Flaky Cinnamon Roll Biscuits: Live, Love, & Eat in Sayulita

Last column I promised you salad dressings, but they say that it is a woman’s prerogative to change her mind. That being said, I absolutely have to share with you the most delicious Flaky Cinnamon Roll Biscuits that I have made three times in the past two weeks. My daughter and her family were just visiting us here in Sayulita and my 3 and a half year old grandson, Lucas, loves cinnamon buns. I found a recipe that seemed much easier and way faster to prepare than using yeast. Oh goodness, they are so yummy! Lucas ate about three a day... and that was only because we were rationing him! So, I decided to share this recipe today while it is still fresh in my mind.

THE RECIPE:

-4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour - I always use organic white flour, as regular flour is heavily sprayed before harvest to help dry wheat kernels quickly. 

-1/3 cup white sugar

-3/4 teaspoon baking soda

-2 & 1/2 tablespoons baking powder

-1/2 teaspoon salt

-13 tablespoons (6.5 ounces) very cold butter - Here in Sayulita, because of the heat and the humidity, I always cut the butter into smallish chunks and freeze them until ready to process. 

-2 cups buttermilk - I have never seen buttermilk here in Sayulita, but you can make your own so easily!

Homemade Buttermilk

-1 cup crema para batir - Most of the bigger tiendas in Sayulita carry it. Today I found it at Alas Blancas. 

-1 cup whole milk - Entero in Espanol

-2 tablespoons lemon juice -Stir the lemon juice into the 2 cups of dairy, wait 10 minutes, asd use as buttermilk. It will look a bit curdled, but please don't worry. This is just the action of the citrus and dairy together.

Filling:

-4 tablespoons butter, melted - Keep separate from cinnamon sugar mixture.

-3/4 cup (3.75 ounces) brown sugar - This also can be found at most any Sayulita tienda. 

-1-2 tablespoon cinnamon (Canela in Espanol) - Depending on how cinnamon-y you like them.

Icing:

-1/2 cup (2 ounces) powdered sugar (Glass in Espanol)

-1 tablespoon butter - Melted

-2 tablespoons heavy cream (crema para batir)

-Splash of vanilla extract

COOKING DIRECTONS:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl, or in the bowl of a food processor. (If you don't have a food processor, you can use a pastry blender or two knives to cut in the butter). Cut the butter into the dry ingredients until butter is in small pieces (about the size of a small pea). This will take a few short pulses in the food processor. A bit more work by hand, but still works great.

Pour in the buttermilk and mix/pulse only until just combined. The dough should start to come together, but you don't want to overmix it. You will find this to be a very wet, sticky dough. The tendency would normally be to add more flour at this point. Please don't!

Scrape the dough out of the food processor or bowl onto a heavily floured counter.

Gently pat the dough on your heavily floured counter to about 1/2-inch thick, adding more flour under the dough whenever it sticks to the counter.

Almost There 

Gently fold the dough in thirds, pat dough gently to 1/2 inch thick after each fold. Repeat this process three more times. These folds, combined with the cold butter, are what help to create the flaky layers. I want to remind you to keep checking to be sure that you have flour under the dough at all times or it will stick to the counter!

With a lightly floured rolling pin (or pressing quickly with your floured hands), roll the dough into a 1/4-inch rectangle, about 18x10". Roll quickly - the more the dough is worked, the less flaky and tender the rolls will be.

Spread the melted butter over the top. Combine the sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle evenly over the butter. You want the entire surface to be covered in both the melted butter and the cinnamon sugar mixture. Be generous with the sugar mixture. You may need to prepare a bit more up if necessary.

Start rolling up the cinnamon rolls, beginning with one long edge, rolling tightly without pulling or stretching the dough.
Roll up only 1/2 of the way and then cut the dough along the entire length so that you can make a second roll. I

Carefully turn the long roll until it is seam side down.

Using a sharp knife, cut into 1” rolls. Tuck the loose end of each roll underneath and place an inch or so apart on the prepared baking sheet.

Roll up remaining dough and prepare as above.

At this point, the rolls can be covered and refrigerated for up to two days. To bake immediately, bake for 12-14 minutes. If baking straight from the refrigerator, add a couple minutes to the baking time.

Let the rolls cool for 10 minutes or so before drizzling with the icing.

For the icing, whisk together the powdered sugar, melted butter, heavy cream, and vanilla until smooth and creamy.

Viola!

Then look out! The cinnamon roll monsters will be on the hunt, as my daughter Carly says, they are ridiculously delicious! I

I promise you that my next column will be two wonderful salad dressings - Caesar Salad Dressing and a very unique Nutritional Yeast Dressing. Stay tuned!

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