Sweet Potato Buttermilk Sticky Bun Mix and Gift Kits

Gifts of Good Taste never go out of Style

During the month or two previous to the Christmas season, I spend a lot of time making Gifts of Impeccable Taste Mixes and Chef Tess 52 Method Jar Meals to give to friends and family. Don't you wish you lived closer to me?  Today I'm sharing a new mix recipe for sticky buns! I'm so excited!  I don't know if that's a blessing or a curse, having amazing buns ingredients on-hand for whenever the urge to have sticky sweet potato buttermilk caramel pecan rolls overcomes your better judgement...but I'm thinking it is a blessing. You know, like chocolate is a blessing? Oh...and cheesecake is a blessing. Oh...count your blessings! One sticky bun, two sticky buns, three...mrfllrh brrunnns (stop counting with your mouth full). If you want to make the sticky buns without using a mix you can see my evil-genius post Pumpkin Spiced Peach Sticky-Buns-o-Glory. It works magnificently well.  I love to give out baking kits to busy families. It gives them an excuse to bake with the kids without having to measure ingredients. 

My practical side takes over because I usually use an empty can from one of my many Thrive adventures as the containment unit (oh stars...I just sounded like a science geek) for the kit.

Decorate it however you like. Today I just tied a cute ruffly Christmas apron around the can and just added a note inside with baking directions. 

Chef Tess' Sweet Potato Buttermilk  Roll Dough Mix

4 cup Artisan Bread Flour or Panhandle Milling  whole wheat blended flour

1/2 cup sweet potato powder

1T tsp active dry yeast

1/2 cup sugar 

1 1/2 tsp salt

3 T Whole Egg powder

1/4 cup powdered butter 

To Prepare Dough You will Add:

1 3/4 cups water (cool to the touch)

Spiced Sugar Smear Mix:

1/2 cup powdered butter 
1/2 cup sugar
2T Cheftessbakeresse Wise Woman of the East Spice blend or 1 T cinnamon and 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

To Prepare Smear you will add:

3T water to this mix and spread inside the cinnamon rolls

Sticky Bun Cream Caramel Glaze mix:

3/4 cup  brown sugar 

1/2 cup  powdered butter 

2T buttermilk powder

1 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans or walnuts 

Prepare you will add:
3T water

Directions:
1. Combine everything in the dough mix in one-gallon size bowl or mixer. I like that. Knead 5 minutes by hand or 3 minutes in a mixer on medium setting. This is a less developed dough as far as gluten is concerned.
Form into a ball and place in a bowl covered with plastic or a lid for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

2. Take out of the bowl and place on a floured table or countertop. On a lightly floured counter top, roll into a rectangle, 2 feet long by one foot wide. It will be about 1/2 inch thick. Make sure you lift the dough a couple times and dust underneath with more flour so it doesn't stick to the table.

3. Prepare the smear by adding 3T water to the smear mixture. Spread the smear over the dough in a light coating. Leave about 1 inch on the ends and sides that don't have butter and/or sugar mixture. It will help the rolls seal better.

4. Combine the caramel topping ingredients and heat in a saucepan with 3T hot water, just until the sugar is dissolved, do not boil longer than 2 minutes.

5. Pour nut caramel mixture into a 9 inch by 13-inch casserole pan or divide among individual jumbo muffin pan.
Place rolls in the pan,  1 inch apart (or just in each muffin compartment). Now...lightly mist the tops of the rolls with oil and cover with a loose fitting piece of plastic wrap (or lid). You are going to have to raise the rolls completely, about 1 1/2  hours.

6. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and bake 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and invert onto a serving dish immediately, using caution to not let the hot caramel coating burn your skin.

More detailed Directions...

Baking Directions:

Combine everything in the dough mix in one-gallon size bowl or mixer with 1 3/4 cup cool water. Knead 5 minutes by hand or 3 minutes in a mixer on medium setting. This is a less developed dough as far as gluten is concerned.

