RECIPE - Cinnamon Buns

We've baked banana bread to death during lockdown, here's a new challenge

South Africa is 22 days into what was meant to be a 21-day lockdown. We've all indulged in a Tik Tok challenge or two, and tried to salvage a shred of social commonplace by hosting happy hour via the Houseparty app.

Three week in, it seems like we've run out of ideas and the cabin fever is starting to set in.

Luckily, aspiring bakers have an endless resource of entertainment at the end of their fingertips. During what Saffa's have affectionately termed 'Season 1' of the lockdown, social media was full of images of homemade confections. There was a local shortage of yeast because everyone and their aunty was making banana bread. I, however, missed the wave because my bananas never spoil - given the chance I would eat as many as my body would allow me; I LOVE bananas.

Not that we are entering the two week extension of lockdown, popularly referred to as 'Season 2', there is a new bake people have jumped onto. I somehow found myself ahead of this trend. Struggling to find an Easter project that wasn't a hot cross bun (try though I might, I can never get my marzipan right) cinnamon rolls seemed like a fair substitute.

The recipe I've developed is quite sweet, so you'll probably only manage one at a time, but you can freeze the batch of eight and enjoy them as you desire. Happy baking!

Ingredients

Batter

2 tsp active dry yeast

1 cup warm milk

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup margarine

1 tsp salt

4 cups all purpose flour

2 eggs

Filling

1/2 cup margarine

1 cup brown sugar

3 tbsp cinnamon

Icing

2 condensed milk

1 cups full cream milk

pinch of salt

1. Put yeast into a bowl

2. Introduce warm milk and set aside for 10 minutes

3. In a separate bowl, sift flour and salt

4. Add margarine and break apart in flour until completely crumbed

5. Add sugar

6. Crack eggs into milk and yeast mixture and whisk well

7. Incorporate liquids into dry ingredients and knead, making sure to use palm to push dough down and out (this activated the gluten in dough)

8. Wrap dough in clingfilm and place in fridge for at least 30 minutes

9. To make filling, place all ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly

10. Set filling aside

11. Pour condensed milk into saucepan on medium heat

12. Add milk and salt

13. Stir continuously until mixture begins to foam

14. Take off heat and leave to cool and thicken

15. Preheat over to 180°C

16. Take dough out of fridge and flatten, using rolling pin, until roughly 1cm thick

17. Evenly spread filling across dough

18. Form long cinnamon roll then portion 8 equal rolls using a sharp knife

19. Place rolls into greased baking tray and bake until tops turn a golden brown

20. Remove cinnamon rolls from oven and cool for 10 minutes

21. Drizzle cinnamon rolls with icing

*** Best served warm or place in air tight container and store for up to a week. Frozen, cinnamon rolls keep for 2 months.

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Easter has certainly come and gone, but that doesn't mean my hot cross bun cheesecake recipe can't be made. Seasonal flavours of cinnamon, raisins and orange are perfect for autumn