Friday, March 18, 2011

Cinnamon Rolls :)


Uni has been going okay, though, as you might've been able to tell through my lack of posting, it's been very busy.

And it's been putting my mind into a slightly nervous state.

I'm disliking the responsibility of having to find out and remember dates of quizzes and due dates for assignments- especially as there are so many to remember in addition all the other things I should be doing everyday. My travel strips off a huge chunk of my day, so midnight always arrives much too early, leaving me very agitated as I'm always worrying there's something important I should have done.

I'd like to think that I'm a very positive and carefree person, but I'm starting to see that subconsciously I'm quite a worry wart- as my mother often tells me. When I caught the bus to uni for the first time, I checked the same timetable (for the exact same bus) countless times, starting from a week before the trip right up until the morning of the trip. In the first week of uni, I found myself looking at my timetable, more than hourly, eventhough I'd actually memorised all the classes off by heart, as well as the location and the routes to each of the buildings. And often checking once more before entering the room- just incase I'd misread.



I know all this worrying and checking is stupid, pointless and unneccesary (and I could probably construct a pretty convincing argument as to why) but it happens and I'm sure it'll gradually decrease as I get used to uni- I don't check my bus or uni timetable anymore!

Anyways, here's something a lot more interesting than my life at the moment- cinnamon rolls! I've never actually had cinnamon rolls before- so I was very surprised at how good they tasted! The buns were extremely soft- probably one of the softest buns I've ever made (though this probably had something to do with the fact that I accidently added more water than I was supposed to) and so delicious I almost couldn't stop myself from eating it all in one go!

Oh. And if you were wondering, this was made with a recipe which I reread a billion times before and during the making of it! You know. Just incase I misread something very impmortant ;)



Cinnamon Rolls
recipe from Pioneer Woman via A Southern Grace

Dough:
2 cups milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
4 cups + 1/2 cup flour, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon (scant) baking soda
1/2 teaspoon (heaping) baking powder

Filling:
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
4 tablespoons ground cinnamon

Glaze:
4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon maple flavoring
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons brewed coffee
pinch of salt


Make ahead: Combine milk, 1/2 cup sugar and oil in a large pot over medium heat. Heat, stirring to dissolve sugar, until just before boiling. Remove from heat and set aside to cool for about an hour or until lukewarm (between 105° – 115°F; use a thermometer to check). Sprinkle the yeast into the warm milk mixture and allow to sit for a few minutes. Add 4 cups of flour and stir together until a sticky dough forms. Cover loosely with a kitchen towel and let rise somewhere warm for about an hour. In a small bowl, whisk together remaining 1/2 cup of flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add to dough and combine thoroughly to form an elastic dough. Spray the inside of a large bowl with cooking spray. Put dough in the bowl, cover tightly, and store in the refrigerator overnight, or up to a day.

Assembly: Spray 3 9-inch round cake pans with cooking spray. Generously flour a clean, dry surface. Place half the dough on the floured surface and using a rolling pin, roll out into a large rectangle. Gently spread 1/2 cup of softened butter over the dough with a butter knife. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of cinnamon and 1/2 cup of sugar over the buttered dough.

Starting on the longer side of the rectangle, roll dough in a tight spiral toward the other end and pinch the seam shut. Slide a strand of dental floss under the rolled dough 1-1½ inches from the end. Cross the ends of the floss over the top of the roll and pull in opposite directions, slicing off a section of dough. Repeat with the rest of the dough, placing buns in the prepared pan. You will have space between the buns.

Repeat with the second half of the dough. (If you only want to make one batch of buns, you can tightly wrap and freeze the other half at this point. In that case, use half the amount of the ingredients for the glaze.)

Set aside to rise for 30-45 minutes. Bake in 350°F oven for 15-18 minutes, or until lightly browned on top.

Make glaze: Mix together all ingredients and stir well until smooth. It should be thick but pourable. Taste and adjust as needed. Generously drizzle over the warm rolls.



Note: I didn't make the glaze...which is why my rolls look so bare at the top!

26 Comments:

grub said...

haha i hate uni life hahaha! too much responsibility,i don't want to grow up :P my uni is SO BIG, luckily i know how to get around now, the first few days of uni was a pain. too much assignments and i'm still in holiday mood!

cinnamon buns are ALWAYS good :D Melbourne has been filled with cool weather, i LOVE it :)

CaThY said...

lovely cinnamon buns. I bet they taste yummy even without the glaze! ;)

נєαи said...

Hi Von!!:D I love reading your blog, but they always make me so hungry afterwards that I stuff myself with junk food==

Cinnamon rolls are one of the best, plus cinnamon donuts!:D And yeah, uni's hectic! I dislike how we have to print heaps and all this online notifications that we might miss. Gosh==

Haha, word verification: toffriz. Toffee~~

Viv said...

hi von, we must've been craving similar things..coz i baked my first batch of cinnamon rolls 2 days ago too ;) yours turned out really cute and so SOFT!!! i added apple sauce and raisons to mine..and used a bit of wholemeal so the texture is different!

haha yeah, i used to be a worry wart like you too! also check something a gazillion times even tho ive memorised it. i've learnt to relax and think the worst thing that'd happen is that id be late etc. and thats not *that* bad!

Coraine said...

This is so neat and soft..!! =)
I love cinnamon rolls without any glaze.it's definitely healthier!

Coraine @ Life is like a Long Journey

Umm Mymoonah said...

That looks perfect, gorgeous and yummy cinnamon rolls.

Kristy Sayer-Jones @ Southern In Law said...

These are too cute! and they look delicious!

I'm sure you'll settle into uni soon, it's so different to what you're used to so of course you're going to be a little stressed! The checking probably just puts your mind at ease a little - I know I often feel like i'm forgetting something when i'm busy or doing something completely new to me.

If you need someone to talk to, email me! and keep baking girl, you just keep getting better and better :)

A Canadian Foodie said...

These look pretty darn professional! I dare say you are on a roll!
:)
valerie

OohLookBel said...

Hope you worry less as you get into the routine of uni (I'm the same, worry, worry, worry!). The cinnamon buns look great - especially with lots of glaze.

Rita (mademoiselle délicieuse) said...

Heheh, you'll settle down more as you get into the swing of things =D I get like that whenever I'm some place or doing something new but, hey, at least recipes turn out well when we read them studiously!

Cooking Gallery said...

Your cinnamon rolls look so pretty...:)!!

Janine said...

having been in uni for a while, i can safely say that after you've more or less remembered your classes and timetables after a few weeks, one semester would have passed and you'll start a new semester with a new timetable :p but it gets easier each time :)

your cinnamon rolls look delicious, even without the glaze :D

Maria said...

Cinnamon rolls always remind me of Finland :-) Yours look delicious!

shaz said...

Hey Von! You are actually being careful which is never a bad thing. And re-readign a recipe to double check=highly sensible :) I've got to make these rolls, they look so good. Goog luck with uni.

Mary Bergfeld said...

I love your humor and would return for that alone. Your buns look wonderful. I hope the stress starts to peel away for you. I was a commuter when I attended university and I know how hard it can be. Can you use any of that time to study? I hope you are having a great, if busy, day. Blessings...Mary

tigerfish said...

No glaze is ok for me. In fact, I like it this way.

Hope you enjoy uni. I used to worry lots during uni. and did not enjoy it till I graduated.

E. said...

Your cinnamon buns look beautiful. They have so many rolls. I was motivated to bake these again after seeing your post. I made it on Sunday and brought them to school. I hope uni life gets better! I'm just like you; I get worried pretty easily and check things over and over again to make sure that I got it right. I never liked cinnamon rolls before actually, until after I made my own, because the only ones I ever saw were those store-bought, preservative-filled, stale buns. And I agree, these cinnamon buns are the best... Have a good week! Oh yea, I have an award for you over at my blog. :) It was really nice to become friends with another teenager baker.

Dee D. said...

Aw, you will get used to it eventually! Your cinnamon rolls look delicious, and so perfect!

My Little Space said...

Von, the bread looks super gorgeous! Well done! Just take it easy, girl and enjoy life.
Kristy

Unknown said...

Yvonne wow, how are you, I haven't talked to you in ages!
Still remember me? :)
Btw, your cooking looks amazing, hope you're enjoying uni!

MaryMoh said...

Haha....I am amused at how you were trying to cope with uni life. Don't worry, Von. Soon you will find that it's way easier than A level or STPM and more fun too. I'm sure all your lovely food and bakes help you to de-stress. Love your cinnamon rolls. I'm sure your house smells very good. Happy study! The years will pass very fast :D

grub said...

hey Von! uni is so busy right? recently i just start sleeping in lectures when it gets boring, oh im so bad! it's already nearly mid semester and gee time just passes just like that!

by the way, i'm not sure if you do these things but, i have given you a blog award, please come to my blog and claim it if you have time.

chow and chatter said...

coming to your city this weekend!

feel free to email me

Victor said...

I was wondering what happened to the glaze in your cinnamon rolls. It looks so perfect, I haven't made my own yet. Have a nice day, Von!

muppy said...

This looks perfect!

Betty Pham said...

how cute do these look hehe yum!

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