Sweet Buns

I don't buy a lot of cookbooks as most have bad recipes with pretty pictures of food made by professionals or they have ingredients that are hard to find and impractical to make. Ditto for cooking magazines. But, Cook's Illustrated Magazine and their Best Recipe Cookbook series from their test kitchen are impeccable in their attention to detail and explaining how and why the recipe works.

In the July 2002 issue of the magazine there is a recipe for the best cinnamon buns I've made in a long while and they were quick and easy too since it is not a yeast bread. Forget those Pillsbury canned cinnamon buns and make these in about an hour instead.

Quick Cinnamon buns with Buttermilk Icing
Make 8 buns

Melted butter is used in both the filling and the dough and to grease the pan; it's easiest to melt the total amount at once and measure it out as you need it. The finished buns are best eaten warm, but they hold reasonably well for up to 2 hours.

Cinnamon-Sugar Filling

• 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon unsaslted butter, melted

Biscuit Dough

• 2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus additional flour for work surface
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Icing

• 2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons buttermilk
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar

Directions

1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 425F. Pour 1 tablespoon melted butter in 9-inch nonstick cake pan; brush to coat pan.
2. MAKE FILLING: Combine sugars, spices, and salt in small bowl. Add 1 tablespoon melted butter and stir with fork or fingers until mixture resembles wet sand; set filling mixture aside.
3. MAKE BISCUIT DOUGH: Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in large bowl. Whisk buttermilk and 2 tablespoons melted butter in measuring cup or small bowl. Add liquid to dry ingredients and stir with wooden spoon until liquid is absorbed (dough will look very shaggy), about 30 seconds. Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface and knead until just smooth and no longer shaggy.
4. Pat dough with hands into 12 by 9-inch rectangle. Brush dough with 2 tablespoons melted butter. Sprinkle evenly with filling, leaving 1/2-inch border of plain dough around edges. Press filling firmly into dough. Starting on long side, roll dough, pressing lightly, to form a tight log. Pinch seam to seal. Roll log seam-side down and cut evenly into eight pieces. With hand, slightly flatten each piece of dough to seal open edges and keep filling in place. Place one roll in center of prepared nonstick pan, then place remaining seven rolls around perimeter of pan. Brush with 2 tablespoons remaining melted butter. Bake until edges are golden brown, 23 to 25 minutes. Use offset metal spatula to loosen buns from pan; without separating, slide buns out of pan onto cooling rack. Cool about 5 minutes before icing.
5. MAKE ICING: While buns are cooling, line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper ( for easy cleanup ); set rack with buns over baking sheet. Whisk cream cheese and buttermilk in large nonreactive bowl until thick and smooth. Sift confectioners' sugar over; whisk until smooth glaze forms, about 30 seconds. Spoon glaze evenly over buns; serve immediately.
6. Eat.