Tiger Tails and Tailgating

Neil had a bachelor party this weekend, so I was on my own to attend the first Mizzou Football Tailgate. Even though we’re not big football people (not the American kind anyway), we love tailgating. It’s an excuse to play hooky from house and work projects and spend time with friends. Because I was planning on walking to avoid traffic and parking, I wanted to start the season with an easy recipe that wouldn’t turn to mush on the long, hot walk to the stadium.

In celebration of the start of another Tiger tailgate season, I have lovingly
dubbed these little curly cookies “Tiger tails,” a fun take on Cinnamon Spirals, a lovely little bread cookie that is perfect for those times you want something sweet that doesn’t liquify in the sun.

Ingredients:

For the dough:
1 package (1 ½ oz) active dry yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm milk
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup caster sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 egg yolks, lightly beaten

For the filling:
1/3 cup butter, melted
6 tablespoons cinnamon
3 tablespoons caster sugar, to sprinkle
1 tablespoon melted butter, for brushing

Directions

1. Mix the yeast with the milk in a small bowl. Set aside for 10 minutes until frothy. I recommend placing yeast in a cup and pouring the milk over it while stirring to avoid clumps.
2. Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add the yeast mixture, butter, and egg yolks. Mix to a medium-soft dough, and add more flour if it’s necessary to handle.
3. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and kneed (or use a dough hook) until smooth and elastic. Form into a ball and place in an oiled bowl and cover. Leave to rise in a warm dry place for 60-80 minutes, or until double in size.
4. Prepare a large baking sheet with non-stick spray or silicone mat. Dust your hands with flour, punch dough down and kneed for 1-2 minutes.
5. Mix melted butter and cinnamon and stir until well blended.
6. Divide the dough into two and roll into rectangles (around 15×12-inch, 1/4-inch thick). Brush generously with butter/cinnamon mixture.
7. Roll up one long side of the dough to center, then roll up the other, so that they meet in the middle. Press together to join. Cut into 1/2-inch thick slices with a sharp kitchen night (so they don’t smoosh!). Place on the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle the cut side with sugar.
8. Preheat oven to 375, allowing cookies to continue rising while oven preheats. Gently dab or brush each cookie each with melted butter.
9. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until lightly browned. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to rack or container.

These were fun to make and great for the tailgate. The walk however was a lot longer than I anticipated. I trekked the four or so miles to and from the tailgate and afterward, exhausted and full, went on a West Wing episode binge and passed out on the couch. In other words, my kind of Saturday!

Stay tuned, we’ve got plenty more tailgating recipes up our sleeves!