It wasn’t but a week or two ago that I sat at a piano and played carols on request. While basking in the glow of an enormously lovely tree and the warmth of dear friends, my fingers glided along the keys for “Joy to the World” and “Jingle Bells” and others like “Ill Be Home for Christmas.” I sang along at the top of my lungs, because I love carol sing-a-longs.
But the irony’s not lost on me.
As much as I love the song “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” and all of the happy feelings it encourages, I don’t really know where I would go, if I were to head home for the Holidays. I love Chattanooga – I love living here with my husband and sweet family – but, I’m not from here. I love going to visit my parents in Grand Rapids where they live now – but, I’m not from there, either. And – if I were to visit family in Canada – most of them are in new places, nowhere near where I grew up…
So, this year I had to make a decision. As much as I love my history and the geography that it involves, “Home” for me has to be my current location, with the people I love here, at my little house in Middle Valley, making Christmas traditions together.
As a musician, there’s been plenty rehearsals and concerts to be a part of – but, I knew there were a few things I wanted to do, beginning a few new traditions in my kitchen. The first was Michael’s idea: to bake coconut rum cakes, which are his favorite, to give as gifts – some we shipped, some were hand-delivered. All in all, I made 13. Whew! And, truthfully, it wasn’t without rave reviews! I’m so glad I did it and was able to bring joy to a few dear friends and families. This may be a tradition we continue.
The second was a bit more daunting. There is one thing that I remember from Christmases past with my Brubacher family and that is my Grandma’s cream buns. She made them for every Christmas gathering! Nothing makes Christmas more wonderful than cream buns. So, I decided to give them ago, here on my own!
Monday evening before Christmas I made them. My sweet husband, who has tasted an original made by Grandma, knew how important it was to me for them to turn out right. He was on hand to taste test the first one fresh from the oven (there wasn’t even any cream in them yet!). When he took that first bite, he got a few tears in his eyes, and just nodded his head. I knew they were perfect!
Early Christmas morning I whipped up the special filling and spread it in each bun. When I took the first bite, I felt like we could have Christmas now – because cream buns taste like “home.”
I’ve had many ask for me to share the recipe – so that’s what I’m going to do! However, I must warn you that the directions are a little “loose” and you have to practice, so that you know what the dough should look like from step to step… Believe me when I say, they are worth every ounce of effort! I promise!
Merry Christmas from my kitchen, the heart of my home!
Grandma’s Cream Buns
Ingredients for the buns:
3 cups warm water
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup oil
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp yeast
3 beaten eggs
7-9 cups of flour
instructions:
Combine the 1st five ingredients. add eggs, then flour. (start with 7 cups, then add to get the right consistency.) put a bit of oil on top of dough. let rise 15 minutes, then punch down. repeat that rise/punch-down sequence 3 times. on the 4th time, shape into rolls and set in pans. let rise 1 hr.
Bake 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees.
Ingredients for the cream:
5 cups confectioner’s sugar
1 cup crisco (you could exchange for some butter)
1/4 tsp salt
8 tbsp of milk, maybe evaporated milk (add as needed)
2 tsp vanilla
Instructions for the cream:
Cream butter/crisco and sugar, salt and vanilla. add milk/cream as needed. Cream til fluffy! spread onto cream buns.
Best of luck to you! I hope they make your kitchen a little sweeter!
Credit: Thanks to my cousin Amy Switzer who invested the time in finding the perfect recipe for the buns – and for learning how to make them well, and then help me this summer, and then again this week via texts and photos! you’re the best!!!
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