Orange Cinnamon Rolls

Dough:
¾ cup warm orange juice
1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
¼ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
3 to 3½ cups all-purpose flour (I used 1/2 c wheat flour as part of this)

Filling:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
½ cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Orange Icing:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
¼ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1 to 2 tablespoons orange juice

Directions:

Dough:
In a large mixing bowl, combine warm orange juice and yeast; stir and let sit until yeast is dissolved, about 10 minutes. Add sugar, egg, melted butter, salt, and orange zest; beat until mixture is smooth. Add 2 cups flour; stir until well mixed. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.

Turn dough onto a lightly floured pastry mat or pastry board; knead dough until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes, adding additional flour 1 tablespoon at a time if dough is too sticky.

Place dough in a well greased bowl; turn dough over once to grease the top. Cover bowl with a small kitchen towel and let dough rise is a warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.

Prepare one 13x9x2 inch oblong pan; lightly grease the pan with shortening.

Punch dough down then turn onto a lightly floured pastry mat or pastry board; knead dough briefly, 4 to 5 times. Roll the dough into an 18 inch by 9 inch rectangle.

Filling:
Using a pastry brush, brush the top of the dough with melted butter to within ½ inch of the edges.

In a small bowl, stir together sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle sugar cinnamon mixture evenly over buttered dough to within ½ inch of the edges. Roll-up dough jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; pinch the seams together to seal. Slice dough into 1½ inch pieces and place about ½ inch apart in baking pan.

Cover and let rolls rise is a warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Bake:
Bake rolls 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove rolls from oven. Place pan on a wire cooling rack to cool.

Orange Icing:
In a small bowl, combine confectioners sugar, butter, vanilla, orange zest, and enough orange juice to make a good spreading consistency. Spread icing onto still warm rolls.

Makes 12 rolls.

Pumpkin Muffins

1 cup oil
2 cups sugar
3 cups flour
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp ginger
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp Allspice
2 tsp soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups pumpkin
4 eggs
1 pkg (12 oz) chocolate chips (I forgot to add!)

Mix in order listed. Add eggs one at a time. Stir in chocolate chips. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-30 minutes.
Makes 30 muffins.

-Tara W.

Caramel Apple Muffins

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup 2% milk
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped peeled tart apple
12 caramels, chopped

TOPPING:
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup quick-cooking oats
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon
and salt. In another bowl, whisk the egg, milk, butter and vanilla.
Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in apple and
caramels.

Fill paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Combine topping
ingredients; sprinkle over batter.

Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in.

-Valarie H.

Paula Deen's Pumpkin Bars

Bars:
4 eggs
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 15-ounce can pumpkin
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (I subbed 1 of the tsp of cinnamon for 1/2 tsp
cloves, 1/2 tsp ginger)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

Icing:
8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Using an electric mixer at medium speed, combine the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy. Stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth. Spread the batter into a greased 13 by 10-inch baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting. Cut into bars.
To make the icing: Combine the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and mix at low speed until combined. Stir in the vanilla and mix again. Spread on cooled pumpkin bars.

-Amy P.

Oatmeal Apple Pear Crisp

2 cups cooking apples, peeled and sliced (about 2 large)
2 cups pears, peeled and sliced (about 3 large)
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 -2 Tablespoon lemon juice
3/4 cup water

1 cup oats
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, melted


While peeling apples and pears, keep them in the lemon juice so that they don't turn brown. Place apples in a greased shallow 9” square baking dish. Sprinkle (2 Tbsp) brown sugar, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg and water. Combine remaining dry ingredients in a separate bowl; add melted butter, mixing until crumbly. Sprinkle crumb mixture on top of the apples. Bake at 375°F for 30 minutes or until apples are tender.