Category Archives: Holidays

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

White Velvet Cake with custard buttercream and Raspberry filling.

This is the cake of your dreams. Velvet is the perfect word to discribe this cake. It is soft and pillowy and light. The velvety smooth buttercream, rich in vanilla,  melts in your mouth and complements the cake perfectly. There is a layer of smooth raspberry jam that adds just the right amount of tang to balance it all out. Try it, you will not regret it. Perfect for any celebration.

INGREDIENTS:

For the cake:

  • 3/4 c / 170 gr. soft unsalted butter
  • 1 1/2 c. / 300 gr. granulated sugar
  • 3 c. / 300 gr. Cake flour*, spooned, leveled, and sifted
  • 3 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp. kosher salt or (1/8 table salt)
  • 4 large egg whites, at room temperature
  • 1 tbsp. / 15 ml.  pure vanilla extract
  • 1 1/8 c. / 270 ml. whole buttermilk, at room temperature

For the velvety Buttercream:

  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1 c. / 200 gr. sugar
  • 1/2 c. / 118 ml. Water
  • 2 c. / 450 gr soft butter
  • 2 tsp / 10 ml.  vanilla extract
  • to make your own cake flour, replace per 1 cup flour, a 1/4 cup of the flour with corn starch.

For the smooth Raspberry filling:

  • 1/2 c / 100 gr. Raspberry jam
  • 1/4 c / 60 ml. Water

INSTRUCTIONS:

Cake:
Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Line 2 x 9-inch/ 22 cm. round  cake tins with parchment paper. Lightly grease pans and parchment and dust with some flour to cover all surfaces then tip out excess flour.

Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer on low speed until combined. Increase mixer speed to medium, and beat until light and fluffy, 4 to 6 minutes, scraping the sides as needed.
Beat in egg whites, 1 at a time, beating until incorporated after each addition.
In a separate bowl combine the dry ingredients
Stir together buttermilk and vanilla in a separate jug.
Gently add in flour and buttermilk mixture into butter mixture in the bowl in three times mixing gently on the lowest setting,  after each addition, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Scrape down the sides in between to make sure all is mixed well.

Transfer batter to prepared pans.
Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 25 to 30  minutes.
Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove cakes to wire racks and cool completely.

For the velvety Buttercream:
In a bowl beat the yolks with a hand mixer until pale.
Meanwhile melt sugar in a pan with the water until sugar is completely dissolved, do not stir! You can gently swirl, as soon as it boils remove from heat. 
In a steady stream, beat syrup into yolk mixture still beating, make sure syrup does not hit the beaters or syrup will fly everywhere.
Add in the butter gradually.
Ready to frost your cake.

For the smooth Raspberry filling:
Heat jam and water in a small pan, strain thru a sieve to remove seeds. Let cool.

To assemble cake.
Place first cake layer on plate, spread with raspberry filling.
Pipe buttercream all over and smooth out with spatula.
Place second layer on top.
Frost the entire cake with the remaining butter cream. You can add a little of the raspberry jam filling to the buttercream for a pink hue or dab jam on xake to create more deeper pink in certain places. Decorate and serve.
This cake is best on the day it is made. You can freeze the cake layers before frosting but I find it impacts the texture and the cake looses the lightness.