Spiced Rum Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

Momma Told Me: Temptation takes many forms.

As colorful and crazy as I get, my closest friends will tell you I'm also the square peg at a party. I simply find it more entertaining to watch others 'indulge' than to partake in the libations. I'll have A drink at maybe 4 or 5 social events throughout the year, and even then I find myself thinking the calories would have been more enjoyed as an extra round of appetizers or a second dessert. So, rounding out this week's 'Day of' celebration is National Hot Buttered Rum Day, yet another national fun day that seems slightly late and off season.

For those who have never heard of hot buttered rum before, this delightful beverage dates back to early colonial days when the export of molasses from Jamaica became increasingly popular. In the 1650's New England residents began adding distilled rum to hot beverages such as toddies and nogs, resulting in the creation of festive libations like eggnog and hot buttered rum. Hot Buttered Rum, in particular, was especially popular in the Winter months for it's warming 'kick' the rich and hearty blend of buttered rum batter, nutmeg, cinnamon, and dark rum provides. You can make a poor man's version of drink at home by combining 2 cups water, 1/4 C unsalted butter, 1/4 C dark brown sugar, 1 TSP ground cinnamon, 1/2 TSP ground nutmeg, 1/4 TSP ground cloves, a pinch of salt and 3/4 C dark rum over medium heat for 10 minutes.

Today's Hot Buttered Rum recipe features many of the same ingredients in both the dough and filling, though it can be made without the rum, substituting rum flavoring or extract, if desired. Confession time- I've only tried a Hot Buttered Rum drink once- but it was a flavor, and textural experience that has stuck with me. It reminded me of fresh cinnamon rolls on a Saturday morning- so these Spiced Rum Cinnamon Rolls are truly the perfect work around to enjoying this national holiday without the guilt this Sunday.

I'd never made cinnamon rolls from scratch before- It's usually something I do on a whim by popping open a blue Pillsbury can and peeling pre-made rolls apart before tossing them on a baking sheet. But let me tell you- there is no comparison for homemade, flaky, all the frosting you desire, gooey, sticky, cinnamon rolls. And these rolls have just the right 'extra' kick of rich nutmeg and clove flavor with a generous rum essence to delight everyone from the lightweights to boozy friends. Just keep in mind, if you choose to go the rum route for flavoring (and the spiced rum route IS a delicious route) the icing has rum in it too, which will not be baked off, as it is added after the baking process.

Of course it was ever so hard not to sing 'hot cross buns' or 'A pirate's life for me' as I was whipping these bad boys up. Maybe it was the Kraken Black Spiced Rum watching over me, or the delicious aromas wafting up from the work bench. Cinnamon rolls are really one of the baking skill staples- and this no rise dough is easy to make and bake. Just pack your rolls loosely so they can expand into each other and you will avoid any doughy spots near the center of your batch. Of course, if you like your rolls extra sticky and a little doughy you can certainly bake them just a touch less- there's no egg, and they will reheat perfectly in the microwave!

The spiced icing for these cinnamon rolls reminded me of a peppered gravy, thick and sticky. I found the recipe yielded more than enough to pour over the bath in pan, and even offer as a dip when served individually. If you're making these in advance be sure to frost them before refrigerating as they will help maintain moisture and keep them fresh and fluffy when re-heating.

So I won't exactly be enjoying a Hot Buttered Rum drink for the holiday this Sunday- but I will be enjoying one of these delicious spiced rum rolls with a tall cup of my favorite coffee. I already brought a batch to the alley this past Thursday, served in quarters with serving toothpicks, and they disappeared so fast I actually had complaints for not bringing more! Not convinced Hot Buttered Rum Day warrants it's own celebration? Just argue you're celebrating our nation's history and toss out a few facts about the colonial spice trade. One bite in, anyone will forget why they were arguing. After all, who doesn't love a fresh cinnamon roll?

What Daughter Says: While some may be sipping this delicious beverage, I'll be quite content celebrating with a fork full of a different temptation- sugar!

Spiced Rum Cinnamon Rolls

***Click here for printable Spiced Rum Cinnamon Rolls recipe.

Spaghetti And Meatballs Cupcakes

Momma Told Me: If you don't stop playing with your food you're going to end up wearing it!

