FAUX 'McD' APPLE HOT POCKETS

My hubby who gave this name to my new recipe. Actually, this recipe was found when I cleaned my refrigerator. I want to use all the ingredients that I had before I go to get our weekly groceries, so when I saw a pack of spring roll's wrapper laid alone in the freezer I told myself that I should use this wrapper before the wrapper getting hard and can not be use anymore. Then, I looked into my kitchen top drawer and there they are 3 apples are sitting nicely. Luckily the weather are super cold now so it made those fruits stay fresh.

This is a very very easy recipe, no fancy ingredients needed to make this faux hot pockets and it didn't take long time to prepare it. So, let's give a try ;)

Apple Hot Pockets

Ingredients:
1/2 package of spring roll's wrapper
3 medium apples, peeled and diced
1 cup of sugar
200 ml water
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsps tapioca starch solution
1 liter of vegetable oil

Preparation:
Boil water and sugar in a saucepan over high heat until boiling and the sugar is dissolved. Add in apples and cinnamon, stir it well. Turn down the heat into medium heat. Cover the saucepan and keep stir it occasionally.
Once the apples are tender and the sauce are reduce to 1/3, add in tapioca solution. Keep stir it until the sauce are thick.
Cool it down before use.

Finisihing: lay one sheet of spring roll's wrapper on a flat surface. Scoope 1 spoonful apple mixture and put on the wrapper. Wrap it as you wrap spring rolls. Do it again until the wrappers and apple mixtures are finished.

Frying: heat the oil in a big frying pan over high heat. Once the oil is hot, fry the apple pockets until brown and crisp. Serve it immediately.

Also, I made banana hot pockets since we had 'the forgotten' small-fingersize banana ;)



Banana Chocolate Hot Pockets

Ingredients:
1/2 package of spring roll's wrappers
1 cup of semi sweet chocolate chips (or you can use milk chocolate chips)
1 tbsp unsalted butter
12 small-fingersize banana
1 liter vegetable oil

Preparation:
In a bowl, combine chocolate chips and butter. Steam it in the steamer until melted. Stir it until the chocolate are thoroughly melt and shiny.

Finishing: lay one sheet of spring roll's wrapper on a flat surface. Put 1 banana and 1 spoonful chocolate sauce. Wrap it as you wrap spring rolls. Do it again until the wrappers are finished.

Frying: heat the oil in a big frying pan over high heat. Once the oil is hot, fry the banana pockets until brown and crisp. Serve it immediately.

CINNAMON ROLLS with CREAM CHEESE ICING

My second attempt after the first one I made it without icing, and it gained complains from my hubby :).

And now I know why did he complain before, because cinnamon rolls were born to eat with icing, so without icing, it's like eating food without salt.

Just try this....;)

Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing
Source: Alton Brown

Ingredients:
Dough:
4 large egg yolks, room temperature
1 large whole egg, room temperature
1/4 cup (2 ounces) sugar
6 tbsps (3 ounces) unsalted butter, melted
6 ounces sour cream, room temperature (you can use buttermilk or plain yogurt)
4 cups (20 ounces) all-purpose flour, plus additional for dusting
2-1/4 tsps (1 package) instant dry yeast, approximately 2 1/4 teaspoons
1 1/4 tsps kosher salt
Vegetable oil or cooking spray

Filling:
1 cup packed (8 ounces) light brown sugar
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
Pinch salt
1-1/2 tbsps (3/4-ounce) unsalted butter, melted

Icing:
1/4 cup (2 1/2 ounces) cream cheese, softened
3 tbsps milk
1-1/2 cups (5 1/2 ounces) powdered sugar (Belzy - I used 1 cup Splenda Sweetener)

Directions:
For The Dough:
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whisk the egg yolks, whole egg, sugar, butter, and buttermilk. Add approximately 2 cups of the flour along with the yeast and salt; whisk until moistened and combined. Remove the whisk attachment and replace with a dough hook. Add all but 3/4 cup of the remaining flour and knead on low speed for 5 minutes. Check the consistency of the dough, add more flour if necessary; the dough should feel soft and moist but not sticky. Knead on low speed 5 minutes more or until the dough clears the sides of the bowl. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface; knead by hand about 30 seconds. Lightly oil a large bowl. Transfer the dough to the bowl, lightly oil the top of the dough, cover and let double in volume, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

For The Filling:
Combine the brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Mix until well incorporated. Set aside until ready to use.

To Assemble:
Butter a 9 by 13-inch glass baking dish. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Gently shape the dough into a rectangle with the long side nearest you. Roll into an 18 by 12-inch rectangle. Brush the dough with the 3/4-ounce of melted butter, leaving 1/2-inch border along the top edge. Sprinkle the filling mixture over the dough, leaving a 3/4-inch border along the top edge; gently press the filling into the dough. Beginning with the long edge nearest you, roll the dough into a tight cylinder. Firmly pinch the seam to seal and roll the cylinder seam side down. Very gently squeeze the cylinder to create even thickness. Using a serrated knife, slice the cylinder into 1 1/2-inch rolls; yielding 12 rolls. Arrange rolls cut side down in the baking dish; cover tightly with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator overnight or up to 16 hours.

Remove the rolls from the refrigerator and place in an oven that is turned off. Fill a shallow pan 2/3-full of boiling water and set on the rack below the rolls. Close the oven door and let the rolls rise until they look slightly puffy; approximately 30 minutes. Remove the rolls and the shallow pan of water from the oven.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

When the oven is ready, place the rolls on the middle rack and bake until golden brown, or until the internal temperature reaches 190 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, approximately 30 minutes.

For The Icing
While the rolls are cooling slightly, make the icing by whisking the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer until creamy. Add the milk and whisk until combined. Sift in the powdered sugar, and whisk until smooth. Spread over the rolls and serve immediately.