Cinnamon Butter, Sweet Yeast Rolls, & Marinated Steak Bites

I love how children are always watching and always learning.  Spud, my 5 year old, watches me cook every day.  And he watches his brother cook form time to time.  The other day, he told me that he wanted a turn to cook.  He was going to make butter sandwiches for everyone!

Not wanting to discourage a budding chef, I told him yes, he could “cook” in a couple nights.  Then, slowly his idea evolved.  Suddenly, he was telling me that he was going to have cinnamon butter for his sandwiches and “bread that we make”.  And I knew he was thinking of the rolls at Texas Roadhouse (he got to go there for the first time last month and he’s been talking about the butter ever since!)

I made those rolls once, in my first year of blogging, but since I can’t control myself around them, I never really made them again.  What a perfect time for a revisit!  I included the recipe again in this post, not because the recipe is any different, but because the method is tweaked to give more consistent results.  Plus I made the butter again.

Since Spud knows that bread is not an entire meal, he decided to recreate the whole Texas Roadhouse experience!  He also made delicious, flavorful steak bites (he mixed the marinade and placed the meat in the bag) and also added some green beans and Crispy Oven Fries!

It was adorable to watch a 5 year old menu plan!  And he really helped out a lot with the cooking.   He helped out (at least a little) with every dish in this meal!

Dude and Hubs were thrilled with the meals.  Hubs even said it was so good, it felt like a holiday!  Now that’s a glowing endorsement for our littlest chef!

Of course, in this family, if you cook, it’s assumed that you’ll blog it, so Spud even took his own picture.  He has this to say:

It was yummy!

Marinated Steak Bites

Adapted from All Recipes

1/3 cup reduced sodium soy sauce

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup lemon juice

¼ cup Worcestershire sauce

2 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped

¼ cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped

1 tsp black pepper

½ tsp Sriracha

2 lbs sirloin steak, cut in 1 ½-inch chunks

1-2 tbsp butter, for cooking

Whisk all ingredients marinade together in a large measuring cup.

Place the steak in a gallon sized resealable bag.  Add the marinade and turn to coat.  Marinate for 3 hours or overnight, flipping the bag several times.

To cook, heat 1 tablespoon butter in a cast iron skillet over medium heat.  Remove steak from the bag, allowing excess marinade to drip off.  Place the steak bites in the hot skillet, keeping a bit of space between each piece, working in batches if necessary.  Sear the steak on all sides, spooning any pan juices over the pieces as they cook.  Once cooked to medium, place the steak bites into a bowl and pour any pan juices over the steak.  If needed, melt an additional tablespoon of butter and continue cooking the steak.

Allow the steak bites to rest for 5 minutes, then serve.

“Texas Roadhouse” Sweet Yeast Rolls

See the Original Post

1 cup whole milk, scalded (see cooking directions)

1 package instant yeast (2 ¼ tsp)

¼ cup warm water (105-115 degrees)

2 tablespoons butter, melted & cooled slightly

¼ cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp salt

3-3 ½  cups all purpose flour

Additional melted butter & a pinch of salt, to finish

To scald the milk, place the milk in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Cook until small bubbles just begin to form on the edges of the milk (the milk will be steaming).  Immediately remove from heat and set aside to cool to room temperature.

Place the yeast, water, cooled milk, butter, sugar, egg and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer.  Mix on low, with the paddle attachment until combined.  

Add the flour, 1 cup at a time until the dough becomes too thick to stir, then switch to the dough hook and add the remaining flour, mixing on low until all of the flour is incorporated.  Turn off the mixer and allow the dough to rest for 5 minutes. 

Then, turn the machine back on and knead on low for another 5 minutes.  The dough should be smooth and satiny.  Note: if the dough is too sticky, add a couple tablespoons of flour before kneading.

Spray a large bowl with cooking spray.   Place the dough into the bowl, flipping to coat.  Cover the bowl in plastic wrap and place in a warm, draft-free area until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Punch down, turn onto a floured work surface.  Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into large rectangle, the dough will be about ½-in thick.  Carefully fold the dough over to form a smaller rectangle (the dough will now be about 1-inch thick).  Gently roll with the rolling pin to seal the edges of the dough.

Allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes.  Then use a bench scraper to cut the dough into evenly sized squares (I got about 20).

                                                                                       

Place the dough squares onto a baking sheet lined with parchment or silicone mats.  Cover with a damp towel and let rise for 1 hour.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. 

Remove from oven, brush rolls with melted butter.  Serve immediately with cinnamon butter (recipe follows).

Honey Cinnamon Butter

Adapted from 365 Days of Baking

1 stick (1/2 cup) salted butter, softened

Scant ¼ cup powdered sugar

Scant ¼ cup honey

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Place the butter in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.  Beat on medium until the butter is soft.

Add the powdered sugar, honey, and cinnamon.  Beat on medium, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until the butter is combined and fluffy.