In our family photo album is a snapshot of a strawberry blonde, 2 year old me, in a booster chair that has somehow managed to work it's way out during every first 'dinner with the boyfriend,' throughout my life. There I sit, in nothing but my Pull-Ups alone, smeared head to toe in tomato sauce. The story goes; Momma turned around for but one second and I decided to flip my Barney bowl on top of my head, resulting in a wig made of spaghetti. It's not a moment on film I'm particularly proud of, but it does foster my fond memories of childhood and spaghetti. Honestly, whether you are a fan or not, you can't deny the fun in a dish like Spaghetti and Meatballs.

As you all know, I bake something new each week for my Thursday night bowling league. In the beginning it was an on and off kind of thing- I'd only bring in leftovers from recipes for the blog if I had them on hand. Now I search out specific treats to attempt, and even take requests from my fellow league-mates. Since April Fools just happens to be one of my favorite 'holidays,' I decided, this month, I would make some sweet imitations. What that means for you, my darling readers, is the proceeding 4 weeks of fun and zany 'faux' food concepts being rolled out here on the blog; starting with my Spaghetti + Meatballs cupcakes.

As if spaghetti wasn't a fun enough dish already, these sweet treats are entirely, well, sweet, and have absolutely no 'trick' other than they're playful look. Not only were these a blast to make with some readily available baking items, but I now have the intense desire to stage an entire Lady And The Tramp themed party. Of course these would also be great for any fans of Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs, or general Italian food lover's birthday; but we prefer the final option- making them just because.

While I'd love to take credit for being a foodie mastermind, these playful cupcakes are pretty simple to replicate. First, choose whether you want to go the traditional 'white noodle' route, or the more tongue in cheek yellow noodle route and make your cupcakes accordingly. A cream cheese frosting will work great for white or off white noodles, while a few drops of yellow food coloring will give them a more dramatic pop. Place your frosting in a piping bag with a narrow tip and simply zig-zag, swirl, and twist ribbons of icing across the top of your cupcake. For your spaghetti sauce, strawberry jam or preserves will do just fine. (I found preserves have a more rich red color, but tend to require thinning with a little fruit juice.) Plop some 'sauce' atop your noodles and dip a Ferrero Rocher chocolate hazelnut ball in some remaining 'sauce' and set it atop. Shave a white chocolate bar through a cheese grater for Parmesan cheese; it's as simple as that!

Making sweets that look like savory food items is sort of a thing in our household- just ask my father who has received cakes shaped like a sandwich, pizza, hamburger, and more. What favorite dish or meal would you get a kick out of seeing turned into a sweet treat?

What Daughter Says: Maybe you can't get away with playing with your food anymore, but you can enjoy the playful presentation of these cupcakes!

The Candy Club- Bringing Back The Candy Jar Experience

Momma Told Me: One for you, and one for your friend.

I have a sweet tooth that is never satisfied; it is only hindered by my addictive personality. Last month I felt myself deserving of a reward and took a small chunk of the leftover money to try our a few 'subscription box' services I'd had my eye on. Most of them were geeky in nature, but a few seamlessly appealed to my love for sugar as well as my obsession with subscription boxes. Most were 'duds' as I quickly unsubscribed after the trial box- the Candy Club, however, made me quite literally squeal like a little girl. After all, who wouldn't want to be part of that 'club'?

Yes, yes, I HAVE been trying to cut back on sugar- it's really my only health nemesis when it comes to diet; I'm otherwise fairly good. Not far back I cut all sugar out of my drinks, now hydrating with 95% water, and the change in complexion, sleep, and energy has been tremendous. But sugar and I, we're BFFs, it's not a friend I can so easily dismiss. And, for me, candy in particular, is a social thing. Whether it was the bowl of candy by the door at work, the small jar of jelly beans on my desk, or a chance to run into some teammates at the alley over a Hershey's Kiss, candy brings those around me together. So, the value in The Candy Club, is not that I receive 3lbs of carefully curated confections each month, but that I can share something sweet with those in my life- and it will LAST all month.

