Posted on

Cinnamon Rolls with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

If you are looking for a treat and have some time to spare, try my twist on cinnamon rolls.

The foundation of the rolls is a rich, eggy challah dough. We then couple the tangy tartness of craisins with a light lemon cream cheese frosting. It’s a sweet treat that is not overpowering and is family approved.

Start with one of my favorite bread doughs, challah. We’ve made this recipe in my home for 20 years or more. The dough is smooth and easy to handle. It adapts well for use in cinnamon rolls and other desserts. (See my prior blog post that uses challah loaves in a bread pudding.)

When Rebecca and I married more than 30 years ago, my Grandmother Gibson gave us a Bosch bread mixer. We use it all the time; it’s still going strong after all these years. I can’t imagine making bread without our Bosch.

Challah

  • 1 tablespoon yeast
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 cups warm milk (about 110*)
  • 1 tablespoon sugar

Proof the yeast in 1/2 cup milk mixed with the sugar. It will be frothy in about 10 to 15 minutes. Add the remainder of the milk and the two cups flour. Cover the bowl and let it stand for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. The sponge will be bubbling when it’s ready.

  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1/2 cup canola oil or other vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 5 eggs
  • 5 cups all-purpose flour

Sprinkle the sugar and salt over the sponge, then add the oil and the vanilla. Gently beat the eggs; pour the eggs into the sponge. Mix the sponge until the ingredients are incorporated.

Add the flour one cup at a time, mixing after each addition until the flour is incorporated. You will start to get a soft dough. If the dough is too wet, add flour gradually, 1/4 cup at a time. Knead the dough until it is soft and springy.

Grease a large bowl with about 2 tablespoons of canola oil. Place the dough in the bowl, then turn the dough over so that it is oiled on all sides. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let the dough rise until it doubles in size, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Divide the dough into three equal pieces. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a large rectangle, about 12 x 18 inches. You will repeat these steps three times (once for each piece of dough), so remember to divide the remaining ingredients into thirds as you proceed forward. If you have more dough than you can use in one sitting, you can freeze it for later use. (Or you can bake it into a gorgeous loaf of challah bread.) If you choose to freeze the dough for later use, remember to decrease the remaining ingredients as you move forward.

Cinnamon Roll Filling

  • 20 tablespoons melted butter (2 1/2 sticks), divided
  • 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 cups craisins (or other dried fruit)
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Melt the butter. Using a pastry brush or your fingers, spread about 1/4 cup of melted butter over the dough. Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon. Spread about 1/4 cup of the mixture over the dough. Spread 1/2 cup each of craisins and nuts over the dough.

Roll the dough into a log.  Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into 2-inch segments. You should have about 8 or 9 rolls from each piece of dough.

I like to bake cinnamon rolls in disposable foil trays. I can give some cinnamon rolls to friends and they won’t have to worry about returning a pan to me. But you may want to bake the rolls in a 9 x 13 pan instead.

Pour 1/2 cup of the melted butter into the bottom of your baking pan. Sprinkle in about 1/2 cup of the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture. Then place your cinnamon rolls in the pan.

I

Cover the rolls with a kitchen towel, and let them rise about 1 hour.

Bake at 350* until the rolls are golden brown, about 30 to 35 minutes.

Top the cinnamon rolls with lemon cream cheese frosting.

Molly’s Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 16 tablespoons butter (2 sticks), softened
  • 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
  • 6 to 8 cups of powdered sugar
  • zest of one lemon
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • juice of 1 lemon (to taste)

Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter until it is creamy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the cream cheese, and mix for about 3 minutes more.

Add the lemon zest, vanilla, and (approximately) 1 tablespoon lemon juice to the butter and cream cheese mixture. Then add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing after each addition. The mixture should be light and fluffy. Add lemon juice to taste.

I typically use all of the lemon juice and no more than 6 cups of powdered sugar. Add more powdered sugar if you like a sweeter frosting. The frosting should be fluffy and spreadable. If it is too thick, mix in some milk, one tablespoon at a time.

When the cinnamon rolls have cooled, frost the rolls. If you have some frosting left over, it makes a great topping for pancakes or waffles.

Enjoy.

Posted on

Negotiating with Bullies

Photo by Daniel Delle Donne on Unsplash

At some point in your business dealings, you will have to negotiate with a bully.

Bullies take many forms and employ different negotiating styles. The classic bully tries to intimidate you into doing what she wants. Her typical tactics are pressure and threats.

Other bullies are easy to get along with,  but try to gain power in the negotiation by taking extreme (and irrational) positions. They overreach, then try to get you to “split the difference” based on their initial unreasonable position.

Remember, the person with the least amount of interest controls the negotiation. So if you want to shift the power in the negotiation, you have to persuade the bully that you are willing to walk away from the negotiation. You have to become the person with the least amount of interest — or at least convince the bully that you are willing to walk away from the negotiating table.

Silence can be a valuable tactic in your negotiations with a bully.

A bully gains power by getting you to engage with him. He hopes that you will become stressed and frustrated, which will lead you to accept a bad deal with him. If you refuse to engage with the bully, he loses power over you. Your silence can help shift the balance of power.

Bullies thrive on conflict, the messier the better. They know that most people find conflict distressing. And, when thrust into a distressing situation, most people will do anything to relieve their discomfort, even if it means entering into a deal that they will regret once the conflict has ended.

When you refuse to engage with a bully, you switch the tables on him. You become the person with the least interest in the negotiation, which gives you control over the negotiation.

Silence — refusing to engage — can be a useful tactic in your negotiations with a bully.

Posted on

A Solution in Search of a Problem

During my freshman year in college, I took an entry-level sociology class. I candidly do not remember much from the class. After all, I was young and inexperienced. I still had a lot to learn about how social issues impact large groups of people.

Nonetheless, I learned a principle that has stuck with me for more than 40 years. Midway through the semester, the professor explained a concept that has forever changed how I view organizations.

When an organization is formed to address a cause, the continued existence of the organization becomes more important than the cause.

To emphasize his point, the professor referenced the March of Dimes, a group that was founded in 1938 to combat polio. The group was highly efficient in raising money to fight the dreaded disease. By the late 1950s, polio had been eradicated, thanks to the life-saving vaccine developed by Dr. Jonas Salk and funding from the March of Dimes.

My professor explained that the March of Dimes was a wonderful organization that had accomplished great things. The group came into existence to fight a horrible disease. And it succeeded in eliminating the disease.

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

But as a result of its success, the March of Dimes had a full-blown institution in place with no battle to fight. Rather than disband, the group changed its focus (today we would say it “rebranded” itself) from fighting polio to fighting birth defects because, as my professor cynically explained, “No one can ever eliminate all birth defects.” By changing its focus from fighting polio to fight birth defects, the March of Dimes became immortal.

My professor did not tell the story to condemn the March of Dimes. Rather, he referenced it to show the sociological phenomenon of institutional self-preservation.

I’ve thought about that principle repeatedly over the years. Every day, passionate people start new organizations to address serious social needs. Businesses, political organizations, and community groups all come to life around a common vision championed by true believers who are fervent in their desire to fight for their noble cause.

Over time, however, organizations that once operated on a shoestring can find themselves flush with cash. They hire professional staff to battle for their cause. The group accomplishes some worthwhile goal, which emboldens the organization to continue pursuing its cause. Gradually the focus of the organization changes from fighting for the cause to ensuring the continued existence of the organization, along with the attendant power, prestige, and paychecks that accompany the fight.

Consider the organizations that you belong to. Do they still meet the stated objectives that caused you to join? Or has the purpose of the group morphed into something other than what initially drew you into the group? If you and the organization no longer have compatible expectations, it may be time to leave the group. And if the organization has fulfilled its stated purpose, it may be time to disband the group.

Human nature recoils at shutting down a vibrant organization simply because it no longer fills the need it was created to address. Instead, once an organization is set into motion, it will grow and expand its reach as it morphs its mission to justify its continued existence.

Rather than seeking to fulfill an urgent need, the organization becomes a solution in search of a problem.

Posted on

Double Chocolate Blueberry Scones

Those of you who know me know that I like to make scones. They are great for a quick breakfast or snack. And the basic recipe is versatile and easy to vary. I can use whatever we already have on stock at home.

I previously shared the recipe for Bacon Cheese Scones. This recipe starts with the same basic ingredients, but adds some chocolate-y and fruity goodness. And everyone loves chocolate.

This version incorporates both cocoa powder and chocolate chips for a rich double chocolate flavor.

Experiment with different ingredients to find your favorite combination. Substitute peppermint pieces and extract for the chocolate chips and vanilla. Try different dried fruits. (I especially like dried cherries.) Add some toasted pecans or walnuts. Replace the cocoa powder and vanilla with sliced almonds, craisins, and almond extract. Be adventurous. Your taste buds will thank you.

Ingredients

Start with the ingredients for a basic sweet scone.

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Your variety comes from the mix-ins. For the double chocolate scones, I use

  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup dried blueberries

Directions

Preheat over to 450*.

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cocoa in a food processor. Pulse until mixed (1 or 2 times). Add the butter. Pulse until the butter is the size of a pea. Alternatively, you can cut in the butter using a fork or a pastry blender.

Add in the chocolate chips and blueberries. With the processor running on low, slowly add the whipping cream and vanilla until a dough forms. Do not over mix.

Turn out the dough on a clean surface. You may still have patches of dry ingredients in the dough (see photo below).

Gently knead the dough to incorporate any remaining dry ingredients. Pat the dough into a round disk about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick.

With a 2-inch cookie cutter, cut out individual scones. Place the scones on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone sheet. Gather any scraps of dough, pat out into a disk, and cut additional scones. You should have 12 to 14 scones.

Bake the scones for 12 to 15 minutes.

Alternate Directions

Special Request from my sister, Liz Marquez.

If you are really ambitious, you can use fresh blueberries (or other fruit) in lieu of dried fruit. The fresh fruit adds liquid to your mixture, so decrease the amount of whipping cream slightly by a tablespoon or so.

Follow the directions above until you are ready to add the chocolate chips and the blueberries. Transfer the dry ingredients to a large bowl. Mix in the chocolate chips. Then add the blueberries. Gently fold the whipping cream and the vanilla into the dry ingredients until the dry ingredients are fully incorporated. Pat the dough out into a disk, and follow the remaining directions from above.