Author Archives: The Cooking spoon

Make ahead Cinnamon rolls

These are the quickest cinnamon rolls to make, perfect for any celebration or occasion. 

For the dough,  you can place all the ingredients in the mixer and knead the dough without waiting to activate the yeast (when using the fast acting kind). So they come together fairly quickly.

Once filled and sliced, you can leave them out for a second rise and bake straight away or you can cover the cinnamon rolls tightly with cling film and leave them to rise overnight in the fridge.  This way you can bake the rolls fresh on Christmas morning.  You can also freeze them at this point. They keep in the freezer for at least a month.

From frozen you take them out the night before and defrost overnight in the refrigerator.
Before baking take the cinnamon rolls out of the refrigerator at least half an hour before baking.

INGREDIENTS;

Dough:

  • 150 ml. / 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp. Milk, handwarm
  • 7 gr. / 2 tsp. Instant yeast
  • 30 gr./ 2 tbsp. sugar
  • 1 Large egg, room temperature
  • 30 grs. / 2 tbsp. soft butter
  • 450 grs. / 1 lbs. All purpose flour
  • 2.5 grs. / 1/2 tsp. table salt

Filling:

  • 60 grs./ 1/4 cup soft butter
  • 60 grs. / 1 /4 cup brown sugar
  • 15 grs. / 1 tbsp. Cinnamon

Frosting:

  • 225 grs. / 1 C. cream cheese, room temperature
  • 60 grs. / 1.4 C. Soft butter
  • 100 grs. / 1/2 – ¾ C. Confectioners sugar
  • ½ tsp. vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS;

1). Place all the ingredients for the dough in your stand mixer fitted with the hook attachment, turn on the mixer to medium and knead for. 7 minutes.
2). Cover the dough with plastic wrap or damp tea towel and let rise for an hour and a half or until double in bulk. 
3).Rol dough out to a rectangle of 40 cm x 30 cm. / 16″ × 12″ approximately (Horizontally from your perspective)
4).Spread the soft butter over the entire rectangle, then sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.
5). Rol up as tight (and best) as you can. Slice with a sharp knife into 8 and place in buttered baking dish. Cover again with plastic wrap.
6).Leave to rise for 30 to 45 minutes until nice and big. Meanwhile pre heat the oven to 180C/350
7). Bake for about 25 minutes. Tent with aluminum foil if it gets a little dark. Remove from oven and let cool completely.
8). Mix the frosting ingredients together and spread over the cinnamon rolls.  Serve straight away.

Our most popular Christmas recipes

With Christmas just around the corner we thought it time to do a little Christmas recipes round up.


Our favourite and most popular recipes for Christmas all in one place.


We have or favourite Christmas Granola, Chrisstollen , Stuffed Roast pork or (one of the most popular recipes on the blog) Duck breast with Cherry sauce all lined up. There’s something delicious for everyone.

In our home we will start the day with some sort of cinnamon roll, then followed by Chrisstollen or Bundt cake and coffee.

For dinner we love a Shrimp cocktail as a first course followed by The Duck breast in cherry sauce, it’s easy and everyone goes crazy over it. Served with Dauphinoise potatoes and some veggies.

We usually serve a few desserts and one of them will be the Tiramisu profiteroles Christmas tree. I hope you wiil find some inspiration for a fantastic Christmas feast.

BREAKFAST;

French Crepes

Chrisstollen

Spelt Cinnamon rolls

Creamcheese cranberry chocolate rolls

Churros

APPETIZERS:

Warm Melted Grilled Cheese dip

Classic Shrimp Cocktail

Velvety Broccoli cheese soup

MAIN;

Oven Roast Salmon

Earl grey Duck Legs

Duck breast with Cherry sauce

Pecan Cranberry stuffed Roast Pork

Roast Turkey breast

SIDES;

Quinoa salad with pomegranate

Gratin Dauphinois with Gruyere

Bacon Pomme Duchesse

DESSERTS AND SWEETS;

Cherry chocolate Bundt cake

Tiramisu Profiteroles

Vegan Chocolate squares

Truffle Chocolate tart

Spelt Cinnamon Rolls.

These Cinnamon rolls are so delicious and everything a Cinnamon Rolls should be…soft, big and puffy, and off course slathered generously with cream cheese frosting. I’ve made these with Spelt flour, which is my favourite flour, it has a slight nutty flavor and is easier to digest than wheat.
These cinnamon rolls are best eaten right after they are baked but they will keep for several days in an airtight container. You can also freeze them, personally I like to freeze the rolls individually and then thaw them in the microwave at 30 second intervals until warmed through. When I plan to freeze them I leave the cinnamon rolls unfrosted.

Bakery-style Spelt cinnamon rolls that anyone can make at home.

