holiday dreaming

With Thanksgiving on the horizon, I am getting more excited every day....maybe about the three day work week, maybe about seeing my friends, maybe about the food...so much to look forward to this week!Times when we've been in Chicago, we have shared a thanksgiving table with some dear friends, Mabrie & Jason (and a few others!). This year we're heading to W. New York to the Burgetts to give thanks with a part of our "Chicago family".I can't really name any one reason why I really like thanksgiving...actually I'm more of a Christmas morning girl. That is the food holiday I have been dreaming about.Getting up early (more like being shook awake by my sisters), everyone in their pj's sitting around the tree waiting as each family member pulls themselves away from the covers and gets a cup of coffee before joining us. Our dog would have usually found her chew bone by now. Snow is falling, it's cloudy.Now fast forward to the Christmas I am dreaming up this year. Andrew and I will be home in Connecticut on Christmas morning. On our rustic dining table I have taper candles lit in my hurricane glasses, greenery on the table, braided cardamom bread (with pill sugar...very important in my dream for some reason!).  Coffee in our Swedish kettle, mimosa's, our colored lit tree & us sitting in the living room in Christmas pajamas, an egg dish, some sausage, and my warm brioche buns with honey butter for the morning & herb butter for the afternoon snacking.These buns...ahhhh are the buns you dream of. My sister growing up was the "bun" girl, at all holidays she ate buns (at times only buns?). I made these a few years ago, and I can't remember how many she ate (mostly because we were ALL eating them at record speed). But I hope that you enjoy these buns for thanksgiving this year, for parties in between, and your dream christmas morning.

warm brioche buns

from cooking light, november 10makes 24 rollsYou will need two things: a muffin tin, and about 45 minutes on november 23th.Ingredients1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons if you use the jar like me)1/3 cup warm 1% low-fat milk3 1/2 cups flour1/3 cup sugar1/2 teaspoon salt4 large eggs, lightly beaten8 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened and cut into cubesCooking spray1 tablespoon water1 large egg white

Preparation

Dissolve yeast in warm milk in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; let stand 5 minutes.Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife.Add flour, sugar, salt, and eggs to milk mixture; beat with a stand mixer at low speed until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl with spatula as needed.Remove paddle attachment; insert dough hook.Mix dough at low speed 5 minutes or until soft and elastic and dough just begins to pull away from sides of bowl.Cut 6 1/2 tablespoons butter into large cubes; add half of butter to dough, mixing at medium speed to blend.Add remaining half of butter to dough; mix at medium speed until incorporated. Mix dough on medium speed 4 minutes or until smooth and elastic.Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.)After dough has doubled, punch dough down; form into a ball.Return dough to bowl; cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.---The next day (or 8 hours later), uncover dough; let stand 90 minutes or until dough is at room temperature.Divide dough into 4 equal portions. Working with one portion at a time (cover remaining dough to prevent drying), cut dough into 6 equal pieces.Roll each piece into a 1 1/2-inch ball.Repeat procedure with remaining 3 dough portions to make 24 rolls total.Place rolls in muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Cover and let rise for 45 minutes or until almost doubled in size.Preheat oven to 350°.Combine 1 tablespoon water and egg white; stir with a whisk. Gently brush rolls with egg mixture.Bake at 350° for 14 minutes or until golden.Place pans on wire racks.Place remaining butter in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave at HIGH 20 seconds or until butter melts. Brush butter onto rolls(please please please make these!! you will not regret it!)