would be really bummed if I left them out. But I like to add something new and different to keep it interesting (and keep them guessing)! So last year, I surprised my family with campfire apple crisp. My favorite comment of the evening was, “This is the fanciest camping dessert I’ve ever had!” I call that success!

Campfire apple crisp is not just for camping but will also work great for those fun evenings when you are gathered around your backyard fire pit or grilling with friends and family.

You can prepare the ingredients ahead of time and pack them in the cooler to put together at camp or make them right away for your backyard gathering. Either way, these are guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser!

How to make Campfire Apple Crisp:

You’ll Need:

  • Heavy-duty aluminum foil
  • Apples, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
  • lemon juice, **only if making ahead of time**
  • Brown sugar
  • Cinnamon

For the Topping:

  • Brown Sugar
  • Flour
  • Quick-cooking oats
  • Cinnamon
  • Nutmeg
  • Baking powder
  • Melted butter

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Tear off four sheets of aluminum foil, about 8-inches x 12-inches. Set aside.
  • Peel and cut the apples into ¼-inch slices. Set aside.

  • Mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon. Then sprinkle the mixture on the sliced apples, stirring to coat the apples evenly.

  • Evenly divide the apples between the four pieces of aluminum foil.
  • In a medium bowl, mix together the brown sugar, flour, oatmeal, cinnamon, nutmeg, and baking powder.
  • Add the melted butter and stir with a fork, fluffing the topping as you stir. Stir until the butter is evenly distributed and the topping is completely moist.

  • Evenly sprinkle the topping on the top of the apples.

Baking the Crisp:

  • Fold each of the foil packets up and seal.

  • Place on the grate over the campfire or on a pre-heated grill. Bake for about 20 – 30 minutes. The apple crisp is done when the topping is golden brown and the apples are soft. If you don’t have a grate over your fire, place the packets next to the coals (not in the coals), and rotate every 5 minutes until done, to help them cook evenly,

  • Carefully open the foil packets (be careful of the escaping steam) and top with ice cream if desired.

To Prepare Ahead of Time (to take on a camping trip):

If you are planning to make the apple crisp while camping, I suggest preparing all your ingredients ahead of time at home and assembling the crisp packets right before baking them at camp. The instructions are pretty much the same, except you will put everything in separate airtight containers until ready to assemble. You will also want to add a little lemon juice to the apples to prevent them from browning.

  • Cut up the apples and sprinkle with 2-3 teaspoons of lemon juice, toss to coat. Store in an airtight container and place in the cooler. The lemon juice helps to keep the apples from browning.
  • Place brown sugar and cinnamon mixture in a small airtight container.
  • Follow the instructions for making the topping. And also store in an airtight container.
  • When you are ready to bake the apple crisp, drain off any liquid in the apples, then mix the sugar and cinnamon with the apples. Next, divide the apples evenly over four (8-inch x 12-inch) foil sheets. Then, evenly divide the topping amongst the four packets, seal, and bake as instructed.

Campfire Apple Crisp

Look out s'mores; you've got competition! This just might become your new favorite campfire dessert! So whether you are camping in the woods or gathered around a fire pit in your backyard, you can enjoy the warm, comforting flavor of apple crisp. 
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course Dessert
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
 

  • 4 cups apples (2 to 3 large apples), peeled and cut into ¼-inch thick slices
  • 2-3 teaspoons lemon juice, **only if making ahead of time, see instructions**
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Topping:

  • ½ cup brown sugar, packed
  • ½ cup flour
  • ¾ cup quick-cooking oats
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ cup butter, melted
  • Aluminum Foil, heavy-duty

Instructions
 

  • Tear off four sheets of aluminum foil, about 8-inches x 12-inches. Set aside.
  • Peel and cut the apples into ¼-inch slices. Set aside.
  • Mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon. Then sprinkle the mixture on the sliced apples, stirring to coat the apples evenly.
  • Evenly divide the apples between the four pieces of aluminum foil.
  • In a medium bowl, mix together the brown sugar, flour, oatmeal, cinnamon, nutmeg, and baking powder.
  • Add the melted butter and stir with a fork, fluffing the topping as you stir. Stir until the butter is evenly distributed and the topping is completely moist.
  • Evenly sprinkle the topping on the top of the apples.

Baking the Crisp:

  • Fold each of the foil packets up and seal. Place on the grate over the campfire or on a preheated grill. Bake for about 20 minutes. The apple crisp is done when the topping is golden brown and the apples are soft.
  • Carefully open the foil packets (be careful of the escaping steam) and top with ice cream if desired.