Other than being a box full of sugary goodness, my November box from The Candy Club tickle my inner child with it's assortment of bright colors and fun shapes. This subscription service likes to pride itself on curating a mix of unique, classic favorites, and trendy up-and-comers, in the candy category. You're sure to find something you love each month, and the bulk options will be packaged in tamper-proof sealed clear tins that are extra perfect for displaying and sharing. These containers also have a pop top that requires a butter knife or coin to leverage them open, so you know your tiny fingered candy poachers won't be stealing your sweets!

For November I received a 'Splash' of Cotton Candy Saltwater Taffy, 'Bonus' Butterfield's Peach Buds, and a tub each of Gimbal's Sour Gourmet Jelly Beans, Haribo Gummi Techno Bears, and Sour Power Wild Cherry Belts. My mouth s watering just writing the latter, a messy favorite that is fun to eat and pucker too! The Techno Bears were also a big hit, it's impossible not to smile when you see those dancing bears, I was so inspired by the bright colors I even Instagrammed my sweet tooth moment.

I was just billed for my second month of The Candy Club, yesterday and I am already stalking my emails for tracking info with anticipation. And no, I didn't eat all of last month's finds- I've been good! The Candy Club runs $30 a month (including shipping,) though you can often find a deal for $10 or more off your first month, when you logon to their site. Satisfaction is guaranteed, though I suspect even a bridge troll would get a giggle out of the goodies in this club box! I especially think this is a great gift for an office setting where many people work closely together- what a nice excuse to take a quick break and enjoy something sweet this would be!

What types of candy are your favorite? Hard? Chewy? Chocolates? Go ahead an answer, it won't cost you any calories!

What Daughter Says: Call it an excuse, but I enjoy candy because of how it brings me and those around me together. I don't mind sharing if I get to be a kid again!

Few things make me as happy as #candy and #rainbows, well played Candy Club. @candyofthemonth @HariboUSA #Techno #GummiBears #sweettooth #subscriptionbox

A photo posted by Jenna Marie's (@mommatoldme) on Nov 11, 2014 at 11:31pm PST

Wonderfully Curious About Wonka Peel-A-Pop Frozen Desserts

Momma Told Me: Pick your dessert wisely, you only get one!

I like to think I'm a practical person. The exception being any time there is sugar involved in any way, shape, or form. Some people collect stamps or porcelain dolls the way I collect sweet experiences. Life is simply too short to eat the same boring cookie for dessert, or scoop the same ice cream alongside your slice of cake. Especially since sugar is such a sinful indulgence for me; I have to work at controlling myself because my body doesn't tend to process it quite like those around me. So every sweet treat must be an original and unique experience.

Nothing better illustrates this outlook like the fictional character of Willy Wonka, and the Nestle brand of Wonka chocolates, candies, and (now) froze treats. I remember as a child watching the original Technicolor Charlie and The Chocolate Factory and marveling at the magical world of whimsical sugar. In the scene where the flavored wallpaper is introduced I found myself quite conflicted; who would want to stick their tongue on a wall where others had quite likely done so? (practical me) But who could turn down the wafting aroma of fresh pie and the promise of a low calorie lick? (sugar fiend me)

And so it will come as no surprise that the blogger who regularly hunts down absurd flavors of Oreos and buys seasonal M and M flavors on Amazon was at once repulsed and captivated by the most recent Wonka creation; Peel-A-Pop. These first appeared in an ad on the Walmart website about a month back, and I have been tirelessly searching for them since. Our market area is one of the last to adopt new products and trends, so the 'hunt' for new products like this is always exciting. I do believe I squealed like a little girl and jumped up and down, yes jumped, when I spotted these at last in our local Walmart freezer (and since at Ralphs and Vons.)

That's a lot of suspense for a product, and the lack of advertising in our area and general information on the product only helped to add to my curiosity. Sold in packages of 8, for about $3, with two varieties (Vanilla Banana and Vanilla Grape,) these were a little smaller than I expected. More like a plantain in serving size. When you first unwrap them the outer 'peelable' and edible peel is opalescent in hue, which lends to my misconception that this 'edible peel would be made out of a type of taffy or sweet chewy candy. In reality the easy to tear (from the top) peel starts to turn translucent within a minute of peeling and has a very eerie JELLO like response to movement and touch.In fact, the peels, themselves, actually have very little flavor and were a textural no-go for me. Of the three kids only one scarfed their peel down with enthusiasm.

