A little cinnamon and sugar to brighten the day

lately, if i were to pick one spice as my favorite, hands down, it'd be cinnamon. strong, but not overbearing, versatile, adding dimension to both the sweet and savory, and best of all, classic, conjuring up memories of the holidays and good times with every whiff. love it.

this week, i finally got the chance to visit mel and baby alexis- already 6 months old! craziness how time flies. it's official, i'm definitely out of the "jie jie" category and now a full-fledged "ah-yi." haha. anyway, being the well-trained chinese girl that i am, i couldn't just show up empty-handed at her door. and since i'm always looking for a chance to bake, what better opportunity than this to make cinnamon buns!

Cinna-Buns
(adapted from KAF)

**notes: i skipped the icing and halved the recipe- yielded 9 rolls. also, these taste best right from the oven. if waiting until the next day, they definitely need to be reheated first.

Dough
1 cup lukewarm milk
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup unsalted butter, cut up
4 1/2 cups regular flour
1 3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 tsp instant yeast (regular active dry works fine too- just proof)

Filling
1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed
3 tablespoons cinnamon

Directions:
1. Combine all of the dough ingredients in a large mixing bowl, stirring until cohesive.
2. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled work surface, knead for 5 to 8 minutes, until smooth. For those lucky enough to have KA mixer (grrrr...) knead with dough hook, for 4 to 7 minutes at medium speed.
3. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let rise 60 minutes, until doubled.
4. While waiting for dough to rise, soften up butter for filling. Mix sugar and cinnamon together also.
5. Transfer dough to a lightly greased work surface. Roll it into a 16 x 21-inch rectangle. Spread dough with filling butter. Sprinkle sugar and cinnamon mixture liberally and evenly over dough.
6. Roll the dough into a log starting with long end. Cut to about 3/4- 1 inch slices.
7. Place in a lightly greased pan. Cover with plastic wrap. Let the buns rise until they’re nearly doubled, 30-45 min. (be patient!!! this is well worth it!!) Preheat oven to 375.
8. Bake until they’re golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat immediately and cool on rack.



cinnamon and sugar. what a combo :)















waiting for that second rise...















perfect afternoon snack with coffee or milk. enjoy!