We all frequent CTB. Whether you’re picking up a bagel on your way to morning class, hitting it up for a late night study snack or casually sipping sangria on a Friday afternoon, it always seems to hit the spot. But what sets CTB apart as Collegetown’s main hub? Clearly its location is convenient, but besides that, its food has a character of its own and, although prepared fast, its deliciousness lies in the simplicity. Meandering up to the counter last Monday, stomach grumbling, but mind undecided, I asked an employee for her recommendation. I needed something sweet, but full of carbs to fuel me for the upcoming long afternoon. She wrote down a plain bagel with extra butter and cinnamon sugar, so I nodded in acceptance and made my way to pay. As I bit into the warm dough, however, I was unprepared for the taste explosion: The bread, soft inside, drenched in buttery goodness, the cinnamon sugar soaking into it all to make one cohesive pastry. It was gone all too quickly however, but my hopes weren’t dashed, considering that after class it was easy enough to make more myself!This sweet, simple snack can be made with a variety of ingredients, easily replacing a bagel with anything from toast to scones or even matzah for those observing the quickly-approaching Passover. Whether on-the-go or staying home, this CTB’s sweet simplicity stays true.If you happen to enjoy baking however, there’s no reason you can’t spend time tackling a way to make this dish grander. You can expand to cooking cinnamon buns, muffins, cupcakes or cookies, all easy for friends to enjoy as well. In addition, all the recipes endorse creativity, so don’t be shy if you feel like adding nuts, raisins or any other ingredients; simplicity allows plenty of room to experiment with all sorts of flavors! CTB-Style Cinnamon RollsAdapted from Paula Deen, The Food Network.Prep time: 20 min, Inactive: 1 hour, Cook time: 30 minYield: 12-15 servings
Ingredients
Dough:
Filling:
Glaze:
DirectionsPre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Empty yeast into warm water in a small bowl. Mix milk, sugar, melted butter, salt and egg in a larger bowl. Mix in 2 cups of flour until reaching a creamy texture, then mix in yeast water. Add remaining flour until dough forms and knead on lightly floured surface for 5-10 minutes. Grease a bowl and let dough rise inside while covered for 1- 1 ½ hours. Once doubled in size, punch and roll on another floured surface into a 15 x 9 inch rectangle. Cover dough in melted butter and sprinkle cinnamon and sugar over it. Beginning at the 15-inch side, role up dough, pinch edge together to seal and cut into 12 to 15 slices.Cover bottom of baking pan with butter and sprinkle sugar on top. Place the slices of dough close together in the pan and let rise until dough is doubled again (or for about 45 minutes). Bake for about 30 minutes or until nicely browned.
Original Author: Danielle Diniz