The ice cream inside the Peel-A-Pops, however, is absolutely scrumptious. While the concept is fun and novel for the first few pops, our household didn't care much to eat the peel after they'd had their fun peeling it. It's gelatin like texture simply wasn't what the marketing had led us to expect, and even creeped the youngest (4) out a bit. In all they are a one-of-a-kind experience and the per box price is modest enough to do just that- experience them. I doubt they will be around permanently though.

What Daughter Says: Peel-A-Pops won't make my craving list, but they were a one of a kind experience!

Have Your Donut, And Eat A Cookie Too: Donut Cookies

Momma Told Me: Choose, a donut OR a cookie.

How many times, as a child do you recall hearing your mother tell you you could "only have one"? Whether it was one slice of pie, one piece of candy, or 'one or the other,' the solitary proclamation simply never seemed fair. It didn't matter if I had 2 treats in front of me or 100, I was determined that I should enjoy them all. Nothing illustrated this quite like a trip to the corner bakery, where there were large, chewy, chocolate chip cookies sitting right alongside fresh baked donuts. And without a doubt, I wanted them; the cinnamon buns, the bear claws, the Snickerdoodles, and the oatmeal cookies. Sure, Momma was just looking out for me, when she limited my selections; but wouldn't it be a sweeter world if you could just cheat and have both?

Someone must've had the same bake-shop trauma as I did in my childhood, because a crazy product conciever high up in Betty Crocker corporate dreamed up Glazed Donut Cookie mix and frosting. Longtime readers of my blog know I have a love/hate relationship with my sweet tooth, and next to the holidays few times of the year taunt the creative sweet-addict like Summer. Just browsing the baking aisle the other day I noticed an entire new range of Pillsbury Sugar Free mixes, Blue Velvet Cake, Cotton Candy Cookie Mix, and No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake. Then, like a hot pink accented siren, there she was; the Glazed Donut Cookie display, complete with the classic retro pink donut frosting and sprinkles.

Of course I could create a blog dedicated to my baking adventure fails. For every 'great idea' I have in the realm of confectionery goods, there's 4 times as many certain flops. Let's face it, the Betty Crocker Picture Cook Book was the authoritative Pinterest of it's time for vintage foodies. My grandmother learned to cook alongside it, and there certainly were enough times that glazed ham turned out looking more like a burnt bird. So, I was skeptical, to say the least that these 'donut cookies' could look even half as cute as the perfectly stylized photo on the front of their packaging.

Boxed and bagged mixes are supposed to be easy, but that doesn't mean they turn out like the ideal project on the front. Let's face it, those images are there to inspire stomach grumbles and flights of fancy. If you're going to try this mix you need to first note there is a recipe difference in shaped cookies verses the standard directions. Check the bottom of the pouch for a more 'dough' like recipe that will lend itself to shaping. Next, you will want to roll your dough into1 1/2" balls, then roll the balls into 6" 'snakes' with your hand lengthwise along the rolling dough. If you roll with you hands vertically you will create ridges, from your fingers, and uneven rope. Then pick up the rope at each end and place onto a prepared cookie sheet in circles, pinching the ends gently together. I actually found wetting either end with water helped seal the ends without deforming the circle.

So, were they as delicious as they looked? I was pleasantly surprised to find the shaped cookie recipe baked a little soft and chewy, which complimented the brown sugar 'donut' flavor. If we're going to try and be authentic, these cookies have a slightly sweeter plain cake donut taste. The frosting will set a little if the cookies are left out for an hour after decoration, but still doesn't lend itself to transport or stacking, so we frosted them in batches as they were eaten. And speaking of the frosting- you might find yourself more satisfied with a cream cheese frosting died pink, while the cookies were the hero, and the sprinkles an editorial must, the frosting had a bit of a lingering artificial flavor.

So that's the way the cookie, erm, donut? crumbles. You can have your donut an eat a cookie too- but the real treat is in getting fro package to plate. I know I'm a big kid at heart, and these cookies made me happy just anticipating the decorating. Wouldn't they also be a fun treat for Father's Day?

What Daughter Says: If there's a will, there's a way- do you ever REALLY have to choose?