with diced apple and raisin

3 years ago, I might find it odd to add spices into sweet treats like cake or bun. I used to think that spices should be in savory cooking, because like its name, the taste is rather sharp than sweet. For me, cinnamon, nutmeg or cloves are spices for savory Arabian/Indian influenced food.

Then my assumptions were crumbling to the ground when – for the first time – I ate cinnamon rolls. And I gasped. Mesmerized. The sweet exotic aroma kicks my taste bud. And I found the only reason why hundred years ago the western invaded eastern, our homeland. They were craving for these beautiful-exotic-warm taste!

As you can guess, since then I always have stocks of spices in my pantry, from vanilla bean, nutmeg, cinnamon (powder or bean), star anise, cardamom etc. The addition of tiny spices into the soup, porridge, bun or muffin really make them unforgettable.

So when I was in a need for something heartening and comfortable, I let myself alone in the kitchen to embrace flour, water, salt and yeast. Knead them, let them rest, punch, then shape. Sometimes I add chopped apple as the filling, but most of time I am more than enough playing with palm sugar, butter and all spices.

Honey All-spiced Scrolls

Original recipe from Taste Magazine, modified by me

Ingredients:

375 ml warm milk

3 tsp dried yeast

1 tbsp caster sugar

600 gr plain flour

½ tsp salt

1 egg, lightly whisked

70 gr palm sugar

2 tsp ground all spices

30 gr canary, coarsely chopped (or apple and raisin)

50 ml honey

Directions:

Combine milk, yeast and sugar in a bowl, set aside for 5 minutes until frothy.

Combine flour and salt in a bowl. Make a well in the center, pour milk mixture and egg into the well and stir until well combined. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 40 minutes or until dough doubles in size.

Preheat the oven to 180 C. Brush a 22cm round cake pan with butter. Line the base of the pan with non stick baking paper.

Turn dough onto lightly floured surface. Knead for 5 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Use a rolling pin to roll to a 30x40cm rectangle. Brush with one-third of melted butter. Combine sugar and all spices in a bowl. Sprinkle one-third of sugar mixture over dough. Fold a short side of dough over two-thirds of filling. Fold remaining third over top to enclose filling. Roll dough out to a 30x40cm rectangle. Repeat twice. Sprinkle with canary.

Drizzle with half of the honey. Roll up dough from a long side to enclose filling. Cut the log crossways into 8 portions. Arrange, cut side up, in pan. Cover with plastic  wrap and set aside for 15 minutes to rise.

Drizzle over remaining honey. Bake for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to 160 C, bake for 30 minutes or until cooked. Rest 30 minutes. Turn onto a rack. 
Enjoy the exotic aroma and taste, you wouldn't notice how many bun you eat, trust me..