Quick Chicken & Dumplings

This quick recipe relies of pre-cooked chicken and homemade baking mix. A great back-to-basic comfort food! 

Quick Chicken & Dumplings    4 servings

For the chicken:

2+ tablespoon olive oil

1/2 large yellow onion, diced in 1/8” pieces

1 medium stalks celery, diced in 1/8” pieces

2 medium carrots, diced in 1/4” pieces

1 medium to large turnip, diced in 1/4” pieces (optional)

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 1/2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 to 4 cups chicken broth

1 teaspoons fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

2 medium potatoes, diced in 1/4” pieces

2 chicken breasts, cooked or poached, cut into chunks

1/3 cup frozen peas

About 2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves

For the dumplings:

1 cup homemade Baking Mix (or use commercial such as Bisquick®)

1/4 cup milk

1. FOR THE CHICKEN & VEGGIE MIXTURE: Heat olive oil on medium. Add the onion, celery, carrots, turnip and garlic to the pot. Add salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. 
2. Add the butter and flour; stir to coat the veggies and cook for a minute or two to get rid of raw flour taste.  
3. Add the broth, stir and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Bring to a boil.
4. Add the thyme, bay leaf, Italian seasoning, potatoes and cooked & chunked chicken. Return the chicken to the pot and simmer. Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. 
   
5. Bring chicken mixture to a boil, add peas and prepared dumpling and follow directions below for cooking the dumplings. 
   
6. TO PREPARE THE DUMPLINGS: Add milk to the Baking Mix all at once, stirring about 30 strokes. (You can add a little more milk is mix seems dry.)
7. TO COOK THE DUMPLINGS: Drop by tablespoon on top of BOILING stew; add about half of the parsley. COVER and boil gently 12 minutes without removing cover. 
   
8. The dumplings are ready when they have about quadrupled in size and are no longer raw and doughy in the center. If not fully cooked, cover and cook 2 minutes more. 
   
9. Dish up chicken and dumplings and garnish with remaining chopped parsley.

Recipe without photos . . .

Quick Chicken & Dumplings    4 servings

For the chicken:

2+ tablespoon olive oil

1/2 large yellow onion, diced in 1/8” pieces

1 medium stalks celery, diced in 1/8” pieces

2 medium carrots, diced in 1/4” pieces

1 medium to large turnip, diced in 1/4” pieces (optional)

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 1/2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 to 4 cups chicken broth

1 teaspoons fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

2 medium potatoes, diced in 1/4” pieces

2 chicken breasts, cooked or poached, cut into chunks

1/3 cup frozen peas

About 2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves

For the dumplings:

1 cup homemade Baking Mix (or use commercial such as Bisquick®)

1/4 cup milk

1. FOR THE CHICKEN & VEGGIE MIXTURE: Heat olive oil on medium. Add the onion, celery, carrots, turnip and garlic to the pot. Add salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. 
2. Add the butter and flour; stir to coat the veggies and cook for a minute or two to get rid of raw flour taste.  
3. Add the broth, stir and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Bring to a boil.
4. Add the thyme, bay leaf, Italian seasoning, potatoes and cooked & chunked chicken. Return the chicken to the pot and simmer. Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. 
5. Bring chicken mixture to a boil, add peas and prepared dumpling and follow directions below for cooking the dumplings. 
6. TO PREPARE THE DUMPLINGS: Add milk to the Baking Mix all at once, stirring about 30 strokes. (You can add a little more milk is mix seems dry.)
7. TO COOK THE DUMPLINGS: Drop by tablespoon on top of BOILING stew; add about half of the parsley. COVER and boil gently 12 minutes without removing cover. 
8. The dumplings are ready when they have about quadrupled in size and are no longer raw and doughy in the center. If not fully cooked, cover and cook 2 minutes more. 
9. Dish up chicken and dumplings and garnish with remaining chopped parsley.

Wholegrain Jam Squares - a vintage recipe from Quaker Oats

Sweet treats seem to be on my mind as we wait out the COVID 19 stay-at-home orders. I’ve been perusing old cookbooks and trying to cook and bake using what’s on hand in our freezer, fridge and pantry. 
Back when I was teaching Home Economics at Abilene High School I signed up for free materials from Quaker Oats. Consequently I received promotional materials in the form of lesson plan ideas, recipes, and nutritional information. In 1982 they even sent out a slick paper cookbook, The Quaker Oats WHOLEGRAIN COOKBOOK. Oats were relatively inexpensive, healthy and the recipes in this cookbook (and their newsletters) were easy-to-follow, used a standard recipe format and measuring techniques + they incorporated everyday ingredients. 

