Not Your Average Cinnamon Roll

I would make these once a week if I could, I mean I can, but I shan’t. They’re better than the typical cinnamon roll in my opinion, especially because I am not one for the icing. This recipe doesn’t have an icing, but to me it doesn’t need it. The flavor and texture is so amazing you won’t miss your every day bun. The middle is gooey and the outside has a crunch, plus it’s spiked with cardamom, which gives it an amazing warmth along with the cinnamon.

I found this recipe on Food52. It’s from Violet Bakery in London, adapted slightly from the original. I haven’t changed anything except writing it in my own words, because I just can’t think of anything that would make it better!

Recipe Resource: Food52 Violet Bakery

Makes 12 cinnamon buns

Ingredients:

For the filling:

1/3 cup (75g) of unsalted butter

1 cup plus 2 tbl (250g) light brown sugar

1 tbl ground cinnamon

For the dough:

4 1/2 cups (560g) of unbleached all purpose flour

2 tbl baking powder

2 tsp ground cardamom

2 tsp kosher salt

1 cup plus 1 tbl (240g) of cold unsalted butter, cubed

1 1/4 cups (300g) of cold milk

sugar for dipping

butter for greasing the pan

Ok so…

Preheat your oven to 390F (200C) (355F/180C convection)

Generously grease a 12 cup muffin tin with butter.

Melt the butter for the filling (75g) in a microwave safe bowl, or on the stovetop and keep in the microwave (or somewhere warm) where it won’t start to harden. In a separate bowl, whisk the brown sugar and cinnamon together until there are no lumps, set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cardamom and salt until fully combined. Then add the cubed butter and using a paddle attachment, mix on low for about 3 minutes or until the mixture looks like a coarse meal. Then slowly stream in the cold milk until the dough is coming away from the sides of the bowl to form a ball.

Make sure to get all the bits of flour incorporated from the bottom of the bowl, and then place the dough on a lightly floured surface to rest for about 3 minutes. Then fold the dough over itself twice (to create some layers) and leave in a square or rectangle shape to rest for 10 minutes more.

Sprinkle some more flour underneath the dough if necessary and then begin rolling it out into a rough rectangular shape, about between 1/4 and 1/8 inch thick. Then brush the melted butter all over the surface of the dough and before it starts to harden, sprinkle all of the brown sugar cinnamon mixture (it will be a thick coating) evenly over the surface.

Tightly roll the buns by rolling the long side towards you until it’s fully rolled up. With the seam underneath, gently squeeze the roll from the middle outwards to make sure it’s an even thickness. Then cut each roll out making them about 1 1/2 inches thick each, or however long your log was divided by 12 ;). Take each bun and unpeel about an inch or so of the dough and tuck it underneath itself, almost like a little rose or something. (I tell my kid we’re covering their butts..you’re welcome). Then place them in the muffin tins, flap side down.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown and well risen. Immediately dump them onto a cooling rack right out of the oven so they don’t stick to the pan, and then while saying “hot, hot, hot” dip the tops of the buns into some sugar. Best eaten slightly warm or room temp. Store in a ziplock, and reheat if you want in a low oven.