The VERY BEST Cinnamon Buns
My 10 pm food blog reading took me to Sarah's blog where she showed these gorgeous pull apart cinnamon buns.
She promised that they were easy to make, no yeast involved and were addictive.
She was right on all accounts.
I always have cottage cheese in the fridge, and I was intrigued by the use of it in dough.
These were amazing, warm out of the oven and hard to stop at just one, so if you are watching your weight, skip these, because you won't be able to stay away from them, the smell is intoxicating.
Sarah mentions to bake them 20 minutes and keep an eye on them, you don't want to overcook them, no more than 28 minutes, since ovens vary. Mine needed exactly 20 minutes.
Amazing Cinnamon Pecan Buns (adapted from Fine Cooking & In Praise of Leftovers):
For filling:
3 Tb. melted butter
2/3 c. dark brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. cardamom
1 c. pecans
(I added golden raisins, of course)
For dough:
2 c. flour
1 Tb. baking powder
1/2 ts. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 c. cottage cheese (I used 2% milkfat)
1/3 c. buttermilk
1/4 c. granulated sugar
4 Tb. melted butter
1 tsp. vanilla
For icing:
2/3 c. powdered sugar
2-3 Tb. milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
finely grated zest of one orange
Preheat oven to 400 and butter a 9″ springform pan.
Start out by chopping the pecans very fine and mix them together with the spices, brown sugar and 3 tablespoons of melted butter in a medium bowl. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt and soda. Set aside.
In a food processor, mix cottage cheese, buttermilk, granulated sugar, 4 tablespoons melted butter, and vanilla, pulsing for about 10 seconds until just mixed and cottage cheese is pureed. Add flour mixture to cottage cheese mixture, pulsing in short bursts until dough is just beginning to clump.
Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface, kneading a couple times until smooth. Dough will be very soft and fragrant, but surprisingly easy to work with. Roll dough out into a 12″x15″ rectangle. Brush dough with melted butter (I forgot this step!), leaving a little border around the edges. Sprinkle pecan spice mixture over dough. Roll the dough up lengthwise, pinching ends. Using your sharpest knife, cut dough into 10-12 rounds. They will squish a little bit, but don’t worry about it.
Arrange in the springform pan and bake for about 20-25 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out with just a few moist crumbs. DO NOT OVERBAKE! This is super essential. (Mine only needed 20 minutes).
Let cool for about five minutes, then whisk powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and orange zest to make your icing. Drizzle icing over buns, let cool for about five more minutes, then unmold the springform.
HEAVEN!
I want to wish all of my friends a very HAPPY & HEALTHY NEW YEAR!
Comments
THIS IS MY KIND OF PASTRY!!!!
ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS.
CAN'T WAIT TO TRY THEM.
HAPPY NEW YEAR AND A HEALTHY ONE FOR ALL.
MIL
A healthy and happy New Year to you and your family, Stacey! xoxo -- Stacey
Happy New Year to you!
Happy new year to you too!
Wishes for happiness and blessings in the coming year.