On a Roll

Last year, about this time, I was teaching a class on experimental design techniques. Wanting the students to "develop a taste for interactions," I experimented with my basic recipe of cinnamon rolls that I've been making for years. I'm teaching the same course this week and decided to experiment once again with my basic recipe. This time, however, I used different factors. Here are the questions I wanted this experiment to answer:

1. Is an orange-flavored dough preferred to the basic plain dough that I normally use?
2. Is an orange-cream cheese icing better than the plain sugar glaze that I normally use?
3. Is it OK to freeze the cinnamon rolls? Here, I was speculating that freezing the cinnamon rolls wouldn't necessarily make them taste better. However, if the test subjects couldn't tell a difference, that would be a "win" for me. I would be able to make these rolls well in advance for my friends and co-workers instead of baking at 5:00 am before heading to work.
4. Is an individual serving of a cinnamon roll that is baked in a muffin cup preferred to one that is taken from a batch baked in a larger pan that I normally use?
5. Do UT fans have different preferences re: cinnamon rolls than those who are not UT supporters? Here, I was speculating that orange-blooded folks would prefer the orange variations . . . no matter what. In contrast, I was speculating that the non-UT fans would say they didn't like any of the orange variations . . . no matter what.

As before, for those of you who just want to bypass the details and simply find the answers to these questions, simply scroll to the bottom of this post. For the rest of you . . .

Here is another way of listing the factors, or changes, that I wanted to try:

Factor:            Current Condition:      Change to Try:
A: Dough          Plain                          Orange
B: Icing             Plain sugar glaze       Orange cream cheese icing
C: Frozen          Not frozen                 Frozen
D: Muffin Cup  No muffin cup           Muffin cup
E: UT Fan         Not a UT fan             UT fan

I made 8 different batches of cinnamon rolls, each with differing combinations of above.

The first four batches were made fresh this morning (not frozen):

Batch 1: Plain dough with plain sugar glaze icing that has been baked in a muffin cup, then tasted by a UT fan

Batch 2:  Orange dough with plain sugar glaze icing that has not been baked in a muffin cup, then tasted by a non-UT fan

Batch 3: Plain dough with orange cream cheese icing that has not been baked in a muffin cup, then tasted by a UT fan

Batch 4: Orange dough with orange cream cheese icing that has been baked in a muffin cup, then tasted by a non-UT fan

The last four batches were made a few weeks ago and frozen. I took them out of the freezer to thaw last night:

Batch 5: Plain dough with plain sugar glaze icing that has been baked in a muffin cup, then tasted by a non-UT fan

Batch 6: Orange dough with plain sugar glaze icing that has not been baked in a muffin cup, then tasted by a UT fan

Batch 7: Plain dough with orange cream cheese icing that has not been baked in a muffin cup, then tasted by a non-UT fan

Batch 8: Orange dough with orange cream cheese icing that has been baked in a muffin cup, then tasted by a UT fan

As before, I asked each student/co-worker who wanted to participate in this experiment to taste a particular batch (or batches) of cinnamon rolls. (A big thanks to all who participated!) Then, each was asked to provide a "likeability" score (using a 1-5 scale) by completing the following survey:

I collected 8 surveys for each batch, for a total of 64 observations.

After analyzing the results, I learned that baking in a muffin cup and freezing the cinnamon rolls significantly affected the likeability score. This is depicted in the chart below by the very long bar that exceeds the reference line.

Even though most of the responses were very favorable, I learned that using a muffin cup (Factor D) had a negative effect on the likeability score. That is, the average likeability score from those batches where I used the muffin cup was statistically significantly lower than the average likeability score from those batches that I baked in a regular large pan. (see fourth graph below). Hindsight, I think this makes sense. I know that I prefer the gooey centers as opposed to the outer crusts. The rolls baked in muffin cups had less gooey centers and more outer crusts.

In addition to the muffin cups, I learned that freezing the cinnamon rolls (Factor C) also had a negative effect on the likeability score. Ouch. I really didn't want to see that.

Interestingly, it appears that the average likeability score is about the same, whether or not you use orange cream cheese icing or the plain sugar glaze icing (Factor B). Also, there was essentially no difference in the likeability score among the non-UT fans and the UT fans (Factor E). That surprised me! See the second and the last graphs above.

Although changing the dough (Factor A) wasn't technically significant, the average likeability score from those batches with the orange dough appears to be heading in the right direction, as shown in the first graph above. Hmmmmm. I kept exploring. Then I uncovered that changing to the orange dough actually produced more consistent results. This is depicted in the graph below. Scores from the plain dough ranged anywhere from 1 to 5 (all over the place!); whereas, scores from the orange dough only ranged from about 3 to 5.

For this experiment, I found a clue where possibly the dough and the icing interact. That is, what happens when you combine these two variables? The data suggests that if I use the plain sugar glaze icing, then it would be best if I used the orange dough. If, however, I use the orange cream cheese icing, then it doesn't matter too much what type of dough I use. Even more surprising is the combination of the plain sugar glaze icing with the plain dough (the status quo condition). This produced the lowest likeability score!

Bottom line: Unlike the previous experiment, I now have more questions. Maybe I shouldn't "leave well enough alone" after all. I definitely want to avoid freezing the rolls and avoid using muffin cups. I definitely will continue to share my rolls with the diverse population of friends and co-workers (orange-blooded or not). At this point, I will stick with the basic sugar glaze icing. Since icing didn't matter much, why incur the added expense of cream cheese? It's the dough that I'm still a little uncertain about. So, that means more testing. I'm guessing that my students and co-workers will have no problem with that!

If you have any ideas on what changes I should try next, send them my way! :)

Birthday Cake Pancakes

For Keely's 24th birthday, I knew I wanted to start the day off in a most special way. When I ran across birthday cake pancakes on Pinterest, I didn't have to look any further. It's a no-brainer. This is for a girl who carries a Kate Spade tote bag that says, "Eat Cake for Breakfast."

Of course, mine didn't look anything like the original picture, nor does anything else I make from Pinterest for that matter! These are real. And really, really good.

Next time I make them, I would change two things:

1. Cut the recipe in half. I had twice as much batter as I needed for the three of us.
2. Add the sprinkles to the batter as you go. . . unless you want a tie dye effect, which is pretty cute, too.

Steve said that these are the pancakes he wants to eat from now on. I immediately told him, "Nope. You have to wait for your own birthday." Come to think of it, though, I think Keely was right when she posted, "Life's too short not to eat birthday cake pancakes. #sprinkles." So, I promise to not have Steve wait 350 days for this treat. Yes, we should all eat something cute on our birthday, but perhaps this is a fine motto for any other day!

Birthday Cake Pancakes

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup yellow cake mix
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1-1/2 cups buttermilk
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup sprinkles 

Directions:

Heat a griddle or nonstick skillet over medium heat. Mix all dry ingredients; set aside. In a separate bowl, lightly beat the eggs with a whisk. Add the milks and vanilla and whisk to combine. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir until fully mixed. Fold in the sprinkles. 

Scoop portions (approximately 1/3 cup) onto the griddle, leaving room for the batter to spread into larger rounds. When the pancakes begin to bubble, flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Serve with syrup or optional icing (powdered sugar and whipping cream mixed to desired consistency).

Source: Adapted from Seeded at the Table

Soda Pop Ice Cream

Last night, I made homemade ice cream. For some, that's no big deal given that we are now officially into summer in the South. Why is it a big deal for me? This was my very first time! Hard to believe, I know. Oh, I've had my fair share of homemade ice cream that others have made. It's just that I had never made it myself before now.

