December 6, 2017
Last weekend I was feeling a bit bored and realised that I hadn’t baked in a while, and decided it was long overdue. Especially as it was the first weekend of December, which is the happiest time of year for baking! I love christmas baking, there is something about it that is extra special! It gets to this time of year and I get a little nervous about picking what I want to make, as there is just so much choice! Seriously, there are so many recipes out there to try and delicious sweets to make, it is more an issue of having enough time to cook them than anything!
I love Christmas so much, especially christmas baking. It is a great time to spend with family and friends, and eat lots of yummy food of course! I always try to give the gift of food, and so I am always looking for recipes that I can share with others or give as gifts. I feel like it gives people more joy than something you could buy in the store (I mean unless it is something really good…I’m not going to try and compete with a brand new iPhone or something), and puts a smile on their face that you can’t get anywhere else!
So I decided to kick off this December by trying out a new recipe. My partner is absolutely obsessed with cinnabon, and I figured it would be fun to make a bit of a twist on this to make it a Christmas edition for the first christmas baking of the season! I found some recipes online that inspired me to get baking again, and this time try making my very own edible Christmas wreath! I have to say, it was really fun to make, even though it ended up taking a lot longer than I initially anticipated (I’m not used to cooking with yeast and so I forgot about how long you need to let it rest for before baking). But the extra effort and love that went into this recipe sure paid off, with a delicious, cinnamon, Christmas flavoured wreath than melted in our mouths. It didn’t matter that it was just about dinner time when it was finally ready…it was totally worth it to try some straight out of the oven!
This recipe is great if you want to try something new or want a bit of a challenge, as it isn’t a simple run of the mill pull-everything-together-and-roll-it-out type of recipe. But I can say that it was super fun to make, and I’m even considering making mini versions as gifts this year because I enjoyed making it so much! If you, like me, are a little weird and love making things that challenge you a bit and get enjoyment out of them, this is your Christmas baking recipe. Also, if you love cinnamon butter (I mean, who doesn’t? that is a silly question), this is totally your recipe. Look no further for your Christmas cheer!
This recipe combines a lot of things I love about Christmas: gingerbread/cinnamon flavours, bread and butter. All that’s missing is the christmas pudding and custard! But that could easily be rectified. The best part about it, is that this recipe can be enjoyed all year round! So you really can bring the Christmas cheer whenever you feel like it!
- 1 packet of dried yeast (8 grams)
- 1/3 cup warm water
- 1/2 cup warm milk (I used lactose free)
- 1/4 cup melted unsalted butter
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 3/4 cups plain flour
- 1/4 cup caster sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tbsp mixed spice
- 1 egg, whisked
- 1 tbsp water
-
Combine the yeast with the warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer and leave until the mixture becomes frothy and bubbly on the top. This should take about 10 minutes.
-
Fit your stand mixer with the dough hook attachment. Beat in the warm milk, melted butter and egg yolks to the yeast mixture. Add the plain flour, caster sugar and salt, beating on medium until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the bottom and sides (about 6-10 minutes. I had to pull the dough off the dough hook a couple of times).
-
Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a damp tea towel. Set aside in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size, about 1 hour.
-
When the dough is ready, preheat the oven to 160C (325F). Line a baking tray with baking paper and set aside. Beat the egg and water together in a small bowl and set aside.
-
Stir the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and mixed spice together in a bowl (make sure the butter isn't too melted as it will pour off the dough as you roll).
-
Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface into a large rectangle (cut the dough if you need to). Spread the butter mixture evenly over the dough to the edges.
-
Tightly roll the dough with the long side facing you until the dough is completely rolled up. End with the seam-side up. Use a sharp knife to cut the log lengthwise in half along the seam so you have two pieces of dough.
-
Tightly weave the two pieces together, leaving the cut sides exposed. It sort of feels like braiding except with dough. Once this is completely woven, transfer to the prepared sheet. Brush over the top with egg wash and form the wreath, firmly pinching the end of the roll underneath the other to seal the wreath.
-
Cover the wreath with the damp tea towel and let rise for another hour, until it has doubled in size again.
-
Bake in the centre of the oven for about 35 minutes, or until golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.
This recipe was honestly so fun to make, even though it was quite hard. I found my butter was a bit too runny and so I had to spoon some of it into the rolls once I had made the wreath, so make sure yours isn’t too runny when you roll the dough up! It still worked out though, and what I was left with was a wreath that tasted like a cross between cinnabon and Christmas gingerbread. It was honestly so delicious! I loved the buttery goodness within the rolls of the wreath that made each bite absolutely amazing!
This would be perfect to serve at Christmas time with a bit of icing sugar sprinkled over the top! It would also go great with some custard poured over the top. Plus, I love how it looks and think it would make a great edition to the Christmas dessert table! It reminds me so much of Christmas in its appearance, and every bite is so warming and tasty, it’s like everything you love about Christmas all rolled into a bread!
I know the recipe may sound daunting, but I think it is something that you can easily do and isn’t as hard as it looks! As long as you follow the steps, it is really not that difficult! I was most worried about making the braid and the wreath, but I found the shape sort of made itself once you braided the dough together. It looks way more difficult than it actually is to get a beautiful wreath from this recipe, so if you love cinnamon scrolls and Christmas, definitely give it a try!
Until next time, happy eating!
Ella xx
