This post is a bit of a departure for me. Frankly, I’m a huge nerd. If you know me in real life, or have been reading along for a while, this you know: I tend to contemplate Heavier Things, and they come out in my writing (bonus points to those of you who got the John Mayer reference).

But today is my birthday, so I thought I would share some of my personal favorites with you.

First of all, this is, hands down, THE BEST cinnamon roll recipe I’ve ever made or eaten. I have made this dough recipe into caramel nut rolls, Nutella-filled rolls, and fruit-filled rolls. You can even cut the sugar from 3 TBSP to 1 TBSP, making the dough taste similar to King’s Hawaiian rolls, roll it out, and fill with meats and cheeses, such as ham and swiss or roast beef and provolone, slice and bake just like cinnamon rolls for some hot roll-ups–serve with dipping sauce or spicy mustard… YUM.

https://therecipecritic.com/quick-45-minute-cinnamon-rolls/

You can make them exactly according to the directions, and they will turn out beautifully, every time. Sometimes, I put the water, milk, sugar, and yeast together, and let the yeast bloom a bit first before adding it to the rest of the ingredients. I make these often enough that I have the recipe committed to memory.

If you’ve never attempted to make a dough or bread, I highly recommend this recipe as an easy beginner’s recipe. I have made it both with a stand mixer and kneading by hand–there’s no difference in how the dough turns out. I top mine with a glaze I make from powdered sugar and prepared coffee, which is a delicious complement to the cinnamon-y, buttery dough. They are also tasty topped with Nutella, cream cheese frosting, or fruit compote (brandied apples or pears, FTW!).

Now that it’s chilly outside on the daily, I like to have a nice warm drink, especially if I’m reading or writing. My favorite used to be a chocolate-y mocha, with marshmallows or whip (I have a strict non-discrimination policy when it comes to toppings). But, now that I know I am allergic to nickel, and that the nickel content of cocoa powder is off the charts when compared to other foods, mochas are, sadly, no longer on my menu.

Luckily, though, coffee still is. So are embellishments. Coffee with RumChata and whip is my new cold-day, snuggle down go-to, and it’s delicious. If you’re not a drinker, you can simply add some cream-type product and cinnamon to warm up the flavor of your favorite coffee. Unless your favorite coffee is Pumpkin Spice. If it is, I don’t want to know about it. That’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell territory.

Next, is THE BEST sugar cookie recipe I have ever made or eaten. These cookies stay chewy long after they’ve cooled. I don’t know exactly how long they keep, because we don’t manage to keep them more than two or three days.

This recipe from A Latte Food is so easy and makes delicious cookies every time. Roll into one-inch balls and they will spread, or roll and bake. I pull mine from the oven at 10 minutes, and then let them rest on the pan for two minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool.

https://www.alattefood.com/chewy-sugar-cookies/

These cookies are great without any frosting, but a lot of fun to decorate, too!

If you decide to make any of these tasty treats, please comment and let me know how they turned out!

What are some of your fall favorites?