It’s not every day, or even every year, that I get the chance to share a guest post on the blog, so you have to know that this one’s special. I’m lucky enough to have a local chef Craig Vanis of Bistro Vonish joining us to share a story that’s both personal and delicious. As someone with a deep love for food and tradition, Craig reflects on the small yet unforgettable moments that food can create. Especially as we near Mother’s Day, it feels especially poignant as he takes us back in time to his grandmother’s kitchen, where cinnamon rolls were more than just a treat, but also a symbol of connection and joy. It’s a real treat to have him share that moment in time along with the recipe that’s been a part of his family for years. -HK

Somehow, grandmas always have the best treats. It’s a fact. Maybe our memories of those goodies tasting so great is due to a childish regression. Or maybe, and I think this is more likely, everyone is factually correct in remembering their grandma’s snacks as superlative. Having those little treats at Grandma’s house is always going to be a little slice of joy so wholesome that Norman Rockwell wouldn’t even know where to begin.

Being a descendant of Bohemian immigrants, kolaches were a must have at Grandma Vanis’s house (only the sweet varieties are “kolache” in a Czech home, and the poppyseed filling is especially popular). But kolaches were not my favorite treat in her kitchen. My favorite? The Cinnamon Roll. Yes. Singular Cinnamon Roll. Specifically, Grandma’s Giant Cinnamon Roll (™). How giant? Giant. About 10 inches across. Approximately 120 cubic inches. It was as if a whole loaf of monkey bread was twirled to maximized cinnamon-sugar surface area. “Quick! Tell me about grandma’s cinnamon roll.” I’d say, “It’s huge!”

Her mid-western farm house was always abuzz with innumerable grand kids, and eventually, great grand kids. The Cinnamon Roll was an ever-winding solitary behemoth, spiraling out to the far reaches of a large pie pan. A horizontal monolith of hypnotic enjoyment. We would cut sections off of the outer edge as the circumference tightened in on itself (full disclosure: we probably used our fingers unless an adult was watching), relishing each delightful morsel while we caught up with the extended family.

There’s a delicate dance to this ritual where you do not want to fill up too much on the outer layers, lest you miss being the lucky duck whose final big bite includes the point from which all cinnamon-sugar elation radiates. The very concept of a dopamine rush made incarnate and leavened with yeast. The headliner in this amazing festival of treats. The checkered flag in the pastry grand prix. The Center. The Center of Grandma’s Giant Cinnamon Roll (™).

This is where the cinnamon-sugar is concentrated while being endlessly wound during assembly. It is where the icing pools and gently soaks in while the pastry race is in progress. And unlike other cinnamon rolls, this center is attained by beating your siblings and cousins in a criterium race to the treasure. Eat too little and you’ll never get there. Eat too much and you’ll be too full to compete at crunch time. It’s not just that the center is the moistest, or sweetest, or gooiest. The center of this cinnamon roll tastes like victory.

The rules to this game of Duck Duck Cinnamon Goose chasing bites around the pie pan are sacred. And it is this sanctity which keeps the calm and order during this adventure. And woe to whomever skips ahead to pluck The Center before it is time. That person will meet the wrath of this sugar-fueled mob, and feel the ire of a whole half of a family tree. This betrayal will plant a grudge that will persist for decades.

So be warned. This Ceylon-spiced key to delight can also unlock a bedlam not known since William Golding stranded that group of British school boys on an island.

Now that you know the stakes, I offer this recipe up to you, dear reader, in hopes of sharing a sliver of these happy memories with you and your loved ones.

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Yield: Makes 8 - 12 Servings

Grandma’s Giant Cinnamon Roll

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Bake up the biggest cinnamon roll you've ever seen, veganized from Craig Vanis's grandmother's recipe, featuring a sweet, gooey center infused with warm, comforting spices.

Ingredients

Wet Ingredients:

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• 1 Cup Warm Non-Dairy Milk (Soy is Preferable)
• 1 Tablespoon Instant or Active Dry Yeast
• 1/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
• 1/2 Cup + 2 Tablespoons Vegan Butter (Ideally Earth Balance) + Additional for Brushing

Dry Ingredients:

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• 3 3/4 Cups All-Purpose Flour + Additional for Kneading
• 1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt

Sugy-Cinn (Cinnamon-Sugar):

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• 1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons Ground Cinnamon

Icing:

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• 1 Cup Confectioner's Sugar
• 1 - 2 Tablespoon Non-Dairy Milk

Instructions

1. Warm the milk to about 110 degrees F. Dissolve the sugar and yeast into the warm milk.
   
2. Separately, in a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, mix together the dry ingredients. Pour the milk mixture and melted butter into the dry ingredients and stir to combine until a large dough ball forms.
   
3. Knead for approximately 5 minutes, sprinkling additional flour as needed when the dough sticks. The dough should feel moist, but not stuck to your hand. Form kneaded dough into a large ball, cover, let rise until doubled in size.
   
4. Next, deflate, or “punch”, the dough as you remove it from the bowl onto a clean table or counter top. Roll the dough into a neat ball and brush with melted butter. Set aside for 15 minutes.
   
5. Use that 15 minutes to preheat the oven to 375 deg F, and mix the Sugy-Cinn, stirring until the cinnamon is evenly dispersed throughout the sugar.
   
6. Returning to the dough, leaving the buttered side up, roll out the ball into a large rectangle, around 16 inches wide and 20 inches long. Generously sprinkle each rectangle with Sugy-Cinn, gently spreading to the edges and lightly (lightly!) pressing into the dough.
   
7. Next, starting at the edge, fold the dough over about 2 1/2 inches at a time, making a log of spiraling cinnamon sugar dough. Trim the edges so ends are square and even. Cut the log into 8 even pieces.
   
8. This is a good time to lay out a piece of parchment paper to catch any cinnamon-sugar that will fall during assembly.
   
9. Place the first piece in the center a large pie pan or spring-form pan. Take the next piece and wrap it around the center piece, continuing its spiral. Take care not to put too much tension or stretch in the dough as you wind, catching as much cinnamon-sugar as you can while transferring each piece. Repeat with the additional section of dough. Set aside and let rise for about 20 minutes.
   
10. Bake the giant cinnamon roll for about 24 - 32 minutes, rotating every 8 minutes. It’s ready to come out of the oven when the center springs back to the touch and is a gentle golden brown. If you touch the center and it feels like it’s floating, it’s not ready.
    
11. Once baked, place the pan on a cooling rack, allowing it to come down to about 90 degrees F. Use that time to make the icing in a small mixing bowl and spoon, starting with 1 Tbsp of the milk of your choice into the 1 cup of powdered sugar. Stir until the milk is thoroughly incorporated, adding more milk 1 drizzle at a time until the icing is a) smooth and not lumpy, b) thin enough to drizzle without being runny. Having an icing that is too thick is easier to fix than an icing that is too thin.
    
12. Once the cinnamon roll is properly cooled, coat with icing to your preference. Then let the games begin.

Recommended Products

Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase after clicking through the link. I have experience with all of these companies and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions I make if you decide to buy something through my links.

• 
  Edward & Sons, Let's Do Organic, Organic Cornstarch, 6 oz (170 g)
• 
  Red Star, Active Dry Yeast, 0.25 oz (7 g)
• 
  Frontier Natural Products, Organic Ceylon Cinnamon, 1.76 oz (50 g)

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 244Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 101mgCarbohydrates: 54gFiber: 2gSugar: 23gProtein: 5g

All nutritional information presented within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on BitterSweetBlog.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate. Even though I try to provide accurate nutritional information to the best of my ability, these figures should still be considered estimations.