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.