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THE SEMISWEET SISTERS

Two sisters who love to bake...

Giant Cinnamon Rolls Frosted with Buttercream Icing

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Giant Cinnamon Rolls Frosted with Buttercream Icing.

I love cinnamon rolls! My mom got all the family started on homemade cinnamon rolls because that was one of her go to recipes. We love homemade cinnamon rolls.

This recipe makes 6 giant cinnamon rolls filling up a 9×13″ baking pan.

I made this recipe to copycat one of my childhood favorite cinnamon rolls, besides my moms recipe of course. In Amish country there was a bakery called The Breadbox but unfortunately it closed down in 2020 after 25+ years of business. I was so sad that I was never going to be able to enjoy their giant sized cinnamon rolls again so I went to work making a copycat. Their version probably had more cinnamon and less sugar in the middle but I always thought it was a little too bitter with all that cinnamon but other then that I think this recipe is pretty close.

Recipe makes 6 giant cinnamon rolls frosting with buttercream icing.

Giant Cinnamon Rolls Frosted with Buttercream Icing
 
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Recipe type: Dessert
Ingredients
  • Dough:
  • 2¼ teaspoon instant yeast
  • 1¼ cups warm milk
  • 5 cups all purpose flour
  • ½ cup salted butter (1 stick) softened
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg + 1 yolk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Filling:
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 Tablespoons melted butter for brushing
  • Frosting:
  • ½ cup butter salted (1 stick) softened
  • 2 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream or milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1½ cups powdered sugar, more if needed to thicken
Instructions
  1. Knead dough using favorite method, by hand, using a stand mixer with dough hook, or a bread machine on dough cycle. I used a bread machine on dough cycle to knead my dough. Start by adding dough ingredients as listed above in the recipe. Knead dough for 10-15 minutes adding extra flour or milk if needed until a nice ball of dough that is slightly tacky forms.
  2. Cover loosely and let rise for 1 hour.
  3. Prepare the filling by mixing sugars and cinnamon together. Also melt the butter for brushing tops. Grease a 9x13" baking dish.
  4. Divide dough into 2 equal pieces.
  5. Roll into a log about 10" long on a lightly floured surface. Flatten and roll to about 6"x24".
  6. Brush with half the melted better, sprinkle with half the filling. Roll it up tightly starting with the short 6" side jelly style and pinch edges. Slice into 3 equal pieces.
  7. Place on greased 9x13" baking dish. Repeat with second piece of dough. Let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
  8. Preheat oven to 350 F.
  9. Bake at 350 F. for 25-30 minutes.
  10. Let cool completely then prepare frosting.
  11. To make the frosting place ingredients for frosting in a mixing bowl. Use an electric mixer to mix the frosting until it is whipped together. Add more powdered sugar if it needs to be thickened. Spread on tops of the cinnamon rolls.
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Rugelach Without Cream Cheese

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Rugelach made with no cream cheese.

I always get inspired when I go past the baked goods sections at grocery stores. On my most recent visit to Whole Foods I noticed they had 20+ different flavors of Rugelach for sale. I then decided to go home and make my own and cinnamon and sugar is one of my favorite flavors so I kept it simple and just made that flavor. Rugelach is a filled pastry if you are wondering what it is, a dessert that is flaky and the only sweetness comes from the filling as the dough has no sugar.

I noticed that 99% of recipes for Rugelach call for cream cheese but if you are like me it is not an ingredient I have on hand at my house. Sour cream is something I usually have so I am sharing a recipe with you that is made without cream cheese and the dough is just 4 simple ingredients.

   

Above I show one of the disc’s being rolled out and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar and how you roll them up starting from the outer edge inward. I rolled the dough out between 2 floured pieces of waxed paper, helps prevent sticking to the rolling pin.

Recipe makes 36 pieces. If using unsalted butter add 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Rugelach Without Cream Cheese
 
