If you ask us, decreasing temperatures call for a correlative increase in one’s comfort food consumption, so having a no-fail recipe in your culinary arsenal is a must.
In the latest installment in the Figure 1 award-winning city cooks series, Island Eats: Signature Chefs’ Recipes from Vancouver Island and the Salish Sea, authors Joanne Sasvari and Dawn Postnikoff combine a collection of signature dishes from Vancouver Island chefs.
This delicious almond cinnamon bun recipe comes courtesy of Ladysmith’s Old Town Bakery, where chef-owner Kate Cram’s creative cinnamon bun creations are considered among the best you can find on Vancouver Island.
Dough
Warm milk in a small saucepan to a temperature of 110°F. This is warm enough to activate the yeast, but not hot enough to kill it or cause it to overproof.
Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine flour, yeast, sugar and salt and mix until well combined.
In a separate bowl, combine eggs, warmed milk and butter and whisk together. Add wet mixture to the dry mixture. Using a dough hook, mix dough on low speed for 90 seconds, until just combined.
Increase speed to medium and mix for another 5 minutes. The dough will be sticky and may not completely clear the bottom of the bowl—this is to be expected.
Transfer dough to an oiled bowl, then cover with a dish towel. Set aside for 1 to 1½ hours, until dough has doubled in size.
Cinnamon-sugar filling
In a small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon and mix well. Set aside.
Cinnamon buns
Prepare a 9-inch square pan with cooking spray or line it with parchment paper.
Place dough on a floured work surface. Roll dough into an 18×10-inch rectangle. Using a spatula, spread butter evenly across the surface of the dough. Sprinkle cinnamon-sugar on top. Scatter almonds evenly on top. Starting at one long side, roll up the dough into an 18-inch log.
Cut the log into 9 pieces, each 2 inches wide. Place cinnamon rolls face up into the prepared pan in 3×3 rows, evenly spaced. Cover with a dish towel and set aside for 30 minutes to rise.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
When the oven is ready, uncover the pan—the rolls will have risen and filled it—and place on the middle rack in the oven. Bake for 36 minutes in a convection oven (or 45 minutes in a regular one), until buns are lightly golden on top and the centre springs back when gently pressed. Set aside for 3 minutes to rest.
Carefully invert pan onto a baking sheet, being mindful that the sugar is very hot. Set aside for another 10 minutes to cool slightly.
Cream cheese frosting
Using an electric mixer, combine all ingredients and mix until smooth and fluffy.
Ice buns and serve immediately.
- Yield:
- Makes 9 cinnamon buns