Finally I got to make one iconic dish from the US, cinnamon rolls or cinnamon buns. Yes, I have made them before, but not the classic and traditional version with cream cheese frosting. But finally I got round to it and made the full deal, no extras, but also no substitutions. These are very moist and fluffy cinnamon rolls, we will need to make a tangzhong, which means boiling flour, water and milk, so that the flour can gelatinize. This will help for the rolls to stay extra fresh. Yes, you will add five more minutes of work, but I believe it is so worth it.
Today I am introducing the second vegan recipe in January. I personally am a huge breakfast person. For that reason I am offering homemade and also vegan cinnamon toast crunch for you. Yes, they do contain less sugar than the original (I decided to go with maple syrup for the dough) and they are vegan as I opted for coconut oil instead of butter. When I took pictures of this cinnamon toast crunch, I was reminiscing my childhood. I believe everybody has a favorite cereal from old times. I was all into the ones with nougat or nutella (not so sure there are such varieties in the U.S.) and I also loved anything with cinnamon like cinnamon toast crunch. I remember eating them without any milk, simply snacking whenever I felt hungry. If you keep them in an airtight container, they will stay crunchy for a long time.
Snickerdoodles are America’s answer to German cinnamon stars! I love snickerdoodles and I find it super exciting every time a German tries one and declares it the new favorite cookie. Snickerdoodles are easy to prepare and are similar to how sugar cookies are created. You will need cream of tartar for these beauties to stay soft and puffy. The recipe does not require any chilling.
Real Franzbrötchen with puff pastry. I am so excited to introduce this recipe to you today. Think of Franzbrötchen as the answer from Hamburg to the cinnamon-roll craze. I was fortunate enough to live in Hamburg for a couple of years and I can tell you, you will always have the scent of cinnamon present wherever you go. Regardless of whether a kiosk or a bakery, one thing you can definitely be sure of if you are in Hamburg is the fact that Franzbrötchen will be sold everywhere. I already introduced these cinnamon rolls here using a simple yeast dough. The lazy version.
These are the easiest and simplest cinnamon stars! I know, I am posting this recipe pretty late, you probably are all done with your Christmas baking. The reason I am doing this, is because I posted an Instagram story with several tips for making these. You all asked which recipe I was using and why the recipe is not on my blog yet. For that reason I decided to post this traditional German Christmas cookie: cinnamon stars! The recipe is completely gluten-free and only contains a few ingredients. The dough can be a bit finicky, my German bakers know what I am talking about. Below you will find several tips how to make them and for the recipe to turn out great.
Are you in for a pumpkin cookie with cream cheese frosting? Then I might have something for you. This is a cake-like pumpkin cookie that is very soft and has a not too sweet cream cheese frosting serving as a nice contrast. You may not think much about it, but here in Germany pumpkin is usually not served in sweet goods, you will find tons of savory recipes, but sweet ones not so much. I sometimes wonder why. There is a reason why pumpkin is very popular in North America in any baked goods, it has a sweet kind of flavor and carries a lot of fall flavor, makes sense to me. So let’s give these cookies a try!
Today I am presenting the German answer to American pies: strudel! Strudel is a very elastic dough, which is rolled up to a log and contains lots and lots of fruit filling. When I served this plum strudel with cinnamon streusel to my guests, I could barely manage to see any of it as it was gone so quickly. Just as pies, this strudel is a “healthier” version of a cake as the ratio of unsweetend dough to lots of fruit filling simply is genious. If you are into fruity cakes and like pies, you will definitely also enjoy strudel, give this beauty a try.
Snickerdoodles with brown butter are a cinnamon surprise from the U.S. I decided that they are perfect for the season. In case you don’t know, snickerdoodles have a similar base as sugar cookies, but are then formed into balls which are then rolled in a mixture of sugar and cinnamon before you bake them. As far as I know you can find snickerdoodles in the U.S. throughout the year, however, due to their cinnamon flavor I decided to make some during the season.
Today I am introducing plum cinnamon cupcakes with maple cream frosting. Just because. The main reason is because I love the mix of plums with cinnamon, there is nothing better than this combo in fall in my opinion.
The second reason is because you loved my simple plum tart with cinnamon streusel so much. No other recipe was clicked more than often in September. Even looking at all blog entries from 2018, it already ranks as No.5. The pictures below show the tart how I made it for my relatives during our holiday in Spain. I barely managed to take pictures, that’s how quickly it disappeared. I just love the fact that it is so versatile, I made it in a springform pan as there was no other option. Works just as well.
Have I mentioned before that I love fall? It is my favorite season. I just love everything, the cozy scent of cinnamon, warm and snuggly blankets, hot chocolate, the golden sunlight, there is very little I don’t like about fall. I even enjoy the rain, even if I have to wear a rain jacket and rain pants when I cycle to work and feel the raindrops hitting my face. It’s like an old friend I am happy to say hi to. For that reason it is time that I give you a list of my favorite fall recipes. Oh, there is so much you can bake with, apples, plums, cinnamon, pumpkin, I just love fall ingredients! As today is the first day of fall, I officially wanted to do a collection of fall recipes. I hope you find something to your liking!
#1 Pumpkin roll in the shape of a pumpkin
This is vegan yeast dough that is pretty easy to prepare and is definitely going to be a show-stopper. I brought these pumpkin rolls to a party once and I was asked to pass on the recipe several times.
Pumpkin rolls in pumpkin shape
I made a mistake the first time I made these. I gave these cute little owls names. And then it was so hard to actually bite into one of these big eyes… Really bad idea. You will need Oreos and M&Ms, it’s really simple to make.