Consequently, I used many of Quaker Oats recipes in class and at home, too. Actually, over time, I think I’ve made about 80% of the recipes in the WHOLEGRAIN COOKBOOK and today’s post is one of our favorites. It uses ingredients that most people have on hand and can be adjusted by changing out the type of jam or nuts or even use applesauce as mentioned in the “variation” offered up at the end of the recipe. I made Raspberry Pecan Wholegrain Jam Squares today.

As I dug out my personal copy of this cookbook, I noticed there was no date anywhere in the publication. An Internet search indicated this “vintage cookbook” was printed in 1982 and currently sells from $3.95 to $18.95 online! If you would like access to more oat recipes but don’t want to order this cookbook, check out what they have to offer at the Quaker Oats website.

This is the original recipe as printed in the cookbook. The description on the sidebar (below, on the right) says, "A layered treat, with the sweet taste of fruit combined with the crunch and wholesomeness of the oat mixture." I’ll add . . .These bars are a bit on the crumbly side, but OH, SO delicious! 

I did cut the recipe in half and baked our half batch in an 8x8-inch pan. After all, we are trying to maintain a small degree of restraint while indulging in our fair share of sweet treat! 

Wholegrain Jam Squares    Make one 13x9-inch pan of squares

2 cups Quaker Oats* (Quick or Old Fashioned, uncooked) 

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (I used Pride of the Prairie Flour* from Farmer Direct Foods, New Cambria, KS)  

1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine – cold, cut into chunks

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup chopped nuts

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup preserves . . . or enough to cover the base of the squares 

1. Preheat oven to 400° F.
2. Combine all ingredient except preserves in large mixing bowl; beat at low speed on electric mixer until mixture is crumbly. 
   
3. Reserve 2 cups mixture; press remaining onto bottom of greased 13x9” baking pan. (I lined the bottom of pan with parchment, leaving “wings” on 2 sides for easy removal + sprayed the parchment with pan release) 
   
   
   
   
4. Spread preserves evenly over base.
   
5. Sprinkle with reserved mixture . . . and lightly press with fingers.
   
6. Bake in a preheated hot oven (400° F) for 25 to 30 mixture or until golden brown. 
7. Cool; cut into squares.
   

VARIATION: Omit nuts in oat mixture; add 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg and 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves to oat mixture. Substitute 1 cup applesauce combined with ¾ cup raisins and 1/2 cup nuts for the preserves.

*Of course you may use any brand of oats or flour, even a generic brand. However, I have to put in a plug for the smaller, statewide mills that have stepped up to the plate and are working to keep flour on grocery shelves as stores as Americans turn to baking and home cooking during COVID 19. Right before the stay-at-home orders, we stopped at Farmer Direct Foods in rural New Cambria and picked up a 25 lb. bag of flour. At that point they were grinding seven days a week trying to keep flour on grocery shelves. 

Recipe without photos . . .

Wholegrain Jam Squares    Make one 13x9-inch pan of squares

2 cups Quaker Oats* (Quick or Old Fashioned, uncooked) 

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour  (I used Pride of the Prairie Flour* from Farmer Direct Foods, New Cambria, KS)  

1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine – cold, cut into chunks

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup chopped nuts

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup preserves . . . or enough to cover the base of the squares 

1. Preheat oven to 400° F.
2. Combine all ingredient except preserves in large mixing bowl; beat at low speed on electric mixer until mixture is crumbly. 
3. Reserve 2 cups mixture; press remaining onto bottom of greased 13x9” baking pan. (I lined the bottom of pan with parchment, leaving “wings” on 2 sides for easy removal + sprayed the parchment with pan release) 
4. Spread preserves evenly over base.
5. Sprinkle with reserved mixture . . . and lightly press with fingers.
6. Bake in a preheated hot oven (400° F) for 25 to 30 mixture or until golden brown. 
7. Cool; cut into squares.

VARIATION: Omit nuts in oat mixture; add 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg and 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves to oat mixture. Substitute 1 cup applesauce combined with ¾ cup raisins and 1/2 cup nuts for the preserves.

