If you’ve seen my camera after I’ve been in the kitchen, you might think that it doubles as my sous chef. The shutter button is a little greasy and there’s flour dusted along the hand grip and on the aperture dial. There may even be a little sugar along the shoulder strap. Even the tripod may bear some semblance of kitchen work. Cinnamon or nutmeg may be sliding down its leg.
One of my favorite parts about creating my blog entries is assembling the collage, putting together the step-by-step tasks that create the final product. But to do so requires shuffling my floured hands back and forth, from the cutting board to the shutter, and then, possibly, to the white balance meter and the focus arrows.
Once the shot looks good, it’s back to the board, flouring, cutting, pressing, and twisting. Cinnamon and sugar dotting my hands and fingers, it’s back to the camera. Snap. Snap. Snap. A few more cuts and twists, and things are ready for the oven, at which point the camera and I wash-up, and take a much-deserved pause, resting our legs and bodies.
Like my hobby, these twists can be a little messy. But they’re well worth the effort. They also come together very quickly and easily. Perfect for a quick snack or a sweet side at the breakfast table.
homemade cinnamon twists
PREP TIME: 10 minutes, plus time for defrosting
COOK TIME: 10 minutes
YIELD: 20 to 24 twists
WHAT TO GRAB:
2 sheets (1 box) frozen puff pastry, defrosted overnight (I like Pepperidge Farm)
Flour, for dusting
2 tablespoons melted
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
HOW YOU DO IT:
1. Defrost the puff pastry. The night before place the puff pastry in the refrigerator. If you need the puff pastry ready the day of, simply leave the puff pastry, wrapped in plastic wrap, at room temperature for about 20 to 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
3. Roll out one sheet of puff pastry on a lightly floured board until it is about 10- by 12-inches. * Brush the surface with half of the melted butter. Combine the sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and salt in bowl. Cover and shake well. Sprinkle half (or less) of the mixture, until the puff pastry is entirely covered.
*Keep the second sheet in the refrigerator until you’re ready for it.
4. Use the rolling pin to lightly press the flavorings into the puff pastry. Cut each sheet crosswise with a floured knife or pizza wheel into 11 or 12 strips. Twist each strip several times, and then lay on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
5. Bake for about 1o minutes, or until lightly browned and puffed. You don’t want to over-bake.
6. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry. Cool and serve at room temperature!
Helene
Funny about your camera, mine is the same. Hard to keep it away from the flour. I have never seen cinnamon twists before. Looks great.
The Duo Dishes
It’s always impressive to read blogs where people have shot by shot photos. Luckily for us, we are a pair, so someone can roll dough while the other snaps a shot. But still! It’s not easy. Gorgeous pictures. Pass the twists!
Daily Dose of Fresh
Cinnamon sticks, who would’ve thought, never seen them either and they are certainly added to the wedding menu (sister getting married next week) since we do have cheese sticks on we might as well make a sweet version too.