When you think of your favorite recipes at Christmas time, what is one that you make every single year?  Since I was a little girl, it’s been our family’s orange roll recipe.  There isn’t a Thanksgiving or Christmas that goes by without them being made by someone in the family and now I’m teaching my kids how to make them.  Thanks to my friend Krista at The Happy Housie, a bunch of us our sharing some of our favorite Christmas recipes with you today so make sure to pin away and visit everyone sharing! 

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While, we eat this with our Thanksgiving or Christmas luncheons and dinners, this can certainly be made for a dessert or brunch or breakfast.  It would also be wonderful to bring to your neighbors as a Christmas gift if you like to bake for them (as I do).

These are easy to make and even fun to make. I like to teach my kids how to make the knots.

I love that they rise quickly and you don’t have to wait hours for them to rise or wake up early on your holiday to get the dough started.

Honestly, they are the very best on the first day they are made.  I let them cool for about 20 minutes, glaze them and then serve them or deliver to friends.

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The Best One Hour Orange Rolls Recipe

Keyword Rolls

Prep Time 50 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 4 dozen +

Author Summer

Ingredients

Dough

• 2 cups warm milk (not too warm or it will kill yeast)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 TBSP quick-rise yeast (about 2 1/2 packets)
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup butter
• 2 TBSP orange zest (Cuties or mandarins are fine too)
• 6 cups flour

Orange Glaze

• 2 TBSP orange juice
• 1 TBSP orange zest
• 1 TBSP melted butter
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (more if needed)

Instructions

Rolls

• Mix all ingredients well (EXCEPT flour) in a large bowl.  Add flour, one cup at a time and mix.  I use my stand mixer for this with the dough hook attachment.
• Let rise about 25 min.  Knead well for 2 minutes on floured counter-top or pastry board.
• Pre-heat oven to 400˚F.  Quickly roll large handfuls of dough out and cut into strips.  Fold into knots and place on greased baking sheet.  Let rise for 10 min while oven heats.
• Bake for 7-8 min.  If the tops of bottoms are brown, you've cooked them too long.  If the rolls are white and bottoms are a very light golden brown, they're perfect and ready to come out.  If you are making small knots, consider baking them for only 7 min.  You don't want the center to be doughy but you want them very soft.
• Remove from oven and transfer to cooling rack or parchment paper.  Glaze and serve.  Tip:  I like to cool them on a wire rack (see pic) over a cookie sheet so that the glaze drips through and not all over my counter.

Glaze:

• Mix orange juice, zest and melted butter.  Then add powdered sugar, adding more or less if necessary.
• Once the rolls have cooled for at least 10 minutes, glaze the rolls.  Serve immediately or wait until glaze has dried...either way, they are amazing! I just love them when they’re still warm.

I will warn you…..these are highly addicting and sooooo sooooo good!

They just fall apart in your mouth and the orange flavor is divine.

I made these the other night before our annual family “Elf” viewing party.  I’ve never served them to anyone who hasn’t asked begged for the recipe later.  If you’re serving these alone, my favorite thing is to serve them warm and with a glass of milk.  Yummmmmmm!!!

 

Today I’m joined by some friends who are also sharing their amazing holiday recipes with you!

How to Make Mulled Wine (Glühwein Recipe) at The Happy Housie
DIY Colonial Gingerbread House at Sincerely, Marie Designs
Christmas Wreath Veggie Pizza at Clean & Scentsible
Homemade Egg Nog at Town and Country Living
Easy Holiday Appetizer at Rooms FOR Rent

Secret Ingredient Gingerbread Cookies at Jenna Kate at Home
Snowball Cookies at Finding Silver Pennies
Easy Gluten Free Shortbread with White Chocolate and Toffee at Home Made Lovely
Brown Butter Sugar Cookies with Chocolate Ganache
The Best One Hour Orange Rolls at Summer Adams Designs

Cake Mix Quick Bread Recipe at On Sutton Place
Best Waffle Recipe Ever at The DIY Mommy
The Most Chocolatey Hot Chocolate Cookies at A Pretty Life
Eggnog Bread Recipe at Tauni Everett
Instant Pot Ham at TIDBITS Marci

Toblerone Shortbread with Browned Flour at Life is a Party
Spicy Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies at Modern Glam
Christmas Tree Marshmallow Hot Cocoa Toppers at The Turquoise Home
Easy Creme Brulee for the Holidays at Hallstrom Home

*****

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  I would love it if you could subscribe at the top of the page in order to receive my weekly emails of all my latest blog posts and see everything I’m working on!  You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook to see what I’m up to in creating a home and lifestyle of inspiration!

xoxo,

Remember this recipe & share the love! Pin it!

The post The Best One Hour Orange Rolls Recipe appeared first on Summer Adams.

When I think of Easter desserts, I think of Coconut Cake at the top of the list.  For as long as I can remember we have usually had a coconut cake at our family Easter celebrations, amongst many other sweets!  I come from a family that LOVES to cook and bake so food is our forte!  I have made many coconut cakes and breads and desserts but this is simple, moist, fluffy, and delicious.  And even if you don’t love coconut, this cake is not overwhelming and just naturally flavored.

Ingredients
Cake:
1 box White cake mix
8 oz sour cream
¼ c Vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 8.5 oz can Cream of Coconut

Frosting:
8 oz cream cheese
2 TBSP milk
16 oz. Powdered Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
1 bag Fresh Frozen Coconut

Instructions
Cake:
Heat oven to 350°F
Use (2) 9” pans that have been greased and floured.
Bake approximately 30 minutes at 350°F.
Cool completely.  Cut off tops to make flat.  Turn them upside down and stack them on parchment or wax paper and freeze for 2 hours.  This will make it easier to spread and avoid crumbs to break off and get all into frosting.

Frosting:
Mix all ingredients in a mixer except fresh coconut.
Frost cake in between 2 layers and then all around top and sides.
Immediately press coconut into sides and top of cake.  Slide onto cake stand and pull bottom paper out from underneath and your cake will look gorgeous!

This recipe makes (2) 9″ round cakes.  If you want the look of a 3-layer cake or just need more servings, you can double the batch.  This has been a family-favorite for years!  Oh, and it’s easy on the eyes…isn’t it?!!!  Such a pretty dessert and I love the way it compliments my Easter tablescape!

Don’t forget to share this and pin it on Pinterest!

Here are some affiliate links I’m linking below for your shopping convenience! They don’t cost you anything extra (disclosure here).  They’re things you’ve seen here in the post as well as some other fun things that you don’t see here.

I would love it if you subscribed at the top of the page in order to receive my weekly emails of all my latest posts.  You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook to see what I’m up to in creating a home and lifestyle of inspiration!

xoxo,

The post Simply Delicious Coconut Cake appeared first on Summer Adams.

Ok, so I saw these “Home Sweet Home Mug Toppers” (below) at Anthropologie and HAD to have them for my Hot Cocoa Bar.  However….I went to the store and they were $10 for 2!!!!  {eek!}  I love you Anthropologie but I just can’t.  I’ll spend $75 for a blouse LOL but not $10 for 2 mini gingerbread homes.  (As I type this and sarcastically say that out loud, I realize how absurd that is hahahaha.  Oh well.)
I thought I’d pull out my favorite Gingerbread recipe (below) and make my own.  Now, there was a lot of trial and error. The house was too long and wouldn’t sit right on the mug, I assembled the top before the sides were dry and strong and it fell apart, the cookie needed to cool and harden before assembling or it would break. Ya know…those kind of things.  I figured out the exact proportions that would work, measured, and then sketched them and turned them into a pdf file just for you!  Because 3 hours of trial and error needs to be for the greater good right?!  ;-p  Before figuring it out, I was all ready to march over to Anthro the next day and just spend the darn $10.  But once I learned what worked, it was easy!  Let’s do this!

BEST Gingerbread Recipe EVER
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon all spice
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons water

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar, molasses, cinnamon, all spice, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and baking soda together until the mixture is smooth. Blend in the flour and water to make a stiff dough. Chill at least 30 minutes or until firm.  Roll out dough and print out and cut out the following paper patterns for the gingerbread house template:

Mini Gingerbread Mug Hugs

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Cook for 6-7 minutes.  Remove and let cool completely!

Royal Icing (this is like glue):
1 pound powdered sugar, sifted
2 large egg whites, or substitute 4 teaspoons packaged egg whites and 1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon almond or vanilla extract

Once cookies are completely cool, assemble sides and front of house and “glue” with icing.  let dry for an hour before attaching roof and candy.  Use glitter sugar, crushed candy canes…stuff that adds a pretty touch but is lightweight.  Remember, these are little so you are NOT going to be adding heavier candies to it.  Let dry for another 1-3 hours before adding to your mug.  Soooooo delicious and cute!

Wouldn’t this be a cute idea with some hot cocoa packets and mugs for your friends, family, or neighbors this holiday season??

Also, make sure to go back and visit my post on my HOT COCOA BAR for the free printable you see above in the frame.

AND!!!  If you are not wanting to measure and cut, here are some shopping links below that include the mini gingerbread house cutter.

Have fun and enjoy!!

{Sharing some photos below of the process….}

The post Mini Gingerbread House Mug Huggers appeared first on Summer Adams.

Ok, so we had our annual “ELF” viewing party to kick off the Christmas season last night. Our neighbor besties, The Downers, had NEVER seen the movie (gasp) so we had to invite them to watch with us.  They also went to Target and bought some pajamas and joined in the fun…ha!  Our husbands are the BEST sports ever!!!!!!!!

As promised, here is the recipe for the Ooey Gooey Sweet Chex mix below:
I promise you will not only LOVE it, but you will gain an immediate 5 lbs because it is HIGHLY ADDICTING!!!  Mwahahahaha….;-p

Ooey Gooey Sweet Chex Mix:
1 12oz box Rice or Corn Chex Cereal
1 12oz box Golden Grahams Cereal
2 1/2 cups slivered almonds
1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
2 cups sugar
2 cups light corn syrup
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
1 tsp Almond extract

In a large mixing bowl, toss together Rice/Corn Chex, Golden Grahams, almonds and coconut…set aside. In a medium saucepan combine sugar, light-corn syrup and butter. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Allow mixture to boil for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and stir in almond extract (optional).  Carefully pour sugar mixture over cereal mixture and toss to evenly coat. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

I make a TON of this all throughout the holiday season since it is a favorite and most requested treats.  Also great to put into treat bags and given as neighborhood gifts.  You can thank me later!  Unless your jeans don’t fit…ha!  This is my holiday culprit!  I can’t stop myself!!! ;-p

xoxo, Summer

The post Elf Party 2015 appeared first on Summer Adams.

How cute are these little white chocolate pumpkin pretzels?!!  They are soooo easy so let’s get right to it…..

First, put down some wax paper on a large baking sheet.  Lay out your pretzels.  Square ones will also work but I like the original shape best.  Get your melting chocolate (I bought them at Michael’s when they were all 40% a couple of weeks ago).  Melt, per instructions, in microwave and stir in between.  I like to do orange ones too, because I know the kids like the color.  But since I decorate in all neutrals for the holiday, I had to do some pretty white ones too, ha!

Use a small spoon and just drop chocolate into the pretzels.  It will start to harden pretty quickly.  After the orange or white pumpkins are done, do just a little green chocolate and drop them sideways off your little spoon, just a little dollop.

As soon as they harden, maybe 5 minutes later, peel them off the wax paper and put them on a cute little plate.  Tah-dah!!  Such a great after-school snack with some sliced apples for my kids who get home in a couple hours from school.  You can even bring these to a class, office, or church party to share.  It’s even fun to drop off to a neighbor!

Have fun and enjoy!

xoxo,

The post Quick Pumpkin Pretzel Treats appeared first on Summer Adams.