*Of course you may use any brand of oats or flour, even a generic brand. However, I have to put in a plug for the smaller, statewide mills that have stepped up to the plate and are working to keep flour on grocery shelves as stores as Americans turn to baking and home cooking during COVID 19. Right before the stay-at-home orders, we stopped at Farmer Direct Foods in rural New Cambria and picked up a 25 lb. bag of flour. At that point they were grinding seven days a week trying to keep flour on grocery shelves. 

Quarantine-style Party Platter & Game Night!

Yesterday Barry requested some of his favorite snacks that included Creamy Hummus and Rosemary Crackers  After making them I decided to somehow turn them into dinner. That's when I came up with the idea of a Quarantine-style Party Platter. A way to use things on hand, including leftovers, and a break from our usual meal pattern. Ours was far from fancy but it was a fun diversion so I challenge anyone reading this post, to create your own using supplies and foods from your pantry!

Ours consisted of (starting from grapes and moving clockwise): Grapes, Creamy Hummus,  purchased pita chips, Pickled Beets, Cheese Quesadilla Triangles, Rosemary Crackers with Jazzabell Dipping Sauce, and in the center - Deli turkey (folded in triangles and arranged in a glass to create a bouquet-like effect.

After "dinner" we cleared the party platter and played Scrabble. We used every single tile and I won by 10 points. However, Barry then went on to win three rounds of Dominos. Perhaps we've started a new Monday night tradition!

Loose Cabbage Rolls

My back-to-basics cooking includes vegetables that are versatile. One of the most adaptable is CABBAGE. We slice or chop it, add some grated carrots for slaw, sometimes use thinly sliced cabbage with tacos, we add it to green salads, and use it in any number of recipes (a list of our recipes with hot links follows today's featured recipe.). As a matter of fact Barry is in the kitchen making hamburger-vegetable soup that includes chopped cabbage. Years ago I went on an overnight wagon train trip through the Flint Hills. They served us pioneer-type food including a peanut butter filled cabbage. It was the most unusual use for cabbage I have found .  . . but not too bad!

We almost always have a head in our refrigerator. Most sources say cabbage will last about 3 weeks if refrigerated but I found a farm in Vermont that says it can last up to 2 months in the fridge.

Cabbage rolls or stuffed cabbage leaves are a favorite but labor intensive to prepare, so when my friend Susan Dyess shared this recipe for Loose Cabbage Rolls, I knew I had to give it a try. This casserole has all the components and flavor profile of cabbage rolls but is fast and easy to make . . . and that versatile vegetable—cabbage—plays a vital role in this recipe that Barry deemed delicious. Thank you Susan.

Note: The recipe did not specify whether to use cooked or uncooked rice. Checked out several online versions and some call for cooked, others call for raw. The one hour cooking time should actually cook the rice but you may need to adjust the liquid. I used cooked rice but doubled the amount called for in recipe. (In retrospect I think the 1/2 cup rice must refer to uncooked.)

Loose Cabbage Rolls   Makes ten 1-cup serving  (I did cut it in half for the two of us)
1 1/2 lbs. ground chuck
1 1/2 cups choppe onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper (I used frozen chopped peppers from last year's garden)
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 cup raw rice -- see note above in bold typing about rice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 beef bouillon cube
1 teaspoon salt
1 12 teaspoon black pepper
About a 2 1/2 lb. head caggage, coarsely shreds
12 oz. V-8 juice (tomato juice with added flavoring could be used - garlic powder, onion powder, even a flakes Italian seasoning to taste)

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Sauté ground chuck, onion, green pepper and celery. Drain off grease if needed.
   
3. Add rice, salt and pepper.
   
4. Alternative layers of cabbage and meat mixture in 2-quart casserole dish. I started with half the meat mixture, added the cabbage and topped it with remaining meat mixture.
   
5. Pour V-8 juice over top of mixture. 
6. Cover and bake 1 hour. Check occasionally near end; if casserole seems dry, add a little water or even some tomato sauce.)
   

