Tea, that most quintessential of English drinks, has been known for its health benefits and continues to be a staple in many households around the globe.
For Maureen Coroliuc, a longtime White Rock resident and owner of the Angelic Teapot on Marine Drive, the popular ancient bevy is steeped in family and tradition.
“While I love the health benefits of tea, what I really enjoy most about it is the social aspect of it – the ritual of tea drinking has always been big in our family and very dear to my heart,” says Coroliuc. “I can still remember coming home from school to find my mom in the kitchen with the tea on and some sort of delicious treat waiting for me.
Owning a speciality tea and gift store with more than 115 varieties of tea is a dream come true for Coroliuc, who opened up shop 2½ years ago after selling Sage, which was also on Marine Drive.
“We couldn’t be happier here,” she says, noting a recent prestigious nomination for her brewing success. “Last year we were nominated by the Retail Association of Canada for Retailer of the Year. We didn’t win, but it was still a real honour.”
Being a working mom with three kids always meant a hectic schedule with plenty of little surprises along the way for Coroliuc. Luckily, her husband, Jeff, a Vancouver fire captain, has always been a hands-on dad, especially in the kitchen.
“When my children were younger, I often had to do the traditional baking for their school’s bake sales, but they weren’t always exactly good at giving me the notice until I found it in their backpacks the night before,” laughs Coroliuc.
“I wanted something easy and fast to make, so I found a great cinnamon roll recipe that I’ve modified. It’s definitely something easy for working parents to make and something the kids were always really proud to bring to school.”
In this week’s edition of Local Flavours, Coroliuc shares the cinnamon roll recipe with readers, which she says is best served with an old-fashioned cuppa black tea.
“A nice black tea like English breakfast or Irish breakfast will counter the sweetness very nicely.”
Cinnamon rolls
Ingredients:
2 cups AP Flour
2 tbsp. granulated sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup butter or margarine – cold
1 cup cold milk
1/3 cup butter or margarine – soft
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tbsp. cinnamon
1/3 cup raisins or currents
(Icing)
1 tsp. milk
1/4 cup softened butter
1 cup icing sugar
Instructions:
In a large bowl, combine first four ingredients. Cut in cold butter until crumbly. Make a well in the center. Pour milk into well. Stir to form soft dough adding more milk if needed. Knead on lightly floured surface eight to 10 times. Roll out into rectangle about 1/3 inch thick and 12 inches long. Mix last four ingredients together and spread over dough. Roll up dough width ways and cut into 12 approximately equal slices. Place slices in muffin baking tray and bake at 395 degrees for 20 minutes.
Icing: Whip milk and softened butter. Add icing sugar, whip until smooth. Spread over cinnamon rolls. Try to make them last more than one day!