Baking Spree!

I’m going to Long Island tomorrow for a week of little boys and

much fun with my daughter in law, Willow.  Luke is off visiting churches

and going on youth trips- so I get to spend time with his family while

he is gone.

I’ve been getting ready to go – laundering clothes, picking up small items

to take for the boys and making sure I have luggage that hasn’t bad zippers

or sprung wheels and intractable handles-  and by baking up a storm so that

Frank has plenty to eat while I’m gone!

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Cardamom/cinnamon buns- these are the best I’ve made in a long time!

I let the dough raise in the cold garage overnight- so the flavor is not just in the spices.

I’d like to give you an exact recipe but I just used the dump and hand measures.

It goes like this:

Pour a largish amount of AP flour in a large bowl- about 4 1/2 cups.

Add about 1 1/2 tsp of sea salt ( Pour into your cupped palm and fill the space that is

deepest- twice). Sprinkle the top with about two tsp cardamom.

Add a goodly cover of dried quick rise yeast on top – about 2 !/2 tsp.

Add about 1 cup dried milk- two  cupped handfulls and stir – making a well in the

center of your bowl.  Beat up an egg with 3 tablespoons of melted butter, and pour into the well,

mixi069ng just a little with the flour .  Then add about 1 1/2 cups of very hot water and stir the

entire mixture up into a moistish dough- if it is too dry add more water- if it is wet add some more

flour and then knead about 5 minutes until it is smooth and pliant.  Butter bowl,  shape dough into a ball

and place in bowl, cover and leave in cool temperature- (45 degrees F or less) overnight.

In the morning, bring in and let warm up to room temp, then roll out dough into a largish rectangle, spread warmish butter

over the top and sprinkle with a cinnamon/sugar  mixture and fold dough over from the long sides and cut into

bars  about1 1/2 inches wide.  Twist the bars then wrap around your fingers and tuck the ends through the  hole that

results from wrapping them around your fingers.  Place on parchment papered baking sheet and bake for

about 12-15 minutes at 375 degrees F.

While still warm spoon a sugar glaze on top.

This makes about 2 dozen buns.

 

And I made some bread for him to use as toast.  He doesn’t like fresh bread for his sandwiches but for toast- his favorite!

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I also made some poppyseed rolls and twists.

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So he has lots of sweets and a couple of pizzas that I made last night for supper and then froze the left over

pieces for him to take for lunch.

We had snowfall last night so the view out my windows went from this-

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to this-

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and this-013

I probably won’t be posting for the next week or so- but rest assured- I’m taking pictures and having a marvelous

time with 2 little boys!

May your next week be one of great joy as well!

8 thoughts on “Baking Spree!

  1. Have a wonderful time Heidi ! Wow snow already, seems early, love the photos of your baking and the description of how you make those gorgeous looking buns. The eye and the hand are wonderfully clever at weighing things if we give them a chance and I reckon you are expert. We made Celia’s spritz cookies yesterday and broke the biscuit press, but apparently Clive the plumber mended it for us this morning with some special solvent glue, so we may be biscuiting again quite soon ! Bon Voyage xx

    • Frank keeps saying the snow is early- but we sometimes get it as early as Halloween,Jo- so as it is the first snow- I am enjoying it greatly.
      I’m not sure if I’m an expert- but it was late and I didn’t want to wash up any utensils- so maybe just lazy. )
      My sister always make me spritz cookies- I have never made them but they are so good with a cup of tea! I hope Clive’s glue has done a proper mend. Frank is always using those solvent glues and they seem to take a long time to dry and then don’t stand up to much pressure- but then Frank isn’t a plumber so maybe Clive has better glue!?
      So good to hear from you- I have to fly a little over an hour to get to NY- and I hate flying- but it is worth it to see my family!

    • Thanks, Celia- I think he is pretty spectacular letting me go when I know he’d like to go. too! And I feel better when I know he isn’t forgoing lunch because he didn’t have anything easy to grab and take with him.
      I’m really looking forward to playing with Aidan and Kieran.

  2. Hi Heidi, Love the pictures! Your poppy seed roll was delicious. It has been snowing off and on all day, but no accumulation. You always take good care of Frank. Have a great time in NY.

    • I DID have a wonderful time with the boys, Brydie.
      But Frank forgot about the poppyseed rolls in the freezer so he didn’t eat it all! Seriously- he is so forgetful- the rolls were the dessert he likes the very best!

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