Sweet Relief

Man oh man, are we enjoying this air conditioning! I've been wallowing in all the activities I love to do that in the past had to be set aside for more appropriate weather. Things like seeking relief inside after a hot workout in the garden (see the lemon thyme I planted from seed), knitting to my heart's content (kitty slippers, more on this later), and baking.

Imagine baking in the dead of summer! What a life changing concept, I'm completely ruined. Anyway, as promised here is the recipe for the scratch cinnamon buns from the last post. I really like these buns because they are not too sweet but rather exactly right for my taste. This is a mixed blessing because although they do taste terrific, you never really get sick of them so you end up eating a whole lot more than you probably should...

 

 *************************

Scratch Cinnamon Buns

*************************

 Yield: 12 buns

Total time: 1.5 hrs

 

Ingredients

2 cups white flour, plus 1 cup

2 1/2 tsp instant yeast

1 1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp oil

1 1/4 cups warm water

 

Filling 

3 tbsp soft butter

1/2 cup white sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

 

Let's Bake!

In a medium bowl, mix 2 cups flour, yeast, salt, and sugar. Add water and oil, and stir well. Dough should be wet. Add more flour, a little at a time, until dough is just barely dry but very soft. Heavily flour a board and turn out dough. Knead for a few minutes while adding flour if needed. The dough should be very soft, but dry. Oil the bowl and place the dough inside. Squish the dough down and turn it over. Let the dough rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375F. Punch down the dough and press it out into a rectangle onto a your board, approximately 14" x 11". Spread with 2 - 3 tablespoons of soft butter to within 1" of the edge. Mix together the sugar and cinnamon, and spread evenly over the dough. Roll the dough up tightly and cut evenly into 12 buns with a serrated knife. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper ensuring good spacing. Bake at 375F for approximately 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan while still warm. Serve with cream cheese icing or extra butter.

xoxox

Comments

[steph]

we have a recipe for cinnamon buns that i usually make Christmas morning....hubby and I then proceed to eat all dozen of them; can't afford to do THAT too often!! so I know what you mean....but sooooo goood!!!! (very similar to yours, but I make them the night before---then let them rise overnight in the fridge---ready to be baked in the morning)

LOVE those little slippers!!! Glad you are enjoying your a/c!!! (don't know what we'd do without it.....another week of 90+temps/90+humidity. hate it.)

[petrox]

Your buns look yummy J ... and just so perfect ;)

[Laura]

We lasted two summers in our house before installing a/c. When it was cooler outside the house than in, that was it. The reprieve from the heat is indescribable. Life changing is a very good description! Enjoy!

[ellen kelley]

Oh, joy for cool air. Good for you!
Those slippers are adorable and the buns look yummy. I'll have to make some....as soon as it cools off...maybe October?

[zephyr]

i could not survive without ac...but wish i could live in a climate where i don't need it...like Cornwall, UK...anyway

i adore those kitty slippers!!
:^)

[zephyr]

oh my gosh!!
i just clicked on the kitty slippers link...
you made up the pattern yourself!!
i am SO impressed!!

[Stephanie]

Janine, Janine, Janine, those kitty slippers are FABULOUS! Just adorable.

Um, am I allowed to be a little envious of your air-conditioning, please? It's 36°C today, set to be the same for the next few days and I was fit to do very little except swimming today.

I'm going to make a note of this scrumptious bun recipe... to make once the weather has cooled down. There's no coincidence that the only two hours of rain we had in the past three glorious weeks of real summer I made a batch of banana and chocolate muffins. Baking in a heatwave is not the most natural thing to do and yet jam-making often happens in summer, right?

The heat is making me jibber and mumble. Off I go.

[driftwood]

oh the kitty slippers. adorable xxx

the weather is cooler here today, and there are storms forecast, could be a perfect baking day !

[Annie @ knitsofacto]

Ooh, another yummy recipe to try :D

I have been longing for air con, but the 30C+ heat in the UK is such an exception and air con such a specialised market here that no way will it happen.