Caramel Rolls Using Frozen Bread Dough

Recipe:  http://www.publicradio.org/columns/prairiehome/sundberg/2012/07/23.shtml

***Mrs. Sundberg found that somewhere along the way, 'cook & serve' pudding was replaced by 'instant' pudding in this recipe. I did do a second batch by adding 1/4 cup of milk to make the sauce pouring consistency, but by using the cook & serve pudding, the amount of 1/2 to 1 Tablespoon of milk is correct, and she has edited the recipe in the link above to reflect the change. Either way, I had success with the instant on the second batch, and they were delicious!


I have never baked anything that required making dough from scratch. It seems like a lot of time invested in something that may or may not turn out, considering I was the one deciding if the warm water for the yeast was warm enough/too warm. Fear would sum it up. It's an area in which I have no experience. Maybe I'm over-thinking it, but I'm just not sure I could make it happen. So with Mrs. Sundberg's recipe last week, the hard part of the equation for me has been taken away. Up until today, my only experience with yeast was making the pizza dough packet that came in the Appian Way pizza-in-a-box kit from the grocery.

The bread dough part worked great, but the caramel sauce gave me a problem. Mine was way too thick to pour, per the instructions, but I said I wasn't going to change things, and since everything else was a go, I made them anyway, spooning the caramel sauce over each roll. The flavor was great, but the caramel didn't melt as I was hoping it would. I was able to spread it around when they came out of the oven, and that worked okay, but it wasn't the pourable quality that I expected. 

My Mr. took most of them to work, and his email this morning read: The guys are busy stuffing themselves with rolls and coffee and making yummy noises. That is about it for conversation right now, and that would be a YES, they like them.  They have volunteered to continue to eat all of your evidence until your recipes are perfect. They are real Team Players. (Kind of like I am Diana Ross, and they are my Surpremes!) They are an incredible trio, working hard to help protect our country. They're tough, no-nonsense, ballistic missile men on the outside, but soft, tender-hearted sweeties on the inside.

 But back to the rolls. The bread dough came in a package of 3, (Why do they do that? Why not 4?) so I had one more loaf. Armed with another box of pudding, I tried to decide what to adjust to make it right. I thought maybe not using all the pudding, but instead, I upped the milk to 1/4 cup. Everything else stayed the same, but I didn't cook it for the minute per the directions, I just melted the butter, stirred the brown sugar in until it dissolved, then stir, stir, stirred in the pudding and milk to make sure everything was blended well. Bingo! Smooth, pourable caramel goodness. Since I only had one loaf of bread, I put the pieces of dough into a smaller pan, and didn't use all the caramel sauce, but I wanted to make sure the proportions were right for the recipe of using two loaves of bread dough. And I need to ask Mrs. Sundberg about this...because I know she's an expert in the kitchen.

I did use a blade to cut the dough, each loaf in half, then each half in thirds, and then I cut those sections in half as well, giving me 12 rolls per loaf. Reasonable portion control, unless you factor in wanting to eat 3 or 4 of them at a time. They are very tasty and the yeast component comes through loud and clear. My Supremes already know that (part) of the remade version will be on its way tomorrow, and looking in the oven door as they bake, I see caramel roll success. I don't imagine there will be much talking while they are eating them tomorrow, and by the time that caramel roll coma wears off, it'll be a whole new day. 

Thank you, Mrs, Sundberg. :-)

Fruit Dip

Get the recipe here: http://www.publicradio.org/columns/prairiehome/sundberg/2012/07/16.shtml 

Well! A lot has happened. We were off to Ohio, back to my hometown, for the gathering of our things that have been in storage for two and a half years. Not seeing the light of day is a long time for things that I felt were necessary when we packed them away. There were necessary things, just not as many as I thought.

Necessary things like my vintage button collection. Maybe 100 buttons, (update: a little over 300 buttons in that box...I had no idea I was such a button hoarder. But I make felted wool mittens from old sweaters, and I put vintage buttons on the cuffs, so they are a necessary indulgence) among them, about a dozen jet buttons, for which I have a hearty passion. Several pieces of art, my teddy bear made from the green corduroy shirt of my grandpa's, and fabric. Silks that I had plans for, but now I kind of forget what those plans were. It was like Christmas. Seeing them again has lit the fires for creative sewing, and for that, I'm excited.

