Getting Started

Throughout the week, we discussed the approach that we will be taking to do the passion project, and we finally decided on making a new dessert every two weeks. The first week will be dedicated to collecting the essential ingredients and learning the recipe, while the second week will be solely focused on creating the dessert. So far, we have determined the types of desserts we will be doing for the next four weeks. We also met with our mentor, Mrs. Walsh, who will be providing helpful tips and advice on baking. With Mrs. Casimiro’s permission to bring in food for the class, we plan to set up polls on our blog where our peers can submit their opinions on whether or not the desserts’ taste met their expectations. This week, seven main ingredients were gathered and will be used to bake cinnamon rolls. Everyday ingredients such as almond milk, salt, flour, cinnamon, and cane sugar were already available beforehand, while purchases were made for the yeast, butter, and powdered sugar. It will take approximately two hours to prepare (1 hour and 30 minutes) and bake (25 minutes) the cinnamon rolls.

Procedure - Credit for Procedure: Dana from Minimalist Baker

1. Heat almond milk and 3 tablespoons of butter until melted. Cool the hot mixture until it is warm. Make sure it is warm and NOT hot or else the yeast will not be properly activated.

2. Place the liquid in a bowl and add in the yeast. Let the yeast activate for about 10 minutes before measuring and pouring 1 tablespoon of sugar and ¼ teaspoon of salt.

3. Slowly incorporate ½ cup of flour as the liquid is mixed to create a sticky dough. Flour a flat surface to knead the dough into a loose ball. Apply a thin layer of oil to a clean bowl to place the ball in. Cover with plastic wrap and allow the dough to double in size (1 hour) in a warm location.

4. Flour a surface and roll the dough into a thin rectangle. Melt and apply an even layer of butter on the rectangle. Sprinkle ¼ cup of sugar and ½ to 1 teaspoon of cinnamon.

5. On one end, roll the dough tightly and place the end of the flap of the dough downwards. Use a knife to slice the dough into small sections. Oil a round pan and assemble the rolls. Then add a coat of 2 tablespoons of melted butter before covering the pan with plastic wrap. Allow the cinnamon rolls to rise while the oven is preheated to 350 degrees F.  

6. Bake the rolls until they are lightly golden brown (25 to 30 minutes). Create a glaze using 1 cup of powdered sugar and 1 to 2 tablespoons of almond milk. Cool before serving.

Photo Credit: Dana from Minimalist Baker
Hopefully what our final product will look like!