The copycat cook strikes again with three new "follow along" recipes. These were a big hit amongst the men in the house, and my mother. The Pioneer Woman Cookbook is the greatest thing since sliced bread. She is making me look like a real pro, this I tell you; is no lie.
I wanted to try the Cinnamon Rolls {page 38}, the Jalapeno Poppers {page 16}, the Twice Baked Bake Potatoes Page 152}, and Marlboro Mans Sandwich {Page 88}. All this on Sept 11th, so you know I was running back and forth listening to the reading of the names from The World Trade Center & those who lost their lives in the planes, as well as the names called for Flight 93, and The Pentagon. It was a busy morning to say the least. I had come up with the perfect plan. Saturday the 10th I worked up until 7pm, I would come home and start working on the dough for the Cinnamon Rolls. Get the rolls placed in all the pans I pulled out, and freeze them {just like the P.W. states in her book} then simply bake them the next morning. That Saturday was a busy crazy day, and I am not to sure what happened but, I could not keep myself awake. So I got my "Baking Area" ready for the dough and began there. I figured if nothing else, I could at least prepare the dough and add the fixings in the morning, let the dough rise, and bake. My intentions were good.
Making the dough ...
The next morning {and before the sun woke I might add} my alarm rings, I am up and ready to begin where I left off, of course, after a cup of coffee or two .. Then the rolling and tender touches begin.
Because my mothers kitchen is small, open but small in counter space, I used the glass top kitchen table as my baking area. It worked and served the purpose but, I would had loved to have a butcher block baking table at my fingertips. With everything on the table and ready, I began to make the Cinnamon filling.
See this rolling pin? There is history in the orange handles of this pin. My grand mother used this very rolling pin for baking, some 40 plus years ago. When my mother baked for my father, this very rolling pin was used, and here I am using the very same rolling pin. It made me feel good to hold the same pin as the great bakers of our family.
Let the Filling begin ...
Mm mm. Words can not express the wonderful smell in the house this morning. The pans of Cinnamon Rolls did not cool fully, before the men in the house were dipping and dabbing.
Yummy ...
As the rolls attempted to cool, I was on to the next course. Jalapeno Poppers, another hot item when they were fully cooked and ready to serve. Now, for some reason {brain freeze, I am going to guess} I forgot to take a picture of the poppers when they were fully cooked and completed. But trust me when I tell you... They did not last long either. Ree was right, I watched them disappear quite quickly.
Another thing that Ree was correct about, was how hot the juice from the peppers is. I wore gloves, make no mistake about that, but as I was scrapping out the seeds and membranes, the juicy jalapenos made themselves known by squirting me a few times. After the first gradual heat increase on my cheek and eye lid, I switched from using a spoon to remove the seeds and membranes; to using a grapefruit tool. You know, the tool that is used to cut around the membrane inside the grapefruit. It made removing the seeds and membranes from the jalapenos easier. Not that there wasn't an occasional squirt or two.
While the poppers were baking, and the cinnamon rolls were cooling, I finished putting the last minute touches on the Twice Baked Potatoes, and started on the Marlboro Man Sandwich. The poppers in the oven, the potatoes in the microwave as the extra cheese was melting, the cinnamon rolls cooking, the men watching football; as I ran back and forth attempting to watch the 9/11 tributes. Quite the busy morning it turned out to be.
Right after the first baking ..
Before I added the poppers ....
What a mouth watering lunch meal this was. Well, it started out to be lunch, by the time this rookie copycat was done cooling, it was a dinner meal. I would suggest cooking it all, that goes without saying, but the next time I am going to make this meal... I am going to prepare everything the night before. This way, on the day we eat it, all that is left to do is popping everything in the oven.
*** On a side note *** When I came home with this weeks grocery items; the first thing everyone looked for was the jalapeno peppers.
Oh yeah, they were a huge hit.
Thanks REE for making me a fabulous cook for a day!!!
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