Bacon-Cinnamon Breakfast Twist

More About This Recipe

• There are many adjectives that describe my family: loud, funny, slightly obnoxious, and close-knit are just a few. For more than 25 years, my mom and my siblings have taken an annual water skiing trip to a reservoir in central California. Over the years, we have added children, boyfriends, new spouses and even grandchildren. Mom always organizes an “art show” and we spend time creating masterpieces out of twigs, rocks, pine cones and whatever else we can find. The rest of the week is spent with up to 20 people living under one roof—without air conditioning—laughing, boating, sharing two bathrooms, cooking for one another, and eating at all the old places that evoke memories. Because of construction on the dam and the California drought, this year was the first time in five years that we’ve been able to make the trip. It was special because we finally got a larger house with air conditioning, and Dad agreed to come for the first time. I lost my husband early in the year and was in desperate need of some time at the lake. The week was therapeutic and heavenly, not just because it’s one of my favorite places in the world, but because I had 15 guinea pigs to taste my recipe creations. This recipe was inspired by one I made while on our vacation. The bakery where we used to get cinnamon rolls had closed down, so I created this twist to have something warm and gooey ready for breakfast. I thought the original recipe wasn’t very good. There wasn’t enough filling, the dough didn’t rise properly, and the assembly was difficult. It looked like a mess, but my family devoured it. I decided to improve the recipe by using Pillsbury™ Pizza Dough, increasing the amount of filling, using brown sugar, and making a delicious maple glaze. The final product was a win; an improved recipe that will always remind me of Bass Lake 2017.