Hello Lovies!  Well, here I am again, apologizing for being away for so long.  I don’t know what is going on with me.  I love to make these posts.  Really.  No kidding.  But, I have such a hard time getting my butt in gear to do it nowadays.  At first, I had the excuse of no time because when I started working for ISBE back in 2020, I really did not have the time.  That job was all consuming and my travel time 5 days a week just left no time for fun.  I just worked, drove and slept.  But then when the pandemic began and we went completely remote I had tons more time.  However, I didn’t have the desire.  There was just too much terrible in the world for the inspiration to break through.  I was not happy doing that job even remotely and that tension and stress on top of all the Covid worries took its toll.  Well now, I have a job that I really like and I love my new coworkers.  We have been off and on remote.  Right now we are remote 2 days per week and in the office 3 days.  I am hoping to use some of the hours that I gain on the remote days to get back on track…again. 

So, like much of the Midwest, we had a big snowstorm a couple of weeks ago.  We had plenty of warning and were prepared.  On one of the days our office was actually closed due to the weather and I decided that I could not waste the opportunity to make something delicious.  I wanted to make something very cozy and comforting that would be perfect for a snow day.  Cinnamon always goes with a snowy landscape in my opinion.  I have had this recipe for a long time but had never made it because it is pretty decadent even though it is made with simple ingredients and is quick and easy.  This is not a snack/dessert that you should eat often.  But you should eat it at least once in your life or you are missing out.  

I refer to Cinnamon French Toast Rollups.  There are similar recipes to this one that use a cream cheese filling but this one is simply made with the same ingredients as cinnamon toast plus the ingredients for french toast with an optional cream cheese frosting for drizzling

These Cinnamon French Toast Rollups are like the middle of a gooey delicious cinnamon roll with a slightly crunchy coating.  They are made with just a few ingredients but the result is amazing.  They are perfect with hot chocolate or hot tea or even a cold glass of milk.  I made them as a dessert but anyone would be thrilled to have them as a snack after playing in the snow or maybe even binge watching your favorite show.  I recommend eating them while still warm but you can zap them in the microwave for a few seconds if they cool off.  

You will need sliced white bread (either sandwich slices or Texas Toast ).  You will also need unsalted butter, cinnamon, granulated sugar, eggs, milk, light brown sugar, and vanilla extract.  For the frosting you will need unsalted butter, cream cheese, and powdered sugar.

Plan ahead and get your butter and cream cheese to room temperature.  Or you can be like me and forget to get it out.  Then just zap it in the microwave for a few seconds.  Just don’t melt either of them.  You want them to be very soft though.  You will see why.

Hey Everyone!  Long time, no see!  I am back at it! Sharing recipes old and new!  Today we have a new one! It is actually new because I made it up…sort of.  I created a recipe that is very similar to one that I found online a while back.  It was really really good but, for whatever reason, I didn’t make it again. Then, recently, I was trying out another new recipe that was in the same genre and was reminded of it.  I decided to give it another try with some tweaks of my own. And so, I came up with Sherry’s Cinnamon Donut Pie. Yep, you read that right! Cinnamon. Donut. Pie. A pie made from donuts.  I know, insane. Insanely delicious that is.

I gotta admit that I am not a huge cake donut fan.  I mean, I like them and all, but I don’t crave them and can even pass them up pretty easily  However when I put those same donuts, or in this case, donut holes in a pie shell and add a delicious gooey vanilla filling, I can’t resist.  

The original recipe came from The Domestic Rebel.  I am a big fan of her website and her recipes. Her original pie called for plain donut holes.  I decided that I wanted to have some cinnamon flavor and would use cinnamon sugar donut holes. But, when I went to the store to purchase said holes, I discovered a package that had three flavors, plain and cinnamon and powdered sugar.  Jackpot! This combination is heavenly. You can use any flavor that you like. I would say the chocolate-glazed kind would probably not work well. That waxy glaze would not allow the filling to soak in and create a beautiful moist cakey consistency.  I believe that you could also use mini donuts just as easily if you can’t find the holes or the flavor you want. Oh hey, that just gave me a thought. One of the brands of mini donuts in my local stores has a multitude of flavors like red velvet and carrot cake.  That would be an interesting experiment. I guess I will be adding those to my shopping list this week.

I also tweaked the filling and I added more so that most of the holes were covered in the shell.  I like the look of the bumps of donut arranged in the shell like some delicious lumpy cloud, however, I also like to have filling in every bite.

This pie is super easy and would be a great dessert for those times when you are having company but don’t have a lot of time to invest.  It can be made ahead and served at room temperature or warmed briefly in the microwave. Sherry’s Cinnamon Donut Pie is part pie and part coffee cake.  It has a wonderful moist center with a delicious vanilla and cinnamon flavor. The addition of glaze to the top of the pie adds a touch of elegance and another level of yum.