Connie Loves Sticky Cinnamon Buns (Vegan)

© M.C.V. Egan

In my book Defined by Others, Connie’s baking and cooking waft often permeate the scenes and settings. I am a good cook, to me cooking can be as free-flowing and creative as writing, but baking? Oh, baking is for the obedient who follow measurements and sizes—limited, a bit like editing! Ask any writer, which is the part of the process we tend to dread, and if budget allows, pay someone else to do it, I think the most popular answer will be editing.

Our son was born deathly allergic to dairy, eggs, and some tree nuts, a couple of decades ago, our options were limited. So, I honed my baking craft, focusing on Vegan recipes watching out for the nuts in our case. As our son got older, the product variety increased, and I stopped baking except for Christmas or other holidays.

Then COVID19 hit, and none of us knew what to trust. I dusted off my bread maker, pans, and such, rolled up my sleeves to protect my family, and baked almost every day at first. A funny thing happened, I discovered that today at 61 I love to bake! I also do not mind editing as much.

These Vegan Buns, and I do give the link to the source, are so delicious that for the non-vegans, we add a dollop of cream cheese on top. This blog is one of the many wonderful ones I have discovered; if anyone you love has food allergies, please contact me, and I will share all the resources we use.

From Tasty.co

(We tried others, they were good, but these are the easiest to make, visit the site for video directions)

Ingredients for 8 servings

(We freeze in plastic wrap, individually.

They microwave in 45 seconds to perfection)

2 tablespoons vegan butter, to coat the foil pan

DOUGH

2 cups almond milk, at room temperature

½ cup vegan butter, melted

¼ cup organic sugar

1 packet active dry yeast

5 ½ cups flour, divided

1 teaspoon salt

FILLING

¾ cup vegan butter

¾ cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

ICING

(we like icing and make extra)

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons almond milk

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

1. Generously rub two disposable foil pie pans with vegan butter.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the almond milk, melted butter, and sugar. The mixture should be just warm, registering between 100-110˚F (37-43˚C). If it is hotter, allow to cool slightly.

3. Sprinkle the yeast evenly over the warm mixture and let set for 1 minute.

4. Add 5 cups flour and 1 teaspoon of salt to the milk mixture and mix with a wooden spoon until just combined.

5. Cover the bowl with a towel or plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise for 1 hour.

6. Preheat oven to 350˚F (180˚C).

7. After 1 hour, the dough should have nearly doubled in size.

8. Remove the towel and add an additional ½ cup (95g) of flour and salt. Stir well, then turn out onto a well-floured surface.

9. Knead the dough lightly, adding additional flour as necessary, until the dough just loses its stickiness and does not stick to the surface.

10. Roll the dough out into a large rectangle, about ½-inch (1 cm) thick. Fix corners to make sure they are sharp and even.

11. Spread the softened vegan butter evenly over the dough.

12. Sprinkle evenly with brown sugar and cinnamon.

13. Roll up the dough, forming a log, and pinch the seam closed. Place seam-side down. Trim off any unevenness on either end.

14. Cut the log in half, then divide each half into 7 evenly sized pieces. About 1½ inches (8 cm) thick each.

15. Place 7 cinnamon rolls in each cake pan, one in the center, six around the sides. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm place to rise for 30 minutes.

16. To prepare the frosting. In a medium-size mixing bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, almond milk, and vanilla until smooth.

17. Remove plastic wrap. Bake the cinnamon rolls in a preheated oven at 350˚F (180˚C) for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown.

18. While still warm, drizzle evenly with frosting.

Defined By Others

Defining Ways Series Book 1

by M.C.V. Egan

Genre: Suburban Women's Fiction

A word, a single word defines a moment for Anne. She needs to find a new one when her spouse, Frank, leaves her at the age of forty-seven, coming out of the closet literally in a closet.

She finds herself back in her hometown of Skvallerby, Connecticut among her high school friends which she had left in her past.

An inheritance from a frenemy leaves her with the means to meddle and spy on the lives of mutual acquaintances.

In an attempt to run from her reality Anne becomes engrossed in a game of fun and flirtation with her friend and fellow sufferer Connie.

Their fun games turn into a deadly reality. It is no longer a game. Life, death, and not even a defining word can stop the reality of manipulation.

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Death of a Sculptor in Hue, Shape, and Color

by M.C.V. Egan

Genre: Suburban Women's Fiction

Color-coded love stories and revealing female anatomies lead to the murder of world-renowned sculptor, Bruce Jones.

In life, the artist loved women, almost as much as women loved him. Adored for his art and colorful personality, Bruce is mourned by the world at large. The tale is launched with the multifaceted perspectives of four ex-wives, the current wife, and his new love interest and their children.

Mary, Bruce’s wealthy first love, is always in perfect pink; the color of love. Mother of Clair the famous actress and Aaron the corporate lawyer.

Leslie The Second’s color is yellow for her sunny nature as much as for her fears and insecurities. Her only son Bobby is vulnerable and lost. Mourning his father’s death, he finds himself.

Petra The Third, is outstanding in orange, representing not only her native Holland but also her love of the fruit. Cherished her freedom and had no children of her own.

Toni The Fourth is a vibrant passionate Italian red and part of the eventual glue that creates and solidifies this dysfunctional Jones family. Her teenage daughters Tina and Isa are as different as night and day.

Brooke The Fifth a gold-digger. Green, her color, reflects the color of money and envy. Her young son’s Kyle and Caleb are too young to understand why their world has been turned upside-down.

Mara, as blue as the ocean was the last woman to steal Bruce’s heart. Mother to newborn Baby Peter is an unexpected gift and surprise.

Bruce Jones’ eight children speak out, too. They are as distinctive as the women he loved, their mothers.

Loose ends are tied up by the insights of Sylvia, Aaron’s wife and a trusted keeper of secrets; Scott, the private investigator and family friend; Nona, the quintessential grandmother everyone loves but to whom few are truly related; and Detective Jim Miller who will not rest until he discovers Bruce Jones’ murderer.

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The Bridge of Deaths

A Love Story and Mystery

by M.C.V. Egan

Genre: Historical Mystery

On August 15th, 1939, an English passenger plane from British Airways Ltd. crashed in Danish waters between the towns of Nykøbing Falster and Vordingborg. There were five casualties reported and one survivor. Just two weeks before, Hitler invaded Poland. With the world at the brink of war, the manner in which this incident was investigated left much open to doubt. The jurisdiction battle between the two towns and the newly formed Danish secret police created an atmosphere of intrigue and distrust. The Bridge of Deaths is a love story and a mystery. Fictional characters travel through the world of past life regressions and information acquired from psychics as well as archives and historical sources to solve "one of those mysteries that never get solved." Based on true events and real people, The Bridge of Deaths is the culmination of 18 years of sifting through conventional and unconventional sources in Denmark, England, Mexico, and the United States. The story finds a way to help the reader feel that s/he is also sifting through data and forming their own conclusions. Cross The Bridge of Deaths into 1939, and dive into cold Danish waters to uncover the secrets of the G-AESY.

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Book Trailer