SINFUL CINNAMON ROLLS
NOT for everyday consumption...

Unless you are trying to bulk up!

One guilty pleasure I have missed since moving abroad is the rare treat of a Cinnabon at the local shopping mall. As far as I know thus far, there is no comparable offering anywhere here that I have found.

Yes, some good Kiwi bakeries and/or cafes do have a cinnamon "pinwheel" that is more bread-like, but none of them even come close to the good old American cinnamon roll. Not only are my cinnamon rolls "to-die-for", the icing is darn near the same as Cinnabon's version. I think my family, friends and neighbours who have sampled them would tend to agree that I am not being overly boastful here! ;o)

One caution to all who attempt this recipe though...they are not a healthy treat to enjoy daily for log periods of time and are likely to contribute to weight gain, increased cholesterol, and heartburn if overindulgence occurs. This recipe makes a relatively large batch too, so be prepared to share with your favourite people!!!

I will list ingredients and directions for the rolls, filling and icing in separate sections below to make it easier to follow...for those brave enough to try!

Rolls first...

DOUGH - INGREDIENTS:

2 Packets Dry Yeast (approx 4 Tsp)

1 Cup Warm Water (not hot - warm when dripped inside your wrist like testing baby bottles)

2/3 Cup Sugar

1 Cup Warm Milk

2/3 Cup Butter, melted

2 Tsp Salt

2 Eggs, slightly beaten

5-7 Cups Flour (more or less)

DIRECTIONS:

Activate the yeast in a small bowl by adding the water, sugar, warm milk, melted butter, salt & eggs. Set this aside whilst you go to the next step.

In a larger bowl, sift about 3 Cups of the flour and add 1 cup of it to the yeast mixture. Ideally, this should be covered and set aside in a warm place to foam up for up to an hour or so.

Once your foam has frothed up a bit, begin to slowly pour it into the larger bowl with the sifted flour.

Mix this together well and continue adding flour a bit at a time until the dough can be turned out onto a floured work surface.

Knead the dough about 10 minutes to activate the gluten in the flour then place it into a well oiled bowl big enough to hold twice the mass, and flip it over to oil both top & bottom of the dough ball.

Cover the bowl and set aside in a warm place to rise for about 2 hours. The dough should double in size.

When ready, punch down the dough and allow it to rest for 5-10 minutes before proceeding to roll it out flat on a floured surface to about a 1 cm (or 1/2 inch) thickness. I only use half at a time because each half makes about 12 LARGE rolls which can be stacked and frozen for baking later if tightly sealed in plastic wrap first. This 5-10 minute rest is a good time to make the filling...

FILLING - INGREDIENTS:

1 Cup Butter, melted

2 Cups Brown Sugar

4 Tbsp Cinnamon

2 Cups Walnuts or Pecans, chopped (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Mix together butter & sugar then slowly add in the cinnamon & chopped nuts. You may also opt to add raisins at this stage, but I don't like mine cooked, so I leave 'em out!

Once dough has been rolled out flat, sprinkle filling over entire surface evenly. You may opt to save a little for topping if you have enough at th end.

Now carefully log-roll the dough in a jellyroll or sponge log fashion then pinch the edges together to seal it.

The roll is rather "smushy" and soft, so my trick for cutting the rolls is to get a length of dental floss and slide it under the log, then cross end over end and pull tight to cut a slice without squishing the whole log with a knife. Pretty clever, eh?...

Now, butter a baking dish or just arrange the slices on a silicone baking mat. Put them close together so they don't lose their shape in the oven and, they should puff up nicely.

Cover and set the rolls aside once more in a warm area to rise for about 1 hour.

Once the rolls have risen and just about doubled in size again, preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C) and bake for approximately 25-30 minutes or until they brown nicely.

FROSTING/ICING - INGREDIENTS:

1/2 Cup Butter, melted

200 Gm (8 Oz) Mascarpone Cheese

3 Cups Icing Sugar

2 Tsp Vanilla

1/8 Tsp Lemon Flavouring (just a few drops, really)

DIRECTIONS:

Blend cheese and butter with electric mixer on low to cream. Add icing sugar 1/2 cup at a time and combine well.

Add vanilla and lemon flavour and mix approximately 1 minute then refrigerate.

