FOOD & WINE : Sugar and Spice : Buttery Cinnamon Rolls Have Been Sweet Treats Since the 17th Century

IN THE dining room of Checkers Hotel in Los Angeles, bankers and lawyers celebrate power breakfasts with yogurt and berry parfait, home-smoked salmon on toasted bagels, fresh-squeezed orange juice and, especially, tiny, delicate cinnamon rolls.

At the same time, at the shoebox-size Pasadena diner called Pie ‘n’ Burger, a crowd is powering up on inch-thick rafts of fried potatoes, stacks of slathered toast and the chili-cheese omelet. But mostly they’re there for the buttery, two-inch-high cinnamon sweet rolls liberally stuffed with plump raisins.

The rich and famous love their sweet rolls on bone china and white tablecloths, while the rest of us eat them out of hand, wrapped in white paper. They’re the stuff of every glutton’s dreams and any dieter’s nightmare.

“Sweet rolls are the kind of thing you want to eat and not think about, and sometimes that’s the best,” says Amy Pressman, one of Los Angeles’ top pastry chefs and owner of Pasadena’s Old Town Bakery.

Cinnamon rolls have their antecedents in medieval England, where spice cakes such as Hot Cross Buns were made to celebrate religious holidays. “Bun Houses,” the Restoration equivalent of drive-ins, sprouted in the late 17th Century. Each house had its own bun, and most were based on an enriched bread dough flavored with sugar and raisins and what were called the “sweet spices”--cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice.

“In the 19th Century, Sticky Buns were sold fresh every day and were eaten at breakfast, teatime and dinner,” says the American Heritage Cookbook.

Today’s existence might be a little too lean and mean for sweet rolls morning, noon and night, but there’s no doubt that they still have a place on our plates.

OLD TOWN BAKERY

CINNAMON ROLL

1/2 ounce (2 packages) fast-acting yeast 1/2 cup warm water 1 cup room-temperature buttermilk 3 tablespoons sugar 2 teaspoons salt 4 cups all-purpose flour 4 egg yolks 8 ounces (2 sticks) very soft butter 1/2 cup melted butter 1/2 cup sugar 1 tablespoon cinnamon 3/4 cup golden raisins 3/4 cup dark raisins Vanilla Glaze or Strawberry Glaze Dissolve yeast in warm water. In mixer with dough hook, combine yeast mixture, buttermilk, sugar, salt, flour and egg yolks. When somewhat smooth dough has formed, gradually add butter. On high speed, beat dough until smooth, elastic and sticky and pulling away from bowl, about 8-10 minutes. Put dough on sheet pan, cover and refrigerate 6 hours.

Using flour to avoid sticking, roll out dough in rectangle. Dough should be 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. Brush dough with melted butter. Mix sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle over buttered dough. Spread gold and dark raisins on top and roll dough lengthwise like a jelly roll, finishing with seam side down. Using sharp knife, slice roll into 2-inch sections. Place sections 1 1/2 inches apart in 9x11-inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk.

Bake in preheated 350-degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden. Let cool slightly. Spread or drizzle either glaze atop warm rolls. Makes 12 sweet rolls.

Vanilla Glaze

2 3/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted 1 vanilla bean, seeds only 2 tablespoons water 1 tablespoon vanilla extract Whisk together all ingredients until smooth; cover until ready to use. Makes about 1 cup.

Strawberry Glaze

3 cups powdered sugar, sifted 4 tablespoons strawberry puree (grind 8 berries in a food processor) 2 tablespoons lemon juice Whisk together all ingredients until smooth; cover until ready to use. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

Rolls from The Old Town Bakery, Pasadena; props: Holly Street Bazaar, Pasadena