Saturday 2 February 2008

Fitzbillies Chelsea Buns

I cycled past Fitzbillies on my way to lectures
And so I lived on these as a student.
If I arrived early in the morning I could buy the trimmings
Which were the Extra Sticky bits from the end of the tray.
The warm, cinnamon smell would leak out of the paper bag
As I sat in lectures and tried to stay awake.

Chelsea Buns in later life have been a disappointment.

6 comments:

Fairlie - www.feetonforeignlands.com said...

MMMmmmm-mmmm. They look delicious.

tess said...

some things never live up to early memories of them.

dottycookie said...

I tried to make Chelsea buns once. Let's just say it wasn't an entirely successful experiment. More like Chelsea pillows covered with burned currants ...

Anonymous said...

We used to buy buns from a local bakery at three in the morning during our uni years too.

Mind you, we weren't cycling at that hour....

Mary said...

Oh good grief they look delicious as I type this on an empty stomach.

I could never stay awake during afternoon lectures. Boring boring boring law.

BreadBox said...

There is a marvelous recipe for cinnamon buns in Julia Child's Baking (a collection of her friends' recipes) which starts with a brioche dough: you roll it out, roll butter into it ala puff pastry (keeping hot hands well chilled with a bowl of ice cubes!), chill it, roll it, sprinkle it with sugar and cinnamon, roll it up, place it into a pan lined with a layer of butter (yes, a layer about an eighth of an inch thick!) covered with a layer of sugar (the two will create a caramel topping in the oven) and pecans or walnuts.
It's then baked, and turned upside down so that the caramel is on the top.
They are quite incredible. Quite a lot of work too, but worth it occasionally!

I used to get the sausage rolls from the bakery next to the Eagle opposite the Arts lecture rooms myself.

N.