For something so cold, eating homemade ice cream always conjures up such warm feelings. This time of year, Mom would typically make some kind of flavor with fruit:  pineapple (my favorite), peach, strawberry, etc. Another fond memory is when we lived in St. Ives subdivision in Alcoa. We would have impromptu dessert socials with some of our neighbors. "Just bring a lawn chair and a favorite dessert and come join us in our driveway!" (I love that kind of entertaining, by the way: long, lazy days of summer with the focus on friendships and not the stress of trying to plan the perfect party.) That was when I had my first taste of soda pop ice cream. My former sweet neighbor Dottie Kidd brought homemade orange sherbet. I have been wanting to make it ever since.

So, speaking of sweet friendships, last night we enjoyed having Renee McCracken and her husband Tim over for dinner. Renee's daughter Stephanie and Keely were best friends in elementary school, so we spent the evening reminiscing over some awesome times they had together. I served leftover pulled pork barbecue from Buffy's wedding. (What??? Leftovers??? Yep. Actually, Stephanie is getting married in a couple of months, and they're considering the same caterer for their reception. This gave Renee a chance to check them out.) The sides included macaroni salad (already in the family cookbook), green beans and new potatoes, cucumber salad, and easy corn on the cob.

This was a perfect time to try my new ice cream maker, an attachment for my KitchenAid stand mixer.

Instead of making Dottie's orange version, I decided to try cherry. You simply start with a 2-liter bottle of soda. I chose Diet Cherry 7-Up, whereas Dottie used Orange Crush. You can only imagine the limitless variations! You will also need sweetened condensed milk. Last night, I ended up using a recipe I found on Your Homebased Mom blog; however, this morning I realized that Dottie's recipe was a little simpler and didn't require any measuring. That's the one I'll be making from here on out. So, here's to reconnecting with old friends and enjoying lazy days of summer!

Soda Pop Ice Cream

Ingredients:

• 1 2-liter soda pop, refrigerated
• 2 cans of sweetened condensed milk
• Mix-ins (optional)

Directions:
Mix well.  Pour into ice cream maker and proceed according to manufacturer's directions.

Variation 1: Diet Cherry 7-Up and a jar of maraschino cherries
Variation 2: Orange Crush and a large can of crushed pineapple

What variations do you plan on trying? Have fun with it!

Cheese Baked Grits

Last year, Keely and I made brunch for Mom for Mother's Day. I wanted to do something similar for Dad this year. This time, though, we ended up having a larger crowd. Vicke's and Scott's families joined in the celebration.

This was the first time I remember when we had a large family gathering where the focus was on breakfast foods. Yum! I made the same two breakfast casseroles as before: my Aunt Marilyn's Easy Breakfast Casserole  (already in the family cookbook) and Bacon Asparagus Strata.

 

Other sides included: homemade cinnamon rolls, Vicke's hashbrown casserole, Mom's biscuits with country ham and her homemade apple butter, fresh fruit salad, and pumpkin chocolate mini muffins. Most of these are already in the family cookbook, too.

 

  

  

 

My favorite? Tina's cheese baked grits.  Honestly, these are the best! Scott's been saying that for years as it's a tradition in his family for Tina to serve these every Christmas morning.  Although this recipe is in the family cookbook, this was my first time to taste such a treat. I've never had cheese grits with a kick. Tina's special ingredient is red pepper flakes. These are too good to serve just once a year. I'm hoping that she agrees to make them a part of our Father's Day tradition from here on out. Come to think of it, I might make them this weekend! 

 

Cheese Baked Grits

Ingredients:

• 1 quart (or 4 cups) milk
• 1-1/3 sticks butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 cup quick cooking grits
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

Bring milk and 1 stick of butter to a slow boil. Stir in grits, cover, reduce heat and cook 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; add salt, pepper and red pepper. Beat hard with electric beater for 5 minutes, no less, until creamy. Pour into oiled 9x13 pan. Refrigerate until firm. Cut in rectangular pieces. Pour remaining 1/3 cup melted butter over grits. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and parmesan cheese. At this point, the grits can be refrigerated for 24 hours. Next morning, bake at 400 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes until browned. Serves 6-8.