who needs a rockstar boyfriend when I have a budding pastry chef?

You know how sometimes, after you’ve been with someone for a while, you kind of stop expecting any surprises. And I don’t mean like oh hey here’s a no-reason gift kind of surprise ~ those are definitely still welcome, although maybe you do stop expecting those eventually too.

What I mean is, you think you know everything about them, what they’re like when they’re happy, sad, stressed, tired and hungry… and especially how they react when they find you’ve put a red sock in with the whites. But most of all you think you know all of their skills and what they are capable – or incapable – of.

So imagine my surprise when the boys’ turn to cook finally rolled around and Panu turned into something of a budding pastry chef and knocked out not just one, but two serves of sweet thangs.

Check it out: delightful little cinnamon scrolls and the very appropriately timed Christmas star.

Wow.

Cinnamon scrolls are deliciously fragant buns, rolled in layers of cinnamon and butter. I’m pretty sure that they’re standard issue Finnish fare, and I’ve deduced this from my vast experience with my Nordic pseudo family ~ Panu’s dad used to churn these babies out by the dozen at Christmas time; we spotted some at the Finnish fare a few weeks back; and they sell these scrolls on steroids in Helsinki.

So really, I shouldn’t have been that surprised that when Panu decided to come out of the baking closet, he did so with his miniature army of infinitely adorable cinnamon scrolls.

Maybe I’m not surprised. Maybe I’m in awe. Maybe I’m still coming to terms with the fact that I have a boyfriend who bakes. F*** yeh!

Anyway, as if that wasn’t enough for me to contemplate proposing matrimony right then and there, Panu continued pottering around in the kitchen after the delicious cinnamon-y scents of the scrolls already filled our little apartment.

Apparently churning out the cinnamon scrolls weren’t quite sufficient, he then proceeded to breathe epicurean life into the festive season with more Finnish treats ~ a set of jam filled Christmas stars.

Yum.

What can I say? I’ve hit the jackpot, right?

Darn right, I have, but I’m not the only lucky one. Stay tuned for an upcoming post about what my friend David made for dinner that night ~ home made mutha effin’ gnocchi. I am humbled.

I mean really, dating a rockstar is like so 1990. I’d much rather have a boy who cooks!

cinnamon scrolls
Pastry: 500mL milk, room temperature 50 grams yeast 1 egg 150-200mL sugar 1 tablespoon cardamom 1.5 – 2 teaspoon salt 1kg wheat flour 150 grams butter, melted 1 extra egg for glazing Filling: 25 grams butter, melted 50mL sugar 1 tablespoon cinnamon (the more the yummier) Topping: Sugar Cinnamon
Preheat oven to 225°C/475°F. Break the yeast into the milk and stir until completely dissolved. Add egg, sugar and spices and continue stirring. Add wheat flour gradually, stirring gently. Add melted butter, and continue stirring. Do not stir for longer than three minutes – this keeps the pastry springy. Cover pastry with cloth or plastic and let rise to twice of original size. You can speed the process up placing the mixing bowl in warm water. Once the pastry has risen, knead the dough to remove all air bubbles and let settle for ten minutes. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into slabs approximately 5mm thick 30cm x 50cm sheets. In a large bowl, combine the flour with sugar, then whisk in the milk, and whisk in the melted butter and vanilla. Pour melted butter over sheet and evenly spread with a brush or spatula. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon and roll entire sheet into a scroll. With the seam of the scroll facing downward, cut the scroll into desired portion size making one edge narrower than the other. With your thumb press down on narrow edge to leave an indent. Place buns on an oven tray. Beat egg, and using a brush, glaze each of the pastries with the egg. For topping, sprinkle cinnamon and sugar to taste (again, the more the yummier). Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and let cool on wire rack. Alternatively, you can use supermarket grade puff pastry, which is a lighter, flakier (though less traditional) alternative.
Makes 35-50 small buns.

cinnamon scrolls

Pastry:
500mL milk, room temperature
50 grams yeast
1 egg
150-200mL sugar
1 tablespoon cardamom
1.5 – 2 teaspoon salt
1kg wheat flour
150 grams butter, melted
1 extra egg for glazing
Filling:
25 grams butter, melted
50mL sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon (the more the yummier)
Topping:
Sugar
Cinnamon

Preheat oven to 225°C/475°F.
Break the yeast into the milk and stir until completely dissolved.
Add egg, sugar and spices and continue stirring.
Add wheat flour gradually, stirring gently.
Add melted butter, and continue stirring. Do not stir for longer than three minutes – this keeps the pastry springy.
Cover pastry with cloth or plastic and let rise to twice of original size. You can speed the process up placing the mixing bowl in warm water.
Once the pastry has risen, knead the dough to remove all air bubbles and let settle for ten minutes.
Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into slabs approximately 5mm thick 30cm x 50cm sheets.
In a large bowl, combine the flour with sugar, then whisk in the milk, and whisk in the melted butter and vanilla.
Pour melted butter over sheet and evenly spread with a brush or spatula.
Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon and roll entire sheet into a scroll.
With the seam of the scroll facing downward, cut the scroll into desired portion size making one edge narrower than the other.
With your thumb press down on narrow edge to leave an indent.
Place buns on an oven tray.
Beat egg, and using a brush, glaze each of the pastries with the egg.
For topping, sprinkle cinnamon and sugar to taste (again, the more the yummier).
Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove and let cool on wire rack.

Alternatively, you can use supermarket grade puff pastry, which is a lighter, flakier (though less traditional) alternative.

Makes 35-50 small buns.

Christmas stars
750 grams puff pastry 250 grams soft prunes 300mL water 2 tablespoons sugar (or less, it is quite sweet anyway) 1 egg for glazing
Preheat oven to 225°C/475°F. Add prunes, water and sugar in a pot and bring to boil. Continue stirring until you have an even consistency. Reduce the mixture until it becomes the consistency of thick jam. Lay out puff pastry on a floured surface and using a knife or pizza cutter, cut into 8cm x 8cm squares. Then cut from each corner of the square diagonaly towards the other corner about 2-3cm. Do not cut all the way through to the other corner! Place a heaped teaspoon of prune mixture in the middle of each square. Fold every second tip of pastry into the middle and pinch. Gently press down to the table through the mixture. Beat egg, and using a brush, glaze each of the pastries with the egg. Ensure there is egg in the middle where the edges are pressed as this holds it together in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and let cool on wire rack.
Makes 24.

who needs a rockstar boyfriend when I have a budding pastry chef?

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