Bake

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Cinnamon Twists from my Childhood

Thanks, mom. And Betty Crocker. This recipe looks unassuming but once you unleash it in your kitchen you must eat every single one of them. Yes, they are that good. Even if your first bite does not tip you off. It’s the how-often-you-go-back that proves the point.

It all starts with a biscuit recipe from an old Betty Crocker cookbook (copyright 1950). Take the dough, roll it out, add the butter, cinnamon & sugar and make the twists. Bake ’em, then top with vanilla glaze. Ear-re-SIST-able.

Here’s my demo on WSMV Channel 4 Nashville’s More at Midday show (with Holly Thompson). And the recipe is below.

Chef Paulette’s Cinnamon Twists VIDEO

Chef Paulette’s Biscuit Dough Cinnamon Twists

2 cups flour

2 ½ teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold

¾ cup milk

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temp & spreadable

5-6 teaspoons cinnamon

2-3 teaspoons sugar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Add 4 1-tablespoon pats of cold butter. Cut into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or knife until butter pieces are small specks. Add milk and whisk together with a fork until a dough forms. Knead just enough to press into a thick disc of dough.

Roll out on a floured work surface to ¼ inch thick. Spread the 4 tablespoons of soft butter to cover surface of dough. Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar evenly over surface. Fold dough in half and rolled lightly to seal together. Cut into 1-inch strips. Lift each strip and twist into a loose spiral. Place on a baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden. Let cool then drizzle glaze.

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

hot water

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Place sugar in a medium mixing bowl. Run tap water until very hot. Add water to sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring, until you have a semi-thick icing. Stir in vanilla. Drizzle over cinnamon sticks.

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Sweet Pear Pizza Recipe

 

Sweet Pear Pizza w Sage

Sweet Pear Pizza w Sage

This pizza blows me away. It is SO good. So easy too. It’s a taste you haven’t tasted before but you’ll be so happy to be introduced. Taste buds meet sweet pear pizza, prepare to be WOWED.

“Duly wowed!”

Start with 1 lb. of pizza dough. Make your own or buy a bag o’ pizza dough from the supermarket. Lightly oil a medium bowl. Place dough in bowl and then turn over so all sides are slightly oiled (stops dough from forming a “skin”). Cover loosely with a clean dish towel. Let it get to room temperature and rise a little bit, too…about 1-2 hours.

Meantime, peel and core 2 Bartlett pears. Cut into quarters and cut into thin slices.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment. Lightly oil the parchment. On a work surface dusted with flour, press out the dough (with your fingers) into a flat disc. Pick up the dough and drape a wide edge over your fists. Gentle move the dough edges over your fists, pumping your hands up and down so the dough stretches some more. Lay dough out on the prepared baking sheet. DOn’t worry about a perfect shape. It can be round. It can be oblong. Whatever.

Place pear slices in a nice pattern all over the pizza. leaving a narrow border around the edges. Press the pear slices into the dough a bit. Now sprinkle with about 1/2 cup sugar. Sprinkle some torn up sage leaves. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 20-25 minutes until crusty and golden. Cut into slices or squares to serve.

Pear PIzza

Pear PIzza