FEED YOUR SOUL
Lucy Lord’s debut cookbook whets the appetite
RECLAIM YOUR TIME, your kitchen, and your tastebuds with more than 80 delicious recipes to feed your soul!
Whether you have 15 minutes or an hour to spare, this gorgeous debut cookbook from Lucy Lord will reignite your love for cooking, help you get creative in the kitchen, and redefine your relationship with food.
Be it a two-minute smoothie in the morning to get you going before work, or a thick slice of banana bread on a lazy weekend catch-up with friends, these recipes are simple but special.
Dig into this beautiful book and discover that happiness really is homemade.
OVERNIGHT CINNAMON BUNS with a MAPLE CREAM CHEESE GLAZE
Nothing beats the smell of cinnamon buns filling the kitchen in the morning. These are perfect with a hot coffee after a morning walk!
I’ll whip them up the day before if I have friends staying over. Leaving the cinnamon buns to have their second prove in the fridge overnight allows the yeast to develop more, giving an even deeper flavour. But of course they can be made, baked and eaten the very same day!
Spreading the cream cheese glaze over the buns while they’re still warm is essential, as this is what gives them their sticky texture, even once they’ve completely cooled. These are probably the most technical bake in the book, but perhaps the most special.
Ingredients
225ml milk
1 Tbsp active dried yeast
90g granulated sugar, plus 1 tbsp
550g strong white bread flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or use vanilla extract)
2 large eggs
75g butter, melted
For the filling:
6 Tbsp butter, at room temperature
180g soft dark brown sugar
2 Tbsp ground cinnamon
For the maple cream cheese glaze:
120g cream cheese
3 Tbsp butter, at room temperature
75g icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or use vanilla extract)
4 Tbsp maple syrup pinch of salt
Method
Gently warm the milk in a pan until it’s “bath-water warm”, then pour into a jug and add the yeast and the tablespoon of sugar. Stir to mix and then leave to activate for five minutes, or until it goes foamy.
Put the flour, cinnamon and salt into a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the 90g granulated sugar, vanilla, eggs and melted butter and then pour this into the bowl of flour along with the activated yeast milk. Mix with a spoon until a dough forms.
Turn out on to a lightly floured surface and knead for 8–10 minutes until a smooth dough is formed and the dough is no longer sticky. Transfer this dough to a clean and lightly oiled bowl, then cover with cling film and leave to rise in a warm place for about an hour, or until doubled in size. Meanwhile, grease and line a 30 x 20cm baking tray with nonstick baking paper.
Without disturbing the risen dough too much, roll it out on a lightly floured surface to a large rectangle, about 40 x 60cm. Spread the softened butter all over the dough rectangle, leaving an unbuttered 1cm border on all sides. Mix the sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle this all over the dough, using your fingers to press it into the butter.
Starting at a long edge, tightly roll the dough up like a Swiss roll, pinching at the end to seal and keep a tight roll. Use a very sharp knife to score and then cut the roll into 12 slices, each about 4cm thick. Trim off any loose ends.
Place the rolls in the greased baking tray, cover tightly with cling film and place in the fridge overnight, or for at least 12 hours.
When you are ready to bake, remove the cinnamon rolls from the fridge, uncover and allow to come to room temperature for about an hour. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan.
Bake for 20–25 minutes until they start to turn golden around the edges and the dough is firm to touch and hollow when tapped with a wooden spoon.
Make the cream cheese glaze by combining everything with a hand-held electric whisk in a small bowl.
Remove the cinnamon buns from the oven and while they are still warm and in the baking tray, generously spread the glaze over the top. Enjoy warm or keep for 2–3 days in an airtight container at room temperature or up to five days in the fridge. —
Makes 12 buns
NOTE: If you have a stand mixer, use the dough hook attachment to mix and knead the dough. These can be frozen once baked or after the first proving; allow to defrost overnight in the fridge and then bake as above.