King’s Hawaiian Cheesecake Danish

In the past, I have not been at all enamored with the phenomenon known as King’s Hawaiian sweet rolls. I think that’s probably because the first time I had them was part of a dinner, and there was something about a puffy sweet roll with a savory meal that left me cold. (Me, the fan of crusty rolls with dinner.) But recently, having tried the turkey cranberry sliders as well as beef sliders, both of which employ the use of this roll, I have done a complete 360. When I spotted cheese danish using them, I had to give it a try.

 There are a number of recipes online for these, none of which, I think, are as good as mine. These are relatively easy to assemble, and would be perfect to treat mom on Mother’s Day. Various components can be assembled the day prior to baking. You can even slide the rolls out of the package, cut your “X“ in each, and slide them back in, and no one would be the wiser.

King’s Hawaiian Cheesecake Danish

1 12-pack King's Hawaiian original sweet rolls

1/2 c. + 2 T. butter melted

3 T. brown sugar

2 t. ground cinnamon

¼ t. ground nutmeg

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

¼ c. granulated sugar

¼ t. almond extract

1 large egg, beaten

 Preheat oven to 375°F. Melt 2 T. butter and brush evenly along the bottom and up the sides of a 10” x 10” baking dish; set aside.

Separate the rolls and place into prepared pan. With a sharp knife (I used a fish boning knife), cut an “X” into the top of each roll about 2/3 of the way down.

 Stir together the 1/2 cup butter, brown sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon in a small bowl; pour evenly over the rolls. Beat the softened cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar, almond extract, and egg, and beat until incorporated.

Transfer cream cheese mixture into a piping bag fitted with a wide tip. Press the tip down into the “X” that you created in each roll, and pipe full. You will see the roll expand as it fills with the delicious cheesecake filling.

 Bake, uncovered, for 12 to 15 minutes. In order to prevent sticking, allow rolls to cool for a couple of minutes, and then remove to a serving plate. Serve warm.

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Mrs. Marlowe-Inspired Southland Cheese Rolls

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Those of you who don’t watch the New Zealand police drama called The Brokenwood Mysteries, will not understand the reference to Mrs. Marlowe; those of you who do are smiling right now. If you haven’t seen the series, you must give it a watch. The story takes place in the small town of Brokenwood, a town full of murder, and quirky characters. I seriously could go on and on about this show, I enjoy it so much, but I want focus on Mrs. Marlowe (played by actress Elizabeth McRae), the kindly octogenarian with many talents, who belongs to almost every organization in Brokenwood, attends every public event, engages in gossip, is as good of an interrogator as main character Detective Mike Shepard (Neill Rea) in her zeal for getting information, and is known for her cheese rolls. People will attend events just to get their hands on her cheese rolls.

Mrs. Marlowe sharing her thoughts with Detective Mike Shepard. 

Naturally, I had to find out about these. It turns out they are an actual thing, and I found a recipe for them in Annabel Langbein’s cookbook. The filling is phenomenal, but I had difficulty rolling this up in slices of white bread, and getting it to bake up properly. The other day, I was re-watching the series from beginning to end (there are six series at all) and came upon an episode where someone had made the similar sausage rolls with far less success than Mrs. M. One reason for this, she postulated, was that an egg wash had not been used. According to Mrs. Marlowe, “[An egg wash is] absolutely essential. They get really claggy without one.”  So I tried it again with an egg wash, and mine still turned out, umm, claggy. So, I decided I was going to use puff pastry. Wow! What a difference. I know these are not traditional, but they are really good. They go very well in place of a roll for dinner, along with a soup or salad, or, if you cut them smaller than I did, a tasty snack. 

 

Mrs. Marlowe-Inspired Southland Cheese Rolls

Adapted from Annabel Langbein

 6 oz. evaporated milk

1/2 c. cream

1 small Melissa’s shallot, grated (about 2 T.)

½ t. dry mustard powder

¼ t. white pepper

9 oz. edam cheese, grated

1½ T. dry onion soup mix

1 pkg. frozen puff pastry (2 sheets)

 Place evaporated milk in a pot with cream, onion, mustard powder and pepper. Heat until almost boiling. Remove from heat, add cheese and soup powder and stir until cheese has melted and sauce has thickened. Allow to cool before using (it will thicken further as it cools). This mixture can be made in advance and stored in a container in the fridge for up to a week.

 To bake rolls, preheat oven to 375° and line 2 oven trays with baking paper.

Allow puff pastry to thaw. Place each sheet onto a lightly floured surface and roll flat to seal fold lines. Spread cheese mixture over top of each sheet almost to the edge. Roll up firmly, jelly roll-style, placing seam side down and, with a sharp knife, slice into two-inch sections.  Place seam side down onto baking sheet and bake until crisp and golden (15-20 minutes). Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.

