mascarpone & maple caramel apple butter cinnamon rolls.

hello from the 5th or 6th day of cinnamon roll consumption, and the last day of 2 0 2 0 .

i’m sure everyone is tired of hearing about “this weird year,” but - once more for the people in the back ——— this year has been so weird.

if you’re reading this far in the future when we are all able to gather around a large pan of cinnamon rolls again - just know what a luxury it is to share space and meals with several other people.

also, cinnamon rolls are meant to be shared by like 8-12 people - not eaten by the same person for days on end 😂 that’s my 2020 for ya - pigging out on so many cooking projects designed for a family. luckily we had a couple other people around us this year to share everything with. i really can’t complain. so many hard circumstances took place this year for every single person i know, including myself - but i am so fortunate & lucky to be exactly where i am in life.

something great to come out of 2020 were all the creative pivots people made to create a business, a project, learn a new skill, or dive into a huge career change.

my lovely friend jeff, who’s an extremely talented chef and one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet, has always made delicious homemade jams, jellies, apple butters, etc - this year, he launched his own etsy shop where you can buy his incredible homemade apple cider butters in several flavors!

so proud of any friend who takes a chance on a business endeavor. yay, jeff!!! a foodie business endeavor was one that i was quite attracted to. 😊

not only are jeff’s apple butters sooo delicious and lovingly made from locally grown washington apples right in his home kitchen, but the attention to detail in the product shipment was so so sweet. it being december now, each jar was carefully wrapped (in eco-friendly wrapping - a huge plus for me with the zillions of boxes and paper waste coming to our doorstep these days) and came adorned with a jingle bell on each jar, along with recipe cards, and a personalized & typed note for me! i was very impressed with all the details, thought and effort put into his packaging. bonus was that shipping was super fast!

gorgeous apple butter color, too.

the flavors i got were regular, vanilla, smokehouse, and maple caramel apple - which is what went into these incredible cinnamon rolls on christmas morning!

taking food photos in the darkness of winter at like 9am is not ideal, but heyyy make it work, ya know.

the bulk of this recipe comes from JOY THE BAKER!!!

this is a life-changing cinnamon roll method that keeps your cinnamon rolls tender for SO many days. she spreads cream cheese across her rolled-out dough and folds it in, rolling out and folding a couple more times to create these amazing flaky & moist layers.

here i used mascarpone instead of cream cheese, and mascarpone in the icing on top. i love the bit of tartness that it brings to the sweetness of the apples. and the way it keeps the dough moist for seriously a week - not exaggerating - is so amazing. usually after a couple days of reheating regular cinnamon rolls, the dough is hard as a brick. but nooo, not the genius of joy the baker - tenderness for days. they continue to be as soft and fluffy as the day you baked them.

i used the whole jar of jeff’s maple caramel apple butter and a bit of the regular apple butter to supplement - about 10-12 oz in total. you don’t need walnuts, but i like em for the extra texture in there.

layerrrrrrrs.

these cinnamon rolls were sooo incredible and enjoyed by everyone living in our household on christmas morning - which is very special. cinnamon rolls are a christmas tradition for me - and i can safely say this version was perhaps the best i’ve made.

the apple butter is so so flavorful but not too sweet - and the mascarpone folded into the dough - fuhgetabouddit. so delicious. i sprinkled some extra brown sugar and cinnamon over the apple butter before rolling up the dough into a log and slicing.

and the smell of them, too! fantastic.

thanks so much, jeff, for sending me the maple caramel apple to try out in a recipe - it couldn’t have gone better, and i can’t wait to make these again next christmas. 😊

jeff’s etsy shoppe is found here in this link, and on instagram, here!

Mascarpone & Maple Caramel Apple Butter Cinnamon Rolls

Makes 8-12 Cinnamon Rolls, depending how you slice them

Active Time: 30 minutes // Bake Time: 30 minutes // Total Time: 3 hours

• Read & Follow JOY THE BAKER’S incredible cinnamon roll method here!

  Full recipe credit to Joy! Changes that I made:

• Use 8 oz. Mascarpone cheese instead of cream cheese to spread and fold into your dough.

• Spread 8 oz. Lovage Homemade Maple Caramel Apple Cider Butter over the rolled out dough (in lieu of the regular filling). Sprinkle a handful of brown sugar and add chopped walnuts, if desired.