Cabbage Recipes on our blog include . . .
Asian-inspired Salad & Dressing
Asian Slaw, Crunchy
Beet Borscht
Brat & Cabbage Skillet
Cabbage Kielbasa Soup
Cabbage Kielbasa Soup - Barry's version
Cabbage, Sausage & Potato Soup - German inspired
Casserole-roasted Pork with Cabbage
Coleslaw with Mom's Celery Seed Dressing
Corned Beef & Cabbage
Crunchy Asian Slaw
Easy, Quick Sauerkraut by the Quart
German Red Cabbage
Irish Delight - Cabbage & Potatoes
Loaded Cabbage Soup
Pan-Fried Cabbage
Smoked Cabbage
Stuffed Cabbage or Cabbage Rolls

Recipe without photos . . .
Loose Cabbage Rolls   Makes ten 1-cup serving  (I did cut it in half for the two of us)
1 1/2 lbs. ground chuck
1 1/2 cups choppe onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper (I used frozen chopped peppers from last year's garden)
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 cup rice - see note above in bold typing about rice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 beef bouillon cube
1 teaspoon salt
1 12 teaspoon black pepper
About a 2 1/2 lb. head cabbage, coarsely shreds
12 oz. V-8 juice (tomato juice with added flavoring could be used - garlic powder, onion powder, even a flakes Italian seasoning to taste)

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Sauté ground chuck, onion, green pepper and celery. Drain off grease if needed.
3. Add rice, salt and pepper.
4. Alternative layers of cabbage and meat mixture in 2-quart casserole dish. I started with half the meat mixture, added the cabbage and topped it with remaining meat mixture
5. Pour V-8 juice over top of mixture. 
6. Cover and bake 1 hour. Check occasionally near end; if casserole seems dry, add a little water or even some tomato sauce.)

Orange Toast - a simple vintage recipe for complicated times

A simple vintage recipe for complicated times. Another of my back-to-basics cooking series that keeps me occupied and motivated during COVID-19. Back-to-basics (for me) includes recipes made from simple, on-hand ingredients and/or old-fashioned recipes.

Found this delightful toast, a step-up from cinnamon toast, in Adventures in Good Cooking by Duncan Hines. Unlike Betty Crocker, Duncan Hines was a real person. Raised in Bowling Green, KY, he attended the local business college and eventually ended up in Chicago working as a traveling salesman. He passed through so many towns and cities that he began jotting down the names of places to eat in a little "red" book. He shared this info with fellow salesman and they shared it with others . . . and so on. In 1934 he compiled a list of recommended eating places that was included in the Hines' yearly Christmas card. Again friends shared that list with others and his reputation grew; it has been said he was America's first food critic.  That same year a Chicago newspaper featured Duncan and his unusual hobby and he was flooded with inquiries; it was this article that changed his life. By the late 1930s he had published his first booklet that would make his name known around the country, even the world — Adventures in Good Eating.  He began using "dinner detectives" to help with his growing list of recommendations that were included in subsequent booklets.
At one point he solicited recipes from the restaurants, cafes and hotels that received his recommendations. These were used to compile a cookbook, Adventures in Good Cooking and The Art of Carving in the Home."
Food companies were constantly after him to endorse products but he refused. According to his niece, Cora Jane Spiller of Bowling Green, KY, riches did not motivate her uncle. It was good, well prepared food that intrigued him  . . . so when a young businessman used that appeal, Duncan finally  joined forces with Roy Park . . .  and the Duncan Hines brand was born.
Over his lifetime he not only raised the level of awareness about good and safely prepared food; his ideals helped to create today's food and safety standards.
For more information about this fascinating man, read Louis Hatchett's The Man Behind the Cake Mix. Cora Jane Spiller, Duncan's niece, was a primary source for this biography and donated his stove and ofter artifacts to a permeant exhibit (dubbed Recommended by Duncan Hines) at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green.

My copy of Adventures in Good Cooking is actually a reprint that was orchestrated by Hatchett, a gift from Cora Jane.  Orange Toast is recipe #152 and is credited to The Nut Tree (restaurant), Vacaville, California. It uses a minimum of ingredients; if you have only prepared orange juice, use it and omit the zest . . . but the zest does add an extra burst of flavor! Great for  breakfast or with tea as an afternoon pick-me-up!