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Recipe type: Dessert
Ingredients
  • Dough:
  • 1¾ cups all purpose flour
  • ¾ cup or 1½ sticks salted butter, cold & cut into tablespoon slices
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • Filling:
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • ¾ cups chopped walnuts (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • water (for brushing dough)
  • sugar for sprinkling the tops
Instructions
  1. Use a food processor to mix the the cold butter and flour together until pea sized pieces form. Add vanilla and sour cream and mix until everything is combined. (If you don't have a food processor use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour or two knives. )
  2. Divide dough into 3 equal pieces, place each piece on plastic wrap, form into a disc about 1" thick, wrap and put in fridge. (Dough will be a little sticky).
  3. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
  4. For the filling: combine all ingredients together in a food processor and pulse until walnuts are minced. If not adding walnuts just mix in a regular bowl and set aside.
  5. Preheat oven to 375 F. line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or baking mat.
  6. Remove one disk of dough at a time. Unwrap and roll dough out into a circle about 10" in diameter on a floured surface.
  7. Brush dough lightly with some water to help the filling stick.
  8. Sprinkle with ⅓ of the filling leaving about 1" around the edges.
  9. Take a knife or pizza cutter and cut into 12 wedges.
  10. Roll each piece up starting for the outer edge and place each piece on prepared cookie sheet with the end tucked underneath.
  11. Repeat with each disk. Then sprinkle tops with sugar.
  12. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

 

 

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Best Cut Out Sugar Cookies with Vanilla Butterscotch Frosting

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Best Cut Out Sugar Cookies with Vanilla Butterscotch Frosting. Valentine’s Day heart shaped cookies.

My favorite recipe for cut out or roll out sugar cookies. Since Valentine’s Day is right around the corner I made heart shaped cookies with cookie cutters.

The frosting is a buttercream with a secret ingredient of butterscotch sauce added. You can also add caramel sauce if you prefer, either will work. Making the homemade butterscotch sauce is an added step but I love the way it makes the frosting taste.

Above photo shows cookies before baking.

Above photo shows cookies after baking. It is tricky to tell when they are done because they don’t start browning until they are crispy. So once cookies look set I take them out which is usually about 9-10 minutes with my oven.

I have tried many many roll out cut out sugar cookie dough recipes over the years and I’ve never found one that I really thought was a keeper until now. I have been making this recipe for a couple years and it is my go to.

 

Best Cut Out Sugar Cookies with Vanilla Butterscotch Frosting
 
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Recipe type: Dessert
Ingredients
  • Cookie Dough:
  • 1½ sticks (3/4 cup) salted butter, softened
  • ½ cup + 2 Tablespoons sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg
  • 2¼ cups all purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • (1/4 teaspoon salt** if using unsalted butter)
  • Frosting:
  • 1 stick (1/2 cup) salted butter, softened
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • about 2 Tablespoons butterscotch sauce (I used homemade with recipe below for it, you can also use caramel sauce)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1-2 Tablespoons whipping cream/heavy whipping cream
  • sprinkles (optional)
  • Homemade butterscotch sauce:
  • ¼ cup brown sugar, packed
  • 2 Tablespoons whipping cream/heavy whipping cream
  • 1 Tablespoon salted butter
Instructions
  1. For the cookie dough: Add butter and sugar to a mixing bowl. Use an electric mixer to mix the butter and sugar together. Mix in vanilla and egg.
  2. Add flour and baking soda and mix until dough forms.
  3. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour.
  4. When ready to roll out Preheat oven to 350 F. degrees.
  5. Remove dough and roll out on a lightly floured surface to desired thickness. I tried to make mine a little on the thick side somewhere between ⅛-1/4" thick. I usually roll the dough out between two lightly floured pieces of waxed paper.
  6. Cut into desired shapes and place on an ungreased cookie sheet leaving space between cookies because they will expand.
  7. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until cookies look set. I cooked mine for about 9-10 minutes since I wanted them to be soft, bake longer if you want a crisper cookie.
  8. For the frosting: Once the cookies have cooled you can make the frosting. Add ingredients to a mixing bowl and use an electric mixer to whip frosting together, I mixed for 1-2 minutes. Frost cookies and top with sprinkles if desired. Above is a recipe for butterscotch sauce which I think makes the frosting taste amazing. You can make it while you are waiting for the cookies to cool so it will be ready when you make the frosting, or you can just use store bought caramel sauce.
  9. For butterscotch sauce: Mix ingredients together in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir for about 5 minutes until it gets a little thicker. It will thicken more once cool. Set aside until it cools completely then add to the frosting.
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Easy Dutch Oven Bread 4 Ingredients

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Easy Dutch Oven Bread 4 Ingredients: Flour, salt, yeast and water.

Easy 4 Ingredient Artisan Bread made in a dutch oven. My friend was so kind to let me borrow her Le Creuset 5.5 qt dutch oven in flame orange, which I absolutely love. It makes beautiful soft bread with a flaky crust.

You knead the dough and then let it rise. Then shape it and let rise again. Then bake it!

