It has nothing to do with a fear of yeast, which has never really bothered me. It’s pretty easy to use, unless the yeast is dead. And that doesn’t happen very often. No, it’s more about the ultimate convenience and endless wonder of a bread machine. Why work on the dough myself when there’s a lovely machine sitting on my counter that can do all the heavy lifting for me?
Now, now, bread enthusiasts. Back off. I’m sure that my machine can’t do the wonderful things you can do, but it sure can make some cinnamon rolls lickety-split. I made these (and they’re dairy-free, too!) the night of our big snowstorm, and they made a perfect breakfast to wake up to.
While the snow is slowly melting, more disasters loom. I was looking forward to a snow day or two to myself (my kids’ school went back midweek while my system remained closed) when my youngest came down with a fever. She can’t go to school like that, so now I’m on full-time nurse duty. If history repeats itself (and it does), I’ll catch whatever she has just in time to go back to teaching this coming Monday.
Parenting 101, y’all. Ready? The more children in the house, the more disease. It’s a given, and it’s totally gross. I used to think I wouldn’t be able to clean up anything disgusting, but I’ve proven myself wrong. I’m not saying that it’s fun, but I’ve seen enough stomach-churning sights over the past eight years that I’m kind of regretting my decision not to go into medicine. Would I have passed organic chemistry? Maybe not, but I would have been able to look at any kind of human ickiness without batting an eyelash.
Plus, I’ve become extremely adept at diagnosis. Most of the time when I go to a doctor, I already know what they’re going to say. If not for their magic access to prescription-only medication, I wouldn’t even go. Oh, except for the fact that they know a lot more than I do and can save lives and all of that.
It’s a passion for research that has me scouring medical encyclopedias and cookbooks alike. With so few years on this planet (relatively speaking, that is), we’ve gotta learn whatever we can while we can! And have I mentioned that for me, a bakery visit also counts as research?
Whenever I go to the mall, I smell those famous Cinnabon devils baking. They had to put that right next to a DSW to tempt me, right? But I resist the urge every single time because I know I can make cinnamon rolls that are just as good and less of a calorie bomb right here at home. The dough comes out perfectly in a bread machine. See?
These are non-dairy. Translation: I used margarine. Or you can use any non-dairy butter substitute, or just use butter. I wanted to see what would happen without butter, and I’m happy to report that I still couldn’t stop eating these. So if Khloe Kardashian is still on that dairy-free diet, she’s welcome to dig in. I don’t think they’ll qualify as a health food. Sorry, K.
These come together super fast, and I also put mini chocolate chips in the filling to make the rolls especially melty and irresistible. Instead of a traditional cream cheese glaze, I used a simpler glaze for shine. Sometimes I like the cream cheese glaze, but most of the time I actually prefer a plainer roll. With the heavy glaze, it can be too much.
You’re one bread machine away from this happiness, so I recommend you hit it! And if someone gets sick, you can eat all of these to keep your energy up as you nurse the afflicted toward recovery. Either way, they make for a much cozier winter!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Place all the dough ingredients into the bread machine in the order indicated by the manufacturer. Typically, wet ingredients go in the pan first, followed by the dry. Select the dough cycle and press start.
- When the cycle is complete, turn the dough out onto a floured surface and let it rest for 10 minutes while you make the filling.
- In a bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon and chocolate chips. Set aside.
- Roll the dough out into a large rectangle measuring roughly 16 by 21 inches. Sprinkle the filling mixture on top.
- Using the long side (so you have one large cylinder when you're done), roll the dough tightly into a swirl.
- With a serrated knife, gently cut the dough into 12 even pieces. Place the pieces into a greased 9 by 13 inch pan.
- Cover the rolls with plastic wrap and let them rise for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Bake the rolls for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.
- While the rolls are baking, combine the glaze ingredients. As soon as the rolls come out and are still warm, pour the glaze over the rolls. It will seem to disappear, but will leave the rolls shiny on top.
- Serve warm.
]]>
Yep, JAB is my super-cool acronym for Just About Baked. Feel free to use it with all of your friends. Make it a thing.
After posting last week’s browned butter sandwich cookies, I kind of got into the flavor so much that I decided to create a whole week around the stuff. Why not? Remember, never answer that question. Just go with it. And first up today are these incredible, rich (Kenny’s word because all desserts are rich to him, the weirdo), yeast-free rolls.
Rules are meant to be broken, after all. Cinnamon rolls don’t need yeast. Anna doesn’t need the kiss of true love to save her from being frozen to death. And I definitely don’t need a few days off…nope, wait. I reallyreally do.
March is such a stupid month. There are no holidays that get us out of work and school (yes, I know I’ve gone on about this before), the temperatures are completely bipolar, and it’s work all the time. All work and no play makes me reach even more for cinnamon rolls. And look at pictures of beaches online.
But since I can’t have a day off, much less a beach vacation, these are the next best thing. Let me get warmed up here, because this dessert is so. Dang. Exciting.
The dough itself has browned butter in it. The filling has browned butter in it. And I’ve drizzled brown butter over the top before baking. Finally (drum roll, please), that’s browned butter glaze on top. And there are toffee bits in there! This is a view of the bottom, with all those toffee bits:
I tried to eat one bite. I really tried. I failed. Because as always, even though my rule is to taste my desserts but not eat them all, rules are meant to be broken. How could I stop at just a bite? These things are deadly.
So, for all you yeast-fearers out there, give these a stab. You won’t regret it, unless you’re trying not to eat too much these days. Then I can’t help you. But browned butter week lives on, so if you can’t beat ’em here on JAB (yes, I just did it again, sue me), join ’em!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375. Line an 8-inch square pan with foil, coat with cooking spray, and set aside.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, cook all 10 tablespoons of butter, swirling the pan often, until the butter becomes fragrant and golden in color. This process usually takes anywhere from 10-15 minutes. Keep a close eye on the butter. When it reaches the right color, turn off the heat and set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix the dry dough ingredients. Pour the buttermilk and 4 tablespoons of the melted butter into the dry ingredients, and mix until a dough starts to form.
- When the dough has come together, turn it out onto a floured surface and knead for another minute. Roll the dough out into a large rectangle, about the size of the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch pan.
- Combine the filling ingredients except the toffee bits, being sure that the ingredients are well-mixed. Spread the filling onto the dough rectangle evenly. Sprinkle on the toffee bits.
- Roll the dough up lengthwise (like a jellyroll), pinching the ends. Cut into even pieces.
- Place the pieces in the pan and drizzle on one tablespoon of the browned butter, leaving the remaining two for the glaze.
- Bake for 20 minutes. The rolls will not be too browned. Do not overbake.
- While the rolls are cooling, mix the remaining browned butter with the powdered sugar and vanilla. Add the milk gradually until the glaze becomes thick but spreadable.
- Spread the glaze over the cooled cinnamon rolls. Serve immediately, or you can microwave them later if you like your rolls warm and gooey.