Cinnamon Buns

Cinnamon buns! I must admit, I was pretty new to this one. Growing up, cinnamon buns weren't a feature in my house. Sure, I'd occasionally fall prey to cinnabun like any other kid, but it wasn't something we made or focused on. They were vaguely out there but not overly on my radar. I'm not entirely sure why, then, that I woke up on a weekend recently and decided to surprise my kids with them but... wow, have I been missing out. These are surprisingly not so hard to make and are absolutely delicious. They are hot, with a slight crunch on the outside but warm and soft on the inside, with a delightfully sweet without being overly sweet topping. Needless to say, my kids (and husband) now ask for them regularly.

Are they the healthiest? Nope. But... are they worse than pancakes or french toast? I think not. So, I make them sparingly. I stick to one. (My kids sometimes go for more than one...) And I serve it with a giant bowl of fresh fruit. I wouldn't recommend diving into it all of the time, but I've lightened it where I could reasonably do so while maintaining the true quality of the cinnamon buns and every so often, I think it's fair to just dig in and enjoy!

Time: 45 min

Cinnamon Buns

Ingredients:

(filling)

1/4 c. unsalted butter, softened

1/2 c. brown sugar

1.5 tsp cinnamon

(dough)

2 c. flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 c. canola oil

3/4 c. low fat buttermilk

(glaze)

4 oz low-fat or fat free cream cheese, softened

1 c. powdered sugar

1 tsp oat milk (or any milk)

1/2 tsp vanilla

First, before you do anything else, measure our the cream cheese and butter and leave them out to soften. You'll appreciate it later!

Next, get your oven pre-heating to 400 degrees. Grease a round 9" cake pan and set aside for now.

You can now turn to the filling. If needed, soften the butter a bit longer in the microwave (use a medium level only) and mix it with the brown sugar and cinnamon. Mix until well combined and set aside for now.

Now it's time to turn to the dough. Whisk together the dry ingredients (flour through baking soda) until well mixed. Add the oil and stir gently just until incorporated... it will be lumpy and you want it to be! Do not over mix at this point. Add in the buttermilk and stir again just until blended. Then, knead one minute or until smooth. It will be soft, not like a bread, but should still hold it's shape.

Put some flour on your work surface to prevent sticking (but limit to what you need) and roll the dough out to a 15" x 8" rectangle. Spread the filling on top, but leave a 1/4" border on all sides. Then, starting at the long end, gently roll up the dough so you have a log. Leave the seam against the work surface to keep it from unfurling.

Cut your log into eight even pieces. I start by cutting in half, then again, then again. Put each round on its side in your pan. You can look at the photo here, but I get seven around and an eighth in the middle.

Bake for 20-25 minutes.

While it's baking, turn to the glaze. Your cream cheese should be soft by now, so beat until it is smooth. (I use a hand mixer, personally!) Add the powdered sugar and beat again until incorporated. Add the milk and vanilla, and beat again. At this point, you should have a nice glaze.

When the cinnamon buns are done you should be able to dollop on top and instantly enjoy!