Cinnamon Buns

For the filling:

Combine first five ingredients, from brown sugar to salt, in a bowl and blend well. Pour in melted butter and coat mixture until it looks and feels like wet sand. Set aside.

For the dough:

Preheat oven to 425°F. Adjust oven rack to the upper middle position of your oven.

Prepare a 9-inch round nonstick baking pan by brushing it with 1 tablespoon of the melted butter.

Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl. Whisk together buttermilk and 2 more tablespoons of the melted butter in another bowl. Pour wet ingredients into the dry and stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.

Once no liquid is left and dough is about to come to form, turn it out on a flour-dusted work top and knead with your hands until just smooth, no longer than a minute.

Again with your hands, press dough out evenly into a 12×9″ rectangle.

Brush 1 tablespoon of the remaining butter over the top of the dough. Sprinkle filling over the dough and spread evenly, leaving a ½ inch border around all sides of the dough. Press the filling into the dough.

With the aid of an offset spatula, and starting with one of the long sides, gently roll up the dough into a log doing this as tightly as possible.

Cut the roll into 8 pieces and arrange slices cut side up in the prepared pan. Brush with the remaining butter (you may not need all of it). Bake for 20-25 minutes until edges are browned.

Once done either allow to cool slightly in the pan itself or loosen edges and hold a large plate over the pan. Invert rolls onto the plate and then to a wire rack.

In the meantime, prepare icing.

For the icing:

Using an electric or stand mixer, beat together cream cheese and buttermilk until smooth.

Add in sugar, half cup at a time and mix until blended and glossy. Add additional milk for a thinner consistency,

Drizzle or spread the icing over the cooled cinnamon buns.

(Recipe Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated)