Cinnamon Buns

I can vividly remember my first attempt at baking, actually making something that wasn’t out of a packet.  I created a lopsided, dry cake that masqueraded as a sponge and tasted like cardboard, in Domestic Science class.  “Une immense catastrophe!”  My ability to bake was as poor as my ability to speak French.  However, with time, I have learnt to do both passably well.

It took years before I conquered my fear of cakes and bread.  This of course involved my own version of therapy, which involved eating as many baked goods as I could.  I fell in love with baking fairly late in life, it’s now an all-consuming passion: the most satisfying of all the cooking techniques.  However, it’s not always quick, not always consistent and it’s not always easy.

I have found that the adage “practice makes perfect” applies absolutely to baking. As a prolific baker, I still get random results but I now understand why.  With baking – it is wise to follow the fundamental recipes, timing, method and balance of the ingredients absolutely as instructed, until you become a master of your art and have the skills to freestyle.

One of the greatest joys of baking is the heavenly smell.  Bread, chocolate cake, lemon meringue pie – all have a unique aroma which makes me light headed, but nothing smells quite as incredible as Cinnamon Buns.

The best things come to those who wait, and this is not a ten minute ‘knock up’.  It takes time and patience.  The recipe makes 6-8 buns.  Best served with strong fresh coffee, and the latest gossip with a friend. 

Ingredients

Dough:

8 fl oz / 240 ml whole milk

35 g dried yeast

2 oz / 55 g plus ¼ teaspoon of castor sugar

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 large egg yolk

1 and ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

14 oz / 400g self raising flour

¾ teaspoon of salt

½ teaspoon of ground or freshly grated nutmeg

Filling:

4 oz / 110 g unsalted butter, softened not melted

4 oz / 110 g castor sugar

3 tablespoons ground cinnamon

Glaze:

8 oz / 220 g icing sugar

100 ml double cream

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Method:

Make the dough:  Warm milk in a saucepan to 100 F/ 38 C (this is body temperature).  Remove from heat, sprinkle in yeast and ¼ teaspoon of sugar.   Do not stir.  Leave for 5 minutes until foamy.  Whisk in egg yolk, melted butter and vanilla.  Pour flour, 2oz of sugar, salt and nutmeg into a mixing bowl.  Make a well in the centre and add yeast mixture.  If you have a stand mixer with a dough hook, mix on low speed until thick and sticky, then knead on medium speed for 5 minutes or so.  I don’t use a mixer, and knead exactly as I would making bread by hand, this still produces great results.  Shape dough into ball, grease the bowl and dough with a little butter.   Cover with cling film and allow to rise until it has doubled in size (60 – 75 minutes).

Roll out dough to a rectangle shape approx 12” x 14” with longest side facing you.  Smother in the softened butter, leaving 1” border at the further edge.  Mix the sugar and cinnamon, and sprinkle all over the rolled dough, excluding border.  Damp the border with water. Roll up lengthways, towards border, and cut into about 8 pieces.  Place buns onto a buttered baking tray, cut side down, cover and leave to rise again for 30 minutes.  I tend to pop into the oven at the lowest possible setting for best results.

Bake in a pre heated oven at 160 (fan assisted) or 180 C until golden brown, this takes around half an hour. Remove from oven, and cool for 10 minutes. Make glaze by mixing the ingredients and then piping or spooning onto the still warm buns.

Fridge Cake

I've just thrown together the most sinful, wicked fridge cake. Based this on a standard Tiffin method but was limited by store cupboard ingredients. Gently melt 4 oz butter, 1 tbs cocoa, 1 tbs black treacle, 1 tbs of maple syrup. Bash up a packet of ginger biscuits, throw in a packet of hazelnuts, a tub of glace cherries (Waitrose do some very dark juicy ones) and a handful of rice crispies, then a generous splash of ameretto. Pour melted mixture over the dry mix and stir until incorporated. Melt an 8oz bar of chocolate (I used half dark, half white) and smooth over the top. Refrigerate and try (just try) to let it set before cutting into squares and eating with a good strong cup of coffee. Heaven.


No photo I'm afraid, it didn't look pretty but tasted divine.

Biscuits

Basic Biscuit dough

Mix the butter and sugar in a large bowl with a wooden spoon, then add the egg yolk and vanilla and briefly beat to combine. Sift over the flour and stir until the mixture is well combined - you might need to get your hands in at the end to give everything a really good mix and press the dough together.

Little Prune or lemony biccies

Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Make the Basic biscuit dough, adding zest 2 lemons to the sugar and butter mixture. After chilling, roll out the dough to a rough rectangle, then use a pizza cutter or knife to divide the dough into long strips, about 10 x 2cm. Bake as above. For the icing, mix 140g/5oz sifted icing sugar with 4-5 tbsp lemon juice and the zest 1 lemon. When biscuits are cool, half dip them into the icing, then dry on a rack. Or make fruit biscuits and added chopped fruit instead of the lemon zest (prune or apricot is great).

Bitter Orange Icecream

1 x 600ml tub double cream
Zest & juice of one orange
Zest of one lime & juice of 2 limes
175g icing sugar
(optional) dash of orange bitters

Put everything into a bowl and whip to soft peaks. Freeze for 3-5 hours in a sealed container. Remove from freezer 15 minutes before eating - brilliant with anything chocolately ;-)

The World Cup

Can I wake up now ? Is it over ? The best thing about the world cup was that one of those clever Waitrose ads introduced me to Delia's Saltimbocca recipe, made with pork rather than politically incorrect (huh, like I care !) veal.
Oooh Lordy Lordy. It's delicious.

www.deliaonline.com/recipes/main-ingredient/pork/pork-saltimbocca.html

Bailey

Meet Bailey Martinez. He is an international jet set Shitzu, who spilts his time between Marbella and Cheltenham. Sadly, Bailey is not mine. He belongs to my uber glam model friend, Jules. Bailey comes to stay whilst his Mummy is living her equally jet set life, and fits into our house full of dogs and cats as if he has lived here all of his life. Dog walking has never looked more like a Pride Parade.

Spoilt Brat

It's July, which signals the annual move for my son, from one flat to another, in his University hometown, Bristol. He has already been a student for 5 years, it seems like 10. Once upon a time students were despatched with a bean bag, a saucepan, and a cookery book entitled "1001 ways with Jacket Potatoes". Not my boy. Like Mother like Son. Brought up by a Mother who preferred to do her weekly shop in Selfridges Food Hall, he regularly calls me for cooking tips. " Mum", he wails, "I'm rustling up a scallop and chorizo rissotto. Which rice should I use, Arboria or Carnaroli ?"

He has had flats in some of the most beautiful buildings in Bristol, 18th buildings with character, once occupied by the rich merchants. Student life is not what it used to be. The smug little gits ;-)

So the Jag is filled with his (duck down, he insists on it) duvets, speakers, laptops, vinyl, top end saucepans and woks, and bags upon bags of fresh laundry (I dipped out here, and rather sluttishly sent it to the local service wash). I note there are no work books; odd when he has 3 modules to resit next month.

Life is always a little more dull when Fauntleroy isn't around, but I shall look forward to the regular call with his cookery FAQ, "Mother - how long in the oven for a 1kg fillet of beef" (18 minutes darling, after searing, then rest for the same, and how the *!?$ can you afford that !)