Ideas for Young and the Restless?

[kima]

Okay, sorry to disappoint you soap opera fans!! Next weekend my husband and I are taking 4 track athletes down to Oregon for a trackmeet 9from Victoria). I would like to make some high energy bars or cookies for them. I would also like to make cinnamon buns. These teens can and do eat everything- the lucky bums ! I would love some ideas for portable foods that would be great for very active people! (I forget I am no longer one of them and alwways eat more than I should around them). Fortunatrly coaching burns alot of nervous energy! Looking forward to your inspirations!

[JHolcomb]

OK, I don't know how portable these are, but the Make-Ahead Ooey-Gooey Sticky Buns from CL Complete are really good. I'm sure teenagers would love them.

[Mamasue]

Teenagers love brownies or finger desserts like that. CL has the Ooey-Gooey Peanut Butter Chocolate Brownies that are awesome. Butterscotch Bars are great too! Cookies are always put a smile on their faces too. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[Jessica]

We make the chewy granola bars from the Jan-Feb 2000 issue. They are not too sweet, sort of a cross between a cookie and a granola bar, and they disappear awfully quickly around here.

[aggie94]

Just out of curiosity, where is the meet at in Oregon?

[kima]

Thanks for asking. The meet we are going to is in Gresham. It is a huge highschool meet. We have never been there before- are you from around that area?

[aggie94]

I live in Eugene, which is about two hours south of the Portland metro area (of which Gresham is a part). I was just curious -- I know that Eugene, being the track mecca that it is, often attracts a lot of meets. Thought you guys might be in the neighborhood. Have a great time!

[woodsl]

Here is a recipe for Cinnamon Buns that I posted once before. It is from Maida Heatter's Book of Great American Desserts. She has written several cookbooks for desserts and in my opinion, she is the Queen of Desserts. This cinnamon bun recipe is time consuming, but worth it - these buns absolutely melt in your mouth. The first time I made them, while my DH was eating his first one (one of many), he mumbled with a full mouth, "Man, you should make these things and sell them, they are so good."

Cinnamon Buns

1 cup mashed potatoes*
1 cup milk
1/2 cup plus 1 T. granulated sugar
1/2 t. salt
2 ounces (1/2 stick) butter, cut up
1/4 cup warm watger (105 to 115 degrees)**
1 envelope active dry yeast
1 egg (large or extra-large)
1 t. vanilla
About 4 1/2 cups unsifted all-purpose flour
Additional flour

*The recipe says you can make the mashed potatoes with instant dry potatoes or fresh potatoes. I have always used fresh.

**I always use water that is left in the pan from boiling the potatoes - a tip from Maida Heatter because she says yeast loves potatoes.

Generously butter a 4- to 6-quart bowl for the doug to rise in; set it aside

Place the mashed potatoes (which may be warm or cool) in a saucepan and, stirring constantly, add the milk very gradually. Stir in 1/2 cup of the sugar (reserve the remaining T of sugar), the salt and butter. Place over low heat and stir occasionally until the mixture is warm (105 to 115 degrees) (I use a candy thermometer to check the temp).

Meanwhile, in a 1-cup glass measuring cup, stir the warm water with the remaining T of sugar, sprinkle on the yeast, stir briefly with a knife, and set aside for about 10 minutes until the mixture rises to about the 3/4 cup line.

In a small bowl beat the egg to mix and add the vanilla.

When the potato and milk mixture is warm enough, transfer it to the large bowl of an electric mixer. Beat in the yeast mixture and the egg. On low speed gradually add about 3 cups of the flour. Beat on low speed for a minute or two. Remove the bowl from the mixer. With a heavy wooden spatula gradually stir in the remaining 1 1/4 cups of flour by hand. I have a KitchenAid stand mixer; so, when I get to the part where I am suppose to mix in the remaining flour by hand. I just switch to the dough hook on my mixer and add the 1 1/4 cups of flour using the dough hook. This is much easier than mixing by hand..

Flour a large work surface. Turn the dough out on to the floured surface. The dough will probably still be too sticky to knead. If it is, add a bit of additional flour, and with a dough scraper or a wide metal spatula, turn the dough over and over with the additional flour - adding still a bit more if neccessary - until you can handle the dough. Then knead it for 5 minutes, again adding additional flour, if necessary. (You might have to add a total of 1/2 to 3/4 cup additional flour. But potato dough has a tendency to remain a bit sticky even when it has enough flour so do not use more than you must. I really don't pay that much attention as to how much extra flour I use and mine have always turned out fine.) After about 5 minutes of active kneading, the dough should be smooth and feel alive.

Place the dough in the buttered bowl, turn it around in the bowl to butter all sides, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in a warm, draft-free spot to rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until the dough is at least double in volume.

Then make a fist, punch down the middle of the dough, and fold in and press down the sides of the dough to deflate it all. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, cover it loosely with plastic wrap, and let stand for about 10 minutes.
Butter a 15 1/2 by 10 1/2 by 1-inch jelly roll pan.

At this point in the recipe, it says to roll out the dough into an 18-inch square. However, this makes huge rolls with not enough cinnamon for the amount of roll for my taste; so, I divide the dough in half, and roll out 2 squares (or rectangles)(I roll them out one at a time).

For each sqaure of dough, melt 1/4 to 1/2 stick of butter and spread over the surface of the dough. For each square of dough, combine 2 - 4 T of sugar, 1 1/2 - 2 t. cinnamon and 1/4 - 1/2 t. nutmeg. Sprinkle over dough. Roll up the dough like a jelly roll. Cut the dough into even pieces and place them cut side down in the jelly roll pan. Cover pan loosely with a lightweight towel and set to rise again for about 1 hour. During rising the buns will rise and grow into each other.

Bake the buns in a 375 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until the buns are lightly browned. Do not overbake or the buns will dry out. Remove from oven and let stand for about 5 minutes. Drizzle glaze all over the rolls.

Glaze:

1 T. butter, softened
3/4 to 1 cup powdered sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 t. vanilla extract
a few drops of almond extract
about 2 T light cream (I am sure I have just used milk before)

Beat all of the ingredients until smooth. It should be thick, barely thin enough to pour - adjust the sugar or cream as necessary.

THESE ROLLS DO NOT FREEZE WELL. I GUESS THE POTATOES MAKES THEM MUSHY WHEN THAWED.

[kima]

Thanks for re-posting your cinnamon bun recipe Woodsl. I actually found it on a search and printed it up. I will definately make these- I think I will have to double the recipe!!
Yes Eugene is the track mecca of the West. There is a big meet there that same weekend but we chose Gresham for a variety of reasons. One of our girls (a javelin thrower ) is going to the University of Oregon on scholarship next year. BTW do you ever see Mary Decker Slaney about town. She is one of my track idols!!

[aggie94]

I've only seen Mary Decker Slaney run in events at Hayward Field, but I did see Marla Runyan (the legally blind runner) just this week on a trail! It was pretty cool.

[donleyk]

I just made cookies from the complete cookbook. I can't recall the name now but it was some kind of ....power cookie. Oatmeal and dried fruit. I made these in anticipation of hiking. These are tasty and easy to make. I will edit this when can recall the name!

[schuh]

I second the suggestion for butterscotch bars. They are one of my all-time favorite recipes from CL.

[kima]

Thankyou for all your suggestions. I think I will make the Cinnamon Buns,Butterscotch barrs and the Granola Bars. Could some kind soul post the recipe for the Granola Bars? Can't seem to find it anywhere.
If any of these kids get PBs (personal bests) I think you all get some of the credit!