Eggless Cinnamon Rolls with Chocolate and Mocha Glaze and a Desi Touch...

Cinnamon Rolls...
My favourite!
And as the going here is in Ranchi...a lot of people are now clamouring for them too...thanks to yours truly!
They smell absolutely heavenly and when you bake them...the entire  neighbourhood salivates....

These were for my neighbours -almost emaciated daughter...the one home for a few days...

She is totally my type.When hunger calls, shed rather eat Kellogg's Chocos than make an effort to dish out already prepared food  and heat it. She can live on chocolate...avoids sweets just because she wants to compensate and reward her sweet tooth with chocolate...

need I say more??

They smell so heavenly midway, that its almost like some one alive calling out from the oven...hey...

come on just one bite......
just like that ad from telly...
Temptation is a losing battle to fight.
The best deal...don't fight it...Indulge ! and then sweat it out later. The denial will be of  no help if the Mayans are proved right this December!
You don't want to be standing facing the tsunami ,saying stuff like-" I wish I had eaten that cinnamon roll "...do you??
I just know, that if the conspiracy theories are indeed true...and that if  we have to die this December...as long as I am with my family...I will die a happy and satisfied person.
Enough of the heavy...
Melancholy is what sweet dog is right now...driven crazy because of the aromas emanating from the oven...but restrained...

He can not be fed all the sweet that comes from the oven. Hair fall...I can not place a carpet on the floor , lest my blue carpet turns white thanks to sweet dogs hair.
Lets get back to happiness...and cinnamon rolls.
The recipe is again from my archived collection of recipes from better Homes and Gardens.
Loosely adapted, and using the brown sugar substitute...Jaggery or gur ki shakker.That is the Desi Touch.
Just a gentle reminder, this tells you why .
Yup , I love my books..you should see the tomes I have collected over the years , which i so resolutely refuse to let go or share.
Lets get down to the baking...just as I post this blog..I have double chocolate chip cookies in the oven...am I killing myself or what???

for the

Egg less Cinnamon Rolls with Chocolate and Mocha Glaze and a Desi Touch...

you need

1cup milk
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp dried yeast
3 cups  flour(plus extra for rolling)
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp soda bi carbonate

The glaze 
60 gms butter
2 tsp cinnamon powder
generous 3/4 cup brown sugar (I used gur ki shakker/jaggery)
1/4 cup semi sweet chocolate- cut up
5-6 tbsp icing sugar
1/4 cup strong black coffee
1 tbsp cream/milk to brush the rolls


In a sauce pan mix the sugar and the milk and the oil.
Heat/scald-I heated it till the sugar dissolved and the milk was not extremely hot.

Let it come to tepid-luke  warm ...and the add the yeast. Stir vigorously.
After 5 minutes add in 2 cups of  the flour and the two powders.

Mix well and set aside till it doubles.
The before

You can have a cup of coffee in anticipation ..
And the after.

OK , now the messy dough into a bigger bowl...add in the remaining flour and knead.

OK, now work top...
The dough all rolled out to a rectangular shape...that is what you need the extra flour for.

The butter- patience is not one of my virtues...so instead of creaming it I bunged it into the microwave...where it melted.
So you should know better. Cream the butter and add the brown sugar.And the cinnamon powder.

To the brown sugar mix, I  also added a tbsp of the extra flour...I find that makes the rolls more defined. At this stage,add whatever you want. Nuts, raisins...whatever.
I like mine to be untouched by nuts. I like my nuts pure and sentient...just the perception of the nuts.Not lost in the rolls.
Pre heat the oven to 180C/350F.
Spread the mix on the rectangular dough.

Yes , I know ...the butter should be creamy...you can rectify my mistake...cream yours...
And then ever so gently roll the rectangular dough.

Tightly.And also pinch the ends of the dough to get a closed cylinder.

Now slice the cylinder.I made 3/4 inch slices with a sharp knife.

Laid out on parchment paper.Al Foil is no good here.

A brush with beaten cream or milk.

Now pop the tray into the oven. The rolls will spread and give you about 18 for this recipe.
In for 30 minutes approx...

The best way to know they are done...bite a bit...
Now the fun...sprinkle the chocolate over the rolls and watch it melt...or not.

The icing sugar in a bowl...add the coffee, a spoon at a time to give a thick dropping consistency. You don't want a runny glaze. Like honey -smooth and silky,is what is ideal.

Add the chocolate to that.

Now slather over the rolls...

The glaze hardens as the rolls cool and the chocolate melts and seeps into the rolls ...its a marriage of loving,awesome ,supporting ,sensual flavours...
And a close up to tempt you...

The chocolate and the coffee glaze just kissing the roll........yum!
They were!
Totally awesome!

And they deserve to be made...if you ask why I am tempting you...totally.
I once made some comparatively tame rolls  here, but it is OK to indulge once in a while.
And BTW these rolls were so easy ,my  neighbour made them as soon as she could.
And for an absolute newbie baker they were delicious...

No excuses left now...

So what are you baking today???