Monday, July 23, 2007

Norwegian Cinnamon Buns


Something strucked me on Saturday night, it was about 10.30pm Bali-time (GMT +8hours), while I was reading one of my favourite books, Harry Potter –The Goblet of Fire- (for hmmm…the 5th times, I think so *winked*), it said something about foods and buns. Sounded so comforting then my nose caught a sweet intriguing smell from my cup-canister which made from cinnamon sticks. It reminds me a lot of, my warm-hearted Auntie –Tante De- who “introduced” me to cinnamon buns and rolls. God bless your soul up there Tante De. She used to buy a bulk quantity of cinnamon buns from The C’namons (I don’t think that I spell the right name of that shop...well, it’s been ages not to go to PS and buy some cinnamon buns there L) for about 2 or 3 dozens then sent it some to my house (she was my mum’s sister) and to my uncle house (her 5th brother). So kind and sweet of her, wasn’t it? It’s giving a warmth sense every time I remember that. I missing you Tante De! One kind of that lovely buns, my favourite one was the banana-chocolate-cinnamon bun… it’s so GREAT!!
I felt a longing for the cinn-buns suddenly, hurried went up-stairs into my lil’ library where I keep all of my books especially cooking books. My choice fell on one of Nigella Books, How to Be A Domestic Goddess –Baking and The Art of Comfort Cooking-, I have it for almost 2 months now and haven’t tried any singles recipes from it! My…my, anyhow, it was like an angel guided me to see page through page then my eyes suddenly dropped into one of the pictures there in my Nigella Book, page 323… The recipe is called Norwegian Cinnamon Buns (look below for the full recipe, will u?)
Started at 7am (the very next morning), measured ingredients, kneaded, and did sort of things that should be done according to the recipe instructions.
And finally, the whole process is completely finished around 9am. I also make some muffins called Jam-Doughnut Muffins (also from my Nigella Book,page 220) during the second-time-waiting-the-buns-rise. After 35 minutes baking-time, the smell of cinnamons was lingering into the whole part of the house. Needed 10 minutes longer than in recipe’s time suggested, though. When it’s reached, its golden brown colour, removed it onto rack, torn a piece, munched the buns…Really!! It was sooo good… The texture was so soft and buttery. I will put these buns as one of my comforting foods and make it again plus add some more cinnamons on it (for sure!! 1 ½ tsp is not enough hehehehe), some sliced banana and chocolate chips.
Here, I copied down the recipes from Nigella Book “How to Be A Domestic Goddess”

Norwegian Cinnamon Buns
(Nigella Lawson)

For the dough:
600 g flour
100 g sugar ( I used caster sugar that easily blend during the kneading process)
½ tsp salt
21 g easy blend yeast or 45 g fresh yeast ( I used 22 g or 2 sachets of instant yeast)
100 g butter
400 ml milk
2 eggs

For the filling:
150 g soft, unsalted butter
150 g sugar (find the coarse granules ones so it would give a beautiful buns-look, demerara is a good one)
1 ½ tsp cinnamon (put more if you are cinnamon-lovers like me, 1 tsp more I think will do)
1 egg, beaten, to glaze

Roasting tin approximately 33cm x 22cm or large brownie tin, lined with baking parchment bottom and sides

Preheat the oven to 230°C/ gas mark 8.
Combine the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast in a large bowl. Melt the butter and whisk it into milk and eggs, then stir it into the flour mixture. Mix to combine and then knead the dough either by hand or using the dough hook of a food mixer until its smooth and springy (take about 10 minutes and I also added 4 tbsp flour since I felt the dough is too sticky. Next time, I think I will use smaller eggs, weighed around 50g each. On this 1st trial, I used 60-65g eggs). Form into a ball, place in an oiled bowl, cover with clingfilm and leave it to rise for about 25 minutes.
Take one-third of the dough and roll it or stretch it to fit your tin; this will form the bottom of each bun when it has cooked. Roll out the rest of the dough on a lightly floured surface, aiming to get a rectangle of roughly 50x25cm. Mix the filling ingredients in a small bowl and then spread the rectangle with the buttery cinnamon texture. Try to get even coverage on the whole of the dough. (I mixed the filling while was waiting the dough raise. Mix the sugar & cinnamon first before pour it to the soft butter so the cinnamons would nicely combine instead of clogged & lumpy).
Roll it up from the longest side until you have a giant sausage. Cut the roll into 2 cm slices which should make about 20 rounds. Sit in rounds in lines of top of the dough in the tin, swirly cut-side up. Don’t worry if they don’t fit snugly together as they will swell and become puffy when they prove. Brush them with egg and let them rise again for about 15 minutes to let them get duly puffy.
Put in the hot oven and cook for 20-25 minutes, by which time the buns will have risen and will be golden brown in colour. Don’t worry it they catch in places. Remove them from the tin and leave to cool slightly on a rack-it’s easy just to pick up the whole sheet of parchment and transfer them like that-before letting people tear them off, to eat warm.

Makes 20

I think this is the easiest buns recipe I’ve got so far…Not wasting to much energy in kneading and the dough turn out so soft when cooked. Testimonials from those who had been given these lovely buns:
1. WOW…it’s so Yummy ,
2. You must be joking that you made this by yourself, must bought this on a bakery somewhere (very nice comment huh?!),
3. So good but the cinnamon are not too strong (yup, I think so),
4.*chomp* *chomp* *chomp*…could you make this again for me next week?? *chomp* *chomp* tore another piece of the buns *chomp* *chomp*

3 comments:

  1. say, kalo beli buku resep Nigela di mana ya...?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thats true, they are fabulous.

    ReplyDelete
  3. @mba Ine Sena: aku beli di aksara jakarta mbak tapi di periplus juga ada kok.
    @Monika: yup...really love these buns..

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for "icip - icip" ya...