I have no technique

Being the granddaughter of a baker, it might come as a surprise to you all that I have no skill whatsoever when it comes to anything with flour, yeast and an oven. I prefer a stovetop and spices, or maybe I am just more comfortable with a that. I think it has something to do with the fact that I am impatient; and because I get bothered with messes and goopy fingers. So, it came as a surprise to me this morning that I woke up and wanted to bake something. But! I did not want just any random baked good. I wanted cinnamon rolls… with pecans… doused in lots of icing. And being inspired by new blog, I ignored the can of cinnamon rolls in the refrigerator, found a recipe on Epicurious and started.

First and foremost, you should know this recipe requires time because anything with yeast needs to rise. For hours. A fact I forgot and was thoroughly disappointed to read as I perused the recipe. But, the milk and butter were already melted so I trudged on (obstacle of impatience: overcome). You should also know I have no idea how to knead. This is where I lack technique (amongst other things, but let's not delve into that...). When I scraped the dough out of the bowl and began to attempt to knead, my hands became goopy and I became frustrated. Thankfully, my mom came to the rescue with extra flour and guidance (obstacle of fear of messes: overcome... or at least dealt with for the time being). After about ten minutes, the dough was less sticky, my fingers less goopy and my hope began to rise (pun totally intended). With the unskillfully crafted dough ball ready, I began my wait…


I wanted pecans so while the dough was finishing its rise (about 10 minutes before), I chopped and toasted about half a cup of pecans. When the dough finished rising (finally!), I rolled it out flat using my mother's pretty marble roller and layered the filling mixture and pecans. Then it was time to roll! It’s kind of like rolling sushi, but much harder considering you don’t have the bamboo mat. I learned that if you initially spread the dough too thin, it might tear as you roll and the yummy sugar-butter-cinnamon-pecan innards spill out ::sadness::. I had two mishaps due to thinness (whoever said thin was good anyways?), but I just grabbed some extra dough from the sides and performed a patch job. I cut the pseudo-sushi roll into about one-inch pieces; it yielded 13 rolls.


I arranged the rolls snuggly in a pan and then… I read it. I had to let them rise for another 45 minutes! Gah! Out of boredom, I took more pictures...


Once that was finished, I stuck the pan in the oven until they were golden brown. The end result was yummy, even if it was more cake-like than bread like. The pecans really sealed the deal, so I highly recommend them. I would actually probably add another ½ cup of pecans next time I make these little rolls of awesomeness. There. I baked something. I might do it again... But, not too soon.


Here’s the recipe, with the alterations I made. Follow the (link) for the true recipe.

I actually wrote this last weekend, but it took me this long to get the pictures of yumminess.

I was listening to "Glass Onion" by The Beatles when I posted this :)

Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Glaze

Ingredients:
Dough:
1 cup fat-free milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 ½ cups (or more) unbleached all purpose flour, divided
½ cup sugar 1 large egg
2 ¼ teaspoons rapid-rise yeast (from 2 envelopes yeast)
1 teaspoon salt
Nonstick vegetable oil spray

Filling:
½ cup of chopped pecans
¾ cup (packed) golden brown sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
¼ cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

Glaze:
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
¼ cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation:
For dough:
Combine milk and butter in glass measuring cup. Microwave on high until butter melts and mixture is just warmed to 120°F to 130°F, 30 to 45 seconds. Pour into bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Add 1 cup flour, sugar, egg, yeast, and salt. Beat on low speed 3 minutes, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl. Add 2 ½ cups flour. Beat on low until flour is absorbed and dough is sticky, scraping down sides of bowl. If dough is very sticky, add more flour by tablespoonfuls until dough begins to form ball and pulls away from sides of bowl.

Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, adding more flour if sticky, about 10 minutes. Form into ball. Lightly oil large bowl with nonstick spray. Transfer dough to bowl, turning to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, then kitchen towel. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 2 hours.

For filling:
Toast pecans. Mix brown sugar, butter and cinnamon in medium bowl. Punch down dough. Transfer to floured work surface. Roll out to 15x11-inch rectangle. Sprinkle cinnamon-butter-sugar mixture evenly, leaving about 1 inch along edges. Layer pecans. Starting at 1 long side, roll dough into log, pinching gently to keep it rolled up. With seam side down, cut dough crosswise with thin sharp knife into 18 equal slices (each about ½ to ¾ inch wide) (yielded 13).

Spray a 9-inch square glass baking dishes with nonstick spray. Divide rolls between baking dishes, arranging cut side up (there will be almost no space between rolls). Cover baking dishes with plastic wrap, then kitchen towel. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until almost doubled in volume, 40 to 45 minutes. Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Bake rolls until tops are golden, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and invert immediately onto rack. Cool 10 minutes. Turn rolls right side up.

For glaze:
Combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat until smooth. Spread glaze on rolls. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Trying to reduce that jumbled mess.

Because I have actually started to tell people about this blog, I felt I should probably begin writing about science. So, I decided to explain the picture in my header, captured by Dr. Tamily Weissman.

I am forcing my non-science friends read this as well so I wanted to clarify a concept in biology: Within the cells of all organisms are genes. Genes are made up of DNA. DNA is used as a blueprint to make these big molecules called proteins. Proteins are basically the bitches of the cell in that they perform almost every activity and function in the cell. If you understand this, you could have passed an exam in General Biology (be proud because several people don’t pass that exam).

This semester, being my last as an undergraduate by the way, I am taking a course called Functional Genomics and Proteomics. This class is taught by Dr. Fernando Noriega, a comparative physiologist who studies the synthesis of certain hormones that are involved in insect development. The class is designed for science majors and is supposed to expose the students to techniques scientists use to study genes and proteins. For most of the semester, we have been reading articles concerning topics ranging from immunity in mosquitoes to the metabolism of worms. These articles are laden with quite insipid graphs and Venn diagrams; I will take this time to note that although the figures in these article are traditionally thought of as boring, they do provide scientists with crucial, important information (no matter how excruciating it is to analyze them).

One week, however, we were assigned to read articles that utilized special techniques used in transgenics. When I read transgenics, I automatically think of mutants, which is essentially what the organisms derived from these procedures are. Scientists use transgenics to insert pieces of foreign DNA into another organism; these organisms are then considered to be genetically modified. With the new DNA, the organism can now make proteins that make the cell function in a way they have not been able to before. There’s much hullabaloo about the current application of transgenesis by agricultural companies to create super-crops (Monsanto you trouble maker) but that is a different post.

In a less controversial, and much prettier, form of transgenesis, a group of scientists at Harvard University used the technique to make mutants to help visualize the cells of the brains, also called neurons. To visualize neurons, scientists would traditionally only insert a piece of foreign DNA into the neuron’s DNA and this DNA would make only one protein that fluoresced (essentially glowed) as one color when exposed to a certain wavelength of light. The end result is an impressive, albeit jumbled, picture of neurons. This is because neurons are in such close proximity to one another and each neuron, being that one color, would just seemingly merge into one mass when visualized. It’s hard to figure out where one neuron starts and the other neuron begins; believe me I spent a summer counting fluorescent neurons.

I guess these guys at Harvard threw their hands up in the air when they got frustrated and decided to make life easier. And more striking. They made one piece of foreign DNA that has the ability to make 3 proteins that fluoresce in 3 different colors. They then stuck it in the neurons of a mouse. This piece of DNA has the ability to cut and paste itself into different forms so that more than 3 colors can be produced (have you ever mixed paint colors? Same deal). The end color result for each neuron is random and variable. The overall end result is an image of the brain that can take your breath away. They called it “Brainbow.”

Get it? Brainbow… Rainbow… It took me a while.

Here's the link to the article, if you are so inclined to read it and if you have access to Nature.
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v450/n7166/full/nature06293.html

Song that was playing as I finished this post: "Great DJ" by The Ting Tings.
Just thought I should mention that.

My first time.

First and foremost, I feel like it is necessary to mention that I actually created this blog a couple of days ago, but it has taken me this long to decide on a layout and to write my first post. This is probably due to my quasi-OCD nature in trying to figure out a theme for this thing; I have also not excluded the fact that this is the first time this week that I have a break to sit down and think (aside from late last night when I cuddled up on my bed and watched a couple of episodes of Battlestar Galactica instead of making any attempt to do something productive).

So, two things you might have already deduced about me from this post:
1- I tend to over-analyze simple things
2- I am, what some might call, a nerd because I spend my nights watching BSG.

I am a scientist; well, as much as an undergraduate researcher can call themselves a scientist. I have been doing neuroscience research at a poorly funded and highly unsupported institution for three years now and I haven't walked away from it yet. Let's see how graduate school goes...

I also have a healthy obsession for food (when it comes to chocolate, it might be considered unhealthy and I wouldn't object to this consideration). My close friends often receive picture text messages of yummy food I either make or order. They in turn have a knack for sending me pictures of yummy food they are eating when all I have in the vicinity is a bag of stale chips left over from a seminar or party the other (true) scientists just had. Payback...

Therefore, I have decided that this blog will be about science and food :)

Science in a way that normal people can understand it. There is an incredible amount of research and ideas out there that my non-science friends are constantly assaulted with when we get together. So, why not spread the assault?

Food in a way that I will share recipes (and pictures, be prepared for many pictures) I derived from friends or cookbooks. I also have a tendency to grab what is in the fridge/freezer/cupboard/spice rack and combine ingredients until something edible emerges. It is my way of being adventurous; some people base jump, I make risky decisions in the kitchen.

So, I guess it's time to hit this orange "PUBLISH POST" button...