Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls

This week I got to go caving with my 8th graders! That's right, I the BinomialBaker, crawled through a cave.  In science, the 8th graders are learning about caves and so we take a trip to Eagle Cave to explore.  It was a great trip where we got to "free cave" for about 2 hours and then also had an hour for a "dark experience" where we had to walk through an area of the cave in complete darkness and nothing but a rope keeping us together.  I had a blast!

I was really nervous about this experience, but it was "challenge by choice" and I chose to challenge myself.  I was pretty scared of the dark experience, but I sucked it up and had a great time with the kids.  I also went for the bear squeeze, which was terrifying, but rewarding when I was able to make it through!  I got to know a bunch of new kids and I was able to get closer to kids from my class.  We had a great day caving and then got Culver's on the way back! I felt a little like an 8th grader myself!

Now, I am bumped and bruised and the entire left side of my body is really sore, but it was so worth it! Plus, I have a great comforting fall recipe to share today.  It is the perfect treat for breakfast, or anytime!  I made Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls and after a crazy day in the cave, it was great to warm up with a yummy cinnamon roll and watch some TV to give my aching body a little break.

Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls (adapted from A Full Measure of Happiness)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup skim milk, warmed (I microwaved it for 1 minute)
2 tsp active dry yeast
1 tbsp low-sugar maple syrup
1 cup mashed sweet potato (I microwaved a medium-large sweet potato for 6 minutes then peeled it and mashed it)
1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 tbsp egg whites
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp unsalted butter
cinnamon and sugar

Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 oz low-fat cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:
1. Mix warm milk, yeast, and maple syrup together in a small bowl and set to the side until it becomes bubbly, about 7-8 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, beat the sweet potato, egg whites, olive oil, 1 cup of flour, and salt.
3. Mix in the yeast combination until well combined, and then mix in the rest of the flour until just combined.  Switch to a dough hook and knead for about 8 minutes.  The mixture will form into a ball, but it will still be sticky.  Cover the dough with a towel and let rise for about 1-2 hours or until doubled in size.
4. Place the dough on a clean and lightly floured surface and roll it out into a rectangle about 4 inches wide and 18 inches long.  Melt the butter and then drizzle over the dough so that it covers all of it except for about 1/2 inch around the sides.  Sprinkle a good about of sugar and then cinnamon over the dough.
5. Starting with one of the long edges, roll the dough tightly until you get close to the other side.  Take the other side and wrap over the top of the rolled dough.  Cut into about 12 pieces and place in 2 round pans.  Cover the pans and let the rolls rise for about 30 minutes, or until doubled in size.
6. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and bake for about 15 minutes.
7.  Drizzle with your favorite glaze, or make this fantastic cream cheese frosting to slather on top: mix the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla together until well combined and creamy.  Spread over the warm rolls!

Enjoy!

This recipe featured on Foodie Friends Friday!

Crazy Cookie Butter Bars

Woah! I am once again amidst a crazy week, but I had such a spectacular weekend, I just had to tell you about it!

I am the fundraising chair in my fraternity this year and coming into the year, I was super nervous about it.  I've never been good with asking people for money and I was a little scared about the pressure of making money for my group this year.  I planned a "Cup Night" at the Nitty Gritty where you sell cups for 5 dollars and those cups get people specials throughout the night.  It was simple, a bunch of girls came with me to help sell cups, and we made a huge profit off of it! I was so excited at how successful the evening was and I gave me a boost of confidence with this whole fundraising thing.

Next, there was also a home game this weekend against the University of Illinois.  This is where my brother goes to school and so there was a lot of pressure here for the Badgers to win.  The added component of sibling rivalry made the event even more special.  The game was FREEZING, but we won!  Afterwards, I had a fantastic dinner at Diego's Mexican Bistro and then a movie night at my friend's apartment.  It was a great day!

Sunday was all about getting work done and getting ready for another crazy week.  I also got in a run and did Zumba which was really nice.  Overall, it was a great weekend that, of course, went by too quickly.

Today, I am sharing a recipe for Crazy Cookie Butter Bars.  It is fantastic, make them, and then reminisce about a great weekend.  You won't regret it.

