FoodWhy cinnamon rolls are the perfect treat: A quick recipe

Why cinnamon rolls are the perfect treat: A quick recipe

Cinnamon-flavored pancakes.
Cinnamon-flavored pancakes.
Images source: © Adobe Stock

1:08 PM EDT, June 20, 2024

Soft, delicate, delightfully sweet, and incredibly aromatic—perfect for the evening. Of course, we are talking about the famous cinnamon rolls. If you like these aromatic buns, try the recipe below. Preparation will not take you even 15 minutes.

The first cinnamon rolls, kanelbullar, were created in Sweden right after the end of World War II. They were made with a delicate yeast dough and a buttery filling with cinnamon and cardamom.

Cinnamon rolls only appeared in America in the 1980s, but they quickly became a hit thanks to the Cinnabon coffee shop chain, which specializes in them. Like the Swedish original, the American version is made from delicate yeast dough, but the filling consists only of butter, sugar, and cinnamon, topped with sweet icing.

How to prepare cinnamon rolls?

The basis of cinnamon rolls is yeast dough. The best is one that contains milk and a large amount of butter. Unfortunately, yeast dough with added fat rises much more than classic dough. The rising time is about 2 to 3 hours. It is not worth shortening this time because underproofed dough, after baking, will not be soft and fluffy but rather complex and doughy.

After preparing the dough, it's time for the filling. The basic recipe for the filling is melted butter, brown sugar, and powdered cinnamon. In the Swedish version, cardamom is also added, but there's no reason you can't add other spices to the filling. Don't have time to knead yeast dough? Use the following recipe for cinnamon rolls that don't require kneading or waiting. You'll fall in love with them from the first bite.

The simplest cinnamon rolls in pancake form — recipe

Ingredients:

  • 1 large egg
  • 1.5 cups of milk
  • 1/4 cup of oil
  • 1.5 cups of flour
  • 1 teaspoon of sugar
  • 2 teaspoons of baking powder
  • 4 heaping tablespoons of softened butter
  • 1 tablespoon of milk
  • 2 teaspoons of cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
  • Optional: icing, honey, maple syrup, roasted apples

Preparation:

  1. Start by preparing the pancake batter. Place the flour, milk, egg, oil, sugar, and baking powder in a tall bowl. Blend all the ingredients into a smooth mixture. After mixing, refrigerate it and prepare the filling.
  2. Combine the butter, cinnamon, brown sugar, and milk in a small bowl. Pipe the mixture into a piping bag.
  3. Heat a pan with a lid. Pour the pancake batter onto the heated pan.
  4. Pipe some of the butter-cinnamon mixture onto the top of the frying pancakes. Don't skimp! Reduce the heat and cover the pan with the lid.
  5. These pancakes will be as delicate as buns. Transfer them to a plate, serve with honey, icing, or roasted apples, or enjoy them alone.
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