Weekend Cooking: I Love Cinnamon Rolls by Judith Fertig

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When confronted by a dessert buffet, most of my friends head immediately for the chocolate. I, on the other hand, go first for something with fruit and second for something spicy. So when Judith Fertig's I Love Cinnamon Rolls! showed up in my mailbox, I was thrilled.

I've baked a lot of cinnamon rolls in my life, and I'm always open to new ideas and innovative combinations. Judith Fertig's 50 recipes have me thinking about taking up running, so I can make them all.

But before I get to the recipes, let me step back a minute to tell you what else you'll find in I Love Cinnamon Rolls! Fertig starts off with a short description of cinnamon rolls around the world, a glossary of different types of cinnamon, and the items you'll need to have on hand before you turn on the oven.

Now here's where things get a little different. You might be thinking about how you're not all that great when it comes to baking. Or perhaps you're worried that cinnamon rolls are too fussy. You may even be scared to death of working with yeast. And what about your special diet? No worries, Fertig has it all covered.

• Unsure of your skills? Read the outline of techniques: from measuring the flour to storing and freezing your cinnamony treats
• Feeling lazy? Make pullaparts instead of rolling up the dough.
• Refuse to work with yeast? Start with a package of hot roll mix.
• Concerned about what you eat? Try a vegan, whole wheat, or gluten-free recipe.

Fertig has provided enough choices, so everyone can enjoy a warm, spicy homemade dessert.

The first recipe chapter takes us through eight different types of dough, each with variations and requiring different sets of techniques. After that we get into the heart of I Love Cinnamon Rolls--how to make all sorts of wonderful treats.

As you can imagine, the cookbook provides recipes for traditional cinnamon rolls, bear claws, and the like. But Fertig quickly moves far beyond your grandmother's kitchen. For example:

• Bacon-Brown Sugar Cinnamon Rolls
• Coffee Lover's Cinnamon Monkey Bread Rolls
• Mexican Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls
• No-Knead Pumpkin-Cinnamon Pullaparts
• Slavic Cinnamon-Walnut Twists

There are also a number of vegan desserts, featuring bananas, coconut, lime, sweet potatoes, and even bourbon. The gluten-free recipes pair cinnamon with apple, blueberry, and walnut. Don't the recipes sound fantastic?

The range of flavors, easy directions, and special-diet versions in Judith Fertig's I Love Cinnamon Rolls! mean everyone is guaranteed to find several desserts to warm up a Sunday morning or brighten up an after-school homework session.

When it came time to bake, I picked a more familiar treat to start with so I could combine my love of citrus with my love of spice: Orange Cinnamon Rolls with Sweet Orange Drizzle. The dough was a traditional white flour yeast dough and the filling was butter, orange zest, and cinnamon-sugar. Once baked, the rolls were topped with a glaze made from confectioner's sugar, orange zest, and freshly squeezed orange juice.It was all we could do not to eat half a pan in one sitting.

Buy I Love Cinnamon Rolls! at an Indie, at Powell's, at Book Depository, or at bookstore near you. These links lead to affiliate programs.
Published by Andrews McMeel, 2012
ISBN-13: 9781449420697
Rating: B+
Source: Review (see review policy)
Copyright © cbl for Beth Fish Reads, all rights reserved (see review policy)