Posted by Katie Lane
Snow days are awesome.
They are especially awesome when you are 21-years old and your parents cannot make you put on a bright red snow suit and play outside for exactly one hour when you would rather be inside reading "The Boxcar Children".
I did not have any Boxcar Children books handy during last week's snow day.
But I did have some brown sugar. And some butter. And all those other things that when you mix them up, roll them out, roll them back up and stick them in the oven for a bit become gooey, sweet pockets of warm goodness.
True fact number one: I spent the entire snow day inside reading (homework) and eating (cinnamon rolls).
True fact number two: Other than when I went outside to dig my car out of a snow bank and failed, I did not leave my house.
Thanks stranger who helped me push my car out of the snow. You are as awesome as these cinnamon rolls.
In fact, these cinnamon rolls are pretty great. Traditionally, cinnamon rolls should use yeast and go through a whole long rising process.
But who has time for that before breakfast! ?
Oh right: me on a snow day. But I took the shortcut and used a dough that functions more like a flaky biscuit. Insert some cinnamon and brown sugar and voila!
Next time I make these, though, I might cut down on the brown sugar filling and nix the white chocolate chips, all of which made for a bit of a sweet-overkill, if you can possibly imagine.
Maybe add some nuts...
Recipe adapted from http://www.bigredkitchen.com/
Cinnamon Rolls
1½ cups unbleached flour
½ cups whole wheat flour
2 tbsp white sugar
1¼ tbsp baking powder
¼ cup butter, cut into
small pieces
1½ cups buttermilk or milk
¼ cup butter (very soft)
¾ cup brown sugar
Cinnamon to taste
White chocolate chips (optional)
¾ cup confectioners' sugar
3 oz cream cheese (softened)
3 tbsp milk
½ tsp vanilla
In a large bowl mix together all the dry ingredients then cut in butter and mix until the dough
is crumbly.
Add buttermilk or milk and mix until a nice dough forms.
Place dough on a floured surface, knead a little, and roll into a big rectangle about ¼ inch thick.
Spread the butter all over the dough, and sprinkle the brown sugar, cinnamon, and chips all over.
Starting at the long end, carefully roll up the dough, keeping it relatively tight and pinching the
edge to seal.
Cut into seven even rolls, and arrange in a greased round cake pan or 9 inch square baking dish.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Remove and ice immediately.
While baking, whisk together softened cream cheese and three tbsp of milk until smooth.
Stir in vanilla and then add sugar. Spread on top of warm buns. Eat warm buns on a cold
winterday.
Giggle about eating warm buns on a cold winter day. Yum!