if they were pillows, i’d hug them

There’s always a first, isn’t there?

And just like how I decided to go ahead and make my long-yearned-for madeleines albeit without their much-craved-for moulds, I took the plunge and traipsed my way down the yeast road one morning. After much deliberation and trepidation, I finally braved the yeast and made the first thing that came to mind.

The last time I made cinnamon rolls, I took the easy way out, and opted for a biscuit-dough bun, steering far far away from yeast. While they tasted great, the texture certainly didn’t appease my nostalgic side insisting on reminiscing the teenage years of drooling over the fluffy Saint Cinnamon buns.

But this time round, to put it simply, I was one happy girl.

I divided the dough into two, making one with raisins, and another without. Surprisingly, even though I’ve always thought of myself as a raisin cinnamon bun fan, I actually preferred the plain buns. Perhaps it was because they complimented the sugar icing perfectly, and furthermore, it was so much more heavenly to appreciate the fluffy texture of the buns in their simplicity.

While this bake had most certainly increased my confidence in embarking further onto the yeast journey, it will be a long while before I venture into breads and such. But hey, at least this was a first.

Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls
(adapted from here)
- serves 12 -

1 packet active dry yeast
1 cup warm milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter
2 eggs
4 cups flour

FILLING:
1 cup brown sugar
2 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon powder
1/3 cup butter, softened

ICING:
8 tbsps butter
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm milk.
2. Add sugar, butter, flour and eggs. Mix well.
3. Knead the dough into a large ball, and place in a bowl, covered with a damp towel, and allow to rise for about an hour.
4. When doubled in size, punch the dough down. Roll out the dough onto a lightly floured surface to form a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick.
5. Preheat the oven to 200C.
6. To make the filling, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.
7. Spread the softened butter over the surface of the dough, and sprinkle the filling evenly over the surface.
8. Roll the dough tightly from the long edge to the bottom edge.
9. Cut the dough into slices about 1 3/4 inch, and place in a lightly greased pan, slightly apart.
10. Bake for about 10mins.
11. To make the icing, beat all the ingredients until fluffy. Spread generously over the cinnamon rolls when they are done.