9x13 The Pan that Can

Okay, is it just me or is that an awesome title for a cookbook?
 I totally love it!
 I bought this cookbook at a garage sale for $0.50. Yes, fifty cents!! I think it is going to be so much fun. I am going to use it as an inspiration for my blog posts, and just in the kitchen in general! Who doesn't need some kitchen inspiration?

I am involved with a ministry to the seniors at our church where, with a couple other families, we get to make a group of them breakfast once a month. It is so fun and I totally love it. They are so sweet and gracious to us, even when I feel like things didn't come out the way I had hoped!

 They are great to our kids and our kids have the opportunity to serve in this regular way. They set the tables, help cook the food and set it out and help clean up. So when I was out garage-saling last Saturday I found two cookbooks that I had to have, the Company's Coming Breakfast and Brunches cookbook and this little gem



I really like Company's Coming cookbooks because they are full of regular recipes that use regular ingredients that most people have on hand, or at least you can find them in the grocery store easily.  But the downside is that each book only covers one kind of food - Chicken, Bread, Desserts, etc, all need their own cookbook - which is great from a marketing perspective, but gets to be a little much in the cookbook cupboard!  So I do have a few of these kinds that I love, love, love!!  Books that have a little of everything in them!

This book's gimmick is that every recipe in the book is to be made in a 9x13 pan.  Who doesn't have one of those, right?  I have a couple!  So I really wanted to make something yummy for the first recipe from the book.

So I looked through the pasta section, the poultry section, the casseroles, the desserts, and I had to go with one from the breakfast and brunch section - one that they deemed good enough for the cover, one that was even deemed "Best Ever" - I mean, doesn't that just scream challenge?

So we made the "Best Ever Cinnamon Rolls"!!  I don't know what the rules are about sharing recipes on your blog that came from a cookbook, but since my blog isn't all that public, I am going to share the recipe anyway!

 4 1/2 to 5 cups of all purpose flour
1 package of active dry yeast
1 cup milk
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
3 eggs
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup chopped pecans (toasted if desired)
1 recipe of Powdered Sugar icing

Mix together 2 1/4 cups of flour and the yeast in a large bowl and set aside.  In a saucepan heat milk with butter sugar and salt until warm and butter is just melted.  Add to dry ingredients along with eggs and beat for 30 seconds on low, scraping the bowl.  Beat on high for 3 minutes.  Add in enough flour to make the batter release from sides of bowl.  Knead for 3-5 minutes on a lightly floured board or countertop, producing a soft dough that is smooth and elastic. shape into a ball and put into a greased bowl, turning dough once to grease the top.  Cover with tea towel and let rise for 60 to 90 minutes.

Punch down dough.

Turn it onto a lightly floured board or counter and cover and let rest for 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, lightly grease your 9x13 pan and set aside.  For filling, combine brown sugar and flour and cinnamon.  Cut in butter until crumbly.

Roll out the dough to a 12x18 inch rectangle. sprinkle filling over top and top with raisins and pecans.  Roll up starting at the long edge and cut into 12 equal pieces.

Place cut side up in pan, cover lightly and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.  Bake in a 375 degree oven for 25 minutes.  When slightly cool, drizzle with icing.  enjoy!

 So now, were they the best ever??  No, and yes.  They weren't the best because the recipe only makes 12.  When you have a family of 8 that is just silly!  Also, they were a bit yeasty.  I don't like doughs that don't have you proof the yeast first and then add the rest of the ingredients...I always find them a bit yeasty.  But the filling was SPECTACULAR!  I will always add flour to the filling from now on - it actually stayed in the buns!  Delicious!  And the addition of toasted pecans was AMAZING!  We did not put in raisins....because that is just gross!

Next time we make cinnamon buns with our regular dough we will definitely use this filling! and pecans!

Don't ask for the nutrition facts...you don't want to know!