Chimney Cakes - Mondays With MiMi

     Evidently it doesn't take very long for somebody to realize that I enjoy playing around with recipes.  Kristie invited her friend, Josh, to come to Quincy over Thanksgiving weekend.  He is a college student so I assumed he should be spoiled with food when he comes to visit.  We must have done all right because the next thing I know I was getting text messages from both Kristie and Josh about a Hungarian inspired cake.  I knew that he would be coming back over his Christmas break so I promised that I would try the recipe out for him.  I am so glad that I carried through on that promise.  I had never ever seen anything like this.  It kind of reminded me of curly fries in the way it was shaped.  At first bite, we realized that they are very much like a crispy cinnamon roll.  Next time I make them, I plan to make a vanilla icing dip to go with the special treat.

     Okay, so we have Hungarian dessert.  It just seemed that we should try a new Hungarian entree also.  I will share what I decided to make soon!

     Now, on to dessert.  I don't even know how to type the Hungarian word for this cake so I will just use the nickname for it.  Americans call it Chimney Cake.  We call it a yummy "twist" on cinnamon rolls.

-MiMi

Chimney Cakes

makes 4 large cakes (8 servings)

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups all purpose four

1 pkg or 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast

3 T sugar

1/8 tsp salt

1 large egg, room temperature

3 T melted butter

1/2 cup lukewarm milk

2 T melted butter

1/3 cup cinnamon sugar

1. Preheat oven to 375 F
2. Add the yeast, 1/2 tsp sugar to the lukewarm milk and set aside for 5 to 10 minutes until it becomes foamy.
3. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt.  To this, add the egg, milk, 3 T melted butter and yeast.  Stir the mixture until it comes together to form a dough.  Knead for about 5 minutes. The dough will be sticky.  Don't be tempted to add any flour. Grease your hands if needed. Transfer it to a large well greased container.
4. Let the dough rise for 60 minutes at room temperature until doubled in volume.
5. While the dough is rising, prepare rolling pins by covering them with aluminum foil.  I used two paper rolls from the center of wrapping paper and cut them in half.  Wrap them with several layers of the foil and brush them with melted butter.
6. After the dough rises for 60 minutes, punch it down and divide it into four equal parts.  On a well floured surface, spread one portion of dough and roll it into a circle(ish) 1/16th inch sheet.
7. Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into long ribbons spiraling around the circle about a half inch wide.
8. Wrap one end of the strip around the rolling pin, tucking in the end so the dough doesn't unwind.  Keep the dough very thin as you stretch and wind it up the rolling pin.  Roll the whole thing lightly on the counter to press it together.
9. Brush it with the melted butter and roll in the cinnamon sugar.
10. Place in a roasting pan and bake in a preheated oven for about 25 minutes.
11. When the cake is done, roll it in the cinnamon sugar again. 
12. Tap the mold on a tabletop to release the cake and set it upright to cool.