Prep time : 20 min
Cooking time : 20-25 min.
Makes : 8 – 9

INGREDIENTS
For the dough:
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 2 tsp. active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs at room temperature
• 3 3/4 -4 cups white Spelt flour (type 630)
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/3 cup soft room temperature unsalted butter
For the filling:
• 1/2 cup soft unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 11/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
For the frosting:
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temperature
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
• 2 – 4 tablespoons milk
• 1 ¾ cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Warm the milk in the microwave for about 30 seconds, until it’s warm to the touch but not boiling hot.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the warm milk with the sugar and stir until sugar has dissolved, add the yeast. The milk should not be too hot or it will kill the yeast. Let the mixture rest for about five minutes until nice and frothy.
3. Add the eggs and butter and give it a stir. Now add the flour, (start with 3 3/4 cups) and salt and mix on medium speed for around 7 minutes until a sticky dough is formed. If it is very sticky add a little more flour. The dough will be sticky anyway but should still be malleable.
4. Shape the dough into a ball, place in a large, lightly oiled bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise for about one hour or until double in bulk. Alternatively you can let it rise in the refrigerator overnight (up to 12 hours).
5. Dust a work surface and roll the dough out into a rectangle approximately 40cmx30cm/16×12 inches in size.
6. Spread the dough with butter, leaving a border at the top side so you can roll it up once filled. Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle the mixture over the butter in an even layer.
7. Roll the dough up tightly and try to close the seam as best as you can by pinching it together with your fingers. Place seam down on a cutting board.
8. Cut the roll into 8 or 9 equal slices.
9. Place the rolls in a greased 22cmx33cm/9×13-inch baking dish. I used an oval dish, but just use whatever you have, rectangular, oval… it’s all good.
10. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 180C/350F
10. Once the cinnamon rolls are nicely puffed up, place the baking dish on a rack in the middle of the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown and the bounce back when pressed with a finger.
11. While the rolls are in the oven start making the frosting by beating the cream cheese with the butter together until nice and creamy. Add the confectionary sugar and beat to combine, add the milk by the tablespoon until desired consistency is achieved. Depending or whether you like a thick creamy frosting or a more pourable one. Remove from the oven and let the rolls cool before frosting.
12. Cover the cinnamon rolls with the frosting and serve straight away. If you intend to freeze them, wrap the cinnamon rolls individually and leave unfrosted.
13. You can re-heat frozen cinnamon rolls in the microwave

Enjoy!

If you make these Spelt Cinnamon rolls, be sure to leave a comment! I’d love to hear from you and if you love it, pin it. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! @thecookingspoonblog or hashtag it #thecookingspoonblog

Bacon Pommes Duchesse


Today I’m sharing this wonderful side dish with you. Pommes Duchesse filled with tiny bits of crispy bacon and crème fraiche. I can’t even begin to tell you how good these are.
They may seem a bit daunting but I can assure you that they are easier than you may think. It’s just fancy mashed potatoes squeezed onto a baking dish really.
I love potatoes served in any way, and sure there’s nothing wrong with a good ‘ol roast potato but this year , let’s go the extra mile.
Let me take you thru the steps; first you boil the potatoes , let them steam dry completely, then add butter and crème fraîche. Mash until smooth and season generously. Cook the bacon until crispy in a separate pan. Add to the mash with an egg yolk. Gently mix until combined.
Beat the egg white until peaks form and fold thru the mash potato. The beaten egg white gives the potatoes almost a soufflé like consistency. Then they are piped onto a baking sheet and baked until golden perfection in the oven.
We are completely in love with these fancy Pommes Duchesse!
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⏰ Prep time : 30 minutes
🍝 Cooking time : 20 – 25 minutes,
🍴 Serves : 6
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INGREDIENTS:
• 3 lbs. medium/ large potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 2 tsp. salt for the boiling water
• 4 oz. bacon cubed or sliced
• 1/8 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. onion powder
• a good grating of nutmeg
• salt to taste
• 3 tbsp soft butter
• 1/4 C. crème fraîche
• 1 egg, separated


INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Place the peeled and quartered potatoes in a large pot and fill with cold water until half way up the potatoes, add the salt.
2. Bring to a medium boil with the lid half on and cook for about 20 minutes, until fully cooked and tender when pierced with a fork.
3. Turn off the heat. Drain, and return to stove with the lid off, let them steam dry.
4. Now pre heat the oven to 200° C / 400° F
5. Meanwhile gently and over low heat cook the bacon until very crispy, this can take up to ten minutes so be patient. You want to render out all the fat. Reserve the fat, we will use that later! Remove the bacon and place it on a kitchen paper to drain.
6. Process the bacon until very fine crumb in the food processor.
7. Now add the butter to the potatoes and start mashing, then add the crème fraîche.
8. Season with the onion, garlic, nutmeg and salt and taste.
9. Add the bacon crumbs.
10. Add the egg yolk and mix through with a wooden spoon.
11. Beat the egg white until stiff and fold through carefully not to lose air.
12. Get out a pastry bag and fit with a large nozzle of choice. Fill with the potato mixture. Alternatively use a large ziplock bag and cut off the corner.
13. On a baking sheet covered with parchment paper, pipe out rosettes the size of a ping-pong ball.
14. Brush carefully with the reserved bacon fat and place in the middle of the oven.
15. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden and crispy. Serve straight away.

ENJOY!


If you make these Pomme Duchesse, be sure to leave a comment! I’d love to hear from you and if you love it, pin it. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! @thecookingspoonblog or hashtag it #thecookingspoonblog