Here I am with armfuls of cinnamon buns. It’s one of the very first things I learnt to cook.
When I was at school, I had the most wonderful home economics teacher. She was warm, kind-hearted, patient and always enthusiastic to share her love of the kitchen and cooking. I think of her often and can only hope that we are doing as wonderful a job at inspiring young cooks.
It is truly a wonderful thing when a child first falls in love with the transformations of ingredients and the magic of the kitchen. However, beautiful food is not just about the final result. It is about the lovely thoughts of whom you are cooking for, the planning, the preparing. It is about skills and it’s about flavour. It is also as much about generosity.
The pleasure of preparing is an art most of us learn at home, as we are growing up. We learn it from those whom we love and who inspire us.
Today, I have baked these cinnamon buns. When I bake these, special memories are always stirred as I think of a very dear teacher no longer with us.
Our home is now filled with the sweetest of aromas. Sweet cinnamon and warm dough wafting through our home. Smells and memories that will hopefully be part of my girl’s recollections of our home as they grow older, and they remember a Mother who it all means so much.
On a side note, this recipe is revised and improved and appears in the reprinted Relish Mama cookbook.
Happy cooking to you all.
With love ???? Nellie
Cinnamon buns
Sticky bun dough:
1 cup milk
85g caster sugar
1 teaspoon of sea salt
125 g butter
125ml lukewarm water
1 egg, lightly beaten
7g sachet of dried yeast
600g (4 cups) plain flour
Filling:
60g unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon cinnamon
Glaze (optional):
2 cups icing sugar, sifted
½ lemon, juiced
Place the milk in a small pot and heat gently. Stir in the sugar, salt and butter. Once butter is melted, cool to lukewarm.
In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water and set aside. Transfer the lukewarm milk mixture to a mixing bowl. Add the egg, yeast mixture and half of the flour. Beat well until smooth. Add the remaining flour and combine well. Cover the bowl with cling wrap and leave at room temperature for 2 hours to rise.
Preheat the oven to 190˚C.
Lightly flour your bench top and use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll out the dough to a rectangle approximately 45 cm x 25cm. Brush the rolled dough generously with melted butter and sprinkle evenly with cinnamon. Roll the dough up into a cylinder shape. Cut into slices about 4cm wide. Arrange the scrolls in a cake tin or baking dish that will hold them snugly, allowing 1-2cm between each. Bake scrolls for 20-25 minutes until golden and cooked through.
To glaze the scrolls, combine icing sugar and lemon juice and stir briskly to combine. If too thick, add half a tablespoon hot water to make a thin icing. Drizzle the icing over the warm buns and serve.
Tip: You can make the dough up to three days in advance. Instead of resting the dough at room temperature, place the dough in the fridge for up to three days. When ready to roll, let the dough come back to room temperature by placing it on the bench, covered for approximately half an hour.
Makes 12
