Cinnamon-Currant Rolls

I keep multiple lists of recipes I want to make. Cinnamon rolls, all kinds of cinnamon rolls--traditional, bacon-caramel, lemon-blueberry, raspberry-almond--appear on those lists. I've never made them before because they've always seemed so...daunting. It's that dough phobia of mine again.

Last Friday, when I felt like spending a few hours in the kitchen, I finally made one of those cinnamon roll recipes.

When I approach a new dish, I usually follow the recipe verbatim. I usually tweak the ingredients or amounts the second time around. This recipe was much easier than I expected, but I would play around with it next time. It was way too sweet and rich. I'd cut back the amount of sugar in the filling and not use as much butter in the icing. 

Still, they were pretty delicious...decadently so. 

Cinnamon-Currant Rolls

adapted from Lauren's Latest

Shepherd's Pie

Why have I never made Shepherd's Pie before? I wonder because I made it for dinner on Friday--a cold, rainy Spring evening--and now I want to eat it every day. 

Disclaimer: I actually only made this to impress my dead sexy Scottish boyfriend. I think it worked. *fingers crossed*

According to Cook's Info, "Shepherd's Pie probably originated in Scotland and in the north of England. Originally, it was made from chunks of meat, probably leftover from a roast. [...] The dish as we know it, though, couldn't have originated before potatoes became generally accepted in the UK, which wasn't until the end of the 1700s. Before that, the dish--or a very similar one--was made in Scotland but topped with a pastry crust instead of mashed potato. The name [Shepherd's Pie] appeared in the 1870s." 

This dish is called Shepherd's Pie when it's made with lamb, Cottage Pie when it's made with beef. But with ground lamb readily available in most major supermarkets and farmers markets these days, why wouldn't you use lamb? 

Besides, it's just so Eastery and Springy. A perfect dinner for those chilly April nights. 

Shepherd's Pie

slightly adapted from Alton Brown