Not many things can beat the taste of a cinnamon bun, especially during times when you are suddenly craving something warm, something doughy, and something really really sweet, then a cinnamon bun will definitely do the trick. Although I say that, I know not many people like cinnamon buns either because 1) they are not a healthy snack (an average cinnamon bun with frosting contains over 500 calories, with lots of fat and no nutrients), or 2) because they are too sweet (probably enough to create hyperactivity lol), or 3) some people just don't like cinnamon, or 4) they like cinnamon buns but they don't like it enough to buy them at Cinnabon, one of the most obvious place to get a cinnamon bun. I fall into category 2 and 4. I sometimes think they are too sweet, especially if they slather on too much frosting. And in terms of actually buying them, not sure if I'm just cheap or something, but I usually don't feel like forking out $4-$5 for a snack made of dough, cinnamon, and brown sugar, all of which are super super cheap ingredients.
Personally, I don't know how many times I have walked by a Cinnabon at a shopping mall and think "wow that smells soooo good". Probably every time! It is just plain dangerous because the aroma of cinnamon buns can travel far and wide, even before you SEE the Cinnabon store you know it's coming up. So then, how many times have I actually stopped by to buy one? Two times. That's a pretty low number considering how much I go to the mall lol.
Solution? Make my own cinnamon buns without the frosting, although I did include the recipe for the frosting in case you feel your cinnamon buns would be incomplete without it. The cinnamon buns turned out absolutely wonderful and delicious - my boyfriend loved them too =) These chubby bad boys are quite filling.
My Chubby Cinnamon Buns - adapted from MOMOFUKU for 2
(Yields 12)
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1/3 cup margarine, melted
- 4 1/2 cups bread flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 2 1/2 teaspoons yeast
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 1/3 cup butter, softened
Instructions
1) Combine the warm milk and yeast in a bowl. After a few minutes, add the sugar, butter and lightly beaten eggs. Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl, make a well and add the liquid ingredients, stirring to combine into a dough. Knead until smooth, cover and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
2) After the dough has doubled in size turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
3) In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon.
4) Roll dough into a 16×21 inch rectangle.
5) Spread dough with 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture.
6) Roll up dough and cut into 12 rolls (I only got 11 rolls out of mine).
7) Place rolls in a lightly greased 9×13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400˚F. (By the way, this picture always makes me laugh because it looks like a bunch of really fat and obese individuals squeezed into a small space)
8) Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes.
DONE. Haha the cinnamon buns got even fatter!
They are a bit chubby looking but I still love them for what they are...my chubby cinnamon buns =)
For those of you who want the frosting, while the rolls are baking, beat together 1 package (3 ounce) of cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, 1 1/2 cups of confectioners' sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 1/8 teaspoon of salt. Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving. (frosting recipe from allrecipes.com)