Ingredients

½ teaspoon dried saffron threads

1 cup half and half

2 envelopes dry yeast

¼ cup lukewarm water

1 tablespoon sugar

1/3; cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/3; cup unsalted butter

1 egg, beaten

4 cups sifted flour, or as needed

1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon milk

1 egg white, beaten

Raisin or currants

Instructions

Crush dry saffron to fine powder. Soak saffron powder in 1 or 2 tablespoons lukewarm half and half for 10 minutes.Sprinkle yeast into water, add 1 tablesppon sugar, cover and let sit in a warm place for 10 minutes or until foamy. Scald remaining half and half. Immediately after removing half and half from heat, add 1/3 cup sugar, salt and butter. Stir until butter is melted. While half and half mixture continues cooling, strain saffron milk to remove any saffron that has not completely dissolved. When half and half mixture has cooled to lukewarm, mix well with saffron milk, yeast mixtures, and 1 beaten egg.

Gradually stir in flour until dough is smooth, not sticky, but still soft and pliable. Knead for 10 minutes or until shiny and elastic. Place dough in lightly floured bowl, dust top of dough with flour. Cover with a clean cloth and place in a warm, draft-free area to rise 1 ½ hours or until double in bulk.

Punch down dough and knead for 2 to 3 minutes. Pinch off small bits of dough, roll into sausage shapes, then coil into forms like the ones at right.Brush with egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon milk.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Let the shaped dough rise 30 minutes. Bake for 10 minutes at 400° F. Reduce heat to 350° F and bake 30 more minutes or until golden brown. Using a little egg white, stick a raisin or current in the center of each coil of the hot buns.

Makes 12 servings.

Photo credit: By Tomhe (flickr.com) [CC-BY-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Ingredients

½ cup bread crumbs

½ cup milk or light cream

½ cup yellow onion, minced

3 tablespoons sweet butter

1 pound lean ground beef

1 pound ground veal

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ teaspoon cinnamon

2 eggs, lightly beaten

Few tablespoons milk

Instructions

Soak bread crumbs in 1/2 cup milk or light cream until liquid is fully absorbed. Mix with fork until smooth. Saute onion in 2 tablespoons butter until golden brown. Mix breadcrumb paste, onions, meats, salt, pepper, cinnamon and eggs. Use your fingers to completely mix if necessary.

Cover and refrigerate several hours to overnight. When thoroughly chilled, form meat mixtures into 2-inch balls. Preheat oven to 350° F. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in heavy skillet. Brown meatballs over medium heat, shaking skillet occassionally to turn the meatballs so they brown on each side. Transfer meatballs to baking dish. Pour a few tbsps of milk into skillet and scrape the bottom of skillet to deglaze. Pour skillet drippings over meatballs. Bake meatballs for about 15 minutes or until heated through.

Serves 4 to 6.

Photo credit: By Kim Scarborough (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-2.5 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons

Ingredients

1 cup butter

1 ½ cup sugar

1 large egg

1 ½ tablespoon grated orange rind

2 tablespoons dark corn syrup

1 tablespoon water

3 ¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger (opt. more to taste)

½ teaspoon ground cloves

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350° F. Cream butter and sugar until light. Blend in egg, orange rind, corn syrup and water. Sift dry ingredients together. Mix dry ingredients with butter mixture. Chill thoroughly. Roll out to 1/8 inch. Cut with cookie cutters. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, being careful not to burn.

Photo credit: By Jonik (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons