My Bread and Butter

I have a particular fondness for Texas Roadhouse.  It might have something to do with their delicious rolls and cinnamon butter.  It might also have something to do with it being a frequent date location for me and my husband early in our marriage.  Back then, when our budget was tighter, we would order the steak and ribs meal with two salads and two iced teas and could go out for a date for $20. I ate the ribs, he ate the steak, and we both gorged ourselves on the yummy yeast rolls! Since that first year of marriage, and a brief stint when we lived in New Hampshire, we have been deprived of living remotely near a Texas Roadhouse so I had to take matters into my own hands.

The following yeast roll recipe was passed onto me from our friend Tish. These rolls aren't exactly like TR's, but they are fluffy, moist, slightly sweet, and a perfect partner for honey-cinnamon butter. The honey-cinnamon butter was adapted from a recipe I found on another blog. The original version tasted way too much like honey and not enough like cinnamon so I doctored the portions significantly and I think I've got it close to right.

I hope some of you out there will appreciate this as much as I do:)

Tish's Sweet Yeast Rolls
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup water
1 egg

4 cups bread flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp yeast
1 Tbsp buttermilk powder
1/4 cup butter, softened

Microwave water and milk for 30-45 seconds. Beat in egg.

Place the remainder of the ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add, the water/milk/egg mixture. Mix with paddle attachment until moistened. Knead with dough hook until smooth and no longer sticking to the sides.

Remove from bowl, place on floured surface, cover and let rise until doubled. Cut dough in half, roll into logs, cut in half again, then again, then again.  You should end up with 16 pieces. Form each into a ball and place in a greased 9x13 pan. Let rise until doubled.

Bake at 375 until browned, about 15-18 minutes.

Honey-Cinnamon Butter
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup honey (maybe less depending on how much you like honey...)
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Whip all with the whisk attachment in a stand mixer.