STEMS & FORKS

Beautiful musings of flora and fare.

Snacks

Espresso Cinnamon Buns

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When my Belgian husband Pierre first immigrated to Canada, he was taken aback by the coffee culture here in Canada. “I find it so bizarre that North Americans can guzzle down this watery, sad version of what you call coffee.” This is where I explained to him coffee here wasn’t just about functionality and flavour profile. There’s an enormous social and cultural undercurrent surrounding coffee here. “Let’s do coffee.” Synonymous to let’s gather. Let’s gather and talk about anything and everything which will potentially take more than a few minutes…in which case we’ll need a heaping cup of coffee and some dessert to go with it. 

Of course Pierre, who was accustomed to little espresso shots in Europe has finally acclimatized to the Canadian coffee culture. Now, he’s the biggest advocate for taking the time to enjoy an oversized mug of java over long and meaningful conversations with loved ones. It only took ten years…

And I suppose that’s where this virtual coffee party all started. The talented Nate of the Terminatetor Kitchen wanted to “do coffee” with a few international fellow food bloggers. What better way to celebrate and connect but through a coffee recipe.

So I invite you to call a few friends, gather, brew a pot of java, bake these buns (which by the way are SUBLIME) and “do coffee”. 

Check out some of the other amazing coffee inspired recipes by my fellow food bloggers below:

Alexcrumb • Vegan chocolate meringue pie

Ananás e Hortelã • Strawberry Rolls with White Chocolate Glaze

Black.White.Vivid • Emirati Sweet Dumplings with Coffee Syrup (Luqaimat)

Cloudy Kitchen • Tiramisu Sheet Cake

DisplacedHousewife • Banana Espresso Cake with Espresso Bean Buttercream

Feed Me With Amanda • Tea Infused Shortbread

Feed The Swimmers • Fudgy Espresso Sweet Potato and Black Bean Brownies with Hazelnuts

and a Coffee Cream Cheese Frosting

Flor de Cerejeira • Mocha Orange Entremet

Flour Covered Apron • Espresso Banana Muffins with Chocolate Espresso Glaze

From Scratch Mostly • Argentinian Dulce de Leche Churros, Dipped in Coffee Chocolate Sauce

Harvest & Honey • Mocha-Braised Pork & Polenta Bowls

HonestlyYUM • Cafe Con Tres Leches Cake

Love Olive • Breakfast Almond Pancakes with Coffee Syrup

Milk of Thy Kindness • Best and Easy Coffee & Avocado Indo Style

Stems & Forks • Espresso Cinnamon Buns

TermiNatetor Kitchen • Blueberry Creme Fraiche Coffee Cake

The Almond Eater • Mocha Tahini Fudge

The Cinnaman • espresso ricotta cheesecake with emirati date crumb (batheeth)

The Korean Vegan • Vegan Tiramisu

Bon app!

