What do you think of when Cinnamon Rolls are mentioned?  Does it create food memories of cinnamon-spice gooey sticky buns or cinnamon pinwheels with a cream cheese glaze?  Does it make your mouth water when the fragrance of cinnamon buns are wafting through the kitchen while they are baking in the oven?  Can you wait even five minutes before you twist off a bit off of one corner of a freshly baked hot-out-of-the-oven cinnamon roll? That is familiar to me on all accounts.

And, if you are anything like me, a cinnamon roll feast is something that we seldom make now at home unless there is a special function where a large quantity is required.  Then, I remember why I loved making cinnamon rolls so much. There is just something about working with a really nice dough that is just so satisfying.

Do you know the difference between cinnamon rolls and cinnamon buns?  I wonder about things like that.  Actually, there really is no difference at all. The terms cinnamon rolls and cinnamon buns are often used interchangeably. There are certainly many different ways of making cinnamon rolls.  Do you prefer the buns baked tightly together on one tray or individually baked in muffin tins?  Do you like the cinnamon rolls individually baked free form or each contained in a pretty pan?  Do you go off the beaten path and create something a little unconventional like a twisted cinnamon ring or chop the cinnamon roll dough to create an interesting effect?

It does not really matter how you decide to bake them – what really matters is the quality of the ingredients that you use.  I am quite fussy about the butter and eggs, of course, but what is really important for this baked good is the quality of the cinnamon.  The cinnamon that I prefer is either Ceylon or Korintje variety from The Vanilla Food Company – the quality of their cinnamon is unsurpassed.

Cinnamon Rolls with Vanilla

At my former workplace, I generally made hundreds of cinnamon rolls, not a few dozen. For this post, however, I want to share with you another recipe that has probably crossed the floured work table of many bakers over the years.  It is a loosely adapted version of the famous cinnamon buns from franchise stores that literally make shoppers stop in their tracks (has this happened to you, too?).  It is an interesting recipe and fun to make with a surprise ingredient – vanilla pudding mix.  (If you want to make your own vanilla pudding powder mix, I will provide a recipe soon.)  These cinnamon rolls are quite rich, so an icing glaze or cream cheese frosting might be a little over the top.  It’s your choice, of course (and just in case, the recipe for cream cheese frosting follows the recipe and its variations).

First, the recipe for the cinnamon buns; then using photos, I show you how you can use the dough to make totally different variations of the cinnamon rolls. I hope it inspires you to try making cinnamon buns in a different way. Share them with your neighbours or have a spontaneous coffee party. When the cinnamon spice fragrance of these buns drifts outside of your house to the street, you will probably have folks lining up at the door anyway. Put the coffee on – Enjoy!

Ultimate Cinnamon Rolls with Vanilla

INGREDIENTS: 

For the Cinnamon Sugar Filling:

• 1 cup soft butter
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Ceylon or Korintje cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

For the Cinnamon Rolls:

• 1/2 cup warm water
• 2 packages active dry yeast
• 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
• 3 1/2 oz. pkg. vanilla pudding mix
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 6 cups all-purpose flour

METHOD:

Method For the Cinnamon Filling:

1. Combine the soft butter, brown sugar and cinnamon together to make a paste.
2. Set aside while you make the cinnamon roll dough.

Method For the Cinnamon Roll Dough:

1. In a bowl or measuring cup combine the warm water, yeast, and sugar. Stir. Set aside for five minutes.  It will get all bubbly and frothy.
2. In a large bowl, prepare the vanilla pudding according to package directions.
3. Add the melted butter, eggs and salt. Mix well.
4. Add the yeast mixture. Blend well.
5. Gradually add the flour; knead until smooth.
6. Place in a greased bowl. Cover and let rise until doubled.
7. Punch down the dough and let it rise again for one hour.
8. Roll out the dough on a floured board to 34 x 21″ size.
9. Spread the Cinnamon Filling on top of the dough.
10. Roll up very tightly into a cylinder.  Proceed to Method for Cinnamon Roll Assembly below.

Options for Cinnamon Roll Assembly:

To Cut Regular Cinnamon Rolls:

YIELD:  About 30 cinnamon rolls

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. With a serrated knife, cut the cylinder into 1 1/2″ pieces and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving some space (about 2″)  in between each piece to allow for proofing.
3. The other option is to place the pieces into greased muffin tins.
4. Cover with a tea towel and allow to rise in a warm draft-free spot until double in size again.
5. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes or until the rolls are golden brown.

   

Make the Cinnamon Roll Twist Ring:

YIELD:  Makes one large cinnamon twist ring

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Place the cylinder of cinnamon dough on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
3. Cut the cylinder in half lengthwise down the middle.
4. Now turn one of the cylinder halves so it is back to back with the other half.
5. Next, holding on to one end of the two halves, twist the entire cylinder so that the two pieces intertwine together to create one cinnamon roll twist.
6. Form the now twisted cinnamon roll into a circle and seal the two ends together to form a ring.
7. Cover and let rise until double again.
8. Bake the Cinnamon Roll Twist Ring for 30 minutes or until the ring turns golden brown.

To Make Cinnamon Roll Hearts:

YIELD:  Makes about 30 Cinnamon Roll Hearts

Equipment:  Small individual heart-shaped  pans or other types of small individual pan

Follow the steps from the Cinnamon Roll Twist Ring above, as follows:

Cinnamon Roll Hearts:

METHOD:  

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Place the cylinder of cinnamon dough on a lightly floured work surface.
3. Cut the cylinder in half lengthwise down the middle.
4. Now turn one of the cylinder halves so it is back to back with the other half and the two exposed halves are facing out.  Twist each half slightly individually.
5. Next, holding on to one end of the two twisted halves, join the two halves together and twist again so that the two pieces intertwine together to create one cinnamon roll twist.
6. Cut the cylinder into 1″ pieces, and cut each of those pieces into quarters.
7. Place the pieces into the individual heart shaped pan in an attractive pattern.  Depending on the size of your heart shaped pan, you might need to use two pieces cut into quarters.
8. The dough will need to be proofed until double in size, so allow for that expansion.
9. Bake the individual heart-shaped cinnamon rolls for 10 – 15 minutes or until golden brown.

NOTES:  If you would like to glaze or ice the cinnamon rolls, a recipe for cream cheese frosting follows.  I am inclined to leave them as is, but once in a while, a cream cheese frosting is just the ticket.  You can always put the cream cheese frosting in a nice display dish with a spreader on the table so that your guests can help themselves or individual pots like the photo below.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 ounces plain cream cheese
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean extract or vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups icing sugar
• 1 – 2 Tablespoons milk

METHOD:

1. Combine the cream cheese and the softened butter to a smooth paste.
2. Add the vanilla bean extract.
3. Add the icing sugar and blend well.
4. Add enough milk to make a spreadable frosting.

LEARNING TIPS:  

Please CLICK the link above to access my UrbnSpice LEARNING TIPS, which are listed alphabetically on the Learning Tips blog post under the following subheadings:

• Proofing
• Blooming
• Oven Temperature Accuracy
  __________

You Might Also Enjoy:

The Best Ever Banana Muffins

Good Morning Cranberry-Coconut and Carrot Muffins

Sausage and Egg Breakfast Burritos

If you give this recipe for Cinnamon Rolls with Vanilla (or their variations) a try, please come back and leave me a comment below with your feedback. You can find me on social media – just be sure to tag @urbnspice and #urbnspice so I’m sure to see it. Enjoy!

 

Denise Paré-Watson

The Urbnspice Chef

 

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