The heat was oppressive, along with a huge thunderstorm on the second day. A steady, pelting rain that soaked us to the core. We must have lost 4-5 lbs. each sweating in the humidity. Five trips to Goodwill to donate the things we had outgrown. The college furniture of my older son, a toaster and lots of other kitchen things, and lots of clothing that still has some wear left.

It was a cleansing trip, soulful and a little bittersweet. I grew up in that town, and I miss the people with whom I spent time. We have remained close, but I miss being able to see them, sit down with them, and hug them. There was plenty of hugging going on in the short time we had to visit though. 

Mrs. Sundberg must have known that we were all hot and sweaty with our journey, because her recipe last week was for something cool, refreshing and delicious. Who doesn't like a fruit dip? Local fruit is so plentiful right now, and I even got 'buy one get one' strawberries. This dip is delicious with strawberries, apples or pears, but really even small berries could be topped with this dip in a bowl and eaten with a spoon. It's creamy, sweet and I like the bit of tang from the cream cheese. I used my electric mixer, and the fluff walked up the stem of the beaters, but after the cream cheese was incorporated, it leveled out. It has been a long time since I have had marshmallow fluff. I used to have it in hot cocoa, and boy, did that bring back memories. And yes, I ate a BIG spoonful just for fun! 

Mrs. Sundberg suggested serving it with fruit, cut and carved. If I were going to carve any fruit, it would be in the shape of a spoon, to scoop up more of this satiny, delicious dip. 

Thank you, Mrs. Sundberg. :-)

Away From The Kitchen

We have been traveling and just got back, so the next recipe will be made and taste tested tomorrow!

Blueberry Raspberry Buckle

Find the recipe here: http://www.publicradio.org/columns/prairiehome/sundberg/2012/07/09.shtml

Well, it took a few stops to find whole wheat pastry flour, but Whole Foods® has never let me down. That store is wicked. So seductive in the way it's laid out, the smells that greet you when you walk in the door. And the array of samples that tempt you to cram your list into your pocket, and shop by the seat of your pants. I got out of there for under $50, and I consider that trip a success!

In the discussion of how this dessert got its name, I asked Mrs. Sundberg why it was called a 'buckle'. Her reply: "I did a bit of research once on Bettys, buckles, crumbles, pandowdies and slumps. Seems 'buckle' describes what the streusel-like topping looks as if its doing: buckling. Seriously." She also added: " 'Grunt' is one of my favorites. It's a dumpling-like pudding made on top of the stove, generally using local fruits. The name came from the east coast states and is the sound that the berries make as they cook."

She does her homework and knows more about food than just cooking it. There's a little history involved, and I like that. I've noticed that recipe names sometimes express the literal, along with quaint, regional names that reflect the maker, or the area from which it originates. Sort of a glimpse back in time. Simpler, less hectic, although it probably felt as frantic then as it does now, to the people who were living it.

Anyway, this recipe calls for fresh raspberries and blueberries, mine came from California, via Whole Foods®. I would like to say that I went into rural Virginia and picked them myself, but the outdoors and I don't always get along, plus being 20 miles from D.C., I would probably have to drive a while. The good news is that raspberries are full of good-for-you things like B vitamins, vitamin K, fiber and minerals, while blueberries are among the highest anti-oxidant fruits, with soluble dietary fiber, and many vitamins and minerals as well. Raspberries have European roots while blueberries are native to North America. I didn't know that.

We experimented with making our own vanilla a few years ago. We got a small bottle of vodka, split 3 vanilla beans, scraped the seeds out, and put them and the pods in the bottle. This one has been perking for almost 4 years, and it is SO good. It's almost time to buy more vodka.