Form into a ball and place in a bowl covered with plastic or a lid for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

 On a lightly floured counter top, roll into a rectangle, 2 feet long by one foot wide. It will be about 1/2 inch thick. Make sure you lift the dough a couple times and dust underneath with more flour so it doesn't stick to the table. Prepare the smear mix by adding 2T water to the smear mixture. Spread the smear over the dough in a light coating. Leave about 1 inch on the ends and sides that don't have butter and/or sugar mixture. It will help the rolls seal better.

Now roll them up tightly. Pinch seam tightly. Slice the roll into 12 sliced pieces.

Combine the caramel topping ingredients and heat in a saucepan with 3T hot water, just until the sugar is dissolved, do not boil longer than 2 minutes.

Pour nut caramel mixture into a 9 inch by 13-inch casserole pan or divide among individual jumbo muffin pan.

 Place rolls in the pan,  1 inch apart (or just in each muffin compartment).

Now...lightly mist the tops of the rolls with oil and cover with a loose fitting piece of plastic wrap (or lid). You are going to have to raise the rolls completely, about 1 1/2  hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and bake 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and invert onto a serving dish immediately, using caution to not let the hot caramel coating burn your skin.

There you go!


Always My Very Best,
Your Friend Chef Tess

Yankee Rosemary Pot Roast and Swiss Grilled cheese on Sweet Potato bread

This is by and far one of the most delicious celebrations of opposites you will ever put in your mouth! The sweet and the savory intermingled into an explosion of flavors that can only be described as "The Ultimate Fall Sammich". Yup. September is upon us and I am finally giving in to the impulse to actually bake again at home! All hail the Sweet Potato Bread! Fall Sweet Potato Bread is one that has been a classic here on the blog for many years!  I served this sandwich variation at the Bistro regularly and it always had people begging for more! The slightly sweet soft spiced bread wraps around a tender herbaceous hunk of pot roast that is drenched in a rosemary gravy of glory!!

 This post will be two posts in one...the Yankee Rosemary Pot Roast Recipe, and the Sweet Potato bread. That way you can decide if you want to just make the roast, or just the bread...but either way, be prepared for bliss! 

This is a variation of the original post of Jan D'Atri's Cola Braised Pot Roast. My variation is designed to bode well for this sandwich. It has more garlic, rosemary, onion and beefy goodness! Here's where to start...

Chef Tess' Rosemary Yankee Pot Roast

 Ingredients:

4-5 pound boneless chuck roast or rump roast

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 large sweet yellow onion, diced and sautéed

3 Tablespoons FRESH garlic, minced

1 Tablespoon beef bullion (non-msg)

1 Tablespoon  black pepper

1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced

2 cups beef broth

1 (12 oz) can cola (I used Blue Sky All Natural Soda)

2 tablespoons organic tomato paste

2 tablespoons flour

Directions:

Season the roast on all sides by sprinkling with bullion powder and  pepper over the entire roast. Sautee diced onion in a little oil until golden brown and set aside. Heat a Dutch oven on high heat and add oil. When oil is hot,  place roast in pot and cook until browned on all sides.  Add beef broth, cola, garlic, sautéed onion,  and remaining teaspoon of salt. Bring to boil, stirring to release browned bits.  Add tomato paste and stir.  For crock-pot cooking method, transfer meat and juices to crock-pot and cook on high for about 4-5 hours (or until fork tender) or cook overnight in crock-pot on low heat. For oven method, cover Dutch oven and cook at 325 degrees in the oven for 3 1/2 hours. Liquid should be at least 1/3 of the way up the roast. Add more beef broth if necessary. At the end of cooking, sprinkle with fresh rosemary.

