Happy Christmas Eve Eve!

Today I am heading out to St. Louis to spend Christmas with my family and I am so excited! Last year, I skipped the travel because of the C word, but this year now that I’m vaxed and boosted, I can wait to spend the holiday with them!

With Christmas just 2 days away, I thought I’d share one of my absolute favorite recipes that is always a hit: cinnamon rolls! This is my grandmother’s recipe that she made for decades and is now one of my favorite things to make!

INGREDIENTS 

-1.5 cups of milk (use at least 2% milk. Do NOT use skim or fat free) 

-2 tsp of salt

-1/2 cup of sugar

-1/2 cup of butter

-2 packages of yeast

-1/2 cup of warm water

-6 cups of flour

-3 eggs

-4 oz of cream cheese

-1 stick of butter

-1 cup of powdered sugar

-1/2 tsp of vanilla

-Brown Sugar (as much or as little as you’d like)

-Cinnamon (you’ll use several tablespoons)

STEPS

1. In a small pot, scald the milk.
2. Once milk starts to boil, immediately take it off the heat and add butter, salt, and sugar.
3. While the butter melts in the milk, add yeast to a large bowl with the warm warm. Mix together and let sit for 5 minutes.
4. After five minutes, pour the milk mixture into the yeast and add eggs.
5. After mixing in the eggs, slowly add flour (I typically add 2 cups of flour at a time and mix in-between).
6. Once flour is fully combined, cover and let rise for 1-2 hours.
7. Once it has doubled in size, roll out until it is flat. Don’t roll too thin though, it should be at least half an inch thick.
8. Once it is rolled out, melt butter (typically I use about half a stick, but feel free to use more or less) and brush onto dough.
9. Cover the dough with brown sugar and cinnamon (use as much or as little as you like)
10. Carefully roll dough and cut into 1-2 in slices. Place rolls into your pan, cover, and let rise for at least another hour. I typically will have them rise overnight. This makes them HUGE and super fluffy.
11. When you are ready to cook, heat your oven to 350 degrees and then cook for 20 minutes or until golden brown. (Time may vary based on oven)
12. As the rolls bake, make your frosting. Combine cream cheese, 1 stick of butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla (feel free to add more sugar or vanilla for a sweeter frosting).
13. Immediately after your rolls come out of the oven, frost them and enjoy!

Now perhaps you have your own cinnamon roll recipe or other plans in mind for your Christmas Day breakfast, but you’re still looking for a fun and festive treat to make-give my hot chocolate bombs a try!

INGREDIENTS

-Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips

-Dark Chocolate Chips

-White Chocolate Chips

-Hot Cocoa Powder

-Mini Marshmallows

STEPS

1. In a microwave save bowl, microwave a bag of semi sweet chocolate chips. Microwave in 20 second intervals until melted.

2. Once fully melted, with a spoon, pour your melted chocolate into your molds and use the spoon to help cover the entire surface area.

3. Place in refrigerator for at least 15 minutes or until molds are solid.

4. Take molds out and apply a second layer of chocolate. For a more complex flavor, melt the dark chocolate and do the second layer as dark chocolate.

5. Let solidify in the fridge again. You can apply a 3rd layer if you desire, but 2 layers made them sturdy enough for me to use.

6. Once solid, take chocolate out of the silicone molds and place on parchment paper. Fill one mold with hot cocoa mix (use recommended amount that is listed on your cocoa container) and with marshmallows.

7. Take another half mold, dip into the leftover melted chocolate and gently place on-top of the filled half.

8. Place in fridge until the halves have solidified together and decorate however you desire. I used buttercream frosting to write students’ names on them, but you can melt more chocolate and drizzle over, add sprinkles or colored sugar, etc

9. Heat up 8-16oz of milk and drop bomb in. Stir occasionally to mix together and enjoy