Maple Cinnamon Rolls

I wish there was a way to multiply the time we have in a day.
There are just so many things to do but so little time.

As I've resolved not to get lazy and neglect my blog, I thought I should at least post the recipe for those of you who might find it useful.

The photo really doesn't do justice to the rolls (I used my iphone to take this shot).  And don't be fooled - the rolls are mini size, less than 2 inches each. Somehow, minis seem less guilty than regular size ones :)

Maple Cinnamon Rolls 
Makes 32 mini rolls (using two 8" pans).

320ml milk, lukewarm
80ml oil
50g sugar
1.5 tsp instant yeast
350g + 40g plain or bread flour 

1/2 tsp baking powder
1/3 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
100g butter, room temperature
100g brown sugar
2 tbs cinnamon powder
1/4 - 1/2 cup raisins, according to preference

maple syrup, for drizzling 

Combine milk, oil, sugar, yeast, and 350g flour. 

Knead with dough hook for about 10 min. 

Cover and let rise for at least 1 hour. 

Combine 40g flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. 

Add to batter and knead till fully incorporated.  

The dough will be rather sticky; don't worry. Chill the dough in the fridge for a few hours (up to 2 days). This will firm up the dough. If it starts to overflow, punch it down.   

Dust your work surface generously with flour. 

Roll the dough out thinly into a rectangle.  

Spread the butter over the dough. 

Combine brown sugar and cinnamon, then spread evenly over dough. 

Distribute raisins evenly. 

Tightly roll the dough into a log, pinching the seams to seal the edge.  

Cut the roll into 16 equal pieces and place them in a greased baking tray. 

Leave some space between the rolls to allow for expansion. 

Cover and let the rolls rise for 20-30 min or till they fill up the pan. Bake at 180*C for 20-25 min till golden brown. 

While still hot, drizzle maple syrup over the rolls.

Best served warm, with a cup of coffee or tea.

Apple Cinnamon Minicakes

What could be a better combination than apple + raisins + cinnamon + maple syrup + brown sugar?  Hahaha... that's pretty much the secret to these soft, fluffy, aromatically perfumed minicakes. 


Oops... no longer a secret.

Apple Cinnamon Minicakes

Makes about 20 minicakes.

210g flour

130g brown sugar

1.5 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 - 1 tsp cinnamon powder (depending on your preference for cinnamon)

120g butter

120ml milk

2 eggs

90ml maple syrup (the best quality you can get)

1 apple, peeled, cored and diced

30g raisins

Dump all ingredients except the diced apples and raisins into your mixing bowl.

Beat till you get a smooth batter.  

Then fold in the diced apples and raisins till evenly distributed.

Spoon batter into muffin cups.

Bake at 160*C for about 20 min till done. 

Cool on a wire rack, and resist the temptation to pop one in your mouth while it's still hot!

My pictures really don't do justice to this recipe.  I assure you that these are one of the best bakes I've come across.  

Now, if any of you know of a better recipe than this, please please please tell me!  

Cinnamon Rolls 2

Remember my earlier Cinnamon Rolls attempt (when I overbaked it, all thanks to Food Network Channel)?

Well, I decided to have another go. This time round, instead of spacing them out individually on a baking tray, I decided to cosy them up in a smaller tin.  Plus, I added a layer of Nutella for the filling.  Yumms!  No difference to the texture, except that if you prefer crustier cinnamon rolls, then go for the spaced out arrangement.

A flashback from the earlier batch:

Which do you prefer - spaced out or cosy rolls?

Cinnamon Rolls

Lesson learnt :: Never watch Food Network Channel when you need to mind the timer on your oven.

The consequence :: Overbaked cinnamon rolls.

Fortunately, it didn't reach the point of no return. With just a slightly overdone crisp crust, the cinnamon rolls still turned out yummy. Especially when they're fresh from the oven and still warm.

