cinnamon buns (yeast free)

I have nothing against yeast; I simply don't have the patience to use it! There, I said it. About two years ago I began experimenting with a yeast free cinnamon buns (rolls) recipe. Everyone in this household loved it, but I wasn't 100% happy, I wanted them softer. On a beautiful Sunday morning in September I was dreaming about freshly baked and soft cinnamon buns when I had an epiphany! I ran into the kitchen, put the invisible stay-out-of-my-kitchen sign on the door, put on my apron and began working, and I got the results I wanted. The yummy noises at the dining table were very rewarding. I've baked these with and without oil and both versions are good. Here's my golden rule: If I'm baking them to put in the freezer I always use oil (the children love to find these in their snack box). If I'm baking them to serve right away, and I know that all the buns will be eaten, I either skip the oil or use one tablespoon. As I want my buns rather thick I roll and stretch the dough into a square instead of a rectangle. By the way, the recipe includes no eggs and the dough itself contains no sugar. And you know what, the buns are delicious!

CINNAMON BUNS

INGREDIENTS

DOUGH

• 435 g spelt flour (between 3¼-3½ cups)
• 2-2½ tablespoons gluten free baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon sea salt
• 250-300 ml soya milk or regular
• 1-2 tablespoons coconut oil (optional, see intro)

FILLING

• 1 tablespoon agave nectar or pure maple syrup
• ½ tablespoon coconut oil
• 2½-3½ tablespoons raw cane sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• optional: chopped pecans and/or raisins

METHOD

1. Start with the dough: In a large bowl combine the spelt flour, baking powder and salt. Usually I use 2 tablespoons of gluten free baking powder but sometimes 2½ if I want the buns a little bigger. (Use only 1 tablespoon of baking powder if you're using regular and add ½-1 teaspoon if you want them a little bigger.)
2. Add the 1-2 tablespoons coconut oil or skip this step. (If the oil is solid, place the jar in a bowl of hot water before you start baking.)
3. Add the milk, starting with 250-275 ml, and mix gently with a large wooden or silicone spoon. Add more milk if you need. The dough is not supposed to be too wet, you have to be able to knead it and flatten out with a rolling pin. It's good to knead the dough just a bit in the bowl with your hands to get a feel for its texture. (American readers! 250 ml is exactly 1 cup so start with that and add a little more of milk.)
4. Transfer the dough to a generously floured work surface and knead it with your hands. You have to use plenty of spelt flour on the surface because you don't want the dough sticking to it
5. Bring out your rolling pin and roll and stretch the dough to form a square that is about 37 cm (14.6 inches). I make a square instead of a rectangle because I like my buns to be thick
6. Now the filling: Mix the agave nectar and coconut oil in a small bowl. In a separate bowl blend the raw cane sugar and cinnamon (I find 2½-3 tablespoons of sugar enough but if you are used to more sugary flavour then perhaps you need more. But don't overdo it; we want them healthy!)
7. Spread the agave/oil mix evenly over the square (I find it best to simply use my fingers) and then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on top. Add some chopped pecans and/or raisins if you want
8. Tightly but gently roll up the square into a thick log. Use a sharp knife to cut the log into 21 slices (you can start with cutting the log in half). Each slice should be a little less than 2 cm thick (about 0.7-0.8 inches)
9. Line a baking tray with parchment paper or lightly grease it with coconut oil (my tray is 35 x 25 cm/13.8 x 9.8 inches; the height is about 5 cm/2 inches). Place the buns into the baking tray in four rows of four and one row of five that contains the ends, which are a bit smaller
10. Bake in the oven at 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6 for 12-15 minutes (please note that my oven is fan assisted. I've baked these at 220°C in a no fan oven)
11. Allow the buns to cool in the baking tray for a few minutes before serving

chocolate hazelnut spread (or ice cream sauce)

We always have a jar of organic chocolate hazelnut spread for the children in the kitchen (no, I never buy Nutella, never!) but I also like making my own. My current food processor doesn't make it as smooth as I want it to be but it tastes really good. The children helped me put this recipe together, they were the ones who said put more cocoa or make it a bit sweeter. We spread it not only on bread or crackers, we also love the home-made version on ice cream – it's dangerously good!

CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT SPREAD

INGREDIENTS

• 100 g hazelnuts, toasted
• 2 tablespoons raw cane sugar (or 1 tbsp and 3 tbsp agave)
• 2 tablespoons agave nectar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla sugar, organic
• 2½ tablespoons cocoa powder, organic
• 3½-4 tablespoons coconut oil (if solid place the jar in a bowl of hot water before use)

METHOD

1. First you have to toast the hazelnuts in an oven or on a frying pan and then remove the skin. I usually use a non-stick frying pan and it takes about 10 minutes until the skin starts to loosen. I stir the nuts occasionally on the pan and I allow them to cool on a plate before I peel of the skin with my fingers. You can also shake them in a wire sieve to help loosen the skin. If toasting the nuts in an oven: Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6. Place the hazelnuts into a baking tray, put them in the hot oven and set a timer to 4-5 minutes (yes, use a timer, you don't want to forget them in the oven!). Allow them to cool before peeling of the skin or shake them in a wire sieve. Whether using a frying pan or an oven, make sure you don't burn the nuts
2. Place the cooled down and skinless nuts in a food processor and blend as well as you can. Depending on how good your food processor is, you might occasionally want to stop the blender, scrape the sides of the bowl and continue blending
3. Add the rest of the ingredients (start with 3½ tablespoons of coconut oil) and blend well in the food processor. If you are using the version with 3 tablespoons agave and 1 raw cane sugar then start with 3 tablespoons coconut oil
4. Keep the spread in the fridge but let it stand for about 15 minutes before serving because the coconut oil makes it solid. If using the spread as an ice cream sauce you can serve it straight from fridge

crispbread

A friend of mine gave me this yeast free crispbread recipe not so long ago and I can highly recommend it, as it is easy to make. She reduced the oil content of the original recipe and said it tasted better that way – of course I take her word for it. I also reduced the salt content. My children like finding this crispbread in their snack box. If you are like I am and enjoy the occasional treat of crackers, cheese and grapes then this crispbread is excellent and of course much healthier than all those salty crackers available on the market. American readers please note: 1 dl = 100 ml, ½ cup = 125 ml.

CRISPBREAD/CRACKERS

INGREDIENTS

• 1¾ dl spelt flour (175 ml)
• ½ dl coarse rolled oats (50 ml)
• ½ dl pumpkin seeds
• ½ dl flaxseeds/linseeds
• ½ dl sesame seeds
• ½ dl sunflower seeds
• ½-¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 dl water
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) quality vegetable oil

METHOD

1. In a large bowl, blend all the ingredients using a spoon or a spatula. The dough will be wet and a bit sticky
2. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment. To spread the dough over the parchment you put another baking parchment on top of it and roll it out with a rolling pin. If you need to, simply use your fingers to even the edges out. You can also leave them rough
3. Slice the dough into rectangles (I use a pizza cutter and I tend to make rather small slices) and then pierce the surface of each slice with holes, using a fork or a skewer
4. Place in the oven and allow to bake for 15-20 minutes at 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6 (please note that my oven is fan assisted) depending on how dark and crisp you want the slices (I bake it for 20 minutes)
5. Allow the crispbread to cool and then store it in an airtight container