To make gravy: Remove roast from pot and keep warm. Pour beef liquid through a strainer to catch onion bits, mash through and then discard remaining onions. In a bowl, add 1/2-cup hot beef liquid to  2 tablespoons of flour. Whisk to combine eliminating lumps.  Slowly whisk mixture into the remaining liquid on the pot. Whisk frequently until mixture comes to a boil. Cook for another 5 minutes or until sauce thickens. Serve roast with hot gravy.

The Sweet Potato Bread is my original recipe made in full in the Fall Sweet Potato Bread Tutorial with the embellishments and leaves.  Here, I'm just giving you the recipe for the plain loaves. 

Chef Tess' Sweet Potato 5 Day Bread Dough

yield: 4 loaves 

2T active dry yeast (over 3000 feet use 1 T only)
4 cups milk, cold is best (cold soy milk is wonderful!)
3/4 cup honey Or Organic Maple SYRUP
1T salt
4 eggs (or 1 cup egg replacement)
3/4 cup oil
1 1/2 cup mashed sweet potatoes. cooled to body temp again. The consistency of thick oatmeal.
1T baking powder
 2T cinnamon, 
2tsp ground ginger and 
1T vanilla
2 cups whole wheat flour
12-14 cups all purpose flour (I have used fine ground white wheat and been fine doing all whole grain, use only 12-14 cups total if whole wheat is used )

Directions: Dissolve yeast in milk. Stir in honey. Allow yeast to get all foamy and look like it is having a hay day. Add egg, oil, mashed sweet potato, baking powder, 2 cups whole wheat flour, 2 cups all purpose flour  spices, vanilla and salt, in that order. Do not let yeast come in contact with salt on it's own or it will kill the yeast. Beat until smooth. Allow dough to rest 10-15 minutes

Add enough of the flour remaining to make a soft dough that is easy to handle but not dry. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead 10 full minutes. about 600 turns. Yea. 600 by hand. 5-6 minutes by machine on medium speed. Form into a ball and place in an ungreased 2 gallon bowl, covered tightly. If you don't have a large enough bowl...use two smaller bowls. Or...just half the recipe if you are worried. Put in the fridge. Punch down after 2 hours (this may be faster if you use warm ingredients or flour. If the dough is over 85 degrees when you put it in the fridge, be sure to punch down sooner. Also...if you have kids who open the fridge a lot, be sure to lower the temperature a bit so that your fridge is really as cold as it should be) Form into a ball again. Cover tightly and chill at least 8 hours.

Be sure to punch down daily (this not only expels gas, but also ensures even temperature in the dough). This dough can be made up to 5 days before Thanksgiving! So, it's nice to have around. It's also amazing to make into rolls instead of bread, should you choose to do something else. This makes four loaves. Four.

I will only make one here, but you'll get the idea.

Take one quarter of the dough and roll it into a tight ball.

I like to expel as much air as possible so it raises rather uniformly.

Gather the dough at the bottom and make a tight ball out of the dough.

Place on a parchment lined baking stone or baking sheet, at least 12 inches by 10 inches. Allow to raise until doubled, uncovered, lightly misted with water. When almost raised, turn on the oven to 425 degrees.  Bake 425 degrees 15 minutes and lower the temperature to 350 for the final 15-20 minutes of baking.  Allow to cool. Slice and wrap tightly. 

To make into the Yankee Rosemary Pot Roast and Swiss Grilled Cheese simply place a slice of the warm pot roast and 2-3 slices of Swiss cheese on a thick slice of the sweet potato bread. Grill on the stove in a medium skillet over medium heat with melted butter until golden and toasted . Garnish with minced fresh rosemary if desired.

There you go darlings! 

A wicked sandwich for Fall!

Always My Very Best,

Your Friend Chef Tess

Are My Yams Really Sweet Potatoes? Does Anybody Really Care?

