Cinnamon Rolls

  I've been wanting to make homemade cinnamon rolls for a long time now. Every recipe I've ever found though involves letting the dough rise for hours and it makes it pretty much impossible to make cinnamon rolls and actually eat them for breakfast. Then I saw a cinnamon roll recipe in my new Americas Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook that was quick and easy! The recipe uses baking powder and baking soda in place of yeast so there is no need to let the dough rise. These cinnamon rolls are so tasty, gooey, and they come in at just 290 calories each. I really just wanted a cinnamon roll recipe that didn't take hours to make but the fact that they are also relatively healthy for a cinnamon roll is the icing on the cake for me. I was able to make them this morning in less than an hour and we served them with a big bowl of fresh fruit and scrambled eggs. Enjoy!

Cinnamon Rolls


Filling:

1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon salt 

Dough:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda 

1 1/4 cup buttermilk

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Glaze:

3/4 cup confections' sugar 

2 tablespoons light cream cheese, softened 

1 tablespoon buttermilk

Directions:

  Adjust an oven rack to the upper middle position and preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line an 8 inch square pan with aluminum foil sling. You basically place 2 strips of foil in the pan criss crossing each other so the rolls will be sitting in the foil and not touching the pan. 


  Mix all the filling ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside. 


  For the dough, whisk the flour, whole wheat flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk and 4 tablespoons of the melted butter together. Stir the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture until the dough comes together but looks shaggy, about 30 seconds. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured counter and knead until just smooth and no longer shaggy, about 8-10 times. 


  Pat the dough into a 12 by 9 inch rectangle with the long side facing you. 

  Brush the dough with the remaining 1 tablespoon of melted butter, then sprinkle with the filling, leaving a 1/2 inch border along the top edge. Press the filling so it adheres to the dough, then roll the dough up into a tight log, you can use a bench scraper or metal spatula to help you roll the sticky dough. 

  Once the dough is rolled tightly into a log, pinch the seam closed to seal it. Roll the log over so that the seam side is facing down.

  Pat the ends of the log to even them, then slice the log evenly into nine rolls, each about 1 1/2 inches wide, with a serrated knife. Its essential to use a serrated knife here to prevent crushing or tearing the rolls. I made light marks with the knife before I cut to make sure I portioned the rolls evenly. 


  Slightly flatten each roll with the palm of your hang, then lay them, cut side up, on the baking pan. 

  Cover the pan of rolls with the foil and bake for 12 minutes, then remove the foil and continue to bake the rolls for 12 to 18 minutes, until the edges of the rolls are golden brown. Put the rolls out onto a wire rack, remove the foil, and let cool for 5 minutes. 

  For the glaze whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl until smooth. Drizzle the rolls with the glaze and serve. 

Recipe originally from The America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook