New Years Brunch, 2022
Lara and I decided we wanted to make some cinnamon rolls over the holidays. We certainly weren’t going to eat a whole batch of them ourselves, so we decided to invite some family over for a New Years Day brunch….
We both love brunch, but rarely get to have people over for a brunch party. This past New Year’s Day was therefore a treat! We had such a fun time coming up with a menu and then buying and preparing everything.
We did need to make a few dairy free items for some family members. There was a few moments of tension early in the mornign when we realized the first batch of cinnamon rolls (the dairy free version) wasn’t going to come out as planned. We pivoted, found a new recipe quick, threw it together and made it all work out in the end. Phew.
Random photos below followed by the recipes. I liked them all and would make again in a heartbeat! Enjoy!
Coconut Oil Cinnamon Rolls
Recipe from Love and Lemons
Ingredients
For the yeast
½ cup warm water, 110°
1 (¼-ounce) package active dry yeast
1 teaspoon cane sugar
Dough
⅓ cup melted coconut oil, plus more for brushing
½ cup almond milk, at room temperature
⅓ cup cane sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt
2¾ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
Filling
½ cup brown sugar
1½ tablespoons cinnamon
Glaze
1½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
3 to 4 tablespoons almond milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Grease an 8x11 or 9x13-inch baking dish. In a small bowl, stir together the water, yeast, and sugar. Set aside for 5 minutes, or until the yeast is foamy.
Make the dough: In a medium bowl, combine the coconut oil, almond milk, sugar, and salt. Stir in the yeast mixture. Place the flour in a large bowl, then add the wet ingredients and stir until combined. The mixture will be sticky. Use your hands to roughly knead the mixture, then turn it out onto a floured surface. Knead 3 to 4 minutes until smooth, sprinkle with more flour if needed, and form into a ball. Brush a large bowl with coconut oil and place the dough inside. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Filling: In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar and cinnamon. Punch down dough and roll out on a floured surface into a 20x14-inch rectangle. Brush with 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar to within ½ inch of the edges. Starting at one of the short 14-inch ends, roll tightly into a log, then slice into 12 rolls. Place the rolls into the baking dish cut-side up, cover, and let rise for 1 hour.
Make the glaze: In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons almond milk, and vanilla until smooth. If it’s too thick, add more almond milk.
Bake: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the rolls 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly golden on top. Remove and allow to cool for 10 minutes, then drizzle the glaze on top and serve.
My (Jana’s) Notes: I made 1.5 x the recipe, cut the dough into thirds, and made 12 normal size from 2/3 of the dough, and 12 mini (from the other 1/3). Didn’t rise as well as liked, maybe didn’t let them rise the first time long enough? They did rise in the oven, but they didn’t get pillowy and soft and fluffy. They seem dense and heavy. We were disappointed. We wanted pillowy and soft.
Later in the day, after everyone left we tried them again and thought they were great, but just not a traditional soft and fluffy cinnamon roll. They are dense, chewy and kind of elastic-y. They aren’t at all dry or dried out, but taste and kind of feel like raw cinnamon roll dough. So although we were disappointed initially (and Lara said we could throw them away), in the end we thought they were fantastic. Just different than a normal roll (maybe because they were a little under-risen, or maybe that’s just how they are!)
Quick and Easy Cinnamon Rolls
From Sally’s Baking Addiction
Ingredients
Rolls
2 and 3/4 cups (344g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)
1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 and 1/4 teaspoons Red Star Platinum Yeast or any instant yeast (1 packet)
1/2 cup (120ml) whole milk
1/4 cup (60ml) water
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large egg
Filling
3 Tablespoons (45g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar or packed light or dark brown sugar
Icing
1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2–3 Tablespoons (30-45ml) strong brewed coffee or milk
Instructions
Make the dough: Whisk the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast together in a large bowl. Set aside.
Combine the milk, water, and butter together in a heatproof bowl. Microwave or use the stove and heat until the butter is melted and the mixture is warm to touch (about 110°F). Pour into the dry ingredients, add the egg, and stir until it forms a soft dough or use your mixer.
On a lightly floured surface using floured hands, knead the dough for 3 minutes. Place in a lightly greased bowl (I use non-stick spray), cover loosely, and let rest for about 10 minutes.
Fill the rolls: After 10 minutes, roll the dough out in a 14×8 inch rectangle. Spread the softened butter on top. Mix together the cinnamon and sugar. Sprinkle it all over the dough. Roll up the dough tightly to make a 14 inch log. Cut into 10-12 even rolls and arrange in a lightly greased 9-inch round cake pan or pie dish.
Rise: Tightly cover the rolls with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm, draft-free environment for 60-90 minutes.
Bake the rolls: After the rolls have doubled in size, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Bake for 25-28 minutes until lightly browned. If you notice the tops are getting too brown too quickly, loosely cover the rolls with aluminum foil and continue baking.
Make the icing: Whisk the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, and coffee/milk together. Drizzle or spread over warm rolls.
MY (Jana’s) NOTES: Had to quick throw these together at 8:00am as the first batch (above) didn’t turn out as desired/expected. Wanted tall, fluffy, rich, decadent cinnamon rolls. These were it. Because I wanted them to be huge I ended up doubling the recipe, yet still cutting them into 12 rolls and baking them in a 9x13 (ish) baking pan. They turned out HUGE!!!! AND SOFT!!!!! They were incredible tall. And so so good! I would definitely double the recipe again. Huge rolls are fun. This is a good old American breakfast pastry at it’s finest. Decadent and over the top. Reminded us a lot of Ida’s cinnamon rolls. They only really needed to rise for 30-40 minutes. The kitchen was warm and they have a lot of yeast. Topped with cream cheese frosting. Probably took less than two hours from start to finish. Dad loved them. With lots of butter…
I don’t know how long them baked because my timer got screwed up. They turned out great, but Lara wanted them a little less brown. So could potentially cover with foil to prevent browning. Or bake them a little less… whatever that would be.
For frosting: 4 ounces cream cheese, 4 tbs butter, added a little milk (maybe wouldn’t need, but the cream cheese wasn’t super soft…). Didn’t use all the frosting.
Croissant Egg Bake
From Pinch of Yum
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, sliced thinly
2 1/2 cups diced ham [I used bacon!]
2–3 ounces fresh baby spinach
1 cup shredded cheese [I used Gruyere]
12 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste
5–6 mini croissants [I used 2-3 regular croissants]
Instructions
Caramelize the Onions: Heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large heavy pan. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes until almost-jammy, onions that are a a really deep, rich, golden brown.
Ham and Spinach: Toss the ham in a skillet with a quick drizzle of olive oil. Pan-fry until the edges are kind of browned and some of the fat is rendered. Throw in your spinach. Stir to wilt the spinach. Remove from heat.
Eggs: Whisk eggs with the milk, dijon, salt, and pepper.
Layer: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×13 baking dish. Layer the ham, spinach, and onions on the bottom. Sprinkle with half of the cheese. Pour eggs over. Arrange croissant pieces on top. Finish with remaining cheese.
Bake: Cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes, depending on oven and pan size. Remove foil and bake for another 5-10 minutes. You don’t want to overcook the eggs (gross) but the middle should be almost completely firm when you give the pan a quick jiggle test. You’ll also notice the whole thing will be just starting to puff up a bit. Slice, serve, and brunch forward!
MY (Jana’s) NOTES: Bought 3 Field and Fire croissants, used probably about 2 of them, plus a little. Would probably be fine if you used 2 large croissants. Ended up adding 4 extra eggs (with a splash of milk) because it just didn’t seem like enough with 12. It turned out great! I would probably always do 16 eggs, adjusting the milk accordingly. I used bacon instead of ham. Otherwise left it all the same. Was great! Easy to adapt the flavors as needed.
Cheese: Filled a 2 cup pyrex lightly with gruyere comte cheese. Wasn’t overly cheesy. I don’t think it needs more, but more would certainly fit if you wanted it super cheesy.
Sausage Sweet Potato Egg Bake
From Aimee Mars Living
Ingredients
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 lb ground turkey [or turkey/chicken breakfast sausage!]
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
12 large eggs
1 small sweet potato
1 cup fresh spinach
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375℉ and grease a 9 x 9 baking dish with coconut oil and set aside. Peel and slice the sweet potato, making sure to cut them 1/4-inch slices (any thicker and they won't be tender). Line the bottom of the greased baking dish with the sliced potatoes in a single layer, some overlap is okay.
Melt 1 tablespoon of coconut oil in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat add the ground turkey and season with additional spices if desired. Using a spatula break the meat apart and cook until browned, about 3 to 5 minutes. Drain and place on top of the sweet potato layer.
In a medium bowl beat the eggs with a whisk until combined. Add the paprika, garlic powder, and any additional salt and pepper if desired. Pour over the ground turkey layer.
Place the dish in the oven and cook for 30 minutes. Carefully slide the dish out, without removing it from the oven, and top with the spinach. Return to its position and continue cooking for 5 to 15 minutes until the center of the casserole is firm. I usually cook my casserole for 40 to 45 minutes in total.
MY (Jana’s) NOTES: Super easy. Used chicken breakfast sausage from Rakowski. A full pound. Added a small amount of fresh spinach to the sausage before adding the egg. Didn’t add the spices called for in the recipe because I did use the breakfast sausage instead of plain ground turkey. I sliced the sweet potato very thin. You don’t use very much sweet potato at all because it is raw and has to be sliced so thin. A nice accent, but if you wanted to use a little more sweet potato I would consider slicing and par baking the sweet potato and then putting the dish together. Maybe you wouldn’t need to par-bake the sweet potato, but maybe you would. I will have to experiment.