Win Freinds and Influence Others With Cinnamon and Brown Sugar

People will love you and despise you all in one bite. No one can resist a warm cinnamon roll fresh out of the oven. These treats are the closest things you will find compared to their suburban mall food court counterparts. Don't skimp on the filling and try to roll as tight as possible, and when you think they are finished rising, let em rise some more before you pop them in the oven. Your patience will pay off in spades. Think back to your days in high school for inspiration on a tight roll.

Glennabon Cinnamon Rolls

INGREDIENTS
Dough
¼ cup warm water
1 cup of milk – room temperature
1 large egg – beaten
¼ cup of butter – softened
1 tbsp. sugar
½ tsp. salt
4 cups all purpose white flour
½ package instant vanilla pudding mix
1 tbsp. bread machine yeast

Filling
1 cup brown sugar – packed
2 tbsp cinnamon
¼ cup butter – softened

Cream Cheese Cinnamon Frosting
4 oz cream cheese – softened
½ tsp. vanilla
½ tbsp. milk
1 ½ cup powdered sugar
½ tsp. cinnamon


DIRECTIONS

Dough
Add dough ingredients in the order listed to the bread machine and prepare using the dough setting. On a lightly floured surface, roll out tot an 18” x 30” rectangle.

Filling
In a small bowl, mix brown sugar and cinnamon. Spread the softened butter over the dough and evenly sprinkle on the sugar and cinnamon mixture. Starting at the long edge of the dough, roll up tightly. Mark the roll every 2 inches. With a thread, cut the roll by placing the thread under the roll at your mark, crisscross over and pull to cut. Place rolls into greased 8” or 9” baking pans 2” apart. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft free place until almost double, approximately 1 hour. After rising, rolls be touching each other and the sides of the pan. Bake at 3500F for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Cream Cheese Cinnamon Frosting
In a small bowl, mix cream cheese, butter, vanilla and milk. Add powdered sugar and cinnamon and mix until smooth. Spread on warm rolls and serve immediately.

You Got Chocolate in My Peanut Butter...No You Got Peanut Butter in My Chocolate!

Nothing goes better together than peanut butter and chocolate. Combine that with a tall cold glass of milk or a Grande, Half sweet, No Fat, Vanilla Latte, then nothing else around you seems to matter much. This simple indulgence will please pretty well any sweet tooth. Simple to make, hard to resist.

Peanut Butter Blossoms

INGREDIENTS
Hard margarine (or butter), softened ½ cup 125 ml
Smooth peanut butter ½ cup 125 ml
Brown sugar, packed ½ cup 125 ml
Granulated sugar ½ cup 125 ml
Large egg 1 1
Milk 2 tbsp. 30 ml
Vanilla extract 1 tsp. 5 ml
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All-purpose flour 1 ¾ cups 425 ml
Baking soda 1 tsp. 5 ml
Salt ½ tsp. 2 ml
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Granulated sugar 1/3 cup 75 ml
Milk chocolate kisses 54 54

DIRECTIONS

Cream first 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Add next 3 ingredients. Mix well.

Combine next 3 ingredients in a small bowl. Add to peanut butter mixture in 2 additions, mixing well after each addition until no dry flour remains. Roll into 1 inch (2.5 cm) balls.

Roll balls in second amount of granulated sugar in same small bowl until coated. Arrange about 2 inches (5 cm) apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake in 3750 F (1900 C) oven for about 10 minutes until golden. Remove from oven.

Immediately place 1 chocolate kiss on top of each cookie. Press down until cookie cracks around edge. Let stand on cookie sheets for 5 minutes. Remove from cookie sheets and place on wire racks to cool. Makes about 54 cookies.

A dinner party is only as good as the guests.

A great meal and fantastic bottle of wine does not make for a successful evening. It merely augments the time spent with good friends reminiscing of times gone by and making plans going forward. Solving all the worlds problems in an evening. I was lucky enough to have hosted such an evening. After originally not planning anything more then a quiet New Years with my family, I felt the need to reach out to a few of my close friends. As luck would have it, their dance cards were open for the evening. A great night was had by all. It was the impetus for me starting this blog. Thank you Lara for getting me started.

The meal - based on a North African theme was fantastic. Below is the recipe for an awesome butterflied leg of lamb. Try it, I guarantee it will be a hit

Spice-Rubbed Butterflied Leg of Lamb
This dish features the exotic flavours of North Africa. A butcher can bone, butterfly and trim the lamb. Start preparing this one day ahead. Serves 6 to 8

INGREDIENTS
½ large onion, cut into 2-inch pieces
6 garlic cloves peeled
2 tbsp. fresh mint leaves
2 tbsp. paprika
1 tbsp. salt
1 tbsp. fresh marjoram leaves
2 tsp. ground black pepper
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. ground coriander
2 tsp. hot pepper sauce
1 tsp. tumeric
½ tsp. ground ginger
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
½ cup olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 - 4 ½ to 5 lb boneless leg of lamb, butterflied, fat and sinew trimmed.

DIRECTIONS

Combine first 13 ingredients in processor. Using on/off turns, process until coarse paste forms. Add oil and lemon juice and process until blended.

Place lamb in large resealable bag. Pour spice mixture over lamb: seal bag. Turn bag several times and rub spice mixture into the lamb. Refrigerate overnight, turning bag occasionally.

Prepare BBQ (medium heat). Remove lamb from marinade, shake off excess. Grill lamb to desired doneness or until instant read thermometer inserted into thickest part of lamb registers 1250F to 1300F, for medium rare about 15 minutes per side. Transfer lamb to cutting board. Cover with foil and let stand 5 to 10 minutes. Cut into 1/3 inch thick slices. Arrange on a platter and serve.

Welcome

This is the birth of a new blog. Man For All Seasons. The culmination of all things good in the garden and in the kitchen. I am not formally trained in either discipline but love to cook and grow, while enjoying a fine glass of vino. I will be posting great recipes and wines as I experiment in the kitchen, sharing tips as I come across them. Also I will be discussing trends for both lawn and gardens, particularly as it relates to natural and organic techniques. I look forward to sharing with like minded individuals who have a passion to create and share.