I’ve been dying to make a cinnamon rolls since Christmas time, but that thing called ‘life’ hasn’t allowed me the time to get the yeast rising. I decided Valentine’s would be the little space of time I’d sock away to enjoy the craft of making Cinnamon Roll Hearts, as a gift to myself and the ones I love.

Cinnamon Roll Hearts Of Love:

Just like a cinnamon roll, except heart shaped. I wanted my filling a bit more decadent in comparison to the standard. Cherries and pistachios for sure, and since winter is ripe with citrus, I went with a seasonal fruit. I live in California where oranges are plentiful, sweet, and make everything taste good. I welcomed their zest into my cinnamon roll filling with zero hesitation. This Valentine’s Day I hope you welcome my Cinnamon Roll Hearts to your table.

Ingredients for Cinnamon Roll Hearts:

• 2 cups milk
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 packets active dry yeast (4 1/2 teaspoons)
• 5 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

1. Add milk, butter, and sugar to a dutch oven or heavy saucepan over a medium low flame. Stir to melt butter/sugar and heat milk. Do not boil. Use a thermometer. Wait until the milk is 105 Fahrenheit.
2. Pour milk mixture into a stand-mixer, and sprinkle yeast on top of milk. Let the yeast combine with the warm milk mixture for 6 minutes.
3. In a separate bowl whisk flour, salt and cinnamon together.
4. Add flour mixture to milk/yeast mixture.
5. Mix on with a dough hook attachment until dough comes together. For about 7 minutes or until it comes together.
6. Remove dough hook attachment and scrape down with rubber spatula. Cover bowl with plastic wrap or lid and let dough rest for 1 to 2 hours or until it doubles in size.
7. Punch dough down and place in fridge over night.
8. Remove from fridge and roll out dough to 14×18 inches on a floured surface.
9. Grease 2 baking dishes (I used a metal 9×13 cake pan) with butter then lightly dust with sugar. Set to the side.
10. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
11. Place rack in the center of the oven.

Ingredients for filling:

• 1 stick unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 6 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3/4 cup dried cherries (re-hydrated in a cup of cherry juice)
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped pistachios

Directions:

1. Mix butter, sugar, cinnamon, orange zest, and brown sugar in a bowl until completely incorporated.
2. Smear buttery sugar spread on rolled out dough.
3. In a small sauce pan rehydrate dried cherries in 1 cup cherry juice, by bringing juice to a boil. Drain , and reserve juice for glaze.
4. Sprinkle hydrated cherries over buttery spread, then sprinkle on pistachios.
5. Cut the dough down the middle to make two halves.
6. Start with one half. Begin at the end farthest from you and carefully roll tightly towards you. Stop in the middle and roll the end closest to you towards the middle to shape a heart.
7. Slice in 1 inch thick pieces with a sharp knife.
8. Arrange the hearts in the pan. Continue the same process with the other piece of dough. Let hearts rest in the pan to rise slightly before placing in the oven. I’d let them rest for a minimum of 30 minutes.
9. Bake for 25 minutes.
10. Remove from oven and allow to cool while you prepare the glaze.

Ingredients for Cherry Glaze:

• cups powdered sugar
• 5 tablespoons reserved cherry juice

Directions:

1. Whisk powdered sugar and cherry juice together until completely combined and no longer bumpy at all.
2. Drizzle glaze over warm cinnamon roll hearts.
3. Sprinkle (optional) orange zest, chopped pistachios, and crushed freeze dried strawberries over glaze.

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BetterWithEggo #LeggoYourEggo #CollectiveBias

Breakfast Waffle Fruit Salad:

Did you kickoff 2019 with a New Year’s resolution? Technically we are still at the very start of the 12 month period and resolutions are very much stable and rooted in our daily routines. But can we sustain them? My New Year’s Resolution was simple this year, eat outside more and incorporate more fruit into my diet.

