Nice Buns

Who doesn't like cinnamon buns, fresh out of the oven? Nobody, that's who. This recipe was quick and easy; I even had buttermilk in the fridge from the meatballs the other night, so there was no need to pick up anything at the market.

If you're worried about that whole stick of butter, remember that the recipe makes 8 good-sized pastries, so each one has only 1 tablespoon of butter in it. And besides, it's OK to splurge every once in a while, and these were really worth it.

Cinnamon Buns

For the cinnamon buns:
8 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted, divided use
¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
6 Tbsp granulated sugar, divided use
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp plus ½ tsp salt
2½ cups all-purpose flour
1¼ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
1¼ cups buttermilk

For the glaze:
2 Tbsp cream cheese, softened (optional)
2 Tbsp buttermilk
1 cup confectioners’ sugar

1. Move oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 425°. Brush a round 9-inch nonstick cake pan with 1 Tbsp butter. Spray a wire cooling rack with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Make the filling: Combine the brown sugar, 4 Tbsp granulated sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and 1/8 tsp salt in a small bowl. Add 1 Tbsp melted butter and stir with a fork or fingers until the mixture resembles wet sand; set aside.

3. Make the dough: Whisk together the flour, remaining 2 Tbsp sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and remaining ½ tsp salt in a large bowl. Whisk together the buttermilk and 2 Tbsp butter in a measuring cup. Add the liquid to the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until the liquid is absorbed (the dough will look shaggy), about 30 seconds. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead until just smooth and no longer shaggy, about 30 seconds.

4. Pat the dough with your hands into a 12"x9" rectangle. Brush the dough with 2 Tbsp melted butter. Sprinkle the dough evenly with the brown sugar filling, leaving a ½" border. Press the filling firmly into the dough. Using a bench scraper or metal spatula, loosen the dough from the work surface. Moisten your hands and, starting at a long side, roll the dough, pressing lightly, to form a tight log. Pinch the seam to seal. Roll the log seam-side down and cut it evenly into 8 pieces. Turn the pieces over on their flat sides, and with your hand, slightly flatten each piece of dough to seal the open edges and keep the filling in place. Place 1 roll in the center of the prepared pan and then place the remaining 7 rolls around the perimeter of the pan. Brush the rolls with the remaining 2 Tbsp butter.

5. Bake until the edges are golden brown, 23–25 minutes. Use an offset metal spatula to loosen the buns from the pan. Wearing oven mitts, place a large plate over the pan and invert the buns onto the plate. Place the greased cooling rack over the plate and invert the buns onto the rack. Cool about 5 minutes before glazing.

6. Make the glaze: While the buns are cooling, line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper (for easy cleanup); set the rack with the buns on the baking sheet. Whisk the cream cheese and buttermilk in a large bowl until thick and smooth (the mixture will look like cottage cheese at first). Sift the confectioners’ sugar over the mixture and whisk until a smooth glaze forms, about 30 seconds. Spoon the glaze evenly over the buns; serve immediately.

Comments

[Elena]

I am amazed that this is not a yeast dough. Count me in!

[Radio_Lady]

Karen, I've link you to my blog as one of my #BestBlogsof2009.

Here's what I said: "My #BestWebsites2009 http://verbatim.blogs.com/verbatim/ || @WiseKaren lives in Newton, MA, where I used to be a sales representative for Clairol. Karen cooks, writes and tends to her family. I think of her as a daughter!"

Right up to the curls in your hair. In some way, you do bear a resemblance to one of my bonus daughters. Bonus=step in the parlance of http://www.bonusfamilies.com

Have a wonderful 2010, and I'm glad I found you! #Ellen

[Janice]

Thanks for this recipe--it was a quick and easy treat. I made these buns this morning for a bunch of middle-school girls. They enjoyed them quite a bit, although next time I'll cook them a little less (the buns, not the girls, although I was tempted when they weren't settling down to sleep in the wee hours of the morning!).

The only 9-inch cake pan I have is springform, which actually worked out quite nicely. To cut down on the butter, I oiled the pan and didn't brush as much on the tops of the buns as called for. I also didn't end up using all of the filling. Finally, I think I'll skip or cut back on the cloves next time. We just bought a new container of ground cloves, and it's strong stuff.

[Jean Glowicki]

A friend of mine has mentioned that her mother (now deceased) made "Butter Buns" and how sorry she is that she does not have her recipe. I'm going to bake a batch of these and see if they are what she's been missing so much.