Cinnamon Buns of Stone-yfield

I don't think I'm alone here when I say food bloggers take chances. There's lines in the sand, bridges to cross, points of no-return to wave goodbye to... and we suck it up and do it. We aren't afraid to take the plunge, or to get out of the lazy river line and walk up to the Mighty Python of Death water ride (don't search for that one, I made it up).

This happened to me on a much smaller scale with my recent baking adventure. I've never even contemplated making these before, but I figured it out as I was looking for something breakfast-y to bring in. So what's an uncommon breakfast sweet concoction? We've all done muffins, scones, loaf cakes... heck even crepes and pierogi sometimes. So what gives?

Cinnamon buns. Yes, I am a self described cinnamon head, (along with other -head things) as described in recipes such as here, and here. So, why not take it up a notch to a recipe that epitomizes the taste of this crazy little piece of bark?

Let me just tell you that you might want to plug your nostrils while these babies are baking. They produce the most rediculously awesome scent in the universe. I think it's the equivalent of a baking perfume, and if bottled, could lure the country out of it's recession. Seriously. Eat something before making these, or you will be in a wide ride, hunger wise.

I also want to thank the wonderful people at Stonyfield farms. They thought my blog was kind of cool and sent me some cupons for greek yogurt, which I've honestly never had before. Sure, I've heard great things around the grapevine, but I never took the Greek plunge. Yet another first for me :) I decided to use the yogurt for the dough in this recipe, which was a nice non-fat addition. Plus, look at the low sugar, high protein content of these things! 15g to 12g sugar! Awesome. Totally gets the FFF stamp of approval :)


Adam's Lazy Cinnamon Buns
Dr. Adam

Dough:
-5.3 oz. Greek Yogurt (I used the Honey one)
-1/3 cup milk
-1/3 cup sugar
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 2 cups AP flour
-1 Tbs baking powder
-1/4 tsp baking soda
-1/4 tsp salt

Cinnamon Filling:
-2/3 cup brown sugar
-1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
-1/2 tsp all spice
-1/4 tsp cloves
-1 cup chopped up pecans (optional, but real, real good)
-Some melted butter for brushing

Glaze:
-Your standard powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk mix. Maybe 1/2 cup and 2 Tbs or so.

Preheat your oven to 400*. Grab a springform pan and grease up with a little butter.

In a medium bowl, mix the wet ingredients for the dough... Yogurt, milk, melted butter, and vanilla. Mix with spoon until smooth and combined. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and mix until a dough forms. It WILL be sticky and soft, but that's ok.

Using floured hands, knead the dough in the bowl for a minute, adding flour as neccessary, until it becomes smooth. If the dough is being difficult to hold and play with, add more flour. Once it holds it's shape, you're ready to go. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough so it forms a rectangle, and is about 1/4 of an inch thick. You don't want it too thin, or else it will be difficult to roll and will tear. I don't know the exact measurements, but it's probably somewhere from 12x12 to 12x18. Brush the dough with some melted butter, and make the filling.

The filling is the brown sugar, spices, and pecans mixed together in a small bowl. It should smell fragant and delicious :) Sprinkle the filling over the dough evenly, leaving a small uncovered edge around the dough. Genlty pat the sugar mix into the dough carefully. Starting at the long end, roll the dough up carefully, until you get almost to the end, about an inch to go. Fold up the remaining end, and pinch the seam closed. Using a knife, cut the roll all the way through every 2-3 inches, so you have small cinnamon rolls, and place each one, swirled side up, into the prepared pan. Try to get them close together and force them to fit if neccessary. If you have gaps, don't worry, they will fill up the pan as they bake.

Bake until golden brown, and firm when you press on them, about 20-25 minutes. Set the pan on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Take off the outside of the springform and drizzle with glaze and serve. You can also warm them up the next day in the microwave if you'd like. Either way, they are good :)

So, in case you aren't convinced yet... make these. Stop what you are doing, and make these. The kids can wait at the bus stop. The shirts can stay at the cleaners. The dog isn't really that hungry :)

Thanks for everyone on their feedback for the last FFF post. It feels good to talk about exercise again, and if you have any friends who are interested in getting ready for a summer body, point them in my FFF direction. Take some time and re-read some. You have lots of the info you need already :) Enjoy your week, I'm off to the gym to gain some serious muscle