Freshly Baked
“In the theme of sharing recipes, I am re-posting a blog I wrote a while back that I still love, I hope you enjoy it! Happy Thanksgiving.”
The flour was spread across the cookie sheet ready for the yeasty dough I had just kneaded together. While rolling the sticky ball into a rectangle I smiled. Sprinkling flour on the plastic cup in my hands I continued until it was completely flattened. Next, I poured the butter like a little sunny stream to cover the dough completely. It was then time to pour the cinnamon and sugar mixture into the butter to make brown little sugar puddles. My favorite part is rolling it all up into a long strip of cinnamon goo. After pinching the dough to keep all the sweetness inside, with dental floss I cut twenty-four rolls. For thirty minutes I let the dough rise before I popped them into the oven to bake.
Yes, I did it. I had one of those domestic moments of glory. The kitchen is now quiet as they bake to perfection. The smell of fresh bread drifts into every room of the house. The children will wake up eager for a roll and I will feel like a success story for a few moments. I want to feel this way. It's the reason I had a family. It is the vision I had as a little girl holding my "Pumpkin Patch" doll while playing house. I especially loved playing house with my cousin because she had a dolly high chair and a toy refrigerator stocked with plastic food. Someday, I dreamed, I would make delicious things for my own real family. Just like my smiling doll, my real family would be happy too.
If only it was that easy.
In real life, actual time, the pace is so much faster. To be honest I made those rolls for my worship team. My kids would be disappointed.
Life is full of such little decisions every day. With every choice the question that rolls around in my mind is...will I be enough? I might be, for the worship team, but will I be for my own family? Knowing that I would have a little revolt on my hands, I baked cinnamon rolls for my family too. It wasn't too much extra work, but experience has taught me to make double.
Right now, I hear my littlest one roaring in his crib. Yes, I said roaring, because he thinks he is Incredible Hulk. He may not be yet, but he is incredibly cute. His little voice trying to be grown reminds me how blessed I am to have him. The timer is almost finished and the white whipped frosting is waiting to glaze. I can't help but think of the many little gifts God brings my way. Little sweet reminders dressed in casual clothes, so inconspicuous I could overlook them. Right now I choose to be grateful.
Thank you, God, for little boys, and cinnamon and sugar, and the warmth of my living room on a cold Midwestern autumn morning. For the hope, I find every Sunday in church, and the voice to sing out your praises. Thank you for two almost grown girls and a tall boy who is almost a man. Thank you for the love of my life, and for the baby Hulk stirring in his crib. I am so thankful for a heart opened up and still willing to receive...
That heart open part...hasn't always been easy. Life is not all cinnamon rolls, sweet and gooey. Sometimes there are just cold mornings and hard times. I've had disappointments, struggles, and hurts but the Lord has seen me through them all.
Oh Lord, I love your grace. I need it every day. Please sprinkle it down over my life.
The oven is open, the rolls, golden brown have doubled in size. The cream cheese frosting melts into gooey puddles on top as I wait for them to cool. I can hear the house awakening with alarms as a teenage voice calls, "Mom where are the towels?"
I have to go, but first I give thanks.
Dianne’s Quick Cinnamon Rolls
For dough:
2 Packages Fast-rising yeast
11/2 lukewarm water
4 cups flour
6 TBS. sugar
2 TBS. butter (melted)
1 tsp. salt
+ 1/2 cup butter melted (for rolled out dough)
Cinnamon Mixture:
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
Cream Cheese Frosting
1/2 oz. cream cheese
3/4 cup powder sugar
1/2 tsp. Vanilla
1/2 tsp. Heavy cream
Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Then add melted butter. Stir in dry ingredients, knead in extra flour until dough is smooth and stretches. Let rest for 10 minutes. On a floured surface, roll the dough out into a rectangle. Then pour butter on top of the dough and spread to cover. Pour cinnamon mixture on top and roll dough into a long tube, pinching seam closed. To cut wrap dental floss around dough pull ends to slice. Repeat each 1 inch to make 24-30 rolls place in a 9x13 pan. Heat oven to 400 Degrees, Bake 15-18 minutes until golden brown. Cool. Top with Frosting. Enjoy!