Easy Cinnamon Rolls

I've got a somewhat embarrassing confession to make. If you've been following this blog, you may already know. No, it's not that I'm a faux vegetarian with a secret (not-so-secret) love for beef broth.  Nor is it that occasionally, I get sucked into watching a riveting and equally mind-numbing marathon of Keeping Up with the Kardashians.

It's worse. Much worse.

Okay. Here it is. I don't eat fruit. To be completely honest, I actually prefer not to even come near it. Haven't since I was four. (Unless you count that time in sixth grade when my brother "April Fools"-ed me with grotesquely juicy apples in my bed while I was sleeping. We didn't talk for a little while after that.) There is no rhyme or reason to my distaste for fruit. It's 100% mental. And 100% crazy.

I always ogle over breakfast recipes that center around in-season berries. What I wouldn't give to want to make an apple pie. Banana bread? Why must you repulse me so? Greek yogurt topped with fruit and honey? Why - that sounds like a perfectly acceptable and age-appropriate snack. But I can't go for that. (No can do.) (Also: I've been listening to quite a bit of Hall & Oates on the ol' Pandora lately.)

Instead, as you may have noticed, I opt for excessive amounts of sugar and cinnamon in my breakfast creations. I'm not complaining, and neither are the people I bake for. But - seriously Alexis - enough is enough. Act your damn age and integrate some berries into your repertoire!

Maybe soon. Hopefully. But definitely not today. 

These buns are truly easy and delightful. They're easy (and fast!) because they don't need yeast to rise. (And in turn, you don't need to be patient. Hooray!) They'll be in the oven in 20 minutes and in your belly in another 25. They're delightful due to the presence of cinnamon, sugar, melted butter, and the like. (And in turn, the absence of bananas, berries, etc.)

Bursting with dark brown sugar, ground cloves, and cinnamon and glazed with cream cheese frosting, these are a wonderful way to start your day. And are precisely how I started my Saturday last week.



Easy Cinnamon Rolls
adapted from Cook's Illustrated

To start, melt 1 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter. Set aside. Tablespoons of it will be used throughout the recipe (noted below).

Ingredients
Cinnamon Sugar Filling
3/4 c. packed dark brown sugar (light brown is fine, too)
1/4 c. white sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

>>Whisk all dry ingredients in a small bowl. Add the melted butter and stir with a fork until the mixture resembles a wet sand. Set the filling mixture aside.

For the Dough
2+1/2 c. all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. granulated sugar
1+1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1+1/4 c. buttermilk
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and divided

For the Icing
2 tbsp. cream cheese (or butter), softened
2 tbsp. milk or buttermilk
1 c. confectioners' sugar

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425. Brush a round cake pan with 1 tbsp. of melted butter.

First, create the cinnamon sugar filling, as noted above, and set aside.

For the dough, whisk together the flour, sugar, powder, soda, and salt in a large bowl.

Separately, whisk the buttermilk and 2 tbsp. of melted butter in a small bowl. 

Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and fold with a wooden spoon until liquid is absorbed (the dough will be shaggy), about 30 seconds.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured board and, with lightly floured hands, knead the dough until just smooth and no logger shaggy.

Pat the dough with your hands into a 12x9" rectangle. Use a rolling pin to get there, if necessary.

Brush the dough with 1 tbsp. melted butter, leaving a narrow border at the top (long portion away from you). Sprinkle the filling onto the buttered section of the dough, pressing down with your hands. Now's a good time to loosen the dough from the board to make sure it isn't sticking (spoken from experience!)

Starting at the long side closest to you, carefully roll the dough into a tight log. Pinch the top of the log (the part that has not been buttered) to seal.

Roll the log seam side down and cut into 8 equal pieces.

Place the rolls in the prepared pan (1 roll in the center, 7 circling it). Brush the tops of the rolls with the remaining 2 tbsp. of melted butter.

Bake until the edges of the cinnamon rolls are golden brown, between 20-25 minutes.

Allow to cool in the pan for a few minutes. Then, loosen the buns from the pan with an offset metal spatula and, without separating the buns, transfer them onto a sheet of parchment paper set over a cooling rack (you can either flip the buns over which is what I did, or transfer them right side up.)

Cool for a few minutes before icing.

For the icing:
In a non-metal bowl, whisk together the softened cream cheese and milk until soft and smooth. Add the confectioners' sugar and whisk until the mixture forms a smooth glaze (about 30 seconds.) milk, and confectioners' sugar. Spoon the glaze over the cinnamon buns. Serve immediately.

These will keep in a ziploc bag in the fridge for a few days. I just zapped mine in the microwave for a minute and they were (still) heaven.

Happy weekend!