Be sure to ice the rolls while they are still warm. There's no comfort food much better than a gooey, warm, cinnamon roll on a cold day! Save any extra icing for reheating with the leftover rolls...10-20 seconds in the microwave softens them right up to perfection again.

Enjoy!

KAHLUA

Makes about 4 (1-Litre) bottles

I know that for some of the Kiwis and Aussies out there, it may be difficult to imagine, but I generally don't drink alcohol. I have an amazing uncle in Oregon who is an award-winning winemaker for Willamette Valley Vineyards, and yet I probably don't fully appreciate his work. As generous as he is, I usually just ask for him to bring "the sweet stuff" like rieslings, muskats and Müller-Thurgau...the rubbish of the wine world, but my favourites nonetheless. Beer usually gives me headaches with the first sip, so I never tried the "hair-o'-the-dog" remedy.

There are a few liqueurs I do enjoy on the odd special occasion...Thanksgiving, Christmas, birthdays, etc.... My personal favourites are probably, Kahlua, Creme de Menthe, and good ole Irish Cream. I have recipes for all three, but I have so far only tried out this one. Creme de Menthe might be next, as I would love to post a 'Grasshopper Pie' or 'Grasshopper Shake' recipe at some stage too.

Kahlua and vanilla ice cream are made for each other too, so...let's get going on this one so we can try some! (It still takes about 4 weeks or so to fully develop the flavour though...bugger!)

INGREDIENTS:

7 Cups Water

1.5 Kilos (3.3 Lbs) Sugar (about 1 small bag)

1/2 Cup Instant Coffee (Dark Roast or Espresso Strength)

6 Tbsp Vanilla

4 Vanilla Beans, split (optional)

2 Bottles Vodka (2 Litres total)

DIRECTIONS:

First split vanilla beans and scrape the goo from inside each bean with a knife. Add the scrapings to a stock pot with the water, sugar and vanilla (extract/essence). Put the split beans into sterilized bottles for storage later.

Bring the pot of water, sugar and vanilla to a rolling boil for approximately 10 minutes (just long enough to dissolve all of the sugar).

Remove the pot from the heat and slowly stir in the instant coffee until all of the coffee is completely dissolved.

Now let it sit (covered) until it reaches room temperature.

Once completely cooled, add vodka and pour into bottles (with airtight seals) immediately.

These bottles are great for gifts, but please remember that it will take about 4 weeks to fully develop the flavour. For added smoothness, I understand a teaspoon of glycerin can be added, but I, personally, don't find it necessary.

RAISIN & OAT SCONES

Mom requested this one, so of course I am more than happy to oblige. I am not so much a huge "scone" fan, but they certainly make the house smell very nice. These are also good to have with a hot drink - my favourite is Jarrah hot chocolate (98% Fat-free, but tastes nice & chocolatey). My lovely hubby also said they are good with coffee...he loves his coffee. (Isn't that right, love?... ;o)

INGREDIENTS:

1.5 Cups Flour

1.25 Cups Rolled Oats

1/4 Cup Sugar

1 Tbsp Baking Powder

1 Tsp Cream of Tartar

1/2 Tsp Salt

1/2 Tsp Cinnamon

2/3 Cup Unsalted Butter, melted

1/3 Cup Milk

1 Egg, beaten lightly

1/2 Cup Raisins

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 450°F (225-230°C) and grease cookie sheet or lay out silicone mat on cookie sheet.

I always sift my dry ingredients together for easier and more complete blending. So, first you need to combine first 7 ingredients (except the oats) in a sifter and sift together into a large bowl. Add the oats and mix together well.

Blend the butter, milk and egg together in another bowl, then add it to the bowl of dry ingredients and stir until just moistened. Now you may mix in raisins (or any other dried fruit you like).

The dough/batter will still be very sticky, but you will need to roll dough into balls (about raquetball-size - slightly smaller than tennis balls) and place on baking sheet approximately an inch or so from each other. If you want smaller scones, more like "finger food", make the balls smaller (golf ball size) and it will double the quantity from 12 to 24.

Bake until light brown, about 10-12 minutes. Cool slightly on rack. (Easily prepared a day ahead.)

Cool completely and store in an airtight container or a ziplock bag.