Speedy Spiced Rolls

I LOVE Cinnamon rolls. I also love Cardamom buns. So much so that much of the time if I see fresh versions of either in a cafe I have to exert extreme willpower..or else give in and just dang well enjoy that roll/bun!

The thing about making homemade versions of either kind, is that to do it the ‘proper’ way requires a lot of time to get that enriched bread dough proved. This can mean anything from 3-12hrs/overnight resting + kneading, then waiting, then kneading and waiting before you end up with the rolls. All good when you want to devote the time to this act of patience, but what if you wake up one Sunday morning with a strong desire for a Cinnamon & Cardamom Roll and you don’t want to wait those 3hrs?

Make these!

Yep, we’re going down the ‘cheats’ method with self-raising flour, the parent’s friend for quick and better-than-good-enough results (see the popular May ‘Pronto Pizza‘ recipe for a further example). These buns/rolls/swirls are the proof; they’re soft with a crunchy outer and fun to make with young chefs helping. Plus I think easy to customise – next we’re going to try adding grated carrot and mixing apple puree with the cinnamon sugar. Anyway, on to the recipe…

Ingredients

  • 2 Cups/250g of self-raising flour
  • Pinch of Salt
  • 1 TBSP of sugar/sweetener of choice – you could use honey or syrup or a spoonful of light brown sugar etc..
  • 1 Cup/250ml of milk – you could swap for plant based milk if you wish, though we haven’t tried this yet (let us know your results if you do!)
  • 2 TBSP melted butter (or swap for vegan butter)
  • 1 Dessert spoon of cinnamon powder
  • 0.5 tsp ground cardamom (if making fresh) or 1 tsp ground cardamom (if using ready ground) – or adjust to taste if you love cardamom!
  • 40g brown sugar or coconut sugar
  • Approx 2-3 extra TBSP of melted butter

Method

  1. Mix together the flour, salt, cardamom and sugar in a mixing bowl
  2. Add melted butter to the milk and stir, then pour into a well in the flour mixture
  3. Mix with a spatula to bring together in the bowl, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead together for approx 2-3mins until it becomes smooth
  4. Roll out thinly (approx 0.5cm thick) into a rectangle
  5. Mix together cinnamon and brown sugar
  6. Using a pastry brush, spread the melted butter over the surface of the dough, then sprinkle evenly with the cinnamon sugar
  7. Roll up from the top of the longer side down towards you, to form a long rolled sausage
  8. Cut into approx 8 – 9 rolls, or more if you’d like them shorter!
  9. Brush a muffin tin with melted butter, then sit each cut roll cut-side up in the tin slots, then brush with a little more butter!!
  10. Bake in a 200C oven for 20-25mins until risen and golden
  11. Optional glaze: mix together icing sugar with a squeeze of lemon juice and a splash of milk to make a loose glaze then drizzle over the warm rolls on a cooling rack…
  12. Enjoy 1, 2 or 4 while still warm…

x Laura

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