An Evening with Beth Hoffman

Sam Droke-Dickinson, Beth Hoffman, and me!

On Thursday evening, I had the privilege of attending "An Evening with Beth Hoffman" hosted by my good friends at Aaron's Books and the Council of Friends of Lancaster County Public Libraries. It was an amazing event with about 200 people, and I had such a wonderful time. Thanks to the folks at Aaron's Books for helping to make it happen!

Beth Hoffman is the author of SAVING CEECEE HONEYCUTT one of my favorite books of 2010 -- you can read my review here. Beth is in the process of gearing up for her book tour to celebrate the release of the trade paperback version of SAVING CEECEE HONEYCUTT, and we were extremely fortunate to be the kick-off event. The book officially goes on sale October 26th, so if you haven't read this book yet, now's your chance.

I have wanted to meet Beth ever since I first started talking to her on Twitter, and then I just knew I had to meet her after my book club had an author chat with her. She truly is a wonderful and genuine person! She speaks from her heart like few people I've ever met, and she definitely had me in tears more than once during her presentation. Her story is an incredible one and her message about treasuring each day in your life was very inspiring. I especially liked that she left us with the hope that we could all find our passion, just like she was able to do!

Of course, I was there to meet Beth, but I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the food that was served at the event. There was a a cocktail inspired by the book as well as a huge dessert bar with lots of Southern goodies like Sour Cream Apple Pie, Key Lime Pie, Chocolate Torte, and Oletta's Cinnamon Rolls.

For those of you not familiar with SAVING CEECEE HONEYCUTT, Oletta was a wonderful character in the story that held a very special place in CeeCee's heart. She also happened to make some delicious-sounding cinnamon rolls. Beth was gracious enough to provide the chef with Olleta's actual recipe, and I thought I'd share it with all of you!

Oletta's Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients:

1 cup milk

1 egg, beaten

4 tablespoons melted butter

4 tablespoons water

1/2 of a 3.5 ounce package instant vanilla pudding mix

4 cups bread flour

1 tablespoon white sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 1/4 teaspoons bread machine yeast

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 cup dried berries or raisins (optional)

Frosting:

1 teaspoon milk

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

4 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. In a bread machine pan, add the milk, beaten egg, melted butter, water, vanilla pudding, bread flour, sugar, salt and yeast in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select the dough cycle.

2. When cycle is finished, remove the dough and knead for 3 to 5 minutes. Roll our and lightly pat into an 8x10 inch rectangle.

3. In a microwave safe bowl, mix together the softened butter or margarine, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Soften in the microwave for 10 seconds. Add chopped walnuts and raisins, if desired. Spread over dough. Starting with the widest end, roll the dough into a log. Pinch to seam the ends. Cut into 3/4 inch slices and place on a greased jelly roll sheet. Place in a draft-free space and let rise until doubled.

4. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 15 to 18 minutes.

5. To make frosting, mix the milk, confectioners' sugar, softened butter and vanilla in a small bowl. Spread over warm cinnamon rolls.

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