Cinnamon apple buns (made with zwieback dough)

Here is a recipe that uses a classic zwieback dough to make the most delectable apple buns with a cinnamon sugar topping ever! Well, at least in my experience :)

Cinnamon Apple Buns

Little bits of deliciousness waiting to go into the oven

1. Using the left-over risen zwieback dough, fold a pinched off piece (about the size of a large egg) around a chunk of peeled and cored apple. 
2. Roll into buns using cupped hand method. Dip in milk, then in melted butter or margarine and roll in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar. Place on greased cookie sheet. This recipe is easier if you shape all the buns before dipping and rolling in toppings. 
3. Cover with a tea towel and let rise in a warm place until double (about 1 hour). 
4. Bake in 350 degree oven for approximate 20-25 minutes, until the bottom is golden and the top has a bit of a crust. You should be able to smell the baked apple. 
5. Let stand on cookie sheet for about 10 minutes before gently removing (using a lifter) to a covered surface (I reuse the tea towel that I used to cover the bowl while the dough rises). Let cool slightly before devouring.

Ta da! I can taste them now...  no, really!

Zwieback (double buns)

These little buns have been a tradition in my family for several generations. It just wouldn't be Christmas without them. I remember my mom, all hot and bothered, fussing with these and making Schoenekuchen (nice cookies - a very soft cut-out sugar type cookie) as they rose. Mine are never as pretty and even as hers were - she is a perfectionist - but they still bring up those Christmas memories!

Zwieback

Zwieback

Beware: these make a lot of buns, so be prepared to use a large cookie sheet and small 24-cup muffin tin like I did, with enough left over for the next recipe - apple buns or a fruit square (platz).

The farm method:

• Prepare 1 pkg fast-rising yeast or 1 tbsp dry yeast as directed on package.
• Stir risen yeast and pour into a large bowl. Add 3 c warm water and enough flour for a sponge (puffy soft starter dough) - about 3-4 c flour for this amount of liquid - and beat well. Let stand, covered in warm spot.
• Place in medium saucepan: 2 c warm milk, 3 sticks (1 1/2c) butter or margarine (or half and half shortening and butter), 1/2 c white sugar, 1/4 c salt. Warm on medium heat just until the margarine starts to melt and the sugar is dissolved. Let cool slightly.
• Stir together in bowl containing the 'sponge,' mixing well and adding 4-6 more cups of flour to make a medium-soft smooth elastic dough. Knead flour in on floured surface once you can no longer mix it in with a wooden spoon.
• Grease the bowl and top of dough and let rise til doubled, about 2 hours or so, covered with a tea towel.
• When dough is ready, turn out on to floured surface and let rest, covered with a tea towel for about 10 minutes. Then pinch off (or cut with serrated knife) pieces of dough that you can roll into balls which are about the size of a small egg (equal to the size of 2 walnuts). Use a cupped hand to roll the dough against the palm of your other hand or a floured surface to make smooth balls. When you make enough base pieces, make balls about half that size for the top buns. Press gently together (don't worry if they fall to the side when rising - mine always do).

You can  use a greased cookie sheet:

Little buns - not perfect but sweet all the same

Or greased miniature muffin tins (or both):

A bevy of finished zwieback baked in mini muffin tins

• Let rise for approximately an hour and bake in 350-375 degree oven for 20-30 minutes, until a light golden brown.
• Cool on a covered surface (I usually reuse the tea towels) and then pull apart the top from the bottom and enjoy with a bit of butter and/or jam.

Next recipe: apple buns.

Easy Crescent Danish Rolls

My boss at work gave me this recipe and said I "had" to try it (Thanks, Kathy!) and she was right! Easy Crescent Danish Rolls was the Pillsbury Bake-Off Winner in 1978 and it hasn't lost an ounce of ooph since them. Chock full of ooey gooey deliciousness (as you will see from the photos) it's a winner from start to finish. Best yet, it's quick to prepare even when you make you own apple filling, like I did (recipe included). Great with my afore-published breakfast patties for a totally decadent, yum-filled brunch of champions (or something like that).

Easy Crescent Danish Rolls

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Ingredients

• 1 8 oz package of Neufchatel cheese (1/3 less calories than cream cheese)
• 1/2 c sugar
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 cans Crescent seamless dough sheets
• 4 (or more) tbsp of your favorite fruit preserve (my recipe follows)

Icing

• 1 tsp vanilla (I used rum extract because I had no vanilla in the house)
• 1/2-1 c powdered sugar (depending on how runny you like your glaze)
• 2-3 tsp milk (I used about a tablespoon or 2 with about 1 c of powdered sugar)

My imperfectly perfect spiral coils

Preparation

1. In a small bowl, blend Neufchatel, sugar and lemon juice.
2. Roll out crescent dough, one can at a time, and cut into 4 rectangles.
3. Spread rectangles of dough with about 3 tbsp of the cream cheese mixture.
4. Starting at long side, gently roll and twist at the same time until the roll is about 10 inches long. Coil loosely into spirals with seam inside. Seal ends (ok, I am not a perfectionist and my rolls aren't all that neat, but they sure look good!)
5. There should be an indentation in the middle of the coil, but use your thumb to make it slightly larger and fill with half a tablespoon or so of preserves (we like lots of filling).
6. Arrange on parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 25 to 30 minutes (until deep golden brown)

The cream cheese is oozing out - more ooey gooey deliciousness!

Mix the powdered sugar, rum or vanilla extract and milk. Drizzle over warm rolls. Serve and enjoy!

Jealous yet? Yum!

Apple Filling

Peel, core and finely chop 2 Granny Smith apples. Place in small saucepan with enough water to cover the apples. Cook on 'medium' heat on stove until the apples are tender (about 15 minutes). Add 1/2 c sugar, 1-2 tsp cinnamon and 2-3 tbsp cornstarch, mixed into a paste with 1/2 c of water. Cook mixture together on 'medium' heat until thickened - approximately 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to stop from sticking and scorching. Remove from heat and use to fill the danishes. Since you will only use half, the rest can be canned, frozen or kept in the fridge until you need apple preserves for pancakes, waffles or (most likely) another go-around of this recipe!