Cinnamon Roll Cookies

Yield: 20 to 24 cookies
For cookie dough:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup powdered sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups plus 1 teaspoon unbleached flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
For filling:
1 cup chopped toasted pecans
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup ( 1/2 stick) butter, melted
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
For glaze:
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1 vanilla bean, scraped
Grated zest of 1/2 orange (colored portion of peel), optional
3 tablespoons milk
1. Make the dough. In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat together 1 cup softened butter, granulated sugar, 1 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup powdered sugar until creamy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until thoroughly combined, then beat in vanilla.
2. In another large bowl, whisk together flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt. With the mixer running, slowly beat in the flour mixture just until combined, being careful not to overmix. Remove the dough and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until well chilled, at least 1 hour.
3. Shortly before assembling the cookies, prepare the filling. In a medium bowl, combine pecans, 1/2 cup brown sugar, melted butter and 1 tablespoon cinnamon, mixing until well-combined.
4. Flour a cutting board or work surface. Turn the dough out onto the work surface and, using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to a 10-inch square.
5. Spread the filling gently but evenly over the dough. Gently roll the dough into a tight log. Wrap the log in plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 1 hour, preferably overnight.
6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 (12-cup) muffin tins. Remove the dough log from the refrigerator; cut the log into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Place a slice in each greased muffin cup.
7. Bake the cookies until the tops are slightly browned, about 15 minutes, rotating halfway for even baking. Let cookies cool, still in the muffin tins, on a rack.
8. While cookies bake, prepare the glaze. In the bowl of a stand mixer using the whisk attachment, or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, whisk together cream cheese and 2 tablespoons softened butter. Slowly beat in sifted powdered sugar, then the vanilla bean seeds and orange zest (if using). Whisk in the milk until the glaze is smooth and thick.
9. Using a fork, generously drizzle the glaze over the baked cookies before serving.
Per cookie: 311 calories; 15g fat; 8g saturated fat; 54mg cholesterol; 3g protein; 41g carbohydrate; 27g sugar; 1g fiber; 119mg sodium.
Adapted from the Cravory bakery in San Diego.

Spiced Cantaloupe Butter

Ingredients:
cantaloupes (1 cantaloupe will yield approximately 2 cups of purée/pulp)
sugar
lemon juice
cinnamon
allspice
Preparation:


Remove rind and seeds from melons. Cut melon into small pieces. Put cantaloupe in a large, heavy kettle; add just enough water to prevent sticking (about 1/4 cup). Boil until soft, then process with a food processor or a food mill. Measure cantaloupe pulp; add 1 1/4 cups sugar, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon allspice to each quart of pulp. Boil gently, stirring often to prevent sticking, until thick. Pour hot, thickened mixture into hot, sterilized jars. (Also read your jar manufacturer's instructions.) Wipe away any spills on jar rims with paper towels moistened with sterilized water. (A wide-mouth funnel is very useful for filling jars.) Apply lids and rings. Process for 10 minutes in boiling water bath, then tighten rings and check for proper sealing . Store in a cool, dark place.

This recipe will make about 2 half-pints of cantaloupe butter for each quart of cantaloupe pulp


By Diana Rattray, About.com Guide

Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Grape Sauce

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/pork_tenderloin_with_roasted_grape_sauce.html
From EatingWell: November/December 2008
Here, we roast grapes to bring out their succulent sweetness, then combine them with thyme, mustard and Madeira in an easy, savory sauce for pork tenderloin. Serve with barley and steamed green beans.
4 servings | Active Time: 45 minutes | Total Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
4 cups red and/or green grapes
1-1 1/4 pounds pork tenderloin, trimmed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
1/2 cup Madeira, (see Shopping Tip) or white wine
1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons water
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
Preparation
1. Position racks in the middle and lower third of oven; preheat to 425°F.
2. Place grapes on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast on the lower rack, shaking the pan occasionally to turn the
grapes, until they are shriveled, 25 to 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, rub pork with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork and brown on one side, about 2 minutes. Turn the pork over and transfer the pan to the top oven rack. Roast the pork until just barely pink in the center and an instant-read thermometer registers 145°F, 12 to 14minutes. Transfer the pork to a cutting board to rest before slicing.
4. Place the pan over medium heat (use caution, the handle will be hot), add shallots and cook, stirring, until
softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add Madeira (or wine) and cook until reduced by half, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in broth, thyme and mustard; bring to a simmer. Combine water and cornstarch in a small bowl and stir into the pan sauce. Cook until thickened, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Stir in the grapes. Serve the sliced pork with the grape sauce.

Nutrition Per serving : 299 Calories; 6 g Fat; 1 g Sat; 4 g Mono; 74 mg Cholesterol; 31 g Carbohydrates; 26 g Protein; 2 g Fiber; 407 mg Sodium; 799 mg Potassium 2 Carbohydrate Serving Exchanges: 2 fruit, 3 lean meat, 1 fat
Review suggestions: Use less grapes and slice/chop grapes.

Butterfly's and Cake

I hardly ever go riding on our gravel roads without my camera.  Last weekend I spotted this beauty and got an added gift.. Butterfly's.  I just knew there would be a recipe or two out there that would be a tasty compliment to my photos.  Here you go..

Butterfly Light Cakes by Exclusively Food!

1st Annual Lake of the Ozarks Blues and BBQ WeekendJun 1 2012 - Jun 3 2012

Time: 10AM
Venue: Bagnell Dam Strip
Where: 4265 Bagnell Dam Blvd Lake Ozark MO 65049
Phone: 573-216-0399
Email: info@burntendsbbq.com
Website: http://www.burntendsbbq.com
Description: This three day event will consist of amateur and professional BBQ chefs smoking various meats to be judged by the sanctioning body of KCBS for points in a national cook-off which is held in K.C. Missouri. The Kansas City BBQ Society is well known all over the world for their efforts in promoting the BBQ industry. In addition to the BBQ competition there will be music entertainment, vendor village, winery displays and various other compatible outdoor events. 

We had some errands to run this morning at "The Lake" ( www.funlake.com ).  I had heard about this competition all week on the radio.  We got to the BBQ site around 11: a.m. folks were just starting to get their fires started to today's events.  I am sure that around 4 p.m. this afternoon things will really start to get exciting and very smokey, as there were piles of different types of wood all over the place and well as every type of smoker ever made.  Plus a few of the good old stand by Weber Kettles.

Cranberry Tea Rub for Pork Tenderloin

http://theherbgardener.blogspot.com/2008/06/how-to-make-basic-tea-rub-oh-and-some.html

2 tbsp Cranberry Tea (or about two teabags)
1 tsp sugar
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp onion powder
½ salt
¼ pepper
¼ tsp ginger
¼ tsp allspice
¼ tsp ground thyme

Blend all ingredients in a coffee grinder or food processor. Rub onto olive oil coated tenderloin. Grill, broil or bake. If the sugar starts to burn, cover meat with aluminum foil or move to indirect heat.

Seven Meats Sancocho

Hector Rodriguez
Latin Caribbean Food Guide
Most people associate sancocho with a traditional Dominican soup or stew overflowing with several large cuts of meat and viandas (also known asground provisions or root vegetables). However, sancocho isn’t just a Dominican dish. It’s a traditional stew or soup with several ingredient variations throughout Latin American and Caribbean cuisines.
The word sancocho comes from the Spanish verb sancochar, which means to parboil. Most likely, the recipe was brought to Latin America and the Caribbean with the Portuguese and Spanish colonists who prepared cocido, a stew consisting of different meats and vegetables, with regional ingredients. It can be simple or elaborate, such as the following recipe (my adaptation) of Seven Meat Sancocho, which is usually prepared for special occasions in the Dominican Republic. It takes a long time to prepare and requires many ingredients, but is well worth the effort. You can serve it by itself or with white rice, sliced avocado and/or tostones.
Cook's Note: In my adaptation, the meats are pre-cooked before the sancocho is made.
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 5 hours
Yield: Approximately 10 servings
Ingredients:
2 pounds longaniza sausage
1/2 pound salt pork
cooking oil (to brown the meats)
1 1/2 pounds chicken pieces (washed in lime or sour orange juice)
1/2 pound beef stew meat
2 teaspoon Worcester sauce
4 smoked pork chops
4 fresh pork chops (washed in lime or sour orange juice)
1/2 pound goat stew meat (washed in lime or sour orange juice)
1 teaspoon of capers
1 teaspoon cooking wine
2 quarts of water
4 garlic cloves (peeled and crushed)
2 small red onions (peeled and chopped)
1 red peppers (washed, seeded, chopped)
1 celery stalk (washed, chopped)
3 cubes chicken bullion
1 cube beef bullion
1 teaspoon oregano
1 bunch cilantro (washed, finely chopped)
2 large green plantains (peeled, cut into 1 inch rounds)
1 cups white sweet potato (washed, peeled, cubed)
1 cups yuca (washed, peeled, cubed)
1 cups yautía (washed, peeled, cubed)
1 cups ñame (yam - (washed, peeled, cubed)
1 cups calabaza (pumpkin - (washed, peeled, cubed)
2 ears of corn (cleaned and cut into 1 ½ inch rounds)
1 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoons of salt or to taste
1/2 teaspoon pepper or to taste
Preparation:
Cook the sausage, set aside, and allow to cool.
Brown the salt pork in cooking oil, set aside, and allow to cool.
In a heavy skillet, over medium heat, brown all sides of the chicken in about a tablespoon of cooking oil. While the chicken is browning, dissolve 1/2 cube chicken bullion in 1/4 cup of hot water. Pour the liquid over the chicken. Add 1 crushed clove of garlic and 1/4 teaspoon oregano to the chicken mixture. Cover, reduce to medium low heat, and cook for 30 minutes until chicken is tender, set aside, and allow to cool.
In a heavy skillet, over medium heat, brown the beef in about a tablespoon of cooking oil. While the beef is browning, dissolve 1/2 cube beef bullion in 1/4 cup of hot water. Pour the liquid over the beef. Add 1 crushed clove of garlic and 1/4 teaspoon oregano to the mixture. Cover, reduce to medium low heat, and cook for 30 minutes until beef is tender, set aside, and allow to cool.
Cook the smoked pork chops, set aside, and allow to cool.
In a heavy skillet, over medium heat, brown both sides of the fresh pork chops. While the chops are browning, dissolve 1/2 cube chicken bullion in 1/4 cup of hot water. Pour the liquid over the pork chops. Add 1 crushed clove of garlic and 1/4 teaspoon oregano to the chops. Cover, reduce to medium low heat, and cook for 30 minutes until chops are tender, set aside, and allow to cool.
In a heavy skillet, over medium heat, brown the goat meat in about a tablespoon of cooking oil. While the meat is browning, dissolve 1/2 cube chicken bullion in 1/2 cup of hot water. Pour the liquid over the meat. Add 1 crushed clove of garlic, 1/4 teaspoon oregano, the capers, and cooking wine to the meat. Cover, reduce to medium low heat, and cook for 45 minutes or until done, set aside, and allow to cool.
In a very large soup pot, bring 2 quarts (8 cups) of water to a boil. Add the remaining chicken and beef bullion, onions, peppers, celery, and cilantro. Boil for 10 minutes.
Add plantains, white sweet potato, yuca, yautía, ñame, calabaza, and corn. Add more water if needed. Cook over medium heat for 30 minutes.
Cut the sausage and pork chops into pieces and add all meats to the pot. Adjust water liquid as needed and cook over moderate heat for 45 minutes. Add the vinegar, salt, and pepper near the end of the cooking time.
During cooking, you may need to scrape off any foam on top of the stew. Also, if broth is too thin, you may thicken it by removing some of the calabaza, allowing it to cool, puree it, and add it back to the pot.