Christmas Breakfast: Day 3

I love breakfast, so I'm still going strong in this crazy quest to post 6 different breakfasts in 6 days to help you prepare for Christmas morning. I would hope so because if I were worn already, that would be pretty sad :-)

Up today we have cinnamon rolls. Before you get scared, let me tell you that these cinnamon rolls do not contain yeast but instead get their rise from a significant amount of baking powder. With this recipe you can have cinnamon rolls on your table and in your bellies in about an hour from start to finish. I promise!

I saw this recipe in Sweet Cakes by Fine Cooking. A short while later I saw that Coleen made a version, which Ingrid then made. I haven't verified, but I'm pretty sure it's the same recipe. This recipe is simple and made in the food processor. And the secret ingredient is cottage cheese! Wha? It's a cross between a biscuit and a cinnamon roll. It's denser than a traditional yeast dough, but the cottage cheese provides a flakiness and buttermilk makes them tender. Don't be turned off by the cottage cheese- it's taste is not apparent in the final product.

I really liked these rolls but I have to say that I didn't love the allspice and cloves in the filling. On the first day it was fine, but as they sat (the next day), the spices became a bit overwhelming. I would definitely make these again, but next time I would use all cinnamon. I also thought the glaze was a bit too thin. If you're not afraid of yeast then I would give the pumpkin streusel rolls a try as they were delicious!

Fastest Ever Cinnamon Rolls
from Sweet Cakes
For the Dough:

• ¾ cup cottage cheese (4% milk fat)
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease the sides and bottom of a 9" or 10" springform pan (I used a casserole dish) with cooking spray.
In a food processor, combine the cottage cheese, buttermilk, sugar, melted butter and vanilla. Process until smooth, about 10 seconds. Add the flour, salt, baking powder & baking soda and pulse in short bursts just until the dough clumps together, but don't over-process. The dough will be soft and moist.
Scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and knead it with floured hands four or five times until smooth. With a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 12 x 15-inch rectangle.
For the Filling:

• 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Brush the dough with the melted butter, leaