Cinnamon Scrolls

Sugary, buttery, doughy goodness! 

Today I share my recipe for cinnamon scrolls. 

Be prepared to be addicted!

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Dough Ingredients:

• 7g or 1 packet of yeast
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1/2 cup scalded milk (just before boiling point)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 3 1/2 to 4 cups flour

Filling ingredients:

• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon

Icing Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 to 6 tablespoons water

Directions:

Dough:

1. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water and leave to sit. 
2. In a large bowl mix milk, sugar, melted butter, salt and egg. 
3. Add 2 cups of flour and mix with a fork until smooth. Then go ahead and add the yeast mixture. 
4. Mix in remaining flour until dough is easy to handle. You might have to switch to using clean hands.
5. Knead the dough on lightly floured surface for 5 to 10 minutes until you have a smooth ball of dough.
6. Place in well-greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, usually 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Filling:

1. When doubled in size, punch down the dough. 
2. Roll out between two pieces of baking paper into a rectangle shape. 
3. Melt the butter in the microwave until soft, (this makes it easier to spread) and with a pastry brush, spread the melted butter all over dough. 
4. Sprinkle the sugar over the the buttered dough and then do the same with the cinnamon.
5. Beginning at the top of the rectangle, role up the dough and pinch the edge together to seal. 
6. Cut into 12 to 15 slices. at least 3-4 cm's in width.

Spray a baking dish of your choice and place the cinnamon roll slices close together in the pan.

Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rise again until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

* Bake in a 180(fan forced) or 200 degree oven for 20-30mins, checking them for a golden colour in the last 10mins. *

Icing:

1. Mix butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla. You might find the mixture is separating, so add 1 tablespoon of water  at a time until the glaze reaches desired consistency. Spread over slightly cooled rolls.

Go eat, share with friends and E N J O Y! 

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Pasta Maker

Yesterday I made pasta for the first time. Some dear friends had given me a pasta machine for my birthday in May and I hadn't yet found the chance to use it. So yesterday I whipped the box open and worked it like an Italian nonna.
After reading Jamie Oliver's fresh egg pasta recipe, I thought to myself, ok yeah that sounds simple, I can do that...boy was I wrong! 

My first mistake was that instead of using a bowl to make the dough, I tried to be all fancy and just make a flour well on the kitchen counter like he does. Big mistake, I found myself running after rivers of egg mixture all over the counter top haha! I finally got the mixture together and didn't realize what a workout kneading the dough is!!!! My fadoopadoopers are sore this morning!
My second mistake was not having enough room on my kitchen counter. I didn't realize how long the pasta stretched out through the machine, so I found myself looking like a mummy with all this pasta wrapped around my arms!
Having a new machine, I also spent a lot of time cleaning out the factory grease and grime with a spare ball of pasta dough. This took so long!!!

Lastly, I think I made the pasta too thin. After it had dried on the rack, taking it off was a nightmare. It kept crumbling and I had so much pasta on the floor rather than the rack!
Although I had some disasters, I would do it again. Now that I know what i'm doing, I could probably do it quicker.
The taste and freshness of homemade pasta was amazing. It just melted in our mouths! 

I served the pasta in a creamy pesto chicken sauce and it was devoured in under 10minutes! 

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My Quick Dahl

I love F O O D!!! No doubt about it! I love cooking it, baking it, eating it, smelling it and looking at it! I often think I need to be fit and eat clean for upcoming events/ just every life/ to be healthy...but then I think of all that butter, cream, pasta, cheese, dessert and think "stuff it" haha!

I'm sure this will be one of many recipes I'll share. So today I'm sharing my Dahl recipe. I like to try new recipes, but then overtime I will stop measuring and just add ingredients here and there, take away ingredients and make it my own. I treat cooking as an art. In this recipe I usually just shake ingredients in until I get the right colour and taste, so these measurements I give you today may work, or may not haha! Please try this recipe and let me know how you went!

My Quick Dahl:

* Boil the kettle before you start.

1. In a large sauté pan or frypan on medium heat, sauté a finely chopped onion in butter (or coconut oil) until transparent.
2. Add 2 tsp of Turmeric Spice, 1tsp and a bit of cumin, 1 tsp of Garam Marsala, a shake of Coriander spice and a shake (to your liking) of Chilli Flakes. Stir this all together in the pan until combined.
3. Add 2 cups of Red Lentils and enough boiling water to cover. 
4. Add 3 or 4 Bay leaves, a cinnamon quill and salt to taste. Stir. Reduce heat to a simmer. 
5. By this time, your lentils may have soaked up most of the water, so add some more and continue to do this until the lentils are soft.
6. Turn off the heat and spoon in 4-5 tablespoons of coconut cream and stir in.

Note: If you think it tastes bland, add some more salt and more of the spices. 

Alex and I usually eat this with toasted naan bread and if I have time, I'll roast some zucchini strips in olive oil, parmesan, S&P and chilli and serve ontop.

Ok...there it is. Please try it and let me know how you went! E N J O Y!!!!!!! X