Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

PANCAKES
4 cups all-purpose flour
8 tsps baking powder
2 tsp. salt
4 cups milk
4 tbsps vegetable oil
4 large eggs, lightly beaten

Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another bowl. Stir them together until everything is moistened leaving a few lumps.

CINNAMON FILLING
1 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tbsp ground cinnamon

Mix the three ingredients together. Place in a disposable piping bag and snip the end off or put in a Ziploc bag and snip the corner off.

CREAM CHEESE GLAZE
1/2 cup butter
4 oz. cream cheese
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

In a microwave safe bowl melt the butter and cream cheese and then stir together. Whisk in the powdered sugar and vanilla. Add a little milk if needed to make it a glaze consistency. 


To make the Pancakes:
Heat your griddle to exactly 325 degrees. You don't want these too cook too quickly, and you won't want your cinnamon to burn. 

Make desired size pancake on greased griddle and then using the piping bag and starting at the center of the pancake, create a cinnamon swirl. Wait until the pancake has lots of bubble before you try to turn it. You will find that when you turn it the cinnamon swirl will melt. The cinnamon will melt out and create the craters which the cream cheese glaze will fill.
Place pancake on plate, then cover with cream cheese glaze.

From a friend's facebook page.  First person to make these and then write a review gets 10 points!

10  points for me!  I (Kathleen) made them this morning for breakfast.  Yep, they are very good.  Here is my input:

They are very sweet.  More like a dessert.

I made 1/2 the recipe for the cinnamon filling and I had plenty.
My Smart and Final ziploc bag tore (twice) as I was piping them onto the pancakes, so I switched over to a regular sandwich baggie which worked fine to pipe on the cinnamon filling.  

It took a couple of cooked batches to figure out the heating and turning  as you cook the pancakes.  I would pratice making this recipe a couple of times before serving them for guests.  

I did a regular frosting glaze because I didn't have any cream cheese on hand.  My glaze recipe is:   Melt 1/4 cup butter.  Add 2 Tablespoons milk and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.  Add enough powdered sugar to make the consistency you want for your frosting glaze.  

In the pancake section:
   8 teaspoons = 2 2/3 Tablespoons
   I used 1 teaspoons of salt instead of 2 teaspoons

Chili Mac

Yield: Serves 6

Note: If you want a traditional chili mac, omit the corn, chiles and cilantro.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 onion, minced
• 3/4 tablespoon chili powder (add more if you want more heat)
• 1/2 tablespoon ground coriander (substitute ground cumin for a smokier flavor)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 8 oz. cans tomato sauce
• 2 cups water
• 8 ounces (2 cups) elbow macaroni
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 4.5-oz can chopped green chiles
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2 cups shredded cheese (I used a combination of cheddar and monterey jack but you can use pepper jack or a mexican shredded cheese blend)

Directions

1. Heat oil in a 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef, onion, chili powder, coriander, cumin and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook the ground beef until it is no longer pink. Drain off any excess fat or grease (the amount will depend on how lean your beef is). Stir in garlic and brown sugar and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomato sauce, water, and macaroni. Cover and cook, stirring often and keeping the heat at a steady simmer, until the macaroni is tender, about 12-14 minutes.
2. Stir in 1 cup of the cheese, frozen corn, green chiles and cilantro and sprinkle remaining 1 cup of cheese over the top. Cover and let sit off the heat until the cheese melts, about 2 minutes.

 Rachel told me about this recipe found here on melskitchencafe.com  Click onto the site to see a picture of how to serve this dish and Mel's commentary . 

Orange Creamsicle Cookies

Yield: Makes about 30 cookies

Note: These cookies should bake up puffy not flat. If your cookies are flattening, try adding another tablespoon or two of flour to the dough (up to 1/4 cup if needed). Also, the orange extract is optional but really enhances the orange flavor of the cookies.

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon orange extract
• 2 tablespoons orange zest (from 1-2 oranges)
• 2 cups white chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper, silpat liners or lightly grease with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until light and creamy. Beat in egg, vanilla, orange extract and orange zest until smooth. Gradually add flour mixture and white chocolate chips, mixing until combined.
4. Drop rounded tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown around the edges, taking care not to overbake. The cookies should be rounded and full, not flattened. Remove the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in airtight container.

This will be your new favorite cookie recipe.  This recipe will work without using the orange extract.  When I made it, I doubled the recipe, but not the white chocolate chips.  Rachel told me about this recipe found here on melskitchencafe.com  Click onto the site to see Mel's commentary about the recipe and a lovely picture. 

Slow cooker Italian Beef

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups low-sodium beef broth
• 1 cup water
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 bay leaves
• 5 pounds chuck roast

Directions

1. In a liquid measuring cup or bowl, combine water and beef broth with salt, ground black pepper, oregano, basil, onion salt, parsley, garlic powder, and bay leaves. Whisk to combine.
2. Place roast in slow cooker and pour seasoning mixture over the meat. Cover, and cook on low for 9-10 hours or on high for 5-6 hours. When done, remove bay leaf, and shred meat with a fork (keep the shredded meat in the slow cooker with the juices). Serve on crusty rolls with cheese, if desired.

Rachel told me about this recipe found here on melskitchencafe.com  Click onto the site to see a picture of how to serve this meat.