• Once the rolls are sliced and placed into baking sheet, sprinkle with additional cinnamon over top.

• Use 3-5 TB. of Mascarpone in Joy’s icing recipe - being careful not to use too much milk, or the icing will be a bit grainy.

• Bake for about 28 minutes for tender & soft cinnamon rolls.

• ENJOY!

qp

mexican chocolate zucchini loaf cake.

wanted to call this "bread," but its pretty much "cake". oh well ;)

i love me a good mexican chocolate anything. i love the warmth and spiciness of cinnamon or nutmeg, and also...actual spiciness from cayenne! 

this bread cake loaf baby will spice up your life.

and boy is it riiiiiiiiiiiiiich. 

and dense. and moist. and textured. and delicious! and it's got two bigass zucchinis in it. so it's full of health.

jk. but dzang i love how far those zucchinis take it. they really add to the moist factor.  [yikes....nobody has yet to come up with a better food word for 'moist'?]

if you're not a fan of spicy foods but enjoy chocolate bread, just omit the cayenne pepper. i think the cinnamon is a must :) maybe throw a dash of nutmeg up in there. 

also, i am fully obsessed with pepitas on everything. in yogurt, on salads, in pasta dishes, on chocolate bread cakes... 

just over here puttin' some pepita in my stepita. 

Mexican Chocolate Zucchini Loaf Cake

Makes 1 loaf

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 tsp. fine sea salt
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1/4 cup milk of choice
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 3/4 cup brown sugar or coconut sugar
• 4 TB. unsalted butter, browned and cooled
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup boiling water
• 2 medium zucchinis, grated (about 2 cups, loosely packed)
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips (+ 1/4 cup for loaf topping)

Toasted Pepitas:

• 3/4 cup raw unsalted pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
• 1/2 TB. coconut oil
• 2 tsp. 100% maple syrup
• 2 tsp. brown sugar or coconut sugar
• dash of cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Instructions-

Use a box grater or large cheese grater to grate the zucchinis. Spread all the grated zucchini on top of a kitchen towel and between layers of paper towels to absorb the excess liquid. Weigh it down with a cookie sheet to absorb more water. You could also squeeze the grated zucchini in a kitchen towel. 

In a small pan on the stove, melt 4 TB of butter on medium heat. Whisk constantly until foamy. Continue whisking until fragrant and brown bits begin to form (about 3 minutes). When butter begins to brown, remove from heat and continue whisking for another 30 seconds so it doesn't burn. Transfer to small bowl and chill in the refrigerator for about 5 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper with excess paper hanging over the sides so that you can lift the loaf out of the pan after cooled. Spray the parchment as well. 

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder & soda, salt, cinnamon and cayenne. In a large bowl, whisk the vegetable oil, egg, and brown sugar or coconut sugar. Stir in the cooled browned butter, vanilla extract, and milk. 

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and combine. Add 1/4 cup of boiling hot water and stir again. Gently fold in the grated zucchini followed by the chocolate chips. 

Pour the batter into the prepared parchment loaf pan and shake until spread even. Place on a cookie sheet in the oven (set timer for 30 minutes if adding toppings).

While the loaf begins to bake, toast the pepitas on the stovetop on medium heat. Melt the coconut oil, add pepitas, maple syrup, brown sugar, cayenne & cinnamon and toss constantly with a spatula until fragrant and lightly browned/sticky (about 2 minutes). Transfer to a plate and dab the excess oil with a paper towel. 

When the loaf has baked for 30 minutes, remove from the oven and gently press the toasted pepitas and 1/4 cup of chocolate chips into the top of the loaf with a spatula. Return to oven and bake for 20-30 more minutes (total bake time = 50 - 65 minutes).  I baked this loaf for 52 minutes total. Test the center of the loaf with a toothpick to see if it comes clean.

Remove from oven and let cool for at least 30 minutes to an hour. Lift the excess parchment to move the entire loaf out of the pan to slice it. Use a hot, dry knife when slicing (pour boiling water on the knife and dry with a towel). 

Enjoy with coffee or milk! Store at room temperature covered tightly. Eat within 3-4 days.

qp