You bake it with the oven safe lid on until the very end, then you take the lid off and let it brown on top for a few minutes.

Made with only flour, yeast, salt and water so it is dairy free. No dairy.

Knead the dough using your favorite method. I used my bread machine and set it to the dough cycle. Sometimes I mix by hand or use my stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.

 

Easy Dutch Oven Bread 4 Ingredients
 
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Recipe type: Bread
Ingredients
  • 4 cups flour
  • 1½ cups warm water
  • 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt, coarse salt
Instructions
  1. Add flour, water, yeast, and salt to a large mixing bowl, your bread machine, or you stand mixer bowl (whichever method you are using). Knead dough for 5-10 minutes until a sticky ball forms, adding more flour or water if needed.
  2. Cover, let rise for 2 hours.
  3. Then place on a lightly floured surface and press out all air, roll into a tight ball.
  4. Place in dutch oven that is greased with oil.
  5. Cover with lid and let rise 40 minutes.
  6. Preheat oven to 450 F. Brush top with olive oil. Take a knife and make an x on top of dough.
  7. Bake for 30 minutes with lid on. Remove lid a bake for about 4-5 minutes longer until top starts to turn light golden brown.
  8. Remove from oven and let cool for 30 minutes.

 

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Easy Fudge

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Easy Creamy Fudge made with Sweet German Chocolate.

I started making this recipe when I was a kid after going to Mackinac Island in Michigan. The island is beautiful and they have fudge shops all over the place. After going there I wanted to immediately come home and try making my own homemade fudge. This fudge recipe has always been one of my favorites to make and it is easy.

I was trying to make this fudge again with my niece this Christmas season since she has never made fudge before and all the grocery stores were sold out of the sweet German Chocolate squares. Thankfully my sister had an extra bar at her house that we ended up using to make it. I use the Baker’s brand (amazon affiliate link) that comes in a green box and is found by the chocolate chips in the baking aisle.

When boiling the sugar, butter and evaporated milk you want to be careful because I find the boiling mixture tends to bubble up quickly so I have to reduce the heat. To speed up the process of the fudge turning into more of a solid I usually put it in the fridge after it has cooled for a bit at room temperature.

Easy Fudge
 
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Recipe type: Dessert
Ingredients
  • 2¼ cups white sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon butter
  • 6 fluid oz. evaporated milk
  • 1 cup (6 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1 package (4 oz.) of Sweet German Chocolate
  • 1 cup marshmallow creme (about one 7 oz. jar of marshmallow creme)
Instructions
  1. Grease an 8x8" square baking pan or line with parchment paper.
  2. In a mixing down combine semisweet chocolate chips, German sweet chocolate (broken into squares) and marshmallow creme and set aside.
  3. In a sauce pot combine sugar, butter and evaporated milk. Stir on low heat until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil and stir for about 6 minutes (reduce heat if it bubbles up).
  4. Carefully pour hot mixture into the mixing bowl with the chocolates and stir until smooth and chocolate is all melted. Pour into prepared pan and let sit for a few hours.

 

 

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Dairy Free Banana Bread

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Dairy Free Moist Banana Bread with a cinnamon and sugar crust.

I’m always trying to think of new dairy free recipes that I can make due to someone in the house having a dairy allergy. I realized I hadn’t tried banana bread yet. This recipe was a big hit and is now my go to dairy free banana bread recipe. I took my regular favorite recipe and altered it a bit using oil in place of butter and it worked great.

My favorite part is the cinnamon and sugar crust that you make by dusting the greased pan with cinnamon and sugar. I also added cinnamon to the batter which is a secret ingredient that I think makes it taste great.

Baking the banana bread at a low temperature helps to keep it moist and from drying out.

Dairy Free Banana Bread
 
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Recipe type: Dessert
Ingredients
  • For Dusting the Pan:
  • 1 Tablespoon white sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • For The Banana Bread:
  • ¼ cup oil
  • ½ cup white sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 ripe bananas, mashed
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 300 F. degrees
  2. Grease one loaf pan. (My loaf pan is 8.5x4.5") In a small bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons of sugar and ½ teaspoon cinnamon. Dust pan lightly with cinnamon and sugar mixture. It should stick easily with the sides greased.
  3. In a large bowl, mix oil and sugar together. Stir in eggs, mashed bananas, vanilla and cinnamon. Mix in baking powder, salt, baking soda and flour. (Stir in nuts if you are adding them, about ⅓ cup walnuts, optional).
  4. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
  5. Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

 

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