**To Prepare Ahead of Time (to take on a camping trip):**

  • Cut up the apples and sprinkle with 2-3 teaspoons of lemon juice, toss to coat. Store in an airtight container.
  • Place brown sugar and cinnamon mixture in a small airtight container.
  • Follow the instructions above for making the topping. And also store in a separate airtight container.
  • When you are ready to bake the apple crisp, drain off any liquid in the apples, then mix the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture with the apples. Next, divide the apples evenly over four (8-inch x 12-inch) foil sheets. Finally, evenly divide the topping amongst the four packets, seal, and bake as instructed above.

Notes

For best results and even cooking, place the foil packets on a grate above the coals or use a grill. Don't place the apple crisp directly in the coals as the extreme heat will burn the crisp. If you don't have a grate for the fire, you can place the foil packets next to the fire or coals and rotate the foils every 5 minutes to evenly cook the crisp. 
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CRANBERRY SAUCE

This homemade cranberry sauce is full of warm, fragrant spices with a hint of refreshing orange zest. One bite, and you’ll vow to never buy canned cranberry sauce again! The best part is, it comes together in under 30 minutes!

 

The classic Thanksgiving table tends to look pretty similar across America: a giant roasted turkey surrounded by mashed potatoes, stuffing, green beans, and, of course, cranberry sauce. Cranberries — along with concord grapes and blueberries — are widely known as the only commercially grown fruits native to the United States. So if you’re going to pick a fruit to represent the American harvest, this is it. 

Then the debate becomes canned cranberry sauce or fresh cranberry sauce? I will confess, for years, more than I care to admit, I bought canned cranberry sauce. I didn’t like it, so my husband was the only one that ate it. But then through a conversation that a friend and I were having, I realized how easy fresh cranberry sauce was to make, and for obvious reasons, tastes a whole lot better!! So began the process of developing my own, delicious cranberry sauce! I thought I just didn’t like cranberries since all I had tried was canned cranberry sauce – can you blame me? But once I tried fresh, homemade cranberry sauce, I was officially hooked! I now fully understand why cranberry sauce makes its way onto the table every Thanksgiving and often reappears at Christmas!

For this recipe:

This recipe really is easy! A few simple ingredients, 30 minutes of your time, and you’ll have an amazing cranberry sauce to impress everyone sitting around your table for the holidays!

All you need:

  • Orange juice
  • Sugar (white or brown)
  • Cinnamon Sticks
  • Cloves
  • Salt
  • Cranberries
  • Orange Zest

Start by bringing the orange juice, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and cloves to a boil and stir until the sugar is dissolved. **It is easiest to put the cloves in a spice bag or cheesecloth, so they can be easily removed. It is almost impossible to find and fish out the cloves at the end. Believe me, I’ve tried!

Once the mixture is boiling, add the cranberries and orange zest. Simmer over medium-low heat for 20 – 25 minutes, or until most of the cranberries have popped and are soft. Remove cinnamon sticks and cloves.

Let the cranberry sauce cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

That’s it! Super-easy, but so delicious!!

I love these little spice bags! They make it easy to remove the cloves:

 

Cranberry Sauce

This homemade cranberry sauce is full of warm, fragrant spices with a hint of refreshing orange zest. One bite and you'll vow to never buy canned cranberry sauce again! The best part is it comes together in under 30 minutes.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Course Side Dish
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients
 

  • ½ cup orange juice
  • ¾ cup sugar (white or brown) **See notes
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 4 whole cloves, most easily retrieved if put into a spice bag or cheesecloth
  • â…› teaspoon salt
  • 12 ounces fresh cranberries
  • 1 teaspoon grated orange zest

Instructions
 

  • Bring orange juice, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and cloves to a boil, and stir until the sugar is dissolved. **It is easiest to put the cloves in a spice bag or cheesecloth so they can be easily removed.
  • Once the mixture is boiling, add the cranberries and orange zest. Simmer over medium-low heat for 20-25 minutes, or until most of the cranberries have popped and are soft. Remove cinnamon sticks and cloves.
  • Let the cranberry sauce cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate.

Notes

**Sugar – For this recipe, you can either use granulated white sugar or brown sugar. Brown sugar will give you a slightly richer favor because of the molasses in the sugar. This recipe is delicious either way.
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EGGNOG TAPIOCA PUDDING

If you love eggnog, you’ll love this holiday-flavored dessert! Made with eggnog, tapioca, warm spices, and a hint of vanilla – whip up a batch for your next holiday gathering!

