I've loved cinnamon rolls at a wee age when I first bit into an ethereal cinnamon roll from Cinnabon. I'd tried my best to patronise Cinnabon as often as I could (though seeing that there isn't a Cinnabon in Singapore, isn't really all that often. Get on it Cinnabon!) But back when I was touring Bangkok, I couldn't contain my joy at seeing Cinnabon in Siam Paragon, and bought enough to sustain everybody on a sugar high for the rest of the day. When I was staying in a part of California without a Cinnabon presence (!!) - I was so forlorn for a cinnamon roll fix that I bought a roll of frozen Cinnabon from Walmart. 

Despite my fondness for this snack, I'd never seemed to be able to get a hang of making cinnamon rolls at home, and they'd never turn out as fluffy and soft as the ones I remember. Each attempt turned out to be an abject failure. Until well, now.

Tangzhong is a technique to make the soft, chewy Asian breads and buns we all know and love. It's a small simple step; cooking some of the dough's flour and liquid before adding the paste to the rest of the ingredient gives the final bread a much softer texture. This lends itself perfectly to making cinnamon rolls. (The science is explored in King Arthur's introduction to the technique.) The technique must've have been around for a long time, and was finally codified in 2007 in Taiwanese cookbook author Yvonne Chen's 65 Degrees C Roux the Bread. The book was originally written in Chinese, but gradually over the next couple of decades, the technique diffused over to the English-speaking community. 

There's a bit of contention online on whether using freshly grounded cinnamon is better than store-bought ground cinnamon. The first time around, I ground up cinnamon sticks using a mortar, a pestle and a heckuva elbow grease. Despite my best efforts, the grounded cinnamon still has shards of soft cinnamon bark which distract from the texture of the buns. Using freshly ground cinnamon also didn't result in a more pronounced flavour than pre-ground cinnamon. In subsequent batches, I ditched the mortar and pestle for a box of pre-ground cinnamon, and life was immeasurably better. 

Most cinnamon sticks sold in the market are Cassia cinnamon, which are tougher and hardier than Ceylon cinnamon. They do not take kindly to neither a mortar and pestle nor a microplane. Even spice mills may have trouble with cinnamon. Another source on the internet (attributed to Alton Brown's Good Eats) mentioned that cinnamon sticks sold to the public are of a lower quality than those sold to factories for grounding. I’m inclined to use store-ground cinnamon when a recipe calls for ground cinnamon, and save the cinnamon sticks for drinks (such as mulled wine, or hot chocolate) to avoid a murky gritty residue in my cup.

It's took a few days to delve into this delightful recipe, and the upshot is that I spent my first morning of holiday drinking a strong cup of coffee from my moka pot while baking off cinnamon roll dough that I'd frozen a few days before. As the scent of cinnamon rolls mingles with the smell of coffee, there was no better way to spend the holidays. 

Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
Adapted from King Arthur
Makes 8 cinnamon rolls 

This recipe can be scaled. When you take your first bite into this bread, you'll also wish you'd made more. I'm a sucka for 100% fluffy cinnamon rolls, and my favoured version is now to bake off the rolls cramped edge-to-edge; the way that Cinnabon does it. The rolls are plenty sweet by themselves without the icing, but I'm happy to leave the icing on for the good ol' all-American indulgence.

INGREDIENTS

Tangzhong
1/2 cup (113g) milk
3 tablespoons (23g) Bread Flour

Dough
Tangzhong, as above
151g (2/3 cup) milk, cold
300g (2 1/2 cups) Bread Flour
6g (1 tsp) salt
25g (2 tablespoons) granulated sugar
6.2g (2 teaspoons) instant yeast
57g (4 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened

Filling
14g butter, melted
70g light brown sugar
15g Bread Flour
8g to 10g cinnamon* (*Use the lesser amount for stronger cinnamons, like Vietnamese (Saigon); the larger amount for milder cinnamons, like Indonesian/Ceylon.)
1/16 teaspoon (pinch) salt

Icing
21 + 10g butter, melted, divided
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/16 teaspoon (pinch) salt
80g confectioners' sugar, sifted
7g-14g milk*, to thin the icing to your desired consistency (*Using cream instead brings an extra layer of richness, while buttermilk adds a subtle tang to undercut the overall sweetness.)

Cream cheese frosting (optional, as below)

STEPS

1. The tangzhong: Combine both the ingredients in a small saucepan until no floury lumps remain. Set over medium heat and cook the mixture for 1-3 minutes, stirring as you do, until the mixture thickens into a paste, and drawing your spatula through the mixture leaves a trail at the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat and transfer the tangzhong to a large mixing bowl (or to the bowl of your stand mixer). 

2. The dough: To the large bowl containing the tangzhong, add the cold milk, and then the rest of the ingredients for the dough. Using your hands, mix the ingredients together until well-combined, and then continue to knead the dough together for 15 minutes, until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. This can be done with a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment instead, which may take 10 to 12 minutes on medium-low speed. Shape the dough into a ball, cover the bowl with a lid and let the dough rise for about 60-90 minutes. 

