DIVINE Garlic Butter & Parmesan Knots

These garlic butter knots are something special. Filled with a delicious parmesan, herb and garlic butter filling, they're twisted, Swedish-style like Kanelbullar or cinnamon buns. With a crisp, buttery bottom and a soft, downy top, they're the perfect bread to serve with soups of stews or just eat by themselves! This is a pushy recipe Dear Reader!

I developed this recipe for a client President butter and they were so delicious that I had to share them here too. If you love making bread then I really urge you to give these garlic parmesan scrolls a go. You don't strictly have to twist these the way that I have but I think they look kind of cool and hey if you're looking for a fun distraction and cute way of serving something then why not. It actually doesn't take much more time at all and the overall effect is so pretty.

The twisting is actually quite simple and once you get the hang of them, you'll be twisting like a pro. There are lots of different ways of twisting the dough but I found this worked best and made for the best pattern (I made three lots of these buns testing twisting methods). Alternatively you can just knot them like a regular knot and they will still be delicious and have lots of delicious garlic parmesan butter running through them. I gave these to a few friends and they raved about their texture and flavour.

I also made sure to do these photos by a certain time because my hands and nails were showing. It's been 5 weeks of lockdown and all of us that get SNS or Shellac on our nails are now overdue for a manicure. I like having SNS as it makes my nails stronger and lasts for 3-4 weeks without chipping. Knowing that we'd be in lockdown for another few weeks I purchased an at-home SNS kit and it arrived just in time for the weekend. I put aside 1.5 hours of my busy schedule (sarcasm) to do my nails.

Little did I underestimate how long this would take and how arduous a task it would be. Usually nail techs use a sander type of tool and I didn't have one. So I had to hand file all of the thick polish off. Mr NQN saw me struggling with a nail file so he gave me some sandpaper which worked better but it was still hard work. Strange thoughts started going through my head.

"I wish I didn't have all 10 fingers"

"Do people with less than 10 fingers get a discount at the salon"

"Which finger would I do away with first?"

It took me an exhausting two hours to remove the polish. After this I was bone tired and my back ached. I actually had done a terrible job at it and there were still bit of polish but my will to live was weak and that polish was strong. I had dreams of hugging the nail tech next time I saw them and telling them that they were angels on earth.

However I still wasn't finished. It was time for the polish. I tried to raise my spirits for it, "Now this is the FUN part!" I said to myself with forced gaiety. I got out the bottles, containers and instructions and started brushing, dipping and layering. And all I can say is that if anyone thinks that this is like regular nail polish they are wrong. It was difficult and I ended up with lumpy, uneven nails that looked ok for from away (like metres away) but disastrous close up.

And the worse thing was that by reapplying this, I had signed myself up to go through the whole process again!

So tell me Dear Reader, what was or will be your first appointment once lockdown was or is over? Do you like baking bread?

Garlic Butter & Parmesan Knots

An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott

Preparation time: 40 minutes plus 1.5-2 hours rising time

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Makes: 12 knots

For dough:

• 400g/14ozs. flour

• 2 teaspoons instant dried yeast

• 2 teaspoons garlic powder

• 1 cup warm water

• 2 teaspoons salt

• 1 tablespoon oil

• 140g/4.9ozs salted butter, softened

• 100g/3.5ozs. grated parmesan cheese

• 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives

• 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1 teaspoon finely minced garlic or powder

• Eggwash to glaze

Step 1 - Mix the flour with the yeast and garlic powder. Dissolve the salt in the water and add to the flour mixture along with the oil. Stir until starting to come together and then knead with an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook until elastic (6-8 minutes). Shape into a ball and place in a greased bowl and cover and allow to rise in a warm place for 45 minutes to an hour or until doubled in size.

Step 2 - In the meantime mix the butter, parmesan, chives, parsley, oregano and garlic together in a bowl until you get a spreadable paste and line a baking tray with parchment. Punch down the dough and flour a large surface. Roll out the dough to around 35x50cms or 14x20inches. Spread the filling across the entire dough. Then fold into three like a business letter. Place the dough with the seam side facing you flouring underneath the dough as you move it.

Step 3 - Take a pizza cutter or knife and slice off the two ends (cook’s treat). Then slice the dough vertically in twelve 1 inch strips. Then leaving 1-2cms at the top cut again down the centre of each strip as shown.

Step 4 - Allow the dough to rest for 5 minutes and then take a strip. Using your pointer and middle finger on your less dominant hand wrap the dough strip around it with your dominant hand twisting as you do so. You want to make two circles around your finger and then loop the last part across the top of the dough. Tuck the end into the bottom centre and place on the tray and repeat with the remaining dough strips. Allow to rise again in a warm area for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Brush with eggwash and bake at 180C for 18-20 minutes. Brush with extra butter.