152. Orange Toast   Makes 6 slices toast  (Note: I made 2 piece of toast and refrigerated the orange mixture for later use)

1 orange rind, grated
2 tablespoons orange juice  (Note: 1 orange yields about this much; I actually poured it in slowly adding just enough to make a thick paste.)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 slices buttered toast

1. Combine ingredients and spread the mixture on buttered toast.

2. Put in oven or under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes.

The Nut Tree, Vacaville, California

Other Duncan Hines' recipes and references on our blog include:

Duncan's TABLE

Betty Cass' Brown Sugar Cookies

Chocolate Upside Down Cake

Date & Nut Cakes

Fudge Squares

Hot Toasted Cheese Hors d'Oeuvres (or Sandwiches)

Nut Macaroons
Quick Brown Sugar Drop Cookies

Taffy Tarts
Welsh Rabbit
Duncan Hines inspired Adventures in Good Eating & Cooking articles (3): 
# 1: Independent Eating (and drinking) Establishments in South Texas
# 2: A Few Culinary Surprises in South Texas 
# 3: Condo Cooking with Duncan Hines

Recipe without photos . . .
152. Orange Toast   Makes 6 slices toast  (Note: I made 2 piece of toast and refrigerated the orange mixture for later use)
1 orange rind, grated
2 tablespoons orange juice  (Note: 1 orange yields about this much; I actually poured it in slowly adding just enough to make a thick paste.)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 slices buttered toast

1. Combine ingredients and spread the mixture on buttered toast.
2. Put in oven or under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes.
The Nut Tree, Vacaville, California

Mom's No-knead Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

Today’s back-to-basic recipe was my Mom’s No-knead Overnight Cinnamon Rolls. They were one of Mom’s go-to recipes and always a family favorite. They are TENDER, FLUFFY & IRRESTIBLE. Another amazing thing about them in the preparation method – mix up the dough (no kneading involved), let it proof for 5 hours, shape and leave (covered) on the counter overnight.

A Stafford friend (believe it was Gerri Hildebrand) originally shared this recipe with Mom with the 1970s or 80s.  Mom shared the recipe in our family cookbook (MEMORIES — In Memory of Grandma Richardson 'Bessie” Wolf Jeffries Richardson) with this note: "A friend gave me this recipe after my family was grown and gone from home.  It became a tradition to make these and have them in the freezer when  the girls and their husbands were coming for a visit."

Note: Even though the baked rolls can be frozen, I just made a half batch 

No-knead Overnight Cinnamon Rolls   Makes about 3 dozen    
1 pkg. instant yeast (or a scant tablespoon if using bulk yeast instead of the packaged) + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
3 cups warm water (105 to 115° F.)  
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
8 to 10 cups all-purpose flour (I used Pride of the Prairie flour from Farmer Direct Foods, New Cambria, KS)  
Filling:  
1 cup brown sugar (packed) or granulated sugar, more or less as desired
1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter or use softened butter
Ground cinnamon - about 1 tablespoon, more or less as desired

1. Starting at 5 p.m., dissolve yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in 1 cup warm water.
2. Combine 2 cups water, 1 cup granulated sugar, salt and oil in large bowl.
3. Add eggs and mix well.
4. Add yeast mixture.
   
5. Work in enough additional flour and make a fairly soft, workable dough. Do not let dough become stiff!
   
6. Cover and let rise, stirring down each hour.
   
7. At 10 p.m., divide dough in half; roll each piece on buttered (or floured) surface into a rectangle (1/2" thick). Brush with melted butter.
   
8. Mix together brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle over butter (add raisins if desired). 
   
9. Roll like jelly roll; slice in about 1" wide slices.
   
10. Place in greased pans (Mom used five 8" pans or three 9x13" pans).
    
11. Cover with towel. Leave overnight on counter top.

    

    This is how much the rolls double after an overnight rising.

12. Next morning — bake at 350° for 15 to  25 minutes (or to an internal temp of 190° if using an instant read thermometer.
    
13. Frost when cool.
    

Basic Buttercream Frosting

1 stick butter, softened

About 6 cups powdered/confectioners' sugar

1/2 to 1 teaspoon vanilla

3 to 4 tablespoons+ whole milk, half & half or cream

Combine the frosting ingredients, using enough milk or cream to make a soft, spreadable frosting. We often make up the frosting and just frost a roll at a time; this allows us to warm the roll in the microwave before frosting. Or course, the best way to eat these rolls is warm from the oven, slathered with frosting and we like a sprinkling of pecans on top. 

See our Tips About Yeast for additional info on types & temperature variables.  

For additional tips about yeast breads – see our Yeast Bread Baking Tips (how to determine if bread has doubled in bulk, ways to shorten “proof” time + how to determine yeast bread doneness. 