Espresso and Cinnamon Twist Buns
Serves 8
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Prep Time
4 hr
Cook Time
22 min
Prep Time
4 hr
Cook Time
22 min
FOR THE DOUGH
  1. 1 teaspoon white granulated sugar for the yeast
  2. 1 tablespoon traditional active dry yeast
  3. 1/3 cup milk
  4. 3 3/4 cups - 4 cups or 490 grams - 520 grams of all purpose flour
  5. 1 teaspoon salt
  6. 1/2 cup or 100 grams white granulated sugar
  7. 3/4 cup buttermilk room temperature
  8. 6 table spoons very soft room temperature unsalted butter
  9. 2 large eggs room temperature
FOR THE FILLING
  1. 1 stick or 1/2 cup or 115 grams of unsalted butter room temperature
  2. 3/4 cup or 175 grams brown sugar
  3. 1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon powder
  4. 3 tablespoons instant espresso powder (if its in flake form, put in ziploc and roll a rolling pin over it till it becomes a powder) Substitutes: instant coffee but won't be as flavourful
GLAZE
  1. 1/4 cup heavy cream
FOR THE FROSTING
  1. 3 ounces or 85 grams cream cheese room temperature
  2. 1/4 cup or 55 grams unsalted butter room temperature
  3. 1 1/4 cup or 155 grams icing/powdered sugar
Instructions
  1. Instructions for the dough
  2. Scald 1/3 cup milk in small sauce pan till small bubbles form at side of pan or until it reaches a temperature of 110-120 F and is very warm to the touch but not so hot that it’s unbearable to touch
  3. Gently stir in the teaspoon of sugar and tablespoon of yeast. Set aside to poof to double it’s size… about 8-10 minutes
  4. In stand mixer with paddle attachment, mix the buttermilk, the eggs, salt and 1/2 cup sugar with the 6 tablespoons of very soft room temperature butter… Don’t worry too much if the butter is lumpy.
  5. Once the yeast has poofed pour into the stand mixer bowl and stir for a few seconds
  6. Swap out the paddle attachment now with the hook attachment
  7. Add about half the flour in until shaggy and somewhat combined, then add the rest of the flour and knead for about 8 minutes on low speed.
  8. Dough should be smooth, shiny, tacky and stick to the bottom of the bowl (not the sides) don’t be tempted to keep adding flour. Only add more if it’s sticking to sides and bottom…and add a spoonful at a time only. Less is more here. If it’s too dry, add a spoon of milk
  9. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl keeping in mind the dough will double…cover with plastic and allow to rise in a warm part of home…2 - 2 1/2 hours
  10. Line with parchment or generously butter a 12 inch baking pan or pizza pan (with no holes on the bottom. I used a pizza pan) and set aside
  11. In a medium bowl, mix the cinnamon, brown sugar and espresso powder together and set aside
  12. Once the dough has risen to at least double, lightly dust a work surface with flour
  13. Punch dough down and transfer to counter. Take sharp serrated knife or dough scraper and cut the dough into 4 equal parts.
  14. Roll each of the pieces out in a rectangular shape about 8 inches by 12 inches
  15. Slather/spread about two tablespoons (from the half cup butter) on each rectangle using your fingers and leaving about half an inch on the edge of the entire border
  16. Sprinkle and spread about a quarter of the filling per rectangle and roll snuggly
  17. Not mandatory but very helpful at this point to chill the rolled dough for about 15 minutes before proceeding to next step - slightly chilled dough makes it easier to work with.
  18. Once all four have been rolled, take a very sharp serrated knife and cut down lengthwise centre and set aside
  19. You should have 8 tendrils now
  20. Refer to pics above for the following steps
  21. Take the tendril and bend at the center to make a “U”
  22. Twist/braid the the two 'legs' so they weave together
  23. Now starting from the center end, roll the weaved tendril all the way in a swirl motion.
  24. Once you’ve reached the end, tuck that tail under the bun
  25. Repeat with all 8 tendrils
  26. Arrange your rosy buns on your baking pan or pizza pan and completely cover with a damp cheesecloth or light kitchen towel (dampen cloths by soaking with water than wringing out excess water)
  27. Place in warm area for the second rise (until they’ve almost doubled in size) about 1 hour
  28. Preheat oven to 375 F and place rack to middle position in oven
  29. Brush on/pour over the 1/4 cup of cream all over the buns…make sure you use the entire 1/4 cup…its okay if it puddles between the buns…the liquid will get absorbed as it bakes
  30. Bake for 20-22 minutes…I usually tent mine with aluminum foil for the last 5 minutes as my buns tend to brown rather quickly towards the end. All ovens vary, so keep an eye on your buns to avoid over browning!
  31. They are ready once the internal temperature in the center of the buns reads 185 F on a thermometer and no longer looks doughy.
  32. While the buns are baking, prepare the frosting
  33. With paddle attachment, beat the room temperature cream cheese until smooth and creamy, then add the butter and beat until fully incorporated (if it gets lumpy, blow a hair dryer over the frosting while it’s beating for a few seconds)
  34. Add the powdered sugar and beat until smooth and silky
HOW TO SERVE
  1. There are a few ways to serve with the frosting.
  2. You can slather the entire pan of buns with the frosting while they are still a bit warm (not hot)
  3. Probably the most appetizing, but also the messiest and unestheitcally pleasing as the frosting completely covers the beautiful rosette buns
  4. The other way to serve is by lightly drizzling the frosting over the buns with a spoon or fork once they’ve cooled and serving with a heaping dollup of extra frosting on the side.
  5. Or serve these buns as is with a side of frosting for dunking.
  6. Anyway you pick, it’ll all be super yummy and fun.
Notes
  1. If using a pizza pan to to bake buns, make sure you line the bottom of your oven with some aluminum foil as there could be some excess filling that spills over
  2. Buns are ideal same day they are baked. However, keeps well for up to 3 days wrapped or in an airtight container.
STEMS & FORKS https://www.stemsandforks.com/

King Georges’ Granola Bars

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I fully admit I spoil my kids rotten when it comes to food. I’m often caught making fresh cut fries an hour before bedtime or whipping up cupcakes for breakfast. My husband and I always joke that we are our kids slaves. In a sense I suppose we are. Google’s definition of slave;  “a person who is the legal property of another and is forced to obey them” and  “work excessively hard”. I’d have to say we are definitely slaves to our kids in that case.

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Coppa, Gruyère Cheese and Tarragon Biscuits

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I hate to be such a downer but it’s been a long and dark winter…as usual. I know, I know: I live in Canada – it’s expected to be cold for half the year. Which is why Florida is crawling with Canadian seniors aka snowbirds this time of year. Then, by mid March, with the kids out on winter break, Toronto will be a ghost town. Almost everyone has gone to a beach town. Except for my family.
 
My husband Pierre and I like beaches and hot weather but only for about 20 minutes. I’ve never been fond of sunbathing with a fashion magazine while sipping pina coladas. Or sitting in a boat staring at the same flat horizon of water and sky kissing for hours on end. We’re just not beach people…at least I don’t think we are.
After perusing the net and stumbling on Corsica, I was left drunk with fantasies of beach cafes, feasting on fresh grilled fish, crisp perfume scented rosé, to the soundtrack of honey-dappled waves lapping. All the while gazing in awe at the backdrop of the mediterranean sea and rustic terracotta roofed homes. Okay. Perhaps I could become a beach bum.
 

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Tahini Maple Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

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It’s only been about 6 six weeks since I started this blog and so far I’m loving it. The more I bake, the better I get and the more I realize that I need to continue to challenge myself by not always replicating or adapting other bakers’ recipes. I need to create original recipes that actually taste great.
 
I suppose deep down inside I’m insecure. I have no formal baking education. Almost everything I learned has been through trial and error, ups and downs. Sometimes the failures turned out to be wonderful new recipes. Other times they are as my daughter would say, “Hashtag fail, Mom.” My insecurity still lingers, but with every victory in producing a winning recipe, that small, undermining voice gets a little more subdued.
 
These Tahini Maple Chocolate Sandwich Cookies are soft to bite, taste nutty and chocolatey (without any nuts) and are ultimately scrumptious. After concocting these mini sandwiches, I realized the cure to my self-doubt was simple. Make my own recipes. 
 
