sunday morning cinnamon rolls (YEAST-FREE)
a fall cocktail ; a perfect cold weather breakfast ; a great dinner party playlist
this week has been a bit of a blur, because we have been prepping for our 3rd annual Friendsgiving party! it’s always so so fun, and i’m so excited for tomorrow! wil and i make the turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes. everyone else brings sides, desserts, and drinks! it’s always a great time. this year i am making a fun apple cider punch that can be spiked or non-spiked!
* we use the bon appetit glazed turkey recipe, and it’s the best turkey i have ever had. sorry dad! *
this week i am sharing my favorite simple cinnamon rolls. easy enough to get up and make on sunday morning — delicious enough to want to make every sunday morning. :) no yeast, no proofing… they don’t get fluffy, but they are absolutely delicious. after tweaking and perfecting this recipe, i must’ve made them 5 or 6 time between last november and december. and it’s that time again! make these with a cup of hot chai (or coffee) and love your sunday morning.
…AND it’s the first friday of the month! so you know what that means… cocktails with wil!
sunday morning cinnamon rolls
these are yeast free, and can easily be made vegan by swapping the grass fed butter for coconut oil or vegan butter. they are not fully gluten-free. i have been experimenting with sprouted spelt flour and have not had any issues with it. though it is wheat free, it is not gluten free. however it is easier to digest and i’ve been enjoying adding it to some baked goods!
ingredients:
dough:
1 c spelt flour (can sub all-purpose or gf)
1.5 c gf flour - i use @kingarthurbaking (can sub all-purpose)
1 scoop @primalkitchenfoods vanilla coconut collagen (optional)
2 tsp baking powder
¾ c df milk (i like oat or almond milk)
⅓ c melted butter (i like @vitalfarms )
2 tbsp honey
2 tsp vanilla extract
sprinkle of cinnamon
filling:
½ c walnuts, chopped
2 tbsp honey
¼ c coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
⅓ c melted butter
2 tbsp cinnamon
1. preheat oven to 350.
2. mix together all dough ingredients, starting with dry and adding in wet, until a slightly shaggy dough forms. set to the side.
3. mix all filling ingredients well.
4. turn dough out onto parchment paper with a sprinkle of flour. place another sheet of parchment on top and roll out dough to about ¼ inch thick.
5. spread filling mixture on top of dough and carefully roll up.
6. slice ½ inch thick cinnamon rolls and place in a baking dish -- i use a round glass pyrex or a square brownie pan.
7. bake for about 25-30 minutes or so.
8. top with a simple glaze -- mix 2 tbsp almond milk & ½ c powdered sugar. enjoy!
cocktails with wil:
Oaxacan Old Fashioned
I know in my last segment I said that I was making the hard transition to whiskey, but this is a worthy exception. Not only is it a riff on a whiskey cocktail, but it’s made with a spirit that really fits into the fall flavors we tend to enjoy with whiskey. As I’m writing this we have just come home from Birmingham’s Dia de los Muertos festival where we enjoyed tamales, tacos, and most importantly margaritas, so of course we had to stick to the trend once we got home.
We also just picked up this cool mezcal this week (400 Conejos Joven Oaxacan Mezcal)
and we were dying to try some different drinks with it.
Here’s the recipe!
2oz Mezcal (most people use something aged to add a color similar to whiskey, but 400 Conejos is a silver mezcal)
1/2oz simple syrup (you really should make your own if you can)
2 dashes orange bitters
Mix these straight into the glass around an ice ball or large cube, or stir in a mixing glass with ice and serve neat, it’s really up to you! Garnish with an orange peel, and serve in a rocks glass. This is clearly different enough from a standard whiskey old fashioned to be its own drink. The mezcal adds a lot of smoke to the mix which helps warm you up on a night that turns out to be colder than you expected in the first week of November. Next month we are back to whiskey, so enjoy the mezcal while it lasts!
pick of the week
this week i have 2 picks — my friendsgiving dinner party playlist and a great article i read a few years that has stuck with me for a while.
turkey: my friendsgiving playlist. emphasis on the *party* for this one. i wouldn’t play this for a jazzy, fancy dinner party. but for a big group hanging out on your back porch, playing games, chatting, and drinking, it’s a great mix. jazz, r&b, pop, soul… it’s a big blend of great tunes. enjoy!
“i have forgotten how to read” by michael harris
i love this article, and i find it so timely. apparently since it is 3 years old, you have to create a free account to read it. so if you don’t want to, i get it. but it’s worth it! a good reminder to us in the digital age, in which we are all skimming for links and headlines rather than reading the words.