Fresh baked cinnamon rolls are certainly one of my favorites, and I am quite sure there are many people who share my sentiment. There is something almost magical about the way cinnamon fills our senses. For me, the aroma of a pan of rolls in the oven seems to fill the house with a goodness that brings back wonderful memories of snowy wintry days.
A while back I came across a recipe for a cookie that touted the look and taste of a cinnamon roll, and have been anxious to try them ever since. So when I woke up to three inches of snow a few days ago, I decided that it was the perfect day to give them a go, and see if they would live up to my expectations. I was pleasantly surprised how good they were, and how much they did remind me of a fresh-baked cinnamon roll. I will definitely be adding them to my holiday cookie repertoire this year.
- 1 cup butter
- 1/3 cup fine sugar
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- zest of one orange, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 2 ¼ cups flour
- pinch salt
- 1/3 cup butter
- ¼ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons light corn syrup
- 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 3 tablespoons toasted walnuts, very finely chopped (optional)
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon water, may need to add a little more to get proper consistency
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Cream together the sugars and butter. Beat in the vanilla, orange zest, and egg until fluffy. Fold in the flour and salt just until a soft dough forms. Cover and chill the dough for about an hour.
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While the dough is cooling you can make the filling.
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Beat all ingredients together until smooth, fluffy and easily spreadable.
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Whisk ingredients together in a small mixing bowl. Using a piping bag or spoon drizzle the icing over the cookies.
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Remove dough from the refrigerator, lightly dust with flour, and roll between two pieces of plastic wrap to about a 12″ x 16″ rectangle. Gently remove the top layer of plastic and spread the filling evenly over the dough.
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Using the bottom piece of plastic wrap, gently roll the dough into a log trying to prevent air pockets.
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Wrap the roll of filled dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 2 hours (once you have wrapped the dough you can gently work it in to an even shape).
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While the dough is chilling, heat your oven to 350° F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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When dough has chilled, unwrap and slice into 1/4″ pieces and place at least 1″ apart on your prepared baking sheet.
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Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until the edges begin to turn golden. Place cookies on a wire rack to cool completely before icing.
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Using a piping bag or spoon to drizzle icing over cookies. Allow icing to set up until firm and not sticky before storing.
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Tip: To easily drizzle icing over a large number of cookies, line them up on wire racks over wax paper. You can then pipe the icing back and forth over the entire row at once.
This dough was a little difficult to work with. It tended to either be too cold to roll, or turned warm very quickly and became sticky. I found that working the dough between two pieces of cellophane solved the problem for me, and was well worth the challenge.
I added 3 tablespoon of toasted walnuts that I finely chopped. I think I will add some finely chopped dried cranberries for the holidays. Be sure to finely chop any additional ingredients you plan to add.
If you are planning to freeze the cookies, I would recommend icing them after you have thawed them.