Every now and then, I crave a good cinnamon roll. I generally don’t eat things like doughnuts and cinnamon rolls but that doesn’t mean I don’t ever want them! Last night, I got to thinking about making some and this morning, I decided to make them a reality. One problem – we’re out of eggs and I don’t want to go to the store.
Speaking of not going to the store, I am definitely NOT a Black Friday shopper so I definitely stayed home yesterday. I have a hard time dealing with crowds of people not paying attention to anyone but themselves, fully prepared to run you over at the slightest indication you might get the last *insert whatever item here*. The only crowds I can really handle are the ones that involve runners and marathons. Runners are so much friendlier than crazed 3am shoppers. But, I digress. I’m here to talk about cc cinnamon rolls.
So, no eggs – and no Eggbeaters, either – definitely made for a challenge. Also, I didn’t want to have to wait for dough to rise so yeast was also out of the question. How on Earth was I going to find a cinnamon roll recipe that didn’t require either of those ingredients? Well, I did and they were totally worth looking for! Warm, gooey cinnamon rolls with a light buttermilk icing….perfect for a lazy, chilly Saturday morning. Please pass the coffee. 🙂
Quick Cinnamon Buns with Buttermilk Icing
Makes 8
(Recipe adapted from Cook’s Illustrated)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted, for greasing the pan
Cinnamon-Sugar Filling
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
Biscuit Dough
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Icing
2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened (I substituted Greek yogurt)
2 tablespoons buttermilk
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. 41 tablespoon melted butter into a 9 inch nonstick cake pan; brush to coat the pan. Spray a wire cooling rack with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
2. For the cinnamon sugar filling: combine the sugars, spices, and salt in a small bowl. Add the melted butter and stir with a fork until the mixture resembles wet sand; set the filling mixture aside.
3. For the biscuit dough: whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk the buttermilk and to tablespoons of the melted butter in a measuring cup or small bowl. Add the liquid to the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until the liquid is absorbed (dough will look very shaggy), about 30 seconds. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and kneaduntil just smooth and no longer shaggy.
4. Pat the dough with your hands into a 12 by 9-Inch rectangle. Brush the dough with 2 tablespoons of the melted butter. Sprinkle evenly with the filling leaving a half inch border of plain dough around the edges. Press the filling firmly into the dough. Using a bench scraper or metal spatula, loosen the dough from the work surface. Starting at the long side, roll the dough, pressing lightly, to form a tight log. Roll the log seam-side down and cut it evenly into 8 pieces. With your hand, slightly flatten each piece of go to seal the open edges and keep the filling in place. Place 1 role in the center of the prepared nonstick pan, then place the remaining 7 rolls around the perimeter of the pan. Brush with the remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter.
5. Bake until the edges of the buns are golden brown, 23 to 25 minutes. Use an offset metal spatula to loosen the buns from the pan. Wearing oven mitts, place a large plate over the pan and invert the buns on to the plate. Place the greased cooling rack over the plate and invert the buns on to the rack. Cool about 5 minutes before icing.
6. For the icing and to finish the buns: While the buns are cooling, line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper; set the rack with the buns over the baking sheet. whisk the cream cheese (or yogurt) and buttermilk in a large nonreactive bowl until thick and smooth (the mixture will look like cottage cheese at first). Sift the confectioners sugar over the mixture; whisk until a smooth glaze forms, about 30 seconds. Spoon the glaze evenly over the buns; serve immediately.
Enjoy!
A Hungry Runner 