Recipe without photos . . .

No-knead Overnight Cinnamon Rolls   Makes about 3 dozen  
1 pkg. instant yeast (a scant tablespoon) + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
3 cups warm water (105 to 115° F.)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
8 to 10 cups all-purpose flour (I used Pride of the Prairie flour from Farmer Direct Foods, New Cambria, KS)
Filling:
1 cup brown sugar (packed) or granulated sugar, more or less as desired
1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter or use softened butter
Ground cinnamon - about 1 tablespoon, more or less as desired

1. Starting at 5 p.m., dissolve yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in 1 cup warm water.
2. Combine 2 cups water, 1 cup granulated sugar, salt and oil in large bowl.
3. Add eggs and mix well.
4. Add yeast mixture.
5. Work in enough additional flour and make a fairly soft, workable dough. Do not let dough become stiff!
6. Cover and let rise, stirring down each hour.
7. At 10 p.m., divide dough in half; roll each piece on buttered (or floured) surface into a rectangle (1/2" thick). Brush with melted butter.
8. Mix together brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle over butter (add raisins if desired).  
9. Roll like jelly roll; slice in about 1" wide slices.
10. Place in greased pans (Mom used five 8" pans or three 9x13" pans).
11. Cover with towel. Leave overnight on counter top.
12. Next morning — bake at 350° for 15 to  25 minutes (or to an internal temp of 190° if using an instant read thermometer .
13. Frost when cool.

Basic Buttercream Frosting

1 stick butter, softened

About 6 cups powdered/confectioners' sugar

1/2 to 1 teaspoon vanilla

3 to 4 tablespoons+ whole milk, half & half or cream

Combine the frosting ingredients, using enough milk or cream to make a soft, spreadable frosting. We often make up the frosting and just frost a roll at a time; this allows us to warm the roll in the microwave before frosting. Or course, the best way to eat these rolls is warm from the oven, slathered with frosting and we like a sprinkling of pecans on top. 

Creamy Rice Pudding

It's back to the basics with this old fashioned recipes that combines cooked rice with milk, sugar and flavorings on the stovetop. An egg boosts the protein content and helps thicken the pudding. Raisins, cinnamon, nutmeg and the toasted almond topping are all optional.

Note: Raisins are added near the end of cooking period after pudding has thickened. If added to early, their acidity could cause the milk to curdle.  

Old Fashioned Creamy Rice Pudding   4 servings

1 1/2 cups cooked rice (I used basmati)

2 cups whole milk, divided or more as needed to make a creamy pudding 

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup raisins

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon + more for topping individual desserts

Pinch of nutmeg

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Toasted almond slices (toast in 350° oven for about 5 minutes)

1. Combine cooked rice, 1 1/2 cups milk, and salt in a saucepan over medium heat; cook and stir until thick and creamy, 15 to 20 minutes. 
   
2. Stir remaining 1/2 cup milk and beaten egg together in a measuring cup.. Add a little of the hot pudding and immediately mix in order to temper the egg mixture. Stir into hot mixture along with  raisins, and sugars; stirring continually. Continue cooking until egg is set, 2 to 3 minutes. 
   
   
   
3. Remove saucepan from heat; stir butter and vanilla into the pudding.
4. Spoon into serving dishes and sprinkle with a few toasted almonds and cinnamon. Serve warm or chilled.
   

Recipe without photos . . .

Old Fashioned Creamy Rice Pudding   4 servings

1 1/2 cups cooked rice (I used basmati)

2 cups whole milk, divided or more as needed to make a creamy pudding 

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup raisins

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon + more for topping individual desserts

Pinch of nutmeg

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Toasted almond slices (toast in 350° oven for about 5 minutes)

1. Combine cooked rice, 1 1/2 cups milk, and salt in a saucepan over medium heat; cook and stir until thick and creamy, 15 to 20 minutes. Add a little more milk if pudding becomes too thick. 
2. Stir remaining 1/2 cup milk and beaten egg together in a measuring cup.. Add a little of the hot pudding and immediately mix in order to temper the egg mixture. Stir into hot mixture along with  raisins, and sugars; stirring continually. Continue cooking until egg is set, 2 to 3 minutes. 
3. Remove saucepan from heat; stir butter and vanilla into the pudding.
4. Spoon into serving dishes and sprinkle with a few toasted almonds and cinnamon. Serve warm or chilled.