3. The filling: in a small saucepan, melt butter. Remove from heat and add the remaining ingredients. Combine well and set aside.

4. Assembly: Transfer the dough to a large clean work surface. Press the dough into a rectangular shape (with corners), about 10” x 12”. It should be about 1/2" thick. Scatter the brown sugar filling evenly over the dough, but leaving a 1/2” strip bare along one long side. Gently lift the long filling-covered side of the dough, and roll up the dough into a log. 

5. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, each piece should be about 1.5"-2" in length. A bench-scraper or a sharp knife is adequate, though a loop of dental floss (unscented!) will give the most even cut. Place the rolls on an ungreased 8" cake pan (ideally a loose cake pan with a removable base), and cover. Let rise for about 30-60 minutes, until the rolls are puffy and lightly pressing a roll with your fingertip should leave an indentation. 

6. Preheat the oven to 180°C for about 20 minutes, with a rack set in the middle of the oven. Bake the rolls for 16 to 18 minutes, until the tops are lightly golden. If using a digital thermometer, the centre of the middle roll should read about 87°C (190°F). While the rolls are baking, you can also slip in an oven proof bowl containing 21g (1 1/2 tablespoons) of  butter to melt alongside. Allow the butter to completely melt, about 3-4 mins, then remove the bowl from the oven.  Remove the rolls from the oven when done, and brush the tops with the melted butter. Let the rolls cool for 10 to 15 minutes before icing.

7. The icing: In a medium saucepan, melt 10g of butter. Add the rest of the icing ingredients and stir until smooth. The icing can be tightly covered and kept at room temperature. Spread the icing evenly over the rolls just before serving. 

STORAGE
Un-iced rolls can be kept in an air tight container for a couple of days at room temperature; or be wrapped and frozen for up to 1 month.

Parbaking is a process meant to freeze cinnamon roll dough and bake them off at a later date. I have mixed successes with it; it results in squatter and denser pastry, about 1-inch tall discs. It’s an additional hassle to bake and then cool off the half-baked rolls, and I’m not sure if it’s worth the fuss. In future attempts, I’m planning to cut the cinnamon log into thicker pieces (say 6 piece instead of 8 pieces), and then just freeze It straight. Cinnamon rolls dough when frozen, can be kept up to 6 weeks in the freezer. 

VARIATION

Cream cheese frosting: for a tangier frosting to offset the sweetness. Add 4 to 6 tablespoons (57g to 90g) softened cream cheese alongside the other icing ingredients (sugar, salt, butter), then drizzle in 2 teaspoons of milk. Then add more milk, a teaspoon at a time, to get it to the consistency you prefer.

INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ small onion, medium dice
1 cup roughly chopped kimchi (6 ounces)
2 tablespoons kimchi juice, or to taste
1 tbsp gojuchang (optional)
½ cup small-dice Spam, ham or leftover cooked meat (optional)
2 cups cooked, cooled short-grain rice. 
2 teaspoons soy sauce, and more as required
1 teaspoon sesame oil, and more as required
Vegetable oil, for frying eggs
Eggs, one per person
Crumbled or slivered nori (roasted seaweed) for garnish
Sesame seeds for garnish

STEPS

In a nonstick sauté pan set over medium-low heat, melt butter and add onions. Stir occasionally, for about 2 minutes, until the onions start to sizzle. Add kimchi, kimchi juice and gojuchang, and let the mixture come to a boil, about 3 minutes. Add spam if using. Cook until most of the water has evaporated, about 5 minutes.

Using the flat side of a spatula, break up the cooled rice into individual grains (no need to be OCD about it), Increase the heat to medium and stir the rice in. Continue to cook for about 5 minutes, until the rice is very warm and well-coated in the kimchi sauce. 

Pour the soy sauce and sesame oil in by the side of the skillet, such that it comes into contact with the walls of the skillet first before reaching the food. Taste, and adjust with more soy sauce, sesame oil or kimchi juice as required. As you cook the eggs (see below), turn heat down slightly, but let the rice cook, untouched, to lightly brown. 

In a separate non-stick pan, fry eggs. To get the nice sunny-side-up eggs, cover the pan with a lid after cracking in the eggs to allow the top of the egg to cook by steam 

Serve rice topped with fried eggs, nori and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.

North-West Singapore lies an expanse of farmland and wetland reserves. For walking enthusiasts, Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve is a particularly lovely place to visit in the early morning. Their walking trails take you past forests, mangroves and coastal regions, which are home to regional wildlife. During the migratory season from September to March, shorebirds can also be spotted as they fly in from northern regions to avoid the winter chill. 

Bollywood Veggies is a place that I've been wanting to go to. Several people had recommended this place to me within a few weeks of one another, which was rather serendipitous. Also, a little scary. Anyway, we reached the café, in time for what I'll say was an early lunch, but the place was so popular, it was already running at full capacity. 