Crazy Cookie Butter Bars (adapted from Butter Me Up, Brooklyn!)

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 (heaping) tsp cinnamon
4 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 cup cookie butter
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 (heaping) tsp cinnamon
Frosting:
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/3 (heaping) cup cookie butter
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
about 4 tbsp skim milk

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 9 by 13 inch baking dish.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon together.
3. In a large bowl, beat room temperature butter, cookie butter and both sugars on high until well combined.  Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and then the vanilla until well combined.  Slowly, mix in the dry ingredients until just combined.
4. Spread the batter into your prepared pan.
5. Next, take the 1 tbsp of sugar and other 1/2 tsp of cinnamon and mix them together in a small bowl.  Sprinkle this mixture on top of your prepared cookie bars.  Bake for about 35 minutes or until sides begin to turn brown and the middle is set. Let cool.
6. While your bars are baking, make the frosting: combine the butter and cookie butter until light and fluffy.  Slowly beat in the powdered sugar until combined.  Start with 2 tbsp of milk and add more as needed until you have a desired consistency. Spread your frosting over your cooled cookie bars.

Enjoy :)

Crazy Cookie Cupcakes

It's time for yet another Foodie Friends Friday! That means its the end of one crazy week.

My student teaching experience is fairly difficult.  I am in a rather rough classroom and I have never experienced anything like this before.  I am grateful for the experience, but I am learning first hand how hard it is to focus on good teaching when you are so preoccupied with bad behavior.  Typically, I just don't know where to draw the line.  When do I redirect? When does the behavior become so bad that they need to be sent out of the room?  It's really tricky especially when you have no prior experience!  Monday was just plain nuts, Tuesday was a tad better, Wednesday I got observed so I was a nervous wreck, and by Thursday, I was just excited for Friday!  Thursday was a review day and today is a test!

Assessments are interesting because I finally get to see where the students are in terms of understanding.  Sometimes with all the craziness that can happen in that classroom, I find it hard to gage how quieter students are feeling.  Also, many times I have been pleasantly surprised by the tests! We use standards based grading and I like it because then I can truly assess student understanding instead of simply right or wrong answers.  This type of grading system requires me to really think about what I want the students to understand.  What are the essential concepts and what should be the enduring understanding?  I find this to be really great practice.

So, after a crazy week, I can't wait for another Foodie Friends Friday and this Friday I am sharing a crazy recipe: Crazy Cookie Cupcakes.  There are oreos on the bottom, cookie dough in the middle, and cooking dough frosting slathered on top.  This is one crazy cupcake!  I got the idea from Cookies & Cups and then I adapted the frosting and made my own homemade yellow cake mix from a recipe at Chickens in the Road.  I made mini cupcakes and I was able to make about 72 mini cupcakes.  If you make big cupcakes, you will probably make around 24-30.

Crazy Cookie Cupcakes

Ingredients:
24-30 oreos (whole for big cupcakes or crumbled for mini)
Homemade Cake Mix:
2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 cup non-fat dry milk
3/4 cup water
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3 eggs
Cookie Dough Filling:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup skim milk
2 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 cup mini chocolate chips
Cookie Dough Frosting:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
2-4 tbsp milk

Directions:
1. Make the cookie dough filling: beat the butter, brown sugar, and sugar together until creamy.  Beat in the milk and vanilla until well combined.  Beat in the flour and salt until just combined.  Stir in the chocolate chips.  Form tbsp sized balls of cookie dough and place on a pan lined with parchment paper.  Freeze for at least 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 350 and line your cupcake pans with liners.  For mini cupcakes, sprinkle a layer of crumbed oreos into each cupcake.  For large cupcakes, simply place an oreo into each cupcake.

3. Make the cake batter: In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and dry milk together.  Beat in the water, butter, vanilla, and eggs until well combined. Set aside.
4. Fill each cupcake well with batter until 1/2 full.  Place a frozen cookie dough ball into each cupcake well.
5.  Bake for about 18-20 minutes.  Let cool completely.

