I love mornings in Berkeley. This may be a little presumptuous considering I've only been in the area 12 days, but really, mornings are simply blissful here. Even in the middle of the summer, they're gray and chilly and crisp and perfect for cuddling up in a pillowy bed. I have yet to wake up frozen from air conditioning cranked up too high, or sweaty from one of those misleadingly "cool" nights on the East Coast, where no matter the temperature, the humidity is just killer.
No, in Berkeley you can sleep in shorts and pull on socks and a sweatshirt when you finally wake up and make your way to the couch for a loungy breakfast over Saved by the Bell reruns. (Did I mention I'm single, out of work and waiting for fall classes to start?)
But on this particular perfect Berkeley morning, I'm not cuddling with my pillows and I'm not even watching SBTB. This morning I couldn't sleep. I can't even sit still. This morning, my sister, Sandy, is coming to visit. And I am positively bursting with excitement.
Oh, and did I mention I've been baking? Yes, baking. Because gray, chilly mornings are the perfect respite for the wannabe baker who retires her oven in summer's depressing heat. And the chocolate-pistachio buns I've made seem to be bursting with excitement over Sandy's arrival, too. Or maybe it's just the three packets of rapid rise yeast.
To call my perfect morning project chocolate-pistachio "buns" doesn't really do them justice. They're actually called "whirligigs" and come from Nigella Lawson's How to be a Domestic Goddess via The Wednesday Chef Luisa Weiss. (Luisa replaced the pistachio with almonds, but I've re-replaced the bun filling with Nigella's original pistachio, at Sandy's request.)
I have to say that these buns came to find themselves on my very fluid "bake this" list because of their name. I mean, whirligig! Just thinking it makes me giggle and saying the word outloud... well, it really just pushes me over the edge, giggle-wise. Or should I say, whirligiggle-wise. I crack myself up.
But, seriously, watching them burst forth in the oven when so many people are still enjoying their beds (or heading to work; it is Thursday after all) and now watching them practically pushing their way off the baking sheet even as they cool, is positively inspiring. It almost makes me want to spin around in circles or go to the gym or do something else equally silly and un-morninglike.
But mostly it's the knowledge that beyond the impression of explosive power await pockets filled with sugar and butter and pistachios and chocolate that makes me want to burn my fingers tugging a corner whirligig away from the pack, curling up on the couch until the sun cuts through the gray chill and the time comes to pick up my sister.
Oh my god. Extra perfect Berkeley morning.
***
Chocolate-Pistachio Whirligig Buns
Originally from Nigella Lawson's How to Be a Domestic Goddess, adapted by The Wednesday Chef Luisa Weiss
I kept the chocolate-pistachio filling called for in the original recipe, but used Luisa's adapted cooking directions. Makes 20-30 buns.
Dough
5 to 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup superfine sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 packets instant yeast (6 3/4 teaspoons)
7 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 2/3 cup milk
2 large eggs
Vegetable oil
Filling
8 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon superfine sugar
3/4 cup pistachios (I used roasted, unsalted)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 large egg, beaten
To prepare the dough, combine 5 cups of flour, sugar, salt and yeast. In a small saucepan, combine butter and milk and heat to lukewarm. Beat the eggs lightly, then whisk them into the milk mixture. Stir the liquid ingredients into the dry ones.
Using a mixer with a dough hook, or by hand, knead the dough until smooth and springy, adding more flour if necessary. Form into a ball and place in a clean, oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until double in size, about 30 minutes.
Punch down dough. Line a 13 x 10-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Roll out dough to a rectangle about 20 to 10 inches.
For the filling, mix together the butter and sugar to a paste. Spread the paste over the large rectangle of dough. Sprinkle pistachios evenly over the dough, then top with chocolate chips. Starting from the longest side, carefully roll up the dough so it looks like a long sausage. Cut dough into 20 slices, about 3/4 inch thick, and arrange with cut side up in the pan.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush buns with beaten egg and let them sit in a warm place until puffed up and snugly fitting the pan, about 15-20 minutes. Bake until buns have risen and are golden-brown, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from baking pan to cool on a rack. Serve warm.
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