 Recently someone asked me why we called sweet potatoes "yams" and why they were different colors?  I thought they were just different varieties of yams.   I really didn't have a definitive answer. I really don't like not being a smarty-pants.  So I thought I'd look into it.  I, Chef Tess, learned something new! Come to find out...what I had called "sweet potatoes" were just one variety of sweet potato (the white ones)...and there were many in the USA in fact really dopey as I felt, I had been calling  sweet potato varieties "yams" that were well...not real yams. 

Sweet Potatoes VS Yams...What's the Diff'?

general information source

Yams Yams are related to lilies and grasses.They're native to Africa and Asia and yams vary in size from that of a small potato to a record 130 pounds (as of 1999). Remarkably there are over 600 varieties of yams. 95% of these crops are grown in their native Africa. Yams are starchy and dry compared to sweet potatoes. 

A few years ago my whole garden was filled with this gorgeous vine...and under the ground were soon to be released...some "Yams". Well. Most people I knew called them yams. Daddy called them sweet potatoes and since he's the master gardener, I never questioned it.

Sweet Potatoes 

The many varieties of sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas) are members of the morning glory family, Convolvulacea.  This explains the vines. 

The skin color can range from white to yellow, red, purple or brown. The flesh also ranges in color from white to yellow, orange, or orange-red. Sweet potato varieties are classified as either ‘firm’ or ‘soft’. 

 When cooked, those in the ‘firm’ category remain firm, while ‘soft’ varieties become soft and moist. It is the ‘soft’ varieties that are often labeled as yams in the United States.  When I got these ones from the market,  the one on the left (white in color) was labeled "sweet potato" while the middle one was labeled "red yam" and the far right was labeled Bouregard yam...and guess what. They're all sweet potatoes. 

Why Are We Confused In America?
In the United States, firm varieties of sweet potatoes were produced before soft varieties. When soft varieties were first grown commercially, there was a need to differentiate between the two. African slaves had already been calling the ‘soft’ sweet potatoes ‘yams’ because they resembled the yams in Africa. 
When we pulled our Sweet Potatoes out of the ground...we called them sweet potatoes. Thanks to my dad.

The ‘soft’ sweet potatoes were referred to as ‘yams’ to distinguish them from the ‘firm’ varieties. Today the U.S. Department of Agriculture requires labels with the term ‘yam’ to be accompanied by the term ‘sweet potato.’ Unless you specifically search for yams, which are usually found in an international market, you are probably eating sweet potatoes!  

Last I checked, my neighborhood market didn't carry the international variety. So there you go. Smarty pants.

The real truth is, that though many may say that they are having candied yams for the holidays, I betcha that most of y'all are really only eating sweet potatoes.  Why do I even care to set the record straight? I don't really.  I just thought it was a really cool random fact.  So. Eat that sweet potato caramel sticky bun.

 I'm still eating the sweet potato pie...even if someone calls it a yam pie. It's not really going to change the taste...right?

There you go. 
Random Facts are now in your giant brain too.  

Always My Very Best,
Your Friend Chef Tess

Sweet Potato Biscuits 2 Ways (Video Segment)

Here's today's segment on NBC 12 with my darling friend Syleste Rodrigez! I had such a wonderful time with these folks!



Sweet Potato Biscuit Recipes are:  Here. In the segment I said 2 cups buttermilk, it was early. That should only be 2/3 cup buttermilk. Sorry about that. There's 2 cups of buttermilk in the gravy!

NBC Segment Monday with Sweet and Savory Fall Recipes and Two classes Tuesday!

Monday morning at 5:50 AM I'll be joining my darling friend Syleste Rodrigez on NBC 12 Morning. Every time I see her I'm reminded why I love her! She's just amazing and completely real. I'm so thankful and excited to be part of the morning show! That will be here in Phoenix for some amazing Fall sweet potato biscuit variations both savory and sweet! We'll be starting with this divine sweet potato biscuit base...

Tess' Sweet potato biscuits 

yield 8 large or 16 small

Dry ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour (or whole wheat pastry flour)
1/2 cup butter or (organic vegetable shortening)

1/2 tsp salt

2T sugar (or granulated fructose)

5 teaspoons baking powder

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
Wet ingredients:
2/3 cup milk or buttermilk
1/3 cup mashed cooked sweet potatoes
Directions: Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. I cook the sausage gravy at the same time I make the biscuits.
First you will need to mash some sweet potato. It takes about 1/2 a small sweet potato to make 1/3 cup mashed.

Combine the sweet potato with buttermilk or milk (or water if you are vegan). The colder the liquid the better.

In a separate bowl, combine the shortening or butter with the dry ingredients. Mix until the shortening has been cut into tiny pieces, the size of a pea. Once the liquid ingredients are combined, add them to the flour/shortening mixture. Pour wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and mix very gingerly Until a light dough is formed. There will be lumps and pieces of sweet potato. Knead the dough 4-5 times, then roll out on an floured counter top 1 inch thick. Place on ungreased baking sheet and bake 15-20 minutes.

While they bake you can make the sausage gravy.

To the savory biscuits I'll be adding some Southwest seasoning, cheese and bacon! Then making this buttermilk chipotle Turkey Gravy.

Tess' buttermilk chipotle Turkey Gravy

1 lb lean mild turkey sausage

1 T minced chipotle pepper (optional)

1/4 cup minced onion

2T minced garlic

1/4 cup flour

2 cups buttermilk

1 tsp baking soda (you only need the baking soda if you use the real buttermilk here...)

2 cups milk (You may need a little more if you prefer a gravy on the thin side.)

In a large 16 inch family skillet with deep sides, cook the sausage over medium heat along with the chipotle pepper onion and garlic. When turkey is cooked through, add the flour and cook 3-4 minutes until dark. Add the soda and buttermilk (soda neutralizes the acid in the buttermilk so it doesn't curdle and you still get that nice slightly tart taste of the buttermilk...nice.) Add the rest of the milk stir constantly. Simmer 10-15 minutes, stir periodically. Serve over hot sweet potato biscuits. Wonderful with cranberry relish, smoked cheddar cheese and jalapeno.

Then I'll be making some sweet shortcakes:

Sweet Potato Breakfast Shortcakes:

Prepare biscuit dough above, using ½ cup sugar in the dry ingredients and 1 ½ tsp cinnamon or pumpkin spice blend. Add ½ cup chopped pecans, hazelnuts or dried fruit of your choice to the biscuits as well as ½ cup chopped dark chocolate.

Sweet Grilled Apple filling:

2 large apples, peeled, cut and cored

¼ cup sugar (optional)

½ tsp cinnamon spice blend

2T melted butter

Mix apples with sugar, spice and butter. Grill on low heat with a grill pan until slightly softened and beautifully grilled. Place apples inside sweet potato breakfast shortcakes and top with a drizzle of caramel sauce, fresh whipped cream and chopped nuts if desired.

I'll be topping ours with this:

Orange Whip Cream

2 cups Fresh whipped cream

1 tsp orange zest

½ tsp almond extract.  

Tuesday's classes will be:

Honeyville Farms
33 S. 56th Street
Chandler, AZ. 85226 Phone:(480) 785-5210  

Creative Halloween Decorative Breads and Treats

Tuesday Oct 23^rd  10 AM 

What is your favorite Halloween treat? I have some favorites and don't worry...one of them is decorative edible spider bread! Plus...we'll be making some spooky popcorn! Come see me! Class is free!

Preparing Wisely 

144 S Mesa Drive Suite D

Mesa, AZ  85210

(480) 964-3077

Homemade Tortilla Tutorial Workshop

October 23rd, 6:30 PM 

Come join me for homemade tortilla basics using corn and flour ingredients as well as some samples of fantastic roasted corn and black bean chicken quesadillas made from 100% food storage! You'll never look at your pantry the same way again...in a good way!

I hope you'll join me!

 Xoxo!

Always My Very Best,

Your Friend Chef Tess