labour of love.

why has it taken me this long to attempt one of my all time favourite baked goods? firstly i was scared they wouldn't live up to the amazing hype of the scrolls i've enjoyed over the years and secondly it can only be the very idea of getting up close and personal with dough. embarrassingly enough, this baker has never attempted bread making and therefore the idea of using yeast in baking and have it fail is more frightening than starting a new life across the other side of the world. as i have always known that these scrolls would be a labour of love, my perfectionist nature was waiting for just the right moment to attempt them. after i indulged in an amazing scroll at the greenwich market a fortnight ago, it was the final straw...i needed to bake these beauties and leave this ridiculous fear behind. so, my friends, i come to you with a recipe. a recipe that even a dough virgin can attempt and succeed at. i raise my spatula to you, grandma dottie and your awesome cinnamon scrolls. you made this recipe doughable. ;-)

dottie's cinnamon scrolls

Ingredients:

1 pkg. active dry yeast

1/2 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees)

1/2 cup lukewarm milk (scalded then cooled)

1/3 cup sugar (1/2 cup if you like it sweeter)

1/3 cup shortening, or margarine or butter, softened

1 teaspoon salt

1 egg

3 1/2 to 4 cups all-purpose flour(if using self-rising flour omit salt)

Cinnamon Mixture:

2 tablespoon margarine or butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Preparation:

Directions for making the cinnamon rolls...

Dissolve yeast in warm water in large bowl. Stir in milk, sugar, shortening, salt, egg and 2 cups of the flour. Beat until smooth. Mix in enough remaining flour to make dough easy to handle.

Turn dough onto lightly floured surface, knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Place in greased bowl; turn greased side up. Cover; let rise in warm place until double, about 1 1/2 hours. (dough is ready if an indentation remains when touched).

Punch down dough; on a lightly floured surface roll dough into rectangle about 9-x18-inches; Once rolled out spread with margarine. Mix sugar and cinnamon together in small dish. Sprinkle over rectangle.(This is optional - If you like raisins or chopped nuts you may sprinkle a 1/2 cup of each) over the sprinkled cinnamon before rolling up. 

Roll up tightly, beginning at wide(18) side.Seal well by pinching edges of roll together.Stretch roll to make even. Cut roll into 1 to 1 1/2 inch slices. Place a little apart on greased pan or cookie sheet . Cover and let rise until double in bulk, about 35 to 40 minutes. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. 

Spread rolls with Glaze cinnamon rolls while warm. Makes about 18 cinnamon rolls. Glaze: Mix powdered sugar, milk and vanilla until glaze is smooth and of desired consistency. Add little more milk if too thick.

Shared by Dottie.

london baby!

i spent 10 years of my life growing up in the UK and so going back always feels like i'm heading home. after the boy and i were able to snag super cheap tickets, we pencilled in a weekend staying with family, wrote a little to-do/go/see/buy list and in early february, headed to london. i'm so glad that the boy loves it as much as me and equally loves wandering her many cobbled streets, vintage markets and snapping photos along the way. we hit some familiar spots and decided it was about time i visited portobello road and greenwich (both which i now love). i reveled in the pastel beauties along portobello, snapping up some vintage letterpress finds and filling my instagram feed with an array of pretty shades. covent garden delivered with my first cathrineholm find and some much needed time spent with orla. we caught up with a favourite in greenwich after enjoying the dlr's rollercoaster-like journey into the architecture heaven that is canary wharf. i ate the best sunday lunch (complete with yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes, british beef and gravy) in a takeaway plastic tub and indulged in the best cinnamon scroll i have ever had the pleasure of eating from one of greenwich's cutest bakery stands. we spent time with my family, enjoyed the unpredicted sunshine and left with heads full of inspiration. oh london, how we love you so.

lately.

again, i've let far too much time pass in-between posts. maybe it's because my job demands i spend 8 hours behind a computer screen, which was completely foreign to me until a few months ago. it really does affect the relationship i have with getting behind a keyboard and letting my own thoughts drive the topic of conversation. it has taken a sick day, a day of renewing my energy for our forthcoming trip to london with a rooibos tea in hand and london grammar playing gently in the background to get me blogging again. the sun is shining and winter has never been more beautiful. the boy and i have been out and about lately with afternoons spent wandering our favourite galleries, treasure-hunting, watching our favourite dutch band and nights spent snuggled on the couch finishing the last season of breaking bad. the new season of girls awaits me patiently on my usb, hearty soups are fast becoming my favourite dinner choice and the long weekend sleep-ins are making winter bearable. we booked our tickets to australia for september for a whole month of fun times, reunions and the wedding of the year. until then a few weekend trips to london, paris and gent will keep us busy. last but not least, march 1st marks my 1 year anniversary in holland. boy, how time flies when you're having fun. 

we finally framed the fabulous foursome from the beloved white album.

market treasure. 

these colours.

a happy find for our kitchen.

hyacinth providing the sweetest scent to our home.

saturday's 2 euro find. 

our local market treasure.

been spending nights in the studio finishing a batch of these beauties.

my arty partner in crime.

marimekko. blew my heart out.

wandering in heaven.

toucans & strawberries. perfection.