Bon app!
Tahini Maple Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
Yields 24
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COOKIES
  1. 300 g/ 2 1/2 cups AP flour
  2. 90g/ 3/4 cup hulled and roasted white sesame seeds
  3. 1 teaspoon baking powder
  4. 1/2 teaspoon salt
  5. 170 g/ 3/4 cup butter softened
  6. 2 eggs
  7. 110 g/ 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
  8. 100 g/ 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  9. 1/3 cup 100% maple syrup
  10. 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or extract
CHOCOLATE FILLING
  1. 100g/ 1 cup Cocoa powder unsweetened
  2. 1 cup 100% maple syrup
  3. 90g/ 3/4 cup hulled and roasted white sesame seeds
  4. 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
Instructions
  1. Sift flour, baking powder and salt in large bowl and set aside
  2. Take food processor/Kitchen Aid/Ninja and process all the sesame seeds until it is nicely ground.
  3. Take about half of the ground sesame seeds, add to the flour mixture, put aside the remaining sesame seeds to be used later for the chocolate filling
  4. In stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar and white sugar for about a minute on low speed until they're well blended
  5. Add the maple syrup in slowly until just combined.
  6. Beat in egg, one at a time. Scrape bottom and sides
  7. Add the vanilla and beat for a few seconds
  8. Add flour and mix on low speed, scraping sides and bottom until flour has been fully incorporated - about half a minute or so
  9. Dough consistency should be moist and ever so slightly tacky...not sticky or gummy
  10. Take dough and make into a ball and double wrap with plastic wrap
  11. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight
  12. Place rack in middle of oven and preheat oven to 350F
  13. Take cookie dough out of fridge and let it come to room temperature about 10 minutes
  14. Roll out about 1/4 inch thick on lightly floured surface and cut out with desired cookie cookies
  15. Remember you need pairs to make the bottom and tops for cookie sandwiches!!
  16. Bake for 10 minutes until the shine on the cookies has disappeared.
  17. Allow to cool about 5 minutes on tray, then transfer to cookie rack
  18. Repeat for the remaining cookies
CHOCOLATE FILLING
  1. Take the remaining ground sesame seeds and add the maple syrup and blend with your food processing gadget (I used my NINJA) until it looks like tahini paste about 1 minute (depends on the gadget you're using)
  2. Add the vanilla bean paste or extract and blend
  3. Then add the cocoa powder and blend for another half minute
  4. Consistency should be like very thick paste
  5. After the cookies have cooled either pipe or spread the paste on one half of the cookie sandwich
  6. Put the other cookie on top of paste and give them a soft squeeze
Notes
  1. I used 1", 2" and 3" heart shaped cookie cutters which made approximately 24 cookie sandwiches.
  2. Store in air tight container for up to one week.
STEMS & FORKS https://www.stemsandforks.com/

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

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As a mother I am always trying to sneak healthy foods into my kids’ meals. As every parent knows, chicken nuggets and pizza can be great to satiate the kids, but the challenge is trying to include nutrient-rich foods into their fickle little diets. Sometimes these covert operations are met with more success than other times. Recently, I was making chocolate zucchini bread (well, chocolate bread to my 10 year old daughter), when she caught me red-handed standing over the bowl of chocolate batter with the offensive green squash in one hand and a grater in the other. I may as well have been holding a a bottle of rat poison and a dirty syringe based on her reaction.

Just as the trust was being rebuilt, (and she was finally convinced I wasn’t trying to poison her), my culinary antics were blown wide open again. For years I had strained anchovies into her miso soup, but the gig was finally up when she discovered a tiny little anchovy eyeball staring back at her from her bowl. Clearly, I should have used a finer strainer. Her reaction was epic as far as meltdowns go. 

Even now, I still mince yellow peppers (so finely that it might as well be a puree) into her spaghetti bolognese. The older she grows, the more her taste buds and sense of smell evolves. Most attempts at concealing healthy food now are as she put it a “#fail”. Thus the days of fooling my little princess into believing her food is unadulterated are pretty much done.

Trying to outsmart a 10 year old is challenging. My daughter likes things simple. If it’s apple pie, it better not have blueberries, just apples. Same with chocolate cake. Add a few raspberries on top and suddenly its not a chocolate cake anymore. It’s a raspberry cake.

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