BABA'S CINNAMON ROLLS

Sometimes you just have to do the recipe the way it is written, I've tried playing with Baba's cinnamon roll recipe and they just don't turn out the same, what can I say!? Where this recipe came from I really don't know , all \I can say is that this is my kids (Who are now grown-up) favorite recipe.
I think the reason why is because Baba Pauline twisted in some softened Turkish delight into the nut, raisin brown sugar cinnamon mixture. Yes you heard me correctly Turkish Delight. Most boxes come with a selection of flavours, rose, lemon, mint, bergemon. Actually, it's because of these flavours that I like to make these cinnamon rolls for Christmas.
I actually prepared these early in November and because all of Baba's recipes are made in huge quantities I ended up with at least 15 dozen bags of these little gems to freeze. I personally like to eat them frozen straight from the freezer... it's like candy, but just bring them to room temperature or nook them for a bit and they make a lovely roll any time of year, not just for Christmas.


Start by proofing the yeast. use 3 envelopes of yeast, 1 cup of warm water 1tsp. sugar. Set aside and let it rise for 10 minutes. In the mean time prepare your milk


Heat 6 cups of milk , Do not boil, to this add 1/2 pound of butter and let butter melt. To this mixture add 7 beaten eggs.

In a large bowl add 8 cups of flour and 3tsp. of salt (this will be half of your total 16 cups) make a well in the center and add the yeast mixture in the middle and taking some of the flour and slowly start incorporating the yeast and flower. This is where things will get messy and tricky.

You will now slowly start adding the milk to your flour mixture. Do not add all the milk mixture at once....rather slowly add the flour and milk in small batches kneading as you go along. Eventually you will be adding the reserved other half (8 cups) of flour as your dough will be sticky as you continually are kneading. It will take the full 16 cups of flour and at the end you will still to some extent have a somewhat sticky dough, but not like it was in the beginning. Form into a ball (huge) oil a clean bowl and let the dough rise in a warm place for1 1/2 hour. Pre-heat oven to 375.

When your dough is ready punch it down tear off a chunk and roll out on a lightly floured surface. Cut dough into triangular stripes fill with cinnamon mixture and roll up. Place on a pan and bake for around 20 minutes or until golden.

The cinnamon mixture can be personalized to your individual tastes. Pauline would grind nuts, walnuts oer pecans, add both brown and white sugar, raisins, cinnamon, and of course every triagle before it was rolled up and a stringy piece of turkish felight in it. She would roll out a piece of turkish delight between her hands to softrn it and make it pliable. The addition of Turkish delight is optional, but I would like to encourage you to try this lovely addition.

RECIPE

1 box TURKISH DELIGHT .... break in pieces and roll in yopur hands to make squiggly worms

2C brown sugar

1/2 c. white sugar

2 c. raisins

1 1/2 c ground nuts

cinnamon to taste

Mix all these ingredienys together, this is your filling

3pkg yeast

1 c warm water

1 tsp sugar

Mix together and let proof for 10 minutes

1/2 lb. butter

6 c. warm milk

7 eggs beaten

Heat this over low heat . Do not boil

16 c. of flour 3 tsp. salt mix, Only use 1/2 of flour at the beginning gradually add the other half as you are incorporating milk mixture to flour mixture. Knead

Let the dough rise in a warm place roll out cut in stipes fill with cinnamon mixture and turkish delight, bake at 375 for 20 min, or until golden. Drizzel with icing sugat optional, freeze in plastic bags.

PEROSKI

Have I mentioned yet that our summer so far has been an extremely wet one? I don't mean to be such a grouch, but when will the sun come out and play? With all this damp dreary weather I find myself sitting at the kitchen table and preparing more fall seasonal foods, instead of sitting by the pool catching some rays. Peroshki is another one of my Mother-in -laws recipes. Pyrohy, Pyrizky and Peroski all refer to a filled pastry made of yeast raised dough. The name stems from an archaic word ,PYR, meaning banquet which indicates that this pastry was more than likely featured at banquets in days past. Ukrainian dishes are neither spicy nor bland, they are subtle and pleasing having their own indefinable qualities. But the good thing about the fillings that go into these pastries is that you can spice them up any way you like them.

As with most Ukrainian dishes that involve dough, you might as well clear your day, because you might as well make a whole batch and freeze them for that occasion when you want to pull out something for an after school snack, or a quick lunch or snack. They also make a lovely appetizer . Fillings can either be savoury or sweet. Favourites in our house are mushroom fillings, sauerkraut, meat fillings (beef, pork, veal,saugage or combination of these , or chicken and turkey) .

I had a kilo of sauerkraut still in the freezer and thought that as it was another rain day again today I would use it up and make some peroski. First i boiled the sauerkraut in it's own juices and covered it with a little water, a bay leaf and some juniper berries, to soften it up and expel some of its bitterness, Then I drained it and in some oil sauteed some onions, double smoked bacon and added some chopped kielbasa. To this I then added the drained cooked sauerkraut and let it saute and simmer for about 45 minutes on low heat until tender . Make sure that it does not burn , you may add some white wine, or some more oil to prevent burning. Season with salt and pepper. Place in a bowl, and let it cool completely, I usually prepare the fillings the night before. I realize that a sauerkraut filling is not to everybodys taste buds, but as I said you can fill it with whatever filling you desire. A very quick meat filling that I make in a pinch when I don't want to boil and shred my beef is to fry up ground hamburger meant in onions and seasonings ,when cooked through I add a can of Campbell's mushroom soup ( without the added milk), cool this meat mixture and use that as a filling.Seasoning can be whatever you feel like from simple salt and pepper to more intense flavouring like chili and hot sauce.

PEROSKI

1 pkg. yeast

1/2 cup warm water

1 tsp. sugar

1 cup sour cream

1/2 lb. tenderflake or crisco

1/2 tsp. salt

3 T sugar

4 Cups flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water with 1 tsp sugar and let stand for 10 minutes to proof.

Beat eggs and add the cup of sour cream to them.

Mix together the lard or vegetable shortening with the remaining sugar salt and flour. Add the yeast and egg sour cream mixture. Mix with a wooden spoon , beat well. Place dough in an oiled bowl cover with wax paper and top with a dinner plate and refrigerate overnight. In the morning roll out dough to 1/4 inch thick with a cookie cutter cut out circles, place about a heaping teaspoon of filling in each circle. Pinch together sided , form in an oval and place seam side down on a greased baking sheet. Let rise for about 15 minutes, brush with an egg wash and bake in a 375 degree oven for about 25 minutes or until the tops are golden. Place on rack to cool. These can be frozen and reheated in the microwave.(Depending on the size of your circle cut out this recipe should easily yield 6 dozen, I also made a meat filling with 1 kilo of hamburger meat and doubled the dough recipe , needless to say my freezer is starting to get full of goodies with all this rain weather) Oh my gosh I'm still complaining about the weather.