Homemade Cinna Minis

December 15th, 2010 § 42 Comments

It may be odd that some of my most vivid, and favorite, memories of childhood involve skipping school. And Burger King.

It wasn’t that I didn’t like it; I did. I loved school. But I loved being home more. Or, I loved that skipping school and “feeling sick” often fell on days that Mom was home. She worked days, she worked nights, she worked weekends, and over time, and then over-over time… And then maybe she picked up a part-time shift at the Gap to buy my brother and I clothes.

So, on the rare occasion that she’d be home during a weekday, I wanted to, I need to…too. Mom’s still in her slippers and nightgown? I’ll wear my flannel onesie all day. Mom’s got a doctor’s appointment? Hey! I’ve got no plans! Mom could use a few more hours of shut-eye? Good Lord, I’m tired.

I wanted to be next to her, to smell the Clinique Happy infused in her clothing, to hear her talk about pillow shams and duvets and curtain swags and things I had absolutely no interest in whatsoever. She was precious. Our time was precious.

It was no coincidence, then, that I was sick exactly six times per semester, the maximum number of days allotted to each student before failing. I suppose, looking back, that I viewed them as personal days. Like accrued time off that would be wasted if I didn’t take advantage. And I was never one to let a good thing slip by. Not when Sally Jessy Raphael was on, then Phil Donahue, and there was fast food breakfast to be had.

Our favorite spot was Burger King. Or maybe it was just mine and she appeased me. We’d order French toast sticks and individual Tropicana orange juice cartons with those pesky un-poke-able straws, or sausage, egg, and cheese Croissan’Wiches and Crispy Crowns. But whatever drive through delicacy we chose, we always got Cinna Minis too.

It was bliss. Just thinking about it now evokes a nostalgic happiness that I can’t quite put into words.

I realize that it may seem a bit sad to proclaim such affection for a meal displayed on golden letter boards with a drive up window, as though I’m prizing airplane food above the meals I’ve eaten in restaurants with fine china, three separate forks, and a few Michelin stars, but believe me when I say that those morning meals were some of the best breakfasts of my life. Because on six special days per semester, we were together.

To this day, when I look at the clock before 10am, which is everyday (we hope), I think for at least two seconds about the fact that McDonald’s and Burger King are still serving breakfast.  I feel a sudden urge to get in the car and plug “Calorie Bomb Chain” into the GPS. I salivate.

You can imagine the way my heart palpitated, then, when I saw Alice Medrich’s recipe for “Sticky Pecan Bites” with a variation for mini cinnamon buns. Homemade Cinna Minis? I said a serenity prayer.

These bitty buns are almost unbearably delicious. They’re reminiscent of my favorite BK boxed breakfast item, but a world better. The cream biscuit dough is flaky, oh-so-tender, and buttered. The inner swirl is warmly spiced with cinnamon and gooey with caramelized brown sugar. I couldn’t help but stir together a glaze to drizzle across their golden brown coils. Frosting makes life more manageable for me.

I love that they’re tiny, or, roughly the size of a Pog for those of us who’d like to admit how cool we were in 1996. Their smallness allows you to exert a shred of portion control, to share them, to hoard them, and/or to stare at them lovingly, as I do with all cutesy things. They’re currently giving babies and puppies some stiff competition.

Here’s how you can make your own:

In a medium bowl, stir together brown sugar and cinnamon. Set that aside. Preheat the oven to 400° F.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl.

Stir in the cream and mix until just combined. The dough will be soft and moist.

On a lightly floured counter top, roll out the dough using a rolling pin dusted with flour as best you can until you have a rectangle that’s roughly 12″x7″.

Smear softened butter all over the surface of the dough.

Sprinkle the brown sugar-cinnamon mixture evenly over the butter. Starting at one end (one of the 7″ sides), roll the dough up into a tight spiral.

Now use a sharp knife to cut the roll into 24 small spirals.

Place the cinnamon buns cut side up into an 8″ or 9″ greased baking pan or place one cinnamon bun into each of the cups of a greased mini muffin tin. Bake for about 12-15 minutes, until the buns turn a faint golden.

Turn the cinnamon buns out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

While the buns are cooling, make the glaze by mixing powdered sugar and a splash of milk and vanilla in a small bowl until smooth.

Drizzle the glaze over the cinnamon buns and serve immediately.

Homemade Cinna-Minis

(recipe adapted from “Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunch Melt-In-Your-Mouth Cookies” by Alice Medrich)

Makes 24

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. salt

¾ cup heavy cream

2/3 cup brown sugar, packed

1 ¼ tsp. cinnamon

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

For the glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon milk

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 400° F. In a medium bowl, stir together brown sugar and cinnamon. Set that aside.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Stir in the cream and mix until just combined. The dough will be soft and moist.

On a lightly floured counter top, roll out the dough using a rolling pin dusted with flour as best you can until you have a rectangle that’s roughly 12″x7″. Smear softened butter all over the surface of the dough. Sprinkle the brown sugar-cinnamon mixture evenly over the butter. Starting at one end (one of the 7″ sides), roll the dough up into a tight spiral.

Now use a sharp knife to cut the roll into 24 small spirals. Place the cinnamon buns cut side up into an 8″ or 9″ greased baking pan or place one cinnamon bun into each of the cups of a greased mini muffin tin. Bake for about 12-15 minutes, until the buns turn a faint golden. Turn the cinnamon buns out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

While the buns are cooling, make the glaze by mixing powdered sugar with milk and vanilla in a small bowl until smooth. Drizzle the glaze over the cinnamon buns and serve immediately.

These are best when eaten the day they are baked.

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