Sugar cookie dough is so versatile…use it to make Cinnamon Roll cookies. All the flavor of cinnamon rolls in your hand!
Baking as theatre
If cookie sheets are the stage in the baking world, then sugar cookie dough is a star player (to paraphrase Shakespeare, rather badly). The dough is a shape-shifter (like Odo from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine…and if you get that reference, you’re probably as big a nerd as I am. Welcome to the club!), morphing freely between cut-outs to stamped to spritzed from a cookie press. And it can be used as a stand-in for yeasted dough to create a cookie from a beloved breakfast item. Behold…I give you Cinnamon Roll cookies. [ Ta da!! ]
Alright, I don’t give you these cookies…Sally from Sallys Baking Addiction gave them to you. If you haven’t yet visited Sally’s website, it’s a baker’s dream. Filled with inventive recipes, gorgeous photos, and enough tips, tricks, and down-to-earth instruction, it’s a place to make a baking geek like me weep. Really, her site is definitely worth a visit…plan to stay a while. Anyway, Sally posted a recipe for these Cinnamon Roll cookies, and I immediately ran to the kitchen to soften up some butter in preparation to make them.
What’s special about these cookies?
Well, they’re made just like you would for Cinnamon Rolls…make a yeasted dough, press it into a rectangle, brush with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, then roll it up, cut it up, and bake (easy peasy!), just using sugar cookie dough as the instead of the yeasted dough. Me being me, I changed the recipe (only slightly) by substituting Mocha Hazelnut Sprinkle for the cinnamon sugar and when I made the icing, I flavored it with a splash of Kahlua (yup, I went there). These cookies took on a darker, almost spookier tone than they would normally have…perfect for a Halloween party, or just to munch with coffee (or scotch).
Just a little snack (& scotch)
[ cue intro fanfare ]
Annnnd now…may I present the original recipe to you…direct from the Internet…starring sugar cookie dough…Cinnamon Roll cookies!!
Send us in, Coach…we’re ready!
Just roll…
…slice…
…and bake!
Ready for their close up
I’ve talked about cookies before, and I likened them to portion-controlled bits of food hugs. Well, I shared these Cinnamon Roll cookies with the good folks at ImpEx Beverages as a thank you for sending me samples of their new Kilchoman single malt…stay tuned for that review. In the meantime, let me know how you use sugar cookie dough…do you have a holiday tradition featuring this versatile star of the baking world? I’d love to hear about it. I’ll be here drooling over looking at more of Sally’s recipes.
Slainté! L’chaim! Cheers!
Tammy
Cinnamon Roll cookies
Special Equipment
Ingredients
Dough
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (280 g)
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter (170g), softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar (150g)
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Filling
- 2 tbsp butter (1/2 oz, 15g), melted and slightly cooled
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar (50g)
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon, See note
Icing
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar (120g)
- 3 tbsp milk (45ml)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, or Kahlua, as you see fit
Procedure
- Make the dough: Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside.
- Using a stand mixer with paddle attachment or hand mixer, beat the butter for 1 minute on high speed until creamy. On medium-high speed, beat in the granulated sugar until completely creamed and smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat on high until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low until combined. If the dough still seems too soft, you can add 1 Tablespoon more flour until it is a better consistency for rolling.
- Shape and fill: Divide the dough into 2 equal parts. Roll each portion out in a rectangle (about 9x7 inches) onto a floured Silpat or parchment paper to about 1/4″ thickness. Spread 1 Tablespoon of melted butter onto each rectangle. Mix the granulated sugar and cinnamon together then sprinkle evenly over each.
- Working slowly, tightly roll up each rectangle into a 9-inch log. If the dough is cracking at all, use your fingers to smooth it out. Some cracks are OK. Chill the logs of dough for at least 2 hours. What I like to do is carefully transfer the logs to a cutting board or plate and cover loosely with plastic wrap.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a half sheet baking pan with Silpat or parchment paper.
- Remove dough logs from the refrigerator. Cut into 1/2 inch slices. Place slices onto baking pan about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 10-11 minutes, until lightly browned on the sides. Remove from the oven, allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.
- Make the icing: Whisk all of the icing ingredients together. Drizzle over cookies. Cover and store cookies at room temperature for up to 5 days.
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