We love eggnog in our house. So we eagerly await its arrival in the grocery stores this time of year. You might even call me an “eggnog snob.” I don’t just purchase any brand of eggnog, but I scrutinize the ingredients very carefully. I want “real” eggnog without high fructose corn syrup, artificial thickeners, and flavors. Sometimes that means leaving the store without buying any because so many of them are just full of bad things. I know you can always make homemade eggnog, and it’s definitely something on my list to try, but I buy it for now. I have my favorite brands, but stores tend to change the brands they carry every year. But this year, when I saw eggnog in the dairy section AND the brand I like, I literally gave a little squeal and high-fived my 12-year-old! I have had this particular recipe rolling around in my head for a couple of months. So I was excited to finally be able to give it a try!

I had to go through several attempts to get this right. The biggest challenge being the thickness of the pudding. With my first attempt, the flavor was amazing, and I got rave reviews from my family, but it was way too thick…Eggnog has a lot of egg in it, so when you cook it, it thickens up…a lot. So I had to play around with the ratio of eggnog to milk. Too much milk and you dilute the eggnog flavor and end up with runny tapioca. Too much eggnog, and it’s too thick. My fourth attempt, I think, is the winner!

Tapioca:

There are several ways to buy tapioca – granules, small pearls, and large pearls. Granules are an instant, quick-cooking form of tapioca that will, basically, cook up quicker, but because they are granules, you will have less texture in your pudding. The next is small and large pearls, which the only difference being the size. They both require soaking ahead of time. I soak the small pearls for 2-3 hours, and the large pearls need to be soaked overnight. My favorite is the small pearl because you get such a nice texture without having to remember to soak them overnight. I usually cannot remember to start a dessert a day in advance, so I write my recipes using the small pearls, but you can use any tapioca types. You skip the soaking step for the granules altogether, and with the large pearls, you soak the pearls overnight.

 

For this Recipe:

  • In a small bowl, soak 1 cup of small tapioca pearls in 2 ½ cups of milk. Stir, and place in the refrigerator for 3 hours. This is an important step, as it helps soften your tapioca and shortens the cooking time.
  • After letting the tapioca soak, pour the tapioca and milk into a medium saucepan. Add to the tapioca mixture: 1 ½ cups eggnog, ¼ cup sugar, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Heat on medium heat, stirring frequently to keep milk from scalding. Once the tapioca mixture has almost reached a boil (do not boil), turn down the heat slightly, just to maintain a low simmer. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring constantly to keep the milk from scalding. The tapioca should thicken a lot during this step.
  • Carefully taste-test the tapioca to be sure pearls are soft and no longer chewy. If you need to cook it longer, cook for an additional 5 minutes and check again, repeating until done. If your tapioca takes longer than 20 minutes, turn the heat up a little, and continue stirring.
  • When the tapioca is done, remove it from heat. Stir in 1 teaspoon of vanilla, and let cool for 15 minutes.
  • While the tapioca is cooling, beat egg whites with 1 tablespoon sugar until stiff peaks form. Fold into the tapioca. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
  • Serve warm or chilled for 4 hours in the refrigerator. To serve, divide tapioca into individual bowls, and top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of ground nutmeg.

Eggnog Tapioca Pudding

If you love eggnog, you'll love this holiday-flavored dessert! Made with eggnog, tapioca, warm spices, and a hint of vanilla – whip up a batch for your next holiday gathering!
4.85 from 26 votes
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Prep Time 3 hours
Cook Time 30 minutes
Course Dessert
Servings 8 – 1/2 cup servings

Ingredients
 

  • 1 cup small pearl tapioca, not granulated or quick cooking
  • 2 ½ cups milk
  • 1 ½ cups eggnog
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar + 1 tablespoon, for egg whites
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 egg whites

Toppings

  • whipped cream
  • ground nutmeg

Instructions
 

  • In a small bowl, soak 1 cup small tapioca pearls in 2 ½ cups of milk. Stir, and place in the refrigerator for 3 hours.
  • After letting the tapioca soak, pour the tapioca and milk into a medium saucepan. Add to the tapioca mixture: 1 ½ cups eggnog, ¼ cup sugar, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Heat on medium heat, stirring frequently to keep milk from scalding. Once the tapioca mixture has almost reached a boil (do not boil), turn down the heat slightly, just to maintain a low simmer. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring constantly to keep the milk from scalding. The tapioca should thicken a lot during this step.
  • Carefully taste-test tapioca to be sure pearls are soft and no longer chewy. If you need to cook it longer, cook for an additional 5 minutes and check again, repeating until done. If your tapioca is taking longer than 20 minutes, turn the heat up a little, and continue stirring.
  • When the tapioca is done, remove it from heat. Stir in 1 teaspoon of vanilla, and let cool for 15 minutes.
  • While the tapioca is cooling, beat egg whites with 1 tablespoon sugar until stiff peaks form. Fold into the tapioca, and chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
  • Serve warm or chilled for 4 hours in the refrigerator. To serve, divide tapioca into individual bowls, and top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of ground nutmeg.

