Submitted by Chaya Leah Bruk, Administrative Assistant for TJE
I was never really into baking, I just thought it was something I could never do. When I was in Seminary in Israel, I was a mother’s helper every Thursday for an AMAZING family. I normally played with the kids or helped cook. One day the Mother passed me this recipe and asked me to make cinnamon buns. I told her I was not a baker, that I did not want to ruin her Shabbos dessert. She said “I highly doubt you can’t bake. You’re an artist, baking is just another form of art. Why don’t you just test out your talents in a new way?” So I gave it a shot. I received so many compliments from the family, and this mother passed on compliments from her guests to me, all saying they were the best cinnamon buns they’ve had. I brought the recipe home, tried it and got the same feedback. Not only did I not ruin this mother’s Shabbos dessert, but I really got to delve into my artistic side and find a new, enjoyable talent. I try new things all the time, I make weekly desserts that connect to the weekly Parsha and as a teacher, I would bring baked goods into class on days the girls had tests. Every time I bake these, I think of this Mother, who really helped me step out of my comfort zone and find a new, enjoyable way to be creative and make others happy as well, because who does not like baked goods!
Ingredients
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 package of yeast
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 1/2 cup milk (soy or oat work as well)
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 eggs
- 4 cups flour
Filling:
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Glaze:
- 2 tbsps melted butter
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1 – 3 tbsps hot water
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients together until it becomes a nice smooth dough.
- Knead into a round ball and place in a lightly greased bowl.
- Cover and let rise for 30 minutes until doubled in size.
- Roll out into a thin but workable, about ¼ – ½ inch thick.
- Spread 1 TBL oil over the top and then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar filling on top.
- Roll the dough, using a tuck and roll method to keep it nice and tight.
- Once you reach the end, pinch the ends to the rest of the roll to close it off.
- Cut into 1-½ inch slices and place in a greased pan.
- Preheat the oven to 350. Cover cinnamon buns and let rise for another 30 minutes.
- Bake for 25 minutes until lightly golden.
Glaze:
- Melt the butter and mix with remaining ingredients.
- For the water portion, put in 1 TBL of water then add more if needed to get a smooth, but not too runny, consistency.
- Once the cinnamon buns are cool, pour glaze over them and serve.