The café occupies a small part of their 10-acre estate, with the remaining land dedicated for growing produce. And it is a marvel to see what they've done with the place. All sorts of tropical plants were growing on small plots side-by-side. Copious amount of butterfly pea vines can be found (and their blue pea flowers can be seen on the food their café serves), and banana groves co-exist with canola plants and fig trees. There are many plants that I'd never heard of, such as a Crystal Fruit Trees. (Online sleuthing deduces taste like a cross between a longan and rambutan.) There's even a paddy field growing rice! Walking in further, I found the two plants closest to my heart: their coffee and cacao tree. 

Cooking classes (Bollywood Bhanchha) also run at regular intervals throughout the year, and there is also a museum showcasing art exploring the relationship between civilisation and agriculture.  

The good news about my planned day trip isn't just that we can stuff our faces with fresh food made from the gardens of the café. Our next stop is Farm 85 Trading. My companion is part of NTU's gardening club, and many of their bountiful harvest came as seedlings from Farm 85. So close to Farm 85, I couldn't resist the urge. Once there, we flagged down a helpful farmhand who showed us the plants they offer. I delightedly bought pots of basil (for pizza and pasta!), Chinese parsley, roselle, and wee sprouts of ladyfinger and eggplant. It's about $6 for each pot, and the farmhand threw in a pot of kale for free.  

A month has passed since my visit, but I may still get a little teary-eyed when recounting the moment where he told me I could take the pot of kale home with me. Speaking of which, I am now a dedicated supporter of Farm 85 and will no longer visit any other nursery in Singapore... :-)

Walking around in the tropical heat made me a little spazzed out, and we didn't complete my ambitious itinerary to visit the animal farms on my first go. But I finally got my wish to visit Hay Dairies Goat Farm on my return trip to the region. To the consternation of some people online, it's a busy goat farm and there won't be workers waiting for visitors on a welcome bandwagon, but this suits me just fine. I can poke around just fine by myself. Visitors can buy bags of feed for the goats, or watch the milking process. relatively popular with the crowd of young parents and their children. You may purchase their goat milk on the way out, which I am lusting after eyeing to make a batch of raspberry-ripple goat milk gelato. 

Another place of interest is DairyFolks, with their herd of 100+ cows producing fresh milk daily, some of which goes towards churning ice cream. There isn't any cheese-making going on at the moment, but a guy can dream. Viknesh Dairy Farm is currently closed to public as part of their coronavirus precautions, but much in the same vein, also produces milk for sale. I would love to visit one day!

Cooking a multi-course meal for everybody is no easy task, particularly when I mostly have recipes which hog the oven for hours. Once dinner starts and I sit down with everybody, it's also not enjoyable to get up to check on food cooking in the oven. Sometimes, a baked soft cheese fits the bill, as it can be baked in the time it takes to clear the table. But mostly, recipes that you can do ahead are a god-send. A crème brûlée also fits the bill. It's a show-stopper that demands to be refrigerated a day before serving, and with the finishing touches - breaking out the blow torch to complete a layer of crunchy caramel on the custard - applied at the dinner table. 

A burst of flame, and as the scent of slightly singed, caramelising sugar fills the room, it'll be a dinner to remember. 

Crème Brûlée

Adapted from the New York Times 
Makes 6-8 servings
Crème Brûlée, à la burnt cream, is meant to be a luxurious affair: rich, indulgent and to sate with one serving. Because half-and-half leads to a runny custard which may not fully set, I prefer to go all-cream. If you wish to substitute some of the cream with milk, the milk should be capped within 25% volume.   

INGREDIENTS 
480ml (2 cups) heavy cream 
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
⅛  teaspoon salt
5  egg yolks
50g granulated sugar + more for topping

STEPS

Preheat oven to 160C. 

In a small saucepan set over low heat, combine cream, vanilla bean and salt. Bring it just until it starts to simmer, and then remove from heat. If you are using vanilla extract, add it just as you remove the pan from the heat. Let sit for a few minutes. If using vanilla bean, remove that from the cream mixture. 

In a bowl, beat yolks and sugar together until light. Lightly temper the yolks by slowly drizzling a quarter of the warm cream into the yolk mixture while whisking briskly, before pouring the yolk mixture into the pot of warm cream. Whisk continuously as you do. Avoid using an electric mixer at this stage, which can cause the cream mixture to foam up. Strain the mixture. 

Set shallow ramekins in a leak-proof baking tray. Pour the cream mixture into the ramekins. Place tray into preheated oven, and then fill baking tray with boiling water about 1cm in height (roughly half the height of the ramekins). Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until centers are barely set. Remove from oven and carefully remove each ramekin from the hot water bath. Allow to cool completely to room temperature, and then refrigerate for several hours until well-chilled. At this point, the custard can be kept for a couple of days. 

When ready to serve, top each custard with a light scatter of sugar (about 1-2 teaspoons). Apply blow torch at a low heat to the sugar to gently melt and caramelise it to an amber hue. The caramel will harden as it cools. Allow it to cool slightly before serving.