Chef Frankie Celenza's Cinnamon Roll Casserole

All photos: Struggle Meals

I have a delicious recipe for Cinnamon rolls, but sometimes I don't think to start it the night before in order to eat them for breakfast. That's where this recipe from Chef Frankie Celenza of Struggle Meals comes in as a delicious alternative! His recipe takes less time to render a delicious hot gooey cinnamon pastry with cream cheese frosting. Instead of making homemade dough that rises overnight, then again in the morning, day old bread is cubed and baked crispy, then you cook a simple vanilla custard to pour on top and bake it in a cast iron skillet until bubbly and brown in the oven. Following is Frankie's recipe with my tweaks in blue lightening it up a tad. (I never have cream or cooking spray, so I make the substitutions typed in blue):

Ingredients:

12 ounces leftover bread (about 8 cups), cut into 1-inch cubes 3 cups whole milk - I substitute skim milk. 2 cups heavy cream - I substitute condensed milk. 1 cup light brown sugar - I use 1/2 cup brown sugar since you drizzle frosting on top at the end, it is sweet enough. 3 butter packets I omit the butter. Instead I butter the cast iron skillet for the butter taste. 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

5 large eggs

1/2 tsp salt 1 cup powdered sugar

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

2 butter packets - I omit the butter, don't miss it in frosting drizzle. 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 3 tablespoons whole milk - I use skim milk.

Directions: 1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Spray a 12 inch cast iron skillet with non stick spray. I substitute butter to grease the pan. 2. Add bread cubes to the sheet pan and toast in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Remove and set aside. Turn the oven up to 350 degrees F.

3. Heat milk, cream, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, salt and vanilla in a large saucepan on low, stirring until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

4. Transfer bread cubes to the prepared cast iron skillet. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl. Slowly drizzle the milk and cream mixture into the eggs, continuously whisking to temper the eggs so they don't coagulate. Pour the mixture over the bread. Press down on the bread to make sure it’s fully soaking in the liquid. Soak for 20 minutes.

5. Bake until the top is golden and pudding is set, 1 hour and 25-30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

6. Combine the powdered sugar and cream cheese to a large bowl and stir well with a rubber spatula. Add the butter, vanilla, and whole milk and stir until smooth.

There are 8 servings, and the recipe can easily be halved for smaller gatherings.

 

As I confessed previously, sometimes I'll share a recipe on THE SAVVY SHOPPER so I, too, can return here to make it again. Simpler than my bread pudding. Thank you, Chef Frankie Celenza, for this keeper! Readers, I linked Struggle Meals on this blog's sidebar for other tasty Chef Frankie dishes.

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Snickerdoodle Cake

Photo: Foodnetwork using a whipped egg white frosting and torching it, I simplified the frosting.

Due to the gas shutoff (after the hookah smoker's fire) in our building, I haven't posted recipes on THE SAVVY SHOPPER lately. Have you noticed? I miss baking yet meanwhile, discovered snickerdoodle cookies. After ConEd gives us the green light to return gas to our apartment line, I'll make this cake. As usual, I like to share ... but also can click here myself to remember how to make it (the one and only time, I'm not testing my tweaks beforehand. But, no worries, it's a simple butter cake flavored with cinnamon and brown sugar, therefore I can eyeball the ingredients :) --

Snickerdoodle Cake

Photo: thespuceeats

Ingredients:

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter (at room temperature)
1/2 cup white sugar 
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup buttermilk
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs (Add one at a time and beat in-between.)
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 tablespoon vanilla

Extra butter to grease your cake pans.

Directions:

1) With an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugars.

2) Add one egg at a time. Incorporate.

3) Next add the buttermilk, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

4) Toss in the rest of the flavorings: cinnamon and vanilla. Mix until uniform about 2 minutes.

Usually I use two pans, than if I desire four layers, I cut each cake layer in half. However, you can use 4 cake pans if you wish.

5) Pour the batter into 2 well greased 9" cake pans. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 30 minutes, or until done in the center. 

6) After removing from the oven, let the cake cool for about 5 minutes, scraping the sides of each pan with a knife. Wait a beat and while they are still warm, remove from the cake pans. (Too hot, they fall apart, but if no longer warm, they stick to the sides of the pans and fall apart.) After removal, cool completely.

Snickerdoodle Frosting

Ingredients:

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup condensed milk (or rich cream, I never stock it.)
2 teaspoons vanilla (or more!)
2 teaspoons cinnamon (or more!)
5 cups of confectionery sugar (I just grab the box and add powdered sugar until I get a stiff, yet creamy consistency.)

Optional: Add 2 - 3 tablespoons of soft butter (I usually skip the butter in the frosting. The butter will help keep the frosting moist if you plan to eat the cake days later, as well as, add flavor and more calories. (You must take the bad with the good.)

Directions:

Generously, frost all your cake layers. Some people sprinkle the frosted cake with cinnamon sugar, but I don't. I might sprinkle a little cinnamon powder on top to garnish.

++++++++++++++++++++++
Should we turn the recipe into a Single Serving Mug Cake?

Ingredients:

Photo: sugarandspiceglitter

1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
6 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 pinch of salt
Skip the egg (unless you use the rest (minus a tablespoon) of it for something else). Substitute 1 tablespoon of applesauce; or mashed banana; or mashed avocado; or even a nut butter.
3 tablespoons buttermilk (If the batter needs a tad more, add it drops at a time)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla (or more!)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

1) Mix the ingredients (in the order as the above cake directions, beating with a fork in the same mug you will use to bake it in the microwave. Incorporate well.

2) Microwave for one minute. Check it. Microwave for 10 seconds more at a time until done.  

3) Frost the mug cake by making a small portion of the frosting above. Eyeball the amount. Garnish the top with cinnamon. 

Baking is science, but not rocket science. Enjoy!


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Cinnamon Raisin Nut Swirl Bread

Photo: Belgoods.com

Usually when I make homemade bread I'm forced to make 2 loaves at once, which is more bread then I care to eat. Yes, I know I could freeze one, but often I'd rather make one fresh loaf, enjoy eating it, then go on to some other food. So I've got this tasty bread recipe down to a single loaf, and I add all the things I like: cinnamon, raisins and nuts. The cinnamon swirl filling makes it extra cinnamon delish! (You can skip the cinnamon swirl filling if you wish, but really why would you?!) Also, I prefer a sweet bread that is sweet enough without being too sugary, therefore I don't put much sugar in the dough itself; rather I add a swirl of cinnamon brown sugar. Finally, the raisins add moisture, so the loaf will stay fresh longer.

Cinnamon Raisin Walnut Swirl Bread

Ingredients

3 cups all purpose flour (I also use all whole wheat flour. The loaf is whole grain, not as light as using white flour, but still fluffy.)

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon fast acting dried yeast

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 cup raisins (Raisin lovers can go up to 1 cup.)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (or pecans work.)

1 3/4 cup milk (or buttermilk; or 1 3/4 water with 8 tablespoons dry powder milk)

2 eggs

About 1 cup of extra flour for folding over the dough on a cutting board. (You end up using 4 cups of flour to make 1 loaf.)

Directions:

1) In a mixing bowl whisk, or use the handle of a wooden spoon to stir the dry ingredients together.

2) Mix in the wet ingredients. Add the ingredients in the above recipe in order if you wish. Incorporate well with the whisk, or handle of the wooden spoon. Form into a ball. I moisten the top with a little water.

3) Cover the dough in the bowl with a towel, or plastic wrap, and let it rise overnight in a warm place. I place the dough inside of my oven. The pilot light keeps it warm.

4) The next morning after the dough has doubled, slide it out of the bowl onto a floured cutting board. No need to knead much (the overnight rising kneads the dough). Simply fold it over a few times. {I pour a teaspoon of olive oil on my hands so the dough won't stick as I work it. I also think olive oil (or butter!) locks in the moisture of the bread after it is baked.} Flatten the dough out to prepare to add the swirl filling --

Cinnamon Brown Sugar Filling

Ingredients and directions: 

Combine 1/3 cup brown sugar with 1 teaspoon cinnamon.

(Substitute white sugar if you wish. The nutrition and calories are the same as brown sugar.)

5) With the dough flatten out, sprinkle and spread the cinnamon sugar evenly on top, then grabbing an edge, roll the dough up into a loaf, and pop it into a greased loaf pan. Cover again with a towel.

Photo: findingtimeforcooking.com

6) Let it proof for a 2nd time in a warm place for about 1 hour.

7) Next bake in a 350 degree F oven for 30 - 40 minutes until it forms a golden crust and an inserted tester produces a crumb.

8) When the bread is done, remove it from the oven; wait 10 minutes; remove from the pan; let it cool a bit (if you can!) before slicing.

The bread is delicious on day one, as well as, toasted days later. To eat fresh bread, slice and store it in the freezer, not the refrigerator (which dries it out). Remove a slice at a time to pop into a toaster.

Baking bread from scratch is easy. Enjoy!

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