Cinnamon Rolls

Sometimes, all it takes is a packet of woody, fragrant and curled cinnamon sticks to inspire me, brighten my day and warm our home. I bought a bag of these fresh curly spices and whilst unpacking the groceries, I knew I had to incorporate them into our day.

My parents were in town last week to visit a new addition to our family. Nope, not me......my sister. She gave birth to a beautiful baby girl called Fatema just over two weeks ago, hence the lack of blogging. Who knew a wee baby could take up so much time and attention. Maryam is besotted with the new 'doll' and we constantly make visits to my sister's apartment. Good thing she lives in the same building as me.

Besides spending time with my family, I have been busy developing recipes, cooking and shooting for various magazines, both locally and online. I can't wait to share these with you. Stay tuned in the next few blog posts.

But just because I didn't get a chance to blog doesn't mean we haven't been eating fresh, homemade , wholesome food- my mum's favorite apple crumble, cinnamon and cardamom spiced shawarmas that my dad requested, green moong bean soup, cumin scented pilaf. There's just something else about spending time with my Mom in the kitchen- food is more flavorsome with plenty of laughter, stories and tips shared around our dinner table.

And then there were these cinnamon rolls. Pillowy swirls encased with freshly ground woody cinnamon, butter and brown sugar. Oh, and some chocolate chips for good measure. They were perfect with afternoon tea at the park.

October also marks one year since this blog has been running. I do have a special post planned with a giveaway that I'm sure you'll love. In the mean time, I hope you enjoy these cinnamon rolls. Me and Maryam certainly did.

Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients:

1 cup warm milk

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/3 cup margarine

4 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup white sugar

2 1/2 tsp yeast

1 cup brown sugar, packed

2 1/2 tbs cinnamon powder

1/3 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup chocolate chips

3 ounces package cream cheese

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/8 tsp salt

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine the milk, eggs and melted margarine. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, salt, sugar and yeast. Make a well in the centre and add the wet ingredients. Knead the dough till it is soft and pillowy. I found the dough to be too sticky and added a further 1/4 cup flour. Cover the dough with a cloth for an hour or until it has doubled in size.

When double in size, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into two 16 by 21 inch rectangles. Combine together the brown sugar, butter and cinnamon. Spread this paste over the rectangles and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Roll the dough into a swiss roll and cut into 12 rolls each. Place the rolls into a lightly greased baking tray. Cover with a cloth and let it rise for 30 minutes or until double in size again. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Centigrade in the meantime.

Bake rolls in the oven until golden, approximately 20 minutes. While the rolls are baking, make the cream cheese frosting by beating together the rest of the ingredients. Frost rolls while they are warm.

Recipe mildly adapted from Allrecipes.com. I halved the recipe and this yielded 12 medium rolls.