My Mr. wanted vanilla ice cream to go with this, so I made a go-to recipe that is EASY.
2 cups heavy whipping cream
14 oz. sweetened condensed milk
Whatever flavors you want, added to the milk
(This batch was 1 TBS vanilla, 1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped out and added to the milk)
Whip the cream until fairly stiff peaks form, fold in the milk mixture, and place in a lidded container and freeze 4-6 hours. That's it. I have also made Lime ice cream, adding the juice of 4 limes and 2 TBS of zest, and Coffee ice cream, adding 4 shots of espresso and some ground up coffee beans. Even I couldn't mess this one up. This ice cream is the 'one scoop, every once in a while' kind. It's a heavy, creamy kind that will satisfy without overdoing it. The Lime was good sandwiched between two ginger cookies and frozen, and the Coffee was good between two Dutch cocoa cookies.

 I like the fact that this recipe used fresh, seasonal fruit. I had frozen blueberries, but my goal is to follow Mrs. Sundberg's recipe to the letter. I have a bad habit of flinging other things into recipes, and if it isn't as good as I'd like, I have to figure out where I went wrong, so no straying from the original here. If someone's going to mess it up, it won't be me!

So now there is a hole in the middle of the dessert, and a fork laying on the counter. My Mr. decided to take a bite. He pronounced it delicious. We both had a helping with the ice cream, and it was wonderful. The berries held their shape, they were bright and flavorful, and that hint of nutmeg was excellent!

BUCKLE. Oh it buckled alright. Like hot Georgia asphalt. Thank you, Mrs. Sundberg. :-)

Pie Crust 101

From Mrs. Sundberg, a sure-fire pie crust recipe. We had a discussion about blueberries and their raw texture, versus their delicious, fruity goodness when baked into a pie. My Mr. doesn't care for them raw, but he's more than willing to eat them baked in some sugary goodness.  Mrs. S. was gracious enough to share her pie crust recipe with her Facebook readers.

Highly Reliable Delicious Crust for Pie

For single pie crust:

1 1/2 C sifted all-purpose (unbleached) flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c Crisco shortening baking sticks
4-5 T cold water (ice cubes in water)

For 9-10 inch double crust pie

2 c all-purpose (unbleached) flour
1 tsp salt
2/3 c Crisco shortening baking sticks
5-7 T cold water (ice cubes in water)

Sift flour & salt. Cut in shortening with pastry blender to size of small peas.
Sprinkle 1 Tbsp water over part of flour-shortening mixture. Gently toss with
fork & push to side. Repeat with balance of water mixing lightly until all is moistened.
Gather with fingers & form into ball, dividing into 2 balls for double crust pie.

Roll each ball out to 1/8 inch thickness on lightly floured surface using light strokes.
Pinch edges if split. Transfer into pie plate. Trim edge to 1 inch from edge and fold under.

IF BAKED PIE SHELL is needed, prick bottom and sides. Bake in very hot oven (450)
10 to 12 minutes until golden. If filling and crust are to be baked together, do NOT prick pastry. Pour in filling, top with second crust folding top edge over bottom edge of crust and pinch.

Cut design in top crust to keep from puffing. Bake according to recipe.


This recipe was on her Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/mrs.sundberg


I will always link the recipes back to her article on a PHC, for acknowledgement of the source. Plus, you get to read her article, and can become a follower of her Facebook page. Good reading, great conversations, and something nice to enjoy.

I Needed A Julia

I have read Mrs. Sundberg's posts on A Prairie Home Companion for quite a while now. She is the sweetest gal, sharing tidbits and wisdom from her home, while raising children, and a husband. :-)

She also posts a recipe each week, and they are full of down-home goodness from the kitchen of someone who obviously loves to cook and bake. I, on the other hand, like the idea of that, but my attempts don't always turn out the best. I used to do very well, but it seems I have lost my base for providing a variety of good things to eat and feed our family and friends.

Enter Mrs. Sundberg.  I figured my best bet was to make the recipe she posted each week, and see if I can get my cooking and baking mojo all lined up again. With her straightforward, easy going style, I think I stand a pretty good chance of succeeding.

I decided I needed a Julia, full of kitchen experience, so I can try a new recipe a week,  and broaden my kitchen horizons. Hopefully, my Mr. will be my taste tester and sous chef if I need one. I think this is going to be an adventure I will enjoy.