This recipe is from Joy of Baking. The only change I made was the temperature. I baked at 180*C instead of 190*C, since I used a dark pan. Surprisingly, the sugar level was just ok. It was sweet, as how you would expect a cinnamon roll to be, but not too sweet. If you're not a fan of butter, then cut down the butter for the filling. Otherwise, after about 5 minutes in the oven, you'll be hit with the aroma of butter and cinnamon. Hmmm... what a heavenly scent!

I'll let my pictures do the talking... Gonna grab another roll for myself now :)

Banana Walnut Cake

This is another favourite of mine :)
Bananas and walnuts make such a great combination, don't you agree?
I made this on Sunday afternoon, and by the next morning, it was all gone!

This recipe makes a soft and very moist cake.

Ingredients:
1 egg
30g brown sugar
30g white sugar
1 tbs condensed milk
3 tbs yoghurt
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
90 ml oil
1 banana, mashed
125g cake flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
20g walnuts, crushed and dusted with flour
3-4 tbs ground peanuts for topping


1 - Cream egg and sugars till light and creamy.
2 - Add condensed milk, yoghurt, vanilla essence, cinnamon and oil. Mix well.
3 - Add mashed bananas and mix well.
4 - Sift flour and baking powder into egg mixture and mix till just combined.
5 - Fold in walnuts.
6 - Pour into 6" square pan (greased and floured). Sprinkle peanuts on top of batter.
7 - Bake at 160 degC for about 30 min till a tester comes out clean.

Banana Walnut Minicakes

This recipe combines the classic flavours of bananas and walnuts, and the aromatic sweetness of brown sugar to produce a tasty and moist cake. Perfect with a cuppa!

This was originally from a cake recipe, but as I like small portions (it also shortens the baking time), I baked them in muffin cups instead.

Ingredients for 20 mini cakes:
2 eggs
30g brown sugar
90g white sugar
2 tbs condensed milk
2 tbs yoghurt
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 tsp cinnamon
180 ml oil
2 bananas, mashed
40g walnuts, crushed
250g cake flour
1 tsp baking powder

Method:
1 - Cream eggs and sugar till light and creamy.
2 - Add condensed milk, yoghurt, vanilla essence, cinnamon and oil. Mix well.
3 - Add mashed bananas and mix well.
4 - Sprinkle some flour onto the walnuts. Set aside.
5 - Sift flour and baking powder into egg mixture and mix till just combined.
6 - Fold in walnuts.
7 - Fill cups till about 2/3 and bake at 150 degC for 18-20 min till tops are golden brown and a skewer inserted comes out clean.

For most people, 160 degC is the typical temperature for this recipe. But because my convection oven is so heat efficient, I have to lower my temp setting by 10-20 degC, otherwise I'll get brown over-baked tops and uncooked insides. So adjust the temperature and baking time according to your oven.

Happy weekend, everyone!

Banana Cinnamon Muffins

This recipe produces the most moist and delicious muffins.  For banana lovers especially, one muffin is simply not enough!  My husband even gave up his must-have nightly nutella and bread supper for a few of these fluffy muffins!

'Nuf said...  here's the recipe for 18 fluffly muffins:


• 250g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 115g butter
• 85g brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• approx 500g very ripe mashed bananas
• 1 tsp cinnamon powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract/essence
• (optional) chocolate chips


1 - Combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon powder. 
2 - In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy.
3 - Mix in eggs and mashed bananas till well combined.
4 - Add flour mixture and mix till flour is just moistened. (Do not overmix, or you'll get tough muffins.)
5 - Pour or scoop into muffin cups/tray. Top with slices of banana and sprinkle with cinnamon powder.
6 - Bake at 170 degC till golden brown and toothpick inserted into centre comes out clean. (I think it's about 10-12 min.)

Best served warm, with vanilla ice cream and a generous dusting of cocoa powder.


Or for nutella lovers like my husband, slather on some nutella!!