Notes

I write my recipes using the small pearls, but you can use any type of tapioca. For the granules, you skip the soaking step altogether, and with the large pearls, you soak the pearls overnight.
 
 
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PUMPKIN SPICE DONUTS

A quick and easy pumpkin donut recipe that is perfect for those chilly fall mornings. Tossed in sugar and spice, these donuts have all the flavors of fall!

Fall is the perfect time of year to make all things pumpkin! I love having a good and acceptable excuse to serve pumpkin for breakfast, lunch, and dinner- oh, and don’t forget dessert!

These donuts are so delicious, but better yet, they are easy to make. So in less than an hour, you’ll have warm, scrumptious donuts ready to serve your family!

To Make these Donuts:

  • The oil will take a while to heat up, so get it started while you make the dough for the donuts. Pour enough oil into a large pot to give you about an inch of oil. Heat the oil to 365°F, over medium-high heat. You must use a thermometer – no guesswork allowed here! Use a frying thermometer or a candy thermometer to ensure proper temperature. While the oil is heating, you can prepare the donuts (keep an eye on the oil temperature).
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients: flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk together all of your wet ingredients: pumpkin, buttermilk, vanilla, and melted butter.
  • Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture; using a fork, mix until combined. Do not over-mix. If the dough is too wet, you can add more flour. Start with adding 1 tablespoon, and mix. If you still need more, repeat by adding another tablespoon of flour. The dough should be sticky but easy to work with.
  • On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to ½-inch thickness with a floured rolling pin. Then, using a 2 ¾-inch pastry cutter and a 1-inch pastry cutter, cut out donuts and donut holes, placing cut donuts on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet or cutting board. Re-roll as needed to use all the dough. You can use a bigger donut cutter, but keep in mind the recipe will yield fewer donuts than the recipe indicates.
  • Once your oil has reached 365°F, place no more than 3 donuts in the oil at a time, or you run the risk of cooling your oil too much. Fry for about 2 minutes, flipping once after 1 minute. Donuts are done when they are golden brown on both sides. Move to a paper towel-lined cooling rack to cool. **Keep an eye on your oil temperature and adjust the heat up or down to maintain a temperature of 355°F to 365°F.** (See Tips and Tricks below for more information on frying).
  • Allow fried donuts to cool for 1 minute before rolling them in the sugar. Be sure to coat all sides. If you allow them to cool too much, the sugar will not stick to the donuts.
  • Continue the process until all donuts are fried and coated with sugar.
  • Fry donut holes using the same method, frying no more than 12 at a time.

Tips and Tricks:

Tools: You’ll need to be able to cut out your donuts. You can buy a donut cutter to cut out the donut and donut hole simultaneously. These tend to measure from 3 inches to 3 1/2 inches, so you will get fewer donuts. The cutter I use is 2 3/4 inches. Or you can use pastry cutters. I have a set of pastry cutters with 12 different sizes of circular cutters. I find that the 2 3/4-inch cutter and the smallest 1-inch cutter make the perfect size donuts and donut holes. They will be smaller than the large bakery donuts, but then I can have two and not feel too guilty about it! You can always make larger donuts, but remember, this recipe will yield fewer donuts than the recipe indicates. You can always whip up another batch if you need a few more donuts, as this recipe is so quick and easy to make.

Dough: Donut dough should be sticky but not so sticky that you find it hard to work with. The key is flour. If the dough seems a bit sticky, add a little flour no more than a tablespoon at a time. Also, it is important that you lightly flour the surface you plan on rolling the dough out on – including the top of the dough and the rolling pin. Before you use the cutters, dip them in flour. After cutting two or three donuts, dip the cutters in flour again to keep the dough from sticking. Once you cut the donuts, place them on a cutting board or baking sheet lined with parchment paper. The dough will not stick to the parchment paper.

