For my mom on her birthday!

I really do enjoy cooking and baking. It takes the stress out of my day when I do it for enjoyment. As I work away on recipes for people I sometimes get an overwhelming sense of stress which I would imagine many feel when they have to make dinner for their families. So I get that, as a mother, as a worker and well as a person. All the things I am and many others are as well-including my mother. She helps us out all the time with the kids and with my work and well with just about everything. Her mother did the same and still does, her superior cleaning and cooking skills-she still has it! I hope I still have it when I get older too, I know my mom certainly does and all moms do. So if you have a recipe that you had as a child that your mom made and you want to share it with her or your family- go through an old cookbook or perhaps her cookbook and choose one. Whether your mom is here or not, enjoying the foods you shared together will give you a great memory for now and forever. 

Mom and Emily’s Quick Cinnamon Buns

These biscuit style cinnamon buns are perfect to enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee with mom or any special person on any day you want to sit back and chat about a memory or two. They are best served warmed out of the oven or pop them in the microwave to reheat them before serving.

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

½ cup (125 mL) butter

½ cup (125 mL) packed brown sugar

Dough:

2 cups (500 mL) all purpose flour

4 tsp (20 mL) baking powder

¼ tsp (1 mL) salt

½ cup (125 mL) shortening

2/3 cup (150 mL) milk

Filling:

½ cup (125 mL) butter, very soft but not melted

½ cup (125 mL) packed brown sugar

2 tsp (10 mL) ground cinnamon

In small saucepan, melt butter and sugar together, whisking occasionally over medium heat until smooth and combined. Pour into lightly sprayed 8 inch (2 L) baking dish; spread evenly across bottom; set aside.

Dough: In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Cut shortening into flour using your fingers until mixture is crumbly looking. Drizzle in milk and stir using fork to combine. Bring dough together and knead gently on lightly floured surface to make smooth dough. Roll out dough on floured surface to make a 14 inch (35 cm) square.

Filling: In a bowl, stir together butter, sugar and cinnamon until very smooth. Spread evenly all over dough right to the edges. Roll up dough, jelly roll style and pinch seam along edge. Cut log into 9 equal pieces and place into prepared baking dish.

Bake in 400 F (200 C) oven for about 20 minutes or until golden brown and sauce is bubbly. Let stand for 3 minutes before turning out onto platter.

Makes 9 buns.

Tips: Depending on what flour you are using, you may need to drizzle a bit more milk into dough or if the dough is too wet knead in a bit of flour. The best thing to do is drizzle the milk in a little at a time and look at the dough and feel the texture to see if it’s holding its shape.

Bake the cinnamon buns in the centre of the oven.

To turn out the cinnamon buns, place a larger serving plate or platter on top of the baking dish and using oven mitts or a heavy tea towel, hold handles and flip both over to turn out cinnamon buns from the pan. 

If you leave the cinnamon buns longer in the pan to cool, the sauce will harden a bit and make it a bit more difficult to remove from the pan. You can also line the baking dish with parchment paper if desired to help with removal.