Cinnamon Rolls!

With the gradual increase of cool weather, I dare to bake!  (We'll see if I can make a successful bread this year.  Maybe my home-ground wheat was too heavy for all my other loaves? We'll see, we'll see).  

I didn't grow up in a "land with four seasons" so I didn't experience the change as fall approached until I got to college.  Where I grew up, the "seasons" change from hot-all-the-time, to cold-in-the-morning-and-hot-in-the-afternoon, to frigid-(and windy)-in-the-morning-and-cold&warm-in-the-afternoon.

Trees didn't change because we didn't really have any trees.

Storms didn't come in because the mountains to the west depleted the clouds before they got over to our side.

Snow was just wishful thinking :)

On a sunny day in the dead of winter, you could work outside (as long as it wasn't windy) in shorts and a light t-shirt. It's fun, but not very seasonal...

Nonetheless! here I am, anxiously anticipating the approach of autumn.  Of course, fall in New England is a beautiful thing, if you can get out of the gray tones of the city into the vibrant fire of the trees for a bit.  A few trees are already starting to change, and it's stunning!

And, inevitably, as it cools down outside, I get a chance to warm up the inside (and my insides) with cold weather cooking :) Which (for me) translates to: baking, braising, boiling, roasting, stewing, simmering, and saucing. I love cold weather :) It's probably my favorite.

So I made some cinnamon rolls yesterday.  Yes, I made "vegan" cinnamon rolls... because I'm allergic to eggs and dairy (!).  These, however, were quite tasty, and I was very happy with them.  Next time, I'm going to use coconut oil (with a pinch of salt) where butter would be used in non-vegan cinnamon rolls:

brushed on with the filling,

around the outside of the rolls,

(to prevent them from sticking

and drizzled over the tops to crisp them up

(to caramelize the sugar better)

Because the only thing better than a tasty cinnamon roll on a cool afternoon is a gooey tasty cinnamon roll (on a cold and snowy morning)! What a treat.

Happy September, everyone!