It is said that when wanting to sell your home it is a great idea to have just baked a loaf of bread before it goes on show.
The Angela Day Helpline (open every week day from 8.30am to 12.30pm on 011-836-7181) is a very busy line. And it provides us with a wealth of information about what people are eating and the current food trends.
We figured after endless calls for a cinnamon bun/roll recipe that something was causing the craving.
We did not have to look far, because it was exactly that distinctive aroma of freshly baking cinnamon buns that lead us to the source.
Cinnabon is an American brand relatively new to South Africa and the outlets specialise in one thing - baking cinnamon rolls, as they call them.
Based on the old-fashioned American recipe, there are three types - classic, pecan and chocolate. With a number of outlets in various malls around the country, and many more to come, it's that distinctive smell of baking buns that makes one drop everything to join the queue.
It's a clever concept made from very simple ingredients - yeast, flour, milk, sugar, butter and cinnamon, although I did learn that Cinnabon make its rolls with margarine "and mainly imported products at this stage", says local director John Gee, "for consistency". He hastens to add they are working on sourcing local ingredients.
Whilst standing at one of the outlets, it was interesting to watch consumers being lured by the smell. Initially they stopped just a little way from the store, looking a little puzzled, but their noses were twitching as they looked for the origin of the wonderful aroma. As they got closer and were faced with trays of freshly baked buns oozing yummy icing, not many left without making a purchase.
Coupled with the old-fashioned appeal of watching staff making the rolls from scratch, it's pure indulgence.
We asked Angela Day team member Elinor Storkey to come up with a recipe for your own delectable cinnamon buns.
Ingredients: 5 x 250ml flour
10g packet instant yeast
2ml salt
125ml buttermilk
125ml milk
80g butter
80ml sugar
2 extra large eggs, lightly beaten
Filling:
180ml light brown sugar
60ml flour
15ml cinnamon
125g butter
15ml cream
Icing:
glacé icing, caramel icing
melted chocolate to drizzle
Place 500ml of the flour, yeast and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer. Combine buttermilk, milk, butter and sugar in a small saucepan and heat until butter has melted and mixture is lukewarm.
Pour warm liquid into the flour mixture. Using a K beater attachment, beat on low speed. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes.
Change attachment to dough hook and add sufficient amount of remaining flour to form a dough, which is quite soft but no longer sticky.
Knead and place in a large, lightly oiled plastic bag. Leave for an one hour until dough has doubled in volume. When dough has risen, knock it down and let rest, covered, for a further 10 minutes.
Step 2:
Combine sugar, flour and cinnamon in a bowl. Using a pastry cutter, or two knives, cut butter into sugar mixture until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to 30cm square. Sprinkle the filling evenly over the dough. Carefully roll up dough to form log.
Seal edges with a little water.
Step 3:
Using a sharp knife, cut into slices about 3-4cm thick and place onto a greased, 3cm deep, oven tray. Cover and leave to rise for 30 minutes.
Brush with cream and bake at 180°C, for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from oven and drizzle with chocolate, or glacé or caramel icing.
Top with pecan nuts before icing if desired.
Traditionally, cinnamon buns are glazed with a mixture of cream cheese, butter and icing sugar when warm.
Caramel icing:
125ml butter
250ml brown sugar
60ml milk
About 750ml sifted icing sugar
Melt butter in a small saucepan and stir in sugar. Boil 1 minute. Cool and add milk. Add icing sugar, gradually beating until the mixture has a soft pouring consistency.
Glacé icing:
250ml icing sugar, sifted
water to mix
Blend to make a thick but runny mixture.