Cinnamon Slide Recipes

PUFF PASTRY CINNAMON SWIRLS

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to gas mark 4/180°C/350°F
• In a mixing bowl, mix the butter, light brown sugar and cinnamon together with a spoon until combined.
• Unroll the ready-made puff pastry and spread the cinnamon, butter and light brown sugar mixture evenly over all the pastry leaving a small 1cm gap around the surface. Roll your pastry like a swiss roll.
• With a sharp knife or a piece of string, cut the pastry approximately 2cm long.
• Place them on the baking tray and bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Leave space in-between each cinnamon swirl as they do expand in the oven whilst baking.
• In a small bowl, mix the icing sugar and water together until well combined. Using a spoon or a piping bag, drizzle the icing over each homemade cinnamon swirl in a diagonal motion from top to bottom.

FLUFFY CINNAMON ROLLS

Steps:

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment, add these ingredients in the following order: room temperature heavy cream, milk, and egg, followed by the sugar, cake flour, bread flour, active dry yeast, and salt. There is no need to activate the yeast beforehand.
• Turn on the mixer to the lowest setting, and let it go for 15 minutes, occasionally stopping the mixer to push the dough together. If you're in a humid climate and the dough is too sticky, feel free to add a little more flour 1 tablespoon at a time until it comes together. It should be sticking to the bottom of the bowl, but not the sides. If you don't have a mixer and would like to knead by hand, extend the kneading time by 5-10 minutes.
• Cover the bowl with a damp towel and place in a warm spot for 1-2 hours, or until it has doubled in size. (We proof our dough in a closed microwave with a mug of just boiled water next to it.)
• In the meantime, grease two baking vessels on all sides with butter. We fit 12 rolls in a large oval casserole dish, and 4 into a smaller overflow casserole dish. You can also use two 9-inch cake pans. Keep in mind that these expand quite a bit. You want to ensure they have enough room to expand, but not so much room that they won't end up hugging each other in the pan once baked.
• Next, mix the cinnamon sugar filling. In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, butter, and salt until it's a brown paste. If you need to, microwave the butter for 15-20 seconds to make it easier to stir.
• After the dough has doubled in size, put it back in the mixer, and stir for another 5 minutes to get rid of any air bubbles.
• Roll the dough out into a 12x24 inch (30x60cm) rectangle, at about ¼-inch thickness. Using a butter knife, spread the brown sugar filling evenly over the dough leaving about a ½-inch of border on the sides. Roll it tightly into a big cigar, and cut it into 16 equal pieces. (It helps to score it first in half, then in fourths, and so on).
• Arrange the buns in the buttered baking pans (when it comes to the end pieces, place them cut side up) with about ¾-inch between each bun. Proof for another 30-40 minutes.
• 15 minutes into the last round of proofing, arrange a rack in the middle of the oven, and preheat to 350°F/175°C. After proofing the buns, bake for 20-25 minutes. Ours baked in 25 minutes. If you know your oven runs hot, proceed accordingly. The center buns will look a little pale relative to the ones on the edges, but don't be tempted to bake them longer!
• While the buns are baking, make the cream cheese icing. Whip the cream cheese and butter until fluffy and pale yellow. Add the vanilla extract and powdered sugar. For super thick icing, omit the milk. For a thinner, pourable consistency, add the milk.
• When the buns are done baking, remove from the oven. Drizzle icing evenly over the buns as desired. Serve warm!

CLASSIC CINNAMON ROLLS

Steps:

• Make the rolls: Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Whisk the sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. On a floured surface, roll out the dough into a 10-by-18-inch rectangle. Spread the butter over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border on one of the long sides. Top with the cinnamon sugar. Brush the clean border with water. Tightly roll the dough into an 18-inch log, rolling toward the clean border; pinch the seam to seal.
• Slip a long taut piece of thread or unflavored floss under the roll, about 1 1/2 inches from the end. Lift the ends of the thread and cross over the roll, pulling tightly to cut off a piece. Repeat, cutting every 1 1/2 inches, to make 12 rolls. Place the rolls in the prepared baking dish.
• Cover the rolls loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour, 10 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Uncover the rolls and bake until they spring back when pressed, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes in the pan. (You can freeze the baked rolls for up to 2 weeks. Cool completely before freezing, then thaw, warm up and glaze before serving.)
• Make the glaze: Whisk the confectioners' sugar, melted butter, milk, vanilla and salt in a bowl until smooth. Drizzle over the warm rolls.
• Warm 1/2 cup water and the milk in a saucepan over low heat until a thermometer registers 100 degrees F to 110 degrees F. Remove from the heat and sprinkle the yeast on top, then sprinkle with a pinch of the sugar; set aside, undisturbed, until foamy, about 5 minutes.
• Whisk the melted butter, egg yolk and vanilla into the yeast mixture until combined. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, the remaining sugar, the salt and nutmeg. Make a well in the center, then add the yeast mixture and stir with a wooden spoon to make a thick and slightly sticky dough. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until soft and elastic, about 6 minutes. Shape into a ball.
• Brush a large bowl with butter. Add the dough, turning to coat lightly with the butter. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until the dough is doubled in size, about 1 hour, 15 minutes.
• Turn the dough out of the bowl and knead briefly to release excess air; re-form into a ball and return to the bowl. Lightly butter a large piece of plastic wrap and lay it directly on the surface of the dough. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.