National Pastry Day

In honor of National Pastry Day we celebrate with treats from our Pastry Chef, Terra Hunt. She received her degree from the Culinary Arts program at Wake Tech Community College with an emphasis in baking and pastries. We are lucky to have her in our kitchen preparing the best breads and desserts. Luke Campbell, our Dining Director says she makes the most “delicious rolls for us, they melt in your mouth!” We have asked her to share her secret Springmoor recipes with us.
Her Cinnamon Pastries will delight your holiday guests at breakfast or for brunch. And if you are having a large dinner party or friends for an afternoon buffet, we suggest serving her individual Strawberry Trifles. You will need to make a few extra of both delicacies to keep for yourself. These will be gone before you even sit down!
From our kitchen to yours – Happy Holidays and Bon Appétit!

Terra’s Homemade Cinnamon Pastries

Ingredients
Dough:

• ¼ ounce package yeast
• ½ cup warm water
• ½ cup scalded milk
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1/3 cup butter or shortening
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 3 ½ to 4 cups all-purpose flour

Filling:

• ½ cup melted butter, plus more for pan
• ¾ cup sugar, plus more for pan
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• ¾ cup raisins, walnuts, or pecans, optional

Glaze:

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 to 6 tablespoons hot water

Directions

• Heat oven to 350 degrees
• In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water and set aside. In a large bowl mix milk, sugar, melted butter, salt and egg. Add 2 cups of flour and mix until smooth. Add yeast mixture. Mix in remaining flour until dough is easy to handle. Knead dough on lightly floured surface for 5 to 10 minutes. Place in well-greased bowl, cover and let rise until doubled in size, usually 1 to 1 ½ hours.
• When doubled in size, punch down dough. Roll out on a floured surface into a 15 by 9-inch rectangle. Spread melted butter all over dough. Mix sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over buttered dough. Sprinkle with walnuts, pecans, or raisins if desired. Beginning at the 15-inch side, role up dough and pinch edge together to seal. Cut into 12 to 15 slices.
• Coat the bottom of baking pan with butter and sprinkle with sugar. Place cinnamon roll slices close together in the pan and let rise until dough is doubled, about 45 minutes. Bake for about 30 minutes or until nicely browned.
• Meanwhile, mix butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Add hot water 1 tablespoon at a time until the glaze reaches desired consistency. Spread over slightly cooled rolls.

Individual Strawberry Trifles

Ingredients
Marinated Strawberries:

• 1 quart fresh strawberries, halved
• 1/3 cup aged balsamic vinegar
• Whipped Cream:
• 3 cups heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar

Trifle:

• One 1-pound fresh pound cake
• 1/3 cup amaretto liqueur
• 1 whole strawberry for garnish

Directions

• For the marinated strawberries: In a small, shallow casserole dish, toss the strawberries with the vinegar and let stand at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes. After the strawberries have marinated, check for sweetness, adding sugar if desired.
• For the whipped cream: In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, whisk the cream to soft peaks. Add the vanilla and confectioners’ sugar. Whip to stiff peaks. Set aside.
• For the trifle: Using a serrated knife, slice the pound cake lengthwise into ½ -inch-thick slices. You will only need four slices. Using a 2-inch cookie cutter, cut out circles from each cake slice. Line up two highball glasses or stem less wine glasses and place one cake circle in the bottom of each. Brush the cakes with amaretto liqueur. Add 2 tablespoons of marinated strawberries and spread evenly. Using a different tablespoon, add a large dollop of whipped cream and spread evenly. Add a second layer of cake, pressing down lightly. Brush with amaretto liqueur. Add 2 tablespoons of marinated strawberries and spread evenly. Top with a large dollop of whipped cream, spreading evenly. Use the remaining cake, cream and strawberries to create a more extravagant trifle dish.
• Cover the trifles with plastic wrap and refrigerate for impromptu indulgence, keeping in mind that it will store for up to 2 days.

We thank Terra and the rest of the Dining Staff for the delicious Holiday Luncheon and Dinner they prepared for us this week. Everyone was dressed in their holiday best – sparkles and heels, coats and ties with a touch of red and silver accents – it made for a picture perfect evening. Preparing over 500 meals with such ease and elegance, our dining rooms deserves a round of applause! We look forward to their Dessert Party on December 21 when the tables will be filled with sinfully good pastries and desserts. Having a pastry chef like Terra makes it fun to celebrate National Pastry Day!