Tag Archives: baking

Navettes de Marseille

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Navettes de Marseille cookies stacked on a plate by Blogger Julie Seyler aka Two-Bit Tart
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Today’s Musings:

Next year, my sister and I have decided to take a cruise through the South of France. I’ve longed to explore that region for decades and my sister has become a devotee of Tauck River Cruises, so as in any successful sisterly relationship, we’ve married her wishes with mine. We booked the trip last week.

We’ll begin our journey in the French Mediterranean port city of Marseille on the French Riviera. A highly-respected former boss of mine couldn’t have been more effusive regarding Marseille. At the time, I made a mental note, marking it as a potential “future destination” (RIP Edvig). Although, 25+ years later, it appears the city has been plastered over with graffiti.

From Marseille, Sister and I will travel through Van Gogh’s sun-soaked Provencal landscapes, continue along the lush vineyards of Burgundy, the vibrant Rhône-Alpes including Lyon, lauded as the culinary capital of France, concluding our adventures in cosmopolitan Geneva, Switzerland.

As I begin uncovering the uniqueness of each city in greater detail, researching the best pâtisseries nestled within each tiny hamlet, what to see, what to do, what to order for an authentic taste of the region, I realize the ideal recipe for discovering what awaits my senses is by baking my way through our upcoming trip.

Today, we begin in Marseille with Navettes de Marseille.

Today’s Recipe:

To be honest, I wasn’t thrilled to begin my baking journey with Navettes de Marseille, primarily because every description I’ve read called these cookies “dry.”

“Here, I baked these dry, saliva-thwarting, throat-clogging cookies. Try one!”

However, I was determined to choose a classic Marseillaises delicacy and these little “boats of goodness” use a flavor profile I absolutely adore: orange blossom water, orange zest, and olive oil, a combination found in my beloved Gibassier, also hailing from the region. I decided to give Navettes de Marseille a shot. (I’ve seen a few recipes relying on butter or using lemon zest to appeal to the American palate, but I wanted to stick with a traditional take).

The Verdict? Yes, they’re dry and a bit boring (gasp!), but also somehow highly addictive. If I were to Julie-zhuzh them up, I’d dip them in a bit of chocolate.

Navettes de Marseille

  • Servings: About 18 cookies
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Navettes de Marseille are delicate, boat-shaped cookies with a crisp exterior and tender interior, flavored with orange blossom water and orange zest — subtly sweet, fragrant, and perfect dipped in coffee or tea.


Ingredients

  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 pinch table salt (not kosher)
  • 3 tablespoon mild-tasting olive oil
  • 4 teaspoons orange blossom water
  • ½ teaspoon orange zest
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • Milk (for glazing)

Directions

  1. In a large bowl, beat the sugar, egg, and salt until pale and creamy. Beat in the olive oil, orange blossom water, and zest.
  2. Using a spoon or spatula, add the flour in two additions. Form the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and let rest in the refrigerator for at least one hour and up to overnight.
  3. Preheat oven to 350°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat. Divide the dough into rounded tablespoons (26-28 grams). Roll each piece into a small log, about 3½ inches long. Pinch the ends to form the pointy shape of a small boat (“navette”).
  4. Use a sharp knife to make a lengthwise slash down the center of each navette about a quarter of the way through the dough. Gently pull the slit open a little. Gently brush with a bit of milk.
  5. Bake 20-24 minutes, or until pale golden and just beginning to color at the edges. Cool for 5 minutes on baking sheet, remove and cool completely on a wire rack. They harden as they cool. Store in an airtight container. Navettes are traditionally eaten dipped into coffee or tea.

Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls

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A dish of fluffy, gooey cinnamon rolls
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Baking is my happy place. It’s my child’s pose after a long day at the desk, my hot-stone massage without the ubiquitous native flute music, my forest sunrise and beach sunset rolled into one. Creating in the kitchen soothes me in a way nothing else does. It’s how I reset.

I’ve been working on Gluten for Punishment for four years. I say “working on” rather than “writing” because while the writing wrapped up over a year ago, in April 2024, that was just the beginning. Editing came next—the push and pull of what I wanted to say tempered by my editor’s need for clarity—followed closely by the myriad steps to publishing.

The book was officially born on July 11, 2025, and now it’s out in the world to be read, dog-eared, and dissected. And no, the process is far from over. Now comes the part I dread most: marketing. Time to crawl out from behind my keyboard and sell my book—and myself—to the public.

I’m not great at the hard sell. So, for now, here it is: Buy my book. That’s my pitch.

With the launch behind me, I finally get to return to my first love: baking. And I started with the best kind of homecoming—fluffy, gooey cinnamon rolls. They’re soft, sweet, and shamelessly indulgent. Plus, they make the house smell like a cozy home, redolent of their cinnamon, sweet, yeasty perfume. Indulgent in the time it takes to make them, in their scent wafting through the house, and their pillowy, rich texture as I take my first bite of warm, gooey goodness. Exactly the culinary homecoming I needed.

Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls

  • Servings: 8 large rolls
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These big, fluffy, gooey cinnamon rolls are the ultimate homemade treat—soft, buttery dough swirled with cinnamon sugar and glazed twice. Perfect for brunch, holidays, or anytime you're craving bakery-style rolls from scratch.


Ingredients

    Cinnamon Rolls
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
  • 6 Tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter, very soft
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups bread flour
  • 1 package (2¼ teaspoons) instant yeast
  • 1 cup whole or 2% milk, room temperature
  • ⅔ cup cinnamon sugar (⅔ cup granulated sugar + 2 tablespoons cinnamon)
  • 1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water (for sealing)
  • ½ cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature
    • Double Glaze
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 – 4 tablespoons warm water (adjust for consistency)

Directions

  1. Cream sugar, salt, and butter in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Stir in egg and lemon zest. Add flour, yeast, and milk.
  2. Switch to a dough hook and mix on medium speed for approximately 12 minutes. Dough should be silky and tacky, but not sticky. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise for two hours in a warm, draft-free space.
  3. Transfer to a lightly oil-sprayed counter and, using a rolling pin, roll to a rectangle 14 x 13 inches. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, leaving a 1-inch border free of sugar at one short end. Use your hands or rolling pin to gently press the cinnamon sugar into the dough.
  4. Starting from sugared short end, roll up dough, seal seam with egg wash, and cut about ½-inch from each end to create clean, even ends. Cut rolls 1½ inches thick. Place in a 13×9” pan, three along each side and two in the middle, about ½” apart. Cover and let rise 75 minutes until nearly doubled in size and touching each other.
  5. Preheat oven to 350°F. Pour the heavy whipping cream evenly over risen cinnamon rolls (1 tablespoon per roll) in the baking dish, letting cream soak into the rolls for five minutes.
  6. Cover the pan loosely with foil and bake for 15 minutes, remove the foil and bake for approximately an additional 15 minutes, until tops are brown and a thermometer inserted into the center dough (not filling) reads 200°F. Remove rolls from oven.
  7. Make glaze while rolls are still very warm. Combine powdered sugar, vanilla, and water and whisk until smooth. Glaze should be pourable but not too thin—like warm honey. Brush half of glaze over rolls. Let rolls cool 30 minutes. Spread remaining glaze over rolls. If glaze is too thick, add a few drops of warm water to loosen. Serve rolls warm. Store leftovers covered at room temperature.

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