All right, here is the recipe for the cinnamon rolls. It was originally a recipe for cardamom rolls but I got tired of crushing cardamom seeds with mortar and pestle. My recipe mixes up metric dry measurements and imperial fluid measurements as some of my kitchen equipment is out of date old.
ROLLS
1/2 oz active dry yeast
4 fl ozs pretty warm water
4 fl ozs milk
1/4 lb (115 g) butter
1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
115 g castor sugar
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
400 g - 500 g plain flour
FILLING
115 g softened butter
115 g sugar or more to taste
1-2 Tbsp cinnamon, plus a pinch of ground cardamom (optional)
Pinch of salt and pepper, strange but true
(Mix cinnamon, optional cardamom, S & P and sugar together)
Chopped walnuts optional
GLAZE:
220 g icing sugar
2 fl oz milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
METHOD
Sprinkle the yeast over the warm water, stir to dissolve; set aside.
Heat milk to just simmering in a small pan; remove from heat; add 1/4 lb butter, stirring until melted.
Stir in 1/2 tsp cinnamon, castor sugar, salt. Allow to cool until warm.
Pour warm milk mixture and yeast into large mixing bowl.
Beat in eggs one at a time.
Add about half the flour, beating until smooth. Add enough of the remaining flour by hand, unless you have a heavy duty mixer, to make a dough that is easy to handle but not gloppy.
Turn dough out onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 (long) minutes.
Place in a buttered bowl, turning to coat all sides with butter.
Cover, let rise in a warm, draught free spot until dough is doubled -- this may take up to 2 1/2 hours, but check after an hour, depending on where it is.
Heat oven to 180', gas 4, grease a 13x9 ish pan with sides that are about 2 inches high, or two 8 or 9 inch cake pans with high sides ***
When risen, punch down and turn dough onto floured surface again.
Roll out into a 12 x 18" rectangle. Spread the softened butter all over the rectangle, then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar plus the pinch of S & P over the butter. Sprinkle on chopped nuts if used.
Roll the dough up like a Yule Log with the short side forming the curled ends.
Don't even think of trying to cut rolls with a knife -- use a thread slipped under the cylinder to cut 12 - 15 rolls, one at a time (cross your arms and grab ends of thread, then uncross arms with thread slicing straight through the dough).
Place the cut rolls, cut side up and down, in greased pan. Do not pack the rolls tightly.
Cover; let rise until doubled in a nice warm spot, 45 mins to 1 hour.
Bake until golden brown; check after 20 minutes. Should take no longer than 30 mins. (My oven tends to be hot so I can't be precise about the time)
I find the rolls have a good flavour if made the day before and then warmed up before adding the glaze.
Make a glaze: Add vanilla to icing sugar, then add milk gradually, stirring constantly until drizzling consistency is achieved.
When the rolls have cooled a bit, top with glaze and dig in.
Optional extra = chopped nuts
I'll have a look for the ginger stars recipe and post it when I find it.