Daring Bakers Challenge #10: Cinnamon and Sticky Buns

September 30, 2007 | Filed Under Daring Bakers, Other, Baking | 41 Comments 

 

10 a.m. Sunday morning  (Paz waiting for her Cinnamon Buns dough to ferment.)

Paz, Paz, Paz.  *shaking head*  You silly girl, you.   What made you think you could be a Daring Baker? Yes, you.  You’ve seen some of the goodies they’ve baked in the past, here, here and here.  Nervous at the invitation to join the you group, you remember that you’re on a cooking "adventure."  So you decided to go for it and accept the invitation and challenge.  After all, daring equals adventurous.  Adventurous equals daring, right? 

This month, Marce of Pip in the City chose the baking theme.  So now, you’re tackling your first Daring Bakers Challenge — making Cinnamon Buns.  Never mind that it takes one day to make and requires fermentation, shaping, and proofing.  Proofing?  What does it mean to proof buns? You have no idea.  Oh, my goodness.  What have you gotten yourself into?

Actually, you had a good start preparing the dough — until you almost forgot to add the milk.  Okay, okay… You forgot to add the milk, only remembering it at the last minute.  Is that why your dough is tacky and sticky (the way it is NOT supposed to be) as opposed to silky and supple (the correct way)?

The instructions say to "lightly oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl…"  What exactly does that mean?  What kind of oil?  Or do you use butter (which is what you ended up doing).

Now you wait for the dough to ferment.  And while you wait, you ponder your baking adventure.  <sigh>

 

11a.m.

Just checked the dough and it seems to be rising.  That’s a good sign, isn’t it?  After the buns are formed the instructions say to "proof" the buns. "Proof at room temperature for 75 to 90 minues…"  What the heck does that mean?  Leave the buns out on the tray to double in size?  Huh?  What?

 

 1:10p.m.

Congratulations!  You’re able to form the buns.  That was acually cool to do — rolling out the dough, then sprinkling the cinnamon sugar over the dough, then cutting the dough into cinnamon-sugar spirals.  So cool!  Now you have to "proof" the buns. 

 

1:53p.m.

You are not sure if the buns are doubling in size (is that proofing?) but you wait.

Later in the p.m. 

You bake the buns.  They come out nice and golden brown.  They smell so good.  While you wait for them to cool, you make the fondant glaze.  Unfortunately, you discover that you don’t have enough powdered sugar, the important part of the glaze recipe.  You make the glaze with what you have.  It’s light but you drizzle it over the buns. 

Tastes pretty good.

You did it, Paz!  You silly girl, you!  You survived your first Daring Bakers challenge and you did good (even if your glaze didn’t turn out the way it was supposed to or you almost forgot to add the milk).  You did good. 

 

*Ed. Note:  Thanks, Mischief Mari for explaining what "Proofing the buns" means.  Now, I can go to my grave happy.  Really!

 

 

Apple Crisp

April 28, 2006 | Filed Under Desserts/Sweets, Other, Baking | Leave a Comment 

 

There’s nothing better than being able to make a super easy dessert — especially an easy one that tastes really good.This Apple Crisp recipe comes from celebrity chef Rachel Ray . All you need are apples, lemon, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, flour, and butter. I loved the smell of the cinnamon and nutmeg as I mixed them together with the other ingredients. I also love how I could taste the ingredients nicely blended together. The ice cream makes a nice addition.

This dessert is made especially for FoodCrazee, who celebrates his birthday today. I hope you like it! I hope everyone likes it. Happy birthday, FoodCrazee!

Happy birthday, also, to those who celebrated birthdays this month of April — Michelle and Pille. I wish you all a wonderful birthday year!

Best,
Paz

Apple Crisp straight out of the oven

Apple Crisp
6 McIntosh apples, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground or freshly grated nutmeg
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 cup flour or fine graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 stick butter
1 pint vanilla ice cream

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a 9 by 12 baking dish, combine apples, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar.

In a small bowl, mix flour or graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar and butter together using the tines of a fork and your fingers, working until even, small crumbles form.

Sprinkle topping evenly over apples and bake 15 to 20 minutes until apples are just tender and topping is golden brown.

Top dishes of apple crisp with small scoops of vanilla ice cream. YUM!