The Luxury of Cinnamon Rolls
Who doesn’t love warm Cinnamon Rolls, hot from the oven? Cinnamon Rolls have long been a favorite breakfast treat for my family. Before we had children my husband and I used to go out for breakfast on Saturday mornings and eating a warm gooey cinnamon roll at a favorite local bakery was one of our favorite luxuries.
Later when my oldest son was a preschooler he and I would make a very healthy version of Cinnamon Rolls with whole wheat pastry flour sweetened with honey and cinnamon. I fondly remember rolling the dough with him in our teeny tiny kitchen in Virginia and the wonderful aroma that would fill the house as they were baking.
Changing Expectations
While those are wonderful memories my expectations have devolved somewhat since then. Two more children arrived and the pace of family life made luxurious mornings at the bakery, as well as homemade Cinnamon Rolls, hard to come by. As we adapted many often-used recipes became, well, simpler.
Somewhere along the way I discovered this recipe for Quick and Eaasy Cinnamon Rolls in an issue of Southern Living. It uses refrigerated crescent roll dough as the base for a miniature cinnamon-sugar filled roll that is topped with a simple orange-tinged icing. The preparation is simple enough to invite the participation of little helpers, encouraging a sense of handcrafted accomplishment. Even without the kitchen help the result is worth the small effort required to prepare them.
These are cute, easy and taste so good that I keep a couple of cans of crescent roll dough in the refrigerator so that we can make them on short notice. When it is this easy to make hot Cinnamon Rolls for breakfast who can resist? They make a great Saturday morning or special occasion treat.
Quick and Easy Cinnamon Rolls
2 cans refrigerated seamless crescent roll dough
¼ cup butter, melted
¼ cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup powdered sugar
1½ Tablespoons orange juice or milk
dash of vanilla
In a small bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon until it is well mixed.
Open one package of crescent roll dough and unroll it into one large rectangle on a Silpat mat or on a lightly floured surface. ( If you were not able to get seamless crescent roll dough, use your fingertips to push together the seams where the dough could be torn into triangles.) Roll the dough lightly with a rolling pin to smooth.
Spread 2 Tablespoons or less of the melted butter over the rectangle of crescent roll dough, covering the area lightly. Sprinkle approximately 2 Tablespoons of the cinnamon/sugar mixture evenly over the buttered surface of the dough.
Beginning at a long edge of the dough rectangle, roll the dough into a spiral. Pinch the edge closed using your fingertips.
Cut the roll into about 18 slices, approximately ¾ inch wide. Place these slices, cut side down, in a shallow 10-inch round baking dish (I use an unglazed deep dish baker), covering half of the dish.
Repeat with second can of crescent roll dough. Distribute the rolls evenly in the pan. The spiral slices should cover the pan with ¼ inch or so spacing between the rolls. Top the rolls with any remaining butter and cinnamon-sugar.
Bake rolls at 350 degrees for approximately 25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven.
To prepare glaze:
Stir together powdered sugar and orange juice or milk. Stir in vanilla.
Drizzle glaze over warm Cinnamon Rolls. Serve warm from pan with a spatula or separate into individual rolls.
Serve and enjoy!
One of life's true joys! Looks delicious.
You're so right – there's something very special about cinnamon rolls, especially when kids are involved. I made a super-easy version from Ina using puff pastry and it was heaven. May have to try these, too. xxSAS
Oh dear, this is one of my big weaknesses. It's nice to have a recipe that can be whipped up without hours of prep time. Thanks, Lisa.
I missed making cinnamon rolls for my family! I missed seeing them so happy when I make one.
One word-YUMMMMMY!!!
Hey I used to make these and forgot all about this recipe. Thanks for the reminder.
Quick and cinnamon rolls in the same sentence? Who would have thought? I can't wait to try these, they look delicious!
A wonderful quick and easy recipe….I would love this on a cold Sunday morning hot from the oven.
These look so pretty and delicious all together in your dish. Yum! I just love warm cinnamon rolls. This is perfect for a Sunday morning! 😉
yeasty, mammoth cinnamon rolls are a decadent treat, but they require a lot of commitment, both time- and calorie-wise. this is a GREAT alternative–i'm a lover of almost-instant gratification. 🙂
These look delicious and so easy. We'll definitely have to try these out!
Erin @ makingmemorieswithyourkids.blogspot.com