On Cinnamon Rolls for the Soul

One of my favourite movies of all time is Chocolat. It is one of the few non-kid DVDs that we own. The same goes for the book – I absolutely love it and it’s one of the few books I won’t give back to a charity shop. When much loved novels are made into movies I’m almost always disappointed in the result, but for me this is the exception. It’s hard to go wrong with a combination of gorgeous scenery, a captivating story, fantastic food scenes that make one want to immerse one’s entire face in a pan of molten chocolate (and possibly run off to be a chocolatier), and Johnny Depp.

One of the recurring themes in both book and movie is that of abstinence versus indulgence (during the season of Lent), with the reader/viewer being made to ponder which makes the better person. Is it one who abstains and denies oneself to purify the soul, or one who “indulges” and embraces a moment, a sensation, a flavour. Some chocolate…

Did I mention Johnny Depp? Oh yes, I see I did. Oh good.

When it comes to food I’ve never seen the point of self-denial, and being completely non-religious I have never done Lent. Don’t get me wrong – I’m not talking about complete uncontrolled gluttony. That’s something completely different. What I mean is that I can’t see the point of denying yourself something just because it might not be very good for you, or is seen as just far too indulgent. I’m a big believer in balance and moderation, so I figure if you want something then have it – just don’t go too crazy. It would seem to be a much healthier approach compared to denial followed by overindulgence (which is so often the result of that approach).

After watching Chocolat for the umpteenth time the other night, I’ve come to think that the world would be a much happier place if we all followed a Chocolat inspired philosophy of life. It would not be based on abstinence and denial; it would definitely be based on living in the moment, embracing life, enjoying food (as opposed to being scared of it) and of course mandatory portions of good quality chocolate each day. And if this philosophy needs some figureheads, then I propose Johnny Depp and Juliet Binoche as the benevolent beings overseeing it all.

Before baking

So how does all this Chocolat inspired thinking tie into cinnamon rolls? Hopefully it’s fairly obvious by now. They are by no means good for you physically, but taken in moderation I would say they do wonders for a person mentally. They are just good for the soul (and there’s something to be said for that). In our house we make them 2, maybe 3 times a year. The idea starts in the back of the man’s or my mind, it gets brought into conversation every so often, the idea starts to take up more and more head space until we just have to go for it. And they are just oh so good. Soft, sticky, sweet, rich, and just decadent. The kind of food that puts a smile on your face and just make you happy. They made an especially nice mother’s day breakfast, made with love by a particular man & boy. After we had completely stuffed our faces on this recent batch the man said (and I quote): “these may give me a heart attack, but if I die today I’ll die happy.”

The Mother's Day batch

Toward the end of Chocolat the priest’s Easter sermon includes the following passage: “We must measure our goodness, not by what we don’t do, what we deny ourselves, what we resist, or who we exclude. Instead, we should measure ourselves by what we embrace, what we create, and who we include.” Extrapolating this message just a tad, I urge you not to deny yourself. Embrace these cinnamon rolls and be a better person for it. Don’t you just love my way of thinking?

Cinnamon Rolls

Adapted from 2 different recipes from Nigella Lawson’s How to be a Domestic Goddess.

Dough

This method is for overnight dough, so it’s ready and waiting for you in the morning.

• 500g white bread flour
• 50g caster sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• 7g (1 sachet or 2 ¼ tsp) dry yeast
• 75g unsalted butter
• 150ml milk
• 2 large eggs

Combine the flour, sugar & salt in the bowl of your electric mixer (if you have one), or a large mixing bowl.

Melt the butter in the milk until just melted. Cool to lukewarm then stir the yeast into the liquid until it’s dissolved. Leave for 10-15 minutes until the yeast is foamy and rises to the surface.

Add the liquid and the eggs to the dry ingredients and combine to make a dough. Knead for 5 minutes if using an electric mixer/10 minutes if doing by hand. It should become satiny and springy.

Put into an oiled bowl and cover with clingfilm. Leave to rise overnight in a moderately cool place.

Filling

• 150g soft unsalted butter (take it out of the fridge when making dough the night before)
• 150g dark brown sugar
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• OPTIONAL: chopped walnuts or pecans, dried cranberries/blueberries/morello cherries, raisins or sultanas

Mix the filling ingredients together until very soft and spreadable.

To make the rolls:

Line the bottom and sides of a roasting tin or brownie tin (approx 24cm x 33cm) with greaseproof paper.

Knock back the dough and knead once or twice. On a floured surface, roll it out into a large rectangle, approximately 60x30cm (2’ x 1’), with the long side furthest from you.

Spread the filling evenly over the dough, leaving 1cm along the long edge furthest from you filling-free. Sprinkle any nuts or dried fruit/berries evenly over the filling.

Brush egg wash over the 1cm gap furthest from you. Roll up from starting with the long side and away from you, carefully and firmly, keeping a firm sausage shape.

Cut into 12-16 evenly sized slices. Place evenly spaced in the lined tin. Brush with egg wash and for a bit of extra decadence drizzle a few tablespoons of maple syrup over the tops of them.

Cover with a tea towel and leave to prove for 30 minutes, until risen & puffy. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, by which time the buns will have risen, be touching, and will be golden brown. Remove from oven and as Nigella says so aptly in the book, “leave to cool, then apply to face – as if you needed my encouragement.” You don’t have to leave them to cool for very long… 10-15 mins max.

If you happen to have any left over they are best reheated before eating to soften them a little. We generally don’t that problem.