Cinnamon Knots

I first saw these at a bris my friend H.D. made for her grandson. She set out a beautiful sweet table with many of her homemade delicacies and mini brown shopping bags to pack them up in (how practical and thoughtful!). I brought home samples for my kimpeturin daughter, who raved about them. I knew I had to get the recipe, and here it is for all of you! The cinnamon/sugar mixture is on the outside, which gives it crunch and extra flavor. They’re easy to make, yet so impressive. They freeze well too. Yields 33-36 knots

Directions

Prepare the Cinnamon Knots

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water. Let sit five minutes. Add soy milk, sugar, eggs, oil, and salt. Stir in dough enhancer and enough flour to form a dough. Knead until smooth and elastic, about five to seven minutes.

2. Oil the top of the dough. Turn it over in the bowl and cover. Let rise in a warm place until doubled, approximately an hour.

3. Punch the dough down. Divide into three parts, and each part into 11–12 pieces. (I weigh the pieces and make sure they’re each a little more than an ounce, or 30–38 grams, because I like them to be uniform in size.)

Prepare the Topping

1. Prepare one bowl with the sugar and cinnamon and one bowl with the oil. Have paper towels handy.

2. Roll each piece into a rope. Lightly dip into oil, then dab the ropes on paper towel to remove excess oil.

3. Dip into sugar/cinnamon mixture.

4. Gently tie into a knot and tuck and pinch ends under. Place on a Gefen Parchment Paper-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough.

5. Cover the knots and let rise for 30 minutes.

6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius). Bake for approximately 15 minutes.

Tips: I dip two ropes at a time, dab on paper towel, dump into the sugar/cinnamon mixture, and shake off excess. Once I have six to eight ropes, I quickly form them into knots and proceed with the rest of the dough.

Notes: I found one cup of sugar combined with one tablespoon cinnamon more than enough. However, sometimes the sugar/cinnamon mixture gets oily, so you may have to discard some of it and wipe the bowl, using another cup of sugar and tablespoon of cinnamon for the remaining ropes.

This recipe works beautifully with white spelt or whole wheat pastry flour.