 

Pesto Rolls for the ABM

Is this a thing or beauty, or what?  I’ll tell you, these rolls were so good that I think I could have sold them on the street.  Truly I have become Baroness of the Bread Machine, because here is yet another easy recipe with a fabulous end result.  My son happened by to assemble a TV stand, got one whiff of them, and stayed for the entire process, bagging up half a dozen before taking his leave.

Pesto Rolls for the ABM

1/2 cup warm water
¼ cup milk

¼ cup half ‘n half
6 tablespoons shortening
3 cups all-purpose flour
1½ cups wheat flour
½ cup granulated sugar
1½ pkgs. Red Star Bread Machine Yeast (3-1/2 teaspoons)

1 tablespoon baking powder 

¼ teaspoon kosher salt
2 large eggs

½ cup Melissa’s Basil Pesto (or your own homemade)
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 egg, beaten

Coarse salt

Place first 11 ingredients into the work bowl of your bread machine in the order suggested by the manufacturer. Set machine on “dough” setting and press “start.”  When machine has completed the dough making process (usually 90 minutes), remove dough to a lightly floured surface and roll into a large rectangle. 

Using an offset spatula, spread with pesto, covering to the edge.  Sprinkle cheese evenly over the pesto.  Beginning at the long end, roll up as tightly as possible, pinching the seam to seal.  Slice into 1½" thick pieces.

Grease well (or spray with Pam) two 6-well muffin tins.  Put one1½" piece into each well, squeezing outer edge slightly so that the middle of the roll “pops” up.

Cover lightly with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with Pam. Place in a warm spot and allow to raise until doubled in size, 50-60 minutes.  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush tops of rolls with beaten egg, and sprinkle generously with coarse salt. Bake for 18-20 minutes until golden. Remove from oven and leave in pan for 5-10 minutes before carefully removing to a wire rack to cool completely. 

This post is linked to:

On the Menu Monday

Totally Tasty Tuesdays

Try a New Recipe Tuesday

Crusty French Rolls

As I mentioned yesterday, I tried two new recipes for my Boxing Day dinner, one for bread and the other for these Crusty French Rolls.  The reason I made these recipes was because I’d forgotten to buy both bread and rolls, and reasoned that it would take me less time to make these two than it would to shower, dress, and run out for them.  As it turned out, I was right.  I also found myself two excellent recipes that I am sure to make again and again.

Happy New Year, everybody!

Crusty French Rolls

1-1/2 cups warm water

1 tablespoon bread machine yeast

1 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

4 cups all-purpose flour

Place ingredients into the bread machine in the order suggested by the manufacturer.  Select the “dough” setting and allow to run its course.  When dough is finished, turn out onto a lightly floured surface.  Deflate the dough and divide into 16 equal pieces, and form each into a ball. Place rolls on lightly greased baking sheets, spacing at least 2 inches apart. Cover the rolls with a damp cloth, and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400°F.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.

This post is linked to:

Foodie Friday

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MAKING PRETZEL ROLLS

I was a pretzel roll virgin until trying one last week when we stopped for a bite to eat at Nadoz. Now I'm not particularly a fan of those big soft pretzels, but in roll form they are really yummy. So I figured why not try to make some myself?

This picture shows my first effort. The top is not as smooth as I'd have liked, so clearly I haven't yet perfected these (like I said, I was a PR virgin only last week!), but the taste and chewy texture are marvelous!  These will make a great addition to the bread tray at this year's Thanksgiving dinner.

Here's the process in making pretzel rolls.  The recipe I have only makes 8, so it was really no trouble.

PRETZEL ROLLS

(Printable Recipe)

 3/4 cup warm (80-90 degree) water 
1 tsp. salt

 2-1/2 tsp. brown sugar

 2 tsp. butter, melted

 2-1/4 cups + 1 Tbsp. bread flour

 2 tsp. active dry yeast.

 2 cups water

 2 Tbsp. baking soda

 1 egg white

Kosher or coarse sea salt for topping

Place the 3/4 c. water, salt, brown sugar, butter, flour and yeast into your bread machine pan fitted with the paddle, in that order (or in the order specified by your particular bread machine). Select the dough/pizza dough cycle and the small size loaf (1 lb.). Press start to mix, knead and rise.

When the cycle is completed, remove the dough and knead on a lightly floured surface for 2 minutes. Divide the dough into equal pieces and shape them how you like. Place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silpat. Cover them with a lightly oiled sheet of plastic wrap and let them rest for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425. Bring the 2 cups of water to a light rolling bowl on the stovetop. Stir in the baking soda. Carefully slide the pretzels/rolls one at a time. Leave the roll there about 45 seconds before flipping and boiling for 45 minutes on the other side. Pick them up with a slotted spatula and let the water drain that way or put them on a cooling rack.

After you have done that with all the rolls, place them on a parchment/silpat lined cookie sheet. Brush the tops of the rolls with the egg white and sprinkle them with kosher salt. Bake them for about 12-15 minutes or until they have turned golden brown.

Slather with butter and indulge!  You deserve it.

This post is linked with This Week's Cravings.