6. Make the frosting: beat the butter and both sugars together until light and fluffy.  Beat in the vanilla and then the flour/salt.  Start with 2 tbsp of milk and add more as needed until you have the desired consistency.  Frost the cooled cupcakes and sprinkle the tops with chocolate chips!

Enjoy :)

Onto the business/fun stuff! Last week these three lucky winners won canister labels from A Mustard Seed Dream:

1. Marlys F.

2. Danielle

3. Marsha J.

And here are the winner's from last week's party!

Most Votes:

1. Sun-dried Tomato Chicken Spaghetti

2. Blue Ribbon Carrot Cake

3. Pumpkin Crumb Cake

Most Clicked:

1. Sun-dried Tomato Chicken Spaghetti

2. Swirly Pumpkin Brownies

3. Sweet Heat Tacos with Pineapple Salsa

This week is sponsored by The Lovebug Collection and three randomly picked, lucky winners will win a Foodie Headband!

But first, here are this week's co-hosts:

Foodie Friends Friday http://www.foodiefriendsfriday.com

Tracy at Busy Vegetarian Mom http://www.busyvegetarianmom.com

Robyn's View http://www.robynsviewathome.blogspot.com

Marlys at This and That  http://marlys-thisandthat.blogspot.com/

Lois at  Walking on Sunshine http://wifeofthecolonel.blogspot.com/

Lindsey at Family Food Finds  http://www.familyfoodfinds.com

Cindy at Cindys Recipes and Writings  http://www.cindysrecipesandwritings.com

Michelle at  From Calculus to Cupcakes http://www.fromcalculustocupcakes.blogspot.com

Cynthia at Feeding Big  http://www.feedingbig.blogspot.com

Jodie at Binomial Baker http://www.binomialbaker.blogspot.com

R Dawn at Spatulas on Parade http://www.spatulasonparade.blogspot.com

Angie at A lil Country Sugar http://www.alilcountrysugar.blogspot.com

Erika at Chef Picky Kid http://www.chefpickykid.com

Amber at Mamas Blissful Bites http://www.mamasblissfulbites.com

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White Chocolate Raspberry Tipsy Cupcakes

Do you know how you know when you have a great boyfriend?

This weekend Bri came to visit me in Madison and not only did he bring me a present, but when I asked him what he wanted to do during the day on Saturday, he said, "Lets make tipsy cupcakes!"

Yup, he's pretty awesome!

Plus, for my birthday he had this apron made:

So, I got on my awesome apron and we got to work on making some Tipsy Cupcakes!  I love my Intoxicated Cupcakes book and I've already made Mojito Cupcakes and Champagne Cupcakes. We decided on White Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes.  They came out beautifully and we had a ton of fun making them together! I love when he visits me here and I love baking so it was just an amazing weekend!

We brought these cupcakes over the my friend Tamara's house to watch the Badger Game with her family.  IT turned out the be pretty good that we had the cupcakes, because after the disappointing defeat, we all wanted something to cheer us up! What could be better than cupcakes with booze?

White Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes (adapted from Intoxicated Cupcakes)

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
3 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup raspberry liqueur
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
For the Frosting:
1 8 oz package light cream cheese
3 tbsp unsalted buter, at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
2-4 tsp raspberry liqueur
3 drops red food coloring (optional)
raspberries for topping (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 and line a cupcake pan with 24 liners.
2. In a medium bowl, combined flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
3. In a large bowl, beat eggs, butter, liqueur and chocolate chips until creamy (except for the chocolate chips).  Add in the flour mixture and beat until just combined.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared cups so that they are 3/4 full.  Bake for 18-22 minutes and then let cool in pan for 5-10 minutes.  Remove from pan and cool completely on a wire rack.
5. Make the frosting: beat the butter and cream cheese until well combined and fluffly.  Beat in the sugar and then the vanilla.  Add in 2 tsp of the liqueur and then add more depending on taste preference.  Add in food coloring to get pink frosting! Frost the cupcakes and then top with a raspberry.

Enjoy :)

If you want more information on how to get a custom apron made, just shoot me an e-mail and I can send you some ideas! Also, be on the lookout