Lately, I’ve been thinking about the wonder and complexities of friendships.
That sweet and peculiar bond, so comforting and nurturing when it’s gotten right; some are so strong it’s a sisterhood, others die off regrettably, and some fall off quietly having ran its course.
And then there are those friendships that strays and lingers, never really blossoming; yet stays with you.

I think N & I had that kind of friendship.
We met a long time ago in another lifetime, like two ships passing in the night, headed for different shores.
Ours was a brief yet deeply affecting friendship; she was independent, fierce, loyal and irreverent, I’d never met anyone like her before, except my aunt A whose whole life was my mom’s favourite cautionary tale.

In that brief friendship I learned that it was ok to be a little broken, ok to be a little self-indulgent and it was perfectly fine to want different things for oneself.

In the short time I knew her, N baked frenziedly on weekends – she made dozens of rock buns like a whirlwind, and then we’d have them with delicious hot chocolate.

N & I re-found each other recently thanks to the magic of social media, and what we remembered and talked about most were her manic baking sessions.
We laughed so hard at our shared memories, grateful for the time and the rock buns.

I bake these sweet rolls for breakfast sometimes on weekends, make delicious hot cocoa to go with it and reminisce.

These sweet rolls are my new rock buns; I bake them unhurriedly, that uneasy restlessness from years ago ebbing away, but I still hope for magical mornings.

The rolls are super easy to throw together; it’s a cross between a muffin and a scone with a soft airy texture.
I fill them with a variety of dried fruits and nuts, and a sprinkle of lavender sometimes, because it smells so lovely when baking.
It’s really, really amazing with hot cocoa!

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Sweet Rolls

(Slightly adapted from 1 Big Bite)

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 cup yoghurt (I used So Delicious Coconut Milk Yoghurt)
• 6 tablespoons melted butter
• 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• A pinch salt
• 3 1/3 cups all purpose flour
• 3 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, dried lavender, mixed (or raisins, chocolate chunks, etc)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
2. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix until well combined
3. Using a large spoon (or ice cream scoop), place spoonfuls of dough on prepared baking sheet, about an inch apart (you may have to dust the spoon with flour)
4. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes until they’re brown, and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean
5. Cool rolls on baking sheet for about 5 minutes and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely

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