Frying: *Honest moment* Frying things in oil used to intimidate me. But I’ve done it enough times that I am pretty comfortable with it now. Just use common sense and be careful. Here are a couple of tips on frying:

  • First, the temperature is so important! When frying anything in oil, you’ll have to use a frying thermometer or candy thermometer. You’ll also have to know the temperature of your oil to cook the food correctly. If your oil is not hot enough, your food will be under-cooked. If the oil is too hot, you will burn your food. For frying donuts, you’ll want your oil to be between 355F and 365F. The hardest part of making donuts is keeping your oil between those two temperatures. You will discover that your temperature will drop as soon as you put the donuts in the oil. That is why you should never fry more than three donuts at a time because your temperature will drop too low. Just keep a close eye on your thermometer, and take the time to adjust the oil temperature. If you need to, wait a few minutes between batches to allow your oil to get back to 365F. But you also don’t want to put your donuts in oil over 365F because they will be overcooked on the outside and most likely undercooked on the inside. If your oil is getting too hot, you can carefully remove it from the burner for a few minutes to let the oil cool down.
  • Never drop the donuts into the hot oil! You will get splashed and burned. Most people, myself included, assume that the oil will sizzle and pop when you add the donuts, kind of like the trials of frying bacon. However, if the temperature is correct (not too hot), when you put the donuts in the hot oil, they will sizzle, but under the surface, and it will not splatter or spit at you. Simply lay the donuts gently in the oil. They will initially sink to the bottom, but they will float to the top after a few seconds.
  • Flip the donuts after about a minute or when they are golden brown. You will need something to flip and remove the donuts from the oil when they are done. A pair of forks will work or even a large meat fork. They even make a tool called a spider strainer made for frying food. The strainer looks like a spider web, hence the name.
  • When you are done frying your donuts, don’t throw the oil out! You can reuse it. Once you’ve finished frying, let the oil cool. When it’s reached a safe temperature, place a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth (even better if you use both!) over the container you plan to store it in and strain the oil. Label the oil with the date and what you fried in the oil; you don’t want to fry donuts in oil that previously was used for frying fish…gross! Store the oil in a cool, dry place for no longer than 3 months. Always check your oil before reusing it. If it is cloudy or rancid smelling, throw it out!

The one downside to donuts is that they don’t make good leftovers. They just don’t taste the same the next day. I have tried heating them in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds to see if I could revive them. It helped a little, but they were not as good as a freshly made donut. So I would not recommend making these with the intent to have leftovers, but instead, make as many as you think you will eat for breakfast that morning.

 

       

 

Pumpkin Spice Donuts

A quick and easy pumpkin donut recipe that is perfect for those chilly fall mornings. Tossed in sugar and spice, these donuts have all the flavors of fall!
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Course Breakfast
Servings 15 donuts + 15 donut holes

Ingredients
 

  • 2 cups flour
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ cup pumpkin puree
  • â…“ cup buttermilk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 5 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 4-5 cups vegetable oil, for frying (see notes)

For Coating Donuts:

  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg

Instructions
 

  • Pour enough oil into a large pot to give you about an inch of oil. Heat the oil to 365°F, over medium-high heat. Use a frying thermometer or a candy thermometer to ensure proper temperature. While oil is heating, prepare donuts, keeping an eye on the oil temperature.
  • In a small bowl, mix ½ cup sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg (for dipping finished donuts in). Set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin, buttermilk, vanilla, and melted butter.
  • Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture, and using a fork, mix just until combined. Do not over mix.
  • On a floured surface with a floured rolling pin, roll dough to ½-inch thickness. The dough is sticky, so be generous with the flour. Then, using a 2¾-inch pastry cutter and a 1-inch pastry cutter, cut out donuts and donut holes, placing cut donuts on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet or cutting board. Re-roll as needed to use all the dough.
  • Once your oil has reached 365°F, place no more than 3 donuts in the oil at a time (or you run the risk of cooling your oil too much). Fry for about 2 minutes, flipping once. Donuts are done when they are golden brown on both sides. Move to a paper towel-lined cooling rack to cool.
    **Keep an eye on your oil temperature and adjust the heat up or down to maintain a temperature of 355°F to 365°F.**
  • Allow fried donuts to cool for 1 minute before dipping them in sugar and spices, coating all sides.
  • Continue the process until all donuts are fried and coated with sugar.
  • Fry donut holes using the same method, frying no more than 10 at a time.

Notes

The amount of oil you’ll actually need will depend on the sized pot you use. You’ll want the pot big enough for three donuts to float freely. So an easy rule of thumb is to use enough oil to have at least an inch in your pot.
You can reuse your oil. First, allow the oil to cool completely. Then, strain it to remove any food particles and store it in an airtight jar.  I recommend labeling your oil jar with what was cooked in it and the date. 
I don’t recommend keeping leftover donuts. They just do not taste the same the next day. So if you need to, make half of a recipe.
 
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