Kellogg’s® Eggo Nutri-Grain Blueberry Waffles makes it easy to keep my New Year’s resolution of eating wholesome in place. Eggo Waffles now have colors and flavors from natural sources, and 8 grams of whole wheat. They are easy to find in the frozen foods section at Walmart. Once I top my Eggo waffle with my fruit salad (bionico) it becomes an indulgent dream breakfast that tastes nothing like a resolution.

Hover over the picture below to buy the products online.

Ingredients for Breakfast Waffle Fruit Salad:

• Kellogg’s® Eggo Nutri-Grain Blueberry 10 Ct
• 1/2 red apple (cut into cubes)
• 1/2 orange (sliced into chunks)
• 1/2 pear (cut into cubes)
• 1/2 banana (sliced)
• 10 blueberries
• 5 strawberries (sliced)
• a handful of pecans (coarsely chopped)
• 2 tablespoons shredded coconut
• 1/4 cup greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon of lemon juice

Directions:

1. Toast Eggo waffle according to packaging.
2. Mix apple, orange, pear, banana, blueberries, strawberries, pecans, and coconut in a bowl.
3. In a separate bowl whisk together yogurt, honey and lemon juice.
4. Place eggo on a plate. Top with a cup of fruit salad. Drizzle top with 2 tablespoons yogurt dressing.
5. Enjoy!

There are certain dishes that were sacrificed when I transitioned into a vegetarian. I knew French Onion Soup would be on the list of beloved entrees I would depart with due to it’s beef broth content. I don’t know why I didn’t think of substituting the broth sooner and creating a Vegetarian French Onion Soup, one I could indulge in without the guilt.

Like most people, the first thing I think about when hosting or being invited to a game day party is the food. To be honest, I don’t even know the rules of football or who plays on what team. I don’t care about half time, especially this year, and only a portion of the multi million famed commercials grab my attention. All I care about are the snacks.

Manchego Quince On A Stick:

Oh my GAWD!!!! I think I just died and went to cheese heaven. For the first time in my life I had Manchego Quince on a stick. It’s the first time because I’ve never seen them anywhere else in my time on earth. I was sitting home getting ready for the football game and wanted a batch of mozzarella sticks, but then thought it boring. “The same ol cheese sticks again?” is exactly what ran through my mind. Instead I jumped into action and paired my beloved manchego cheese with quince fruit paste, a flavor combination typically intertwined in Spain. Quince fruit paste goes by the Spanish name Membrillo, and is becoming very easy to find in bigger supermarkets and Mexican boutique markets. Once I settled on the flavor, I breaded the manchego quince stacks and fried them to a golden crisp. (more…)

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #CollectiveBias #NestleTraditionallyUnited

Gingerbread Caramel Pear Empanadas:

These delicious delights known as Gingerbread Caramel Pear Empanadas have my kitchen resembling a Christmas elf factory. Except it’s just me and my little family playing all elves trying to churn out as many as possible. The way I look at it, I’m continuing to keep family traditions alive this holiday season.  I’ve taken my little boy under my baking wing and am teaching him to make empanadas the way my grandfather taught me. I’m using my trusty caramel recipe made with NESTLÉ® LA LECHERA® Sweetened Condensed Mil​k, and pairing it with my grandfather’s gingerbread empanada recipe giving my caramel pear filling a little twist.  La Lechera (available at Walmart) is my trusted partner to make classic holiday recipes come to life. In my Gingerbread Caramel Pear Empanadas I used La Lechera in both my caramel and to make the royal icing. Pair this holiday treat with a mug of NESTLÉ® ABUELITA® Mexican Hot Chocolate​ and let the nostalgia sweep over you. <3 (more…)

This post is sponsored by Logra Mas Con Tu Cocina. All opinions are my own.

A delicious fruity drink that will surely brighten all your holiday festivities: Mexican Christmas Punch / Ponche Navideño

December is a big month for us here in the Lopez-Presley household. It’s my husband’s birthday month, Christmas tree trimming time, and gotta tamalada with my family. I can’t forget holiday school activities for my son, light ceremonies, and Posada festivities better known as let’s drink Mexican Christmas Punch / Ponche Navideño all night long. Of course, it’s also Christmas. I run around like mad trying to get everything just right. (more…)