The Most Delicious Sweet Rolls

These sweet rolls are SUPER DELICIOUS, so I have to start by saying: Don't judge these babies by my lacking photography skills.  I am telling you right now, I am not a professional with the camera.  I've had this camera for a few years now and haven't found time to read the manual.  If I get a good picture, it's pure luck!

Now, back to the deliciousness.  These have become a conference tradition at our house, and I try to make them only twice a year, because they are way too good and I eat way too many.  Up until a few years ago I had been making a different recipe every time, searching for "the one".  I got this yummy recipe from my sister's sister-in-law, Krista.  She has some great recipes at Krista's Culinary Creations.  The first time I made these, I knew my search was over and I've been making them ever since!  I made a few adjustments to the recipe, like adding chocolate chips.  I grew up thinking everyone put chocolate chips in their sweet rolls and when I got married and tasted sweet rolls made by someone besides my other, I was shocked to find raisins! I soon came to realize that this is a fairly common practice, but one that I well never convert to.  I do take pity on my husband and make a few raisin-loaded rolls just for him.  The rest of us prefer them the yummy chocolaty way.  But, do whatever your little heart desires!

Rolls 

1 c. warm milk

2 eggs

1/3 c. margarine, melted

4 1/2 c. bread flour

1 t. salt

1/2 c. white sugar

2 1/2 t. yeast

softened butter

cinnamon

brown sugar

walnuts or raisins, optional

Cream Cheese Frosting

3 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/4 c. butter, softened

1 1/2 c. powdered sugar

1/2 t. vanilla extract

1/8 t. salt

Mix first seven ingredients.  (I always add the yeast to the water first and let it sit for a few minutes to make sure my yeast is going to cooperate).  Also, I only add four c. flour, then add more a little at a time if needed. Sometimes my dough has been too dry.  Knead dough for ten minutes.  Put in greased bowl and let rise till double.  Turn dough out on lightly floured surface.  Cover and let rest for ten minutes.  Roll dough into a 16x21" rectangle.  Slather dough with butter (don't count calories here, they're sweet rolls, after all)!  Give it a good sprinkling of sugar and cinnamon.  I leave out the brown sugar, I like the flavor of just using cinnamon sugar.  Then, add your chocolate chips, raisins, nuts, or leave them plain--whatever you're in the mood for.  Roll dough and cut into 12 pieces by putting dental floss or a strong thread under the roll and pulling it tight on top to slice the roll.  Place in lightly greased 9x13 pan and let rise until double.

Bake in preheated 400 degree oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes.  Sometimes the tops of the rolls look done, but the middles are still doughy, especially if you are baking two pans on the same rack.  If this happens, lightly cover with a piece of foil to finish baking.  

While rolls bake, combine ingredients for frosting and beat until smooth.  I always add a little extra powdered sugar so the frosting is a little more sweet.  I don't really love the taste of cream cheese, but the frosting is really yummy.  Frost while rolls are still slightly warm and enjoy this little bit of heaven!

Oreo Truffles and Cookie Dough Truffles

These delightful little morsels were a big hit at the farewell, and its because they are delicious!  I have seen several recipes for the Oreo truffles, but I'll post the one I ended up using.  If I would have known we would be doing this blog, I would have taken pictures, but you can see them at The Sister's Cafe.  

They are really pretty easy, especially if you don't do them all in one day and make a triple batch of each.  I felt like I was just rolling and dipping all day.  It was worth it, though!  Yum!

Oreo Truffles

1 bag regular Oreos 

1 pkg.  softened cream cheese

1 bag white chocolate chips, vanilla almond bark, or candy melts

Grind the Oreos up in your food processor.  I put the ground Oreos in my mixer and mixed in the cream cheese. Some recipes I found called for 1 1/2 pkg. cream cheese, but I was running out so I just used one.  If you like cream cheese, use a little more.  Roll mixture into one inch balls and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.  If you are using white chocolate chips, melt in microwave at 30 second intervals at 50% power till melted and creamy, or melt vanilla almond bark.  I've had bad luck with melting white chocolate chips, so I tried almond bark.  I ran out half way through and finished the rest with vanilla dipping chips (called candy melts) from the Wilton section at WalMart, and they were even easier to work with.  Use a fork to dip the balls in the white chocolate.  Let set until firm, then drizzle with melted chocolate  (chocolate chips, almond bark, or dipping chips).  Hide a few where you keep your secret chocolate stash cause they'll disappear fast!  Makes about 30.

Cookie Dough Truffles

I have absolutely no problem eating cookie dough with raw eggs, I've eaten more than my fair share!  This recipe doesn't have any eggs, for those of you who might be worried about it.  

1 c. butter

2 c. flour

1 t. baking soda

3/4 c. brown sugar

small (3.5) oz. box vanilla instant pudding

1/4 c. milk

1 T. vanilla

2 c. mini chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugar, add pudding and mix well.  Add milk and vanilla.  Mix in flour and baking soda and mix until well combined.  Stir in chocolate chips.  This might shock you all, but I thought 2 cups was a little too much chocolate.  Next time I'm going to do 1 1/2 cups and add a little at a time from there.  Roll into balls and refrigerate for an hour or two, then dip in melted chocolate.  The recipe I used (from The Sister's Cafe) says to dip in melted chocolate chips, but I feel like the chocolate chips don't harden very well and stay too soft, so I used the dipping chips again.  They are a little more expensive than a bag of chocolate chips but are really easy to work with and taste good, too.  So, dip however you want too!  Drizzle with melted white chocolate, and go hide a few of these, too!  I'm not sure how many this recipe makes, I tripled it and didn't count them all.  :)

Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are some cookies that I made for the farewell that some of you wanted the recipe for.  I found this yummy recipe on www.dealstomeals.com.  You can check their web sight for pictures, since I didn't get any pics of these.  The dough is really tasty, so good luck having any left to stick in the oven!

1 c. butter

8 oz. cream cheese
1 c. plus 2 T. white sugar

2 eggs

2 t. fresh squeezed orange juice (juice from 1/2 an orange)

1 t. vanilla

zest of 2 oranges

2 1/2 c. flour

1 t. salt

12 oz. bag of milk chocolate chips

Cream butter, cream cheese, sugar, and eggs with an electric mixer and beat until smooth.  Add all other ingredients except for chocolate chips.  Blend well, then fold in chocolate chips.  Dough will be pretty sticky.  Spoon golf ball sized balls of dough onto greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.  Don't over bake, they are better soft!  Pour yourself a cold glass of milk, and enjoy!