Cook This Now! Chef Jeff Monsour’s cast iron cinnamon rolls

When people ask me about being a food photographer, I often tell them that I get to experience the best part of the culinary industry and, in truth, that I’m somewhat spoiled.

With this career choice, I spend a lot of time in kitchens, the heart of the restaurants, whether they are immaculate, stainless marvels with many stations and ovens or closet-sized make-shifts with barely enough room for a fryer. You get to know chefs quickly in these situations and within such close proximity, shooting over their shoulders or on a ladder hanging over a cooktop. Chefs entrust photographers to make their food look good and, most importantly, appetizing.

Watching the progression of many young chefs move up the ranks is also a job benefit. I get to see them eventually take the helm while documenting their journey.

I particularly remember working with Jeff Monsour for the first time while he was the executive chef at Windamere in Mattituck. His sharp focus, passionate ambition and creative plating were immediately impressive and made sense after learning of his mentorship under renowned chef Stephan Bogardus at The Halyard in Greenport.

“The wide range of skills, techniques and products we used at The Halyard consistently evolved. We always did new things,” says Monsour of his time as chef tournant there. “It was very fun and experimental.”

After a brief stint at Dune Deck in Westhampton Beach, Monsour (who holds a Culinary Arts Management degree from SUNY Delhi) settled into his North Fork position quickly, working at The Halyard for just under three years before taking the executive chef position at Windamere in 2021. Being a waterfront destination with outdoor seating, Monsour saw the opportunity to expand and improve Windamere’s brunch menu.

“I thought something a little bit familiar for everybody that’s not so out of the box would be a jumbo cinnamon roll,” recalls the chef, “as long as it was cooked right and tasted delicious.”

On a cold day or month, as it’s been here lately, a warm cinnamon roll hits the indulgent spot, especially when its charmingly baked and served in individual cast-iron pans, which aids in even cooking — and the oven-to-table ski-lodge vibe is pretty fun, too. Bar Boy (218 Montauk Highway, Hampton Bays, 631-728-7100) carries individual 5″ cast iron pans, perfect for recreating this presentation.

But what’s a cinnamon roll without the glaze? Monsour prefers a darker, nutmeg-infused frosting over the typical white cream cheese finish, to “bring out the cinnamon flavor.” And the secret to that fluffy dough? “I use bread flour,” he explains, “which gives it a much lighter, airy taste once it’s baked.”

Originally from the Mohawk Valley in upstate New York, Monsour’s new gig as executive chef at Penn Yan’s Main Deck in the Finger Lakes region brings his Long Island learned culinary skills back north.

“I aim to ignite the guest experience here,” explains the chef enthusiastically, who’s bringing in table side experiences to make meals more interactive and bringing in his love of glass-to-table wine pairing dinners, like he did at The Halyard.

And those cinnamon buns of Monsour’s? He brought that recipe with him and serves it on Main Deck’s brunch menu. “I love sweets, so I find these cinnamon rolls are a good balance in the morning to give you some energy,” he says.

But with his recipe shared here, you don’t have to miss his culinary presence at The Halyard anymore. Just bake up a batch of these gooey, pillowy buns, cozy up with a morning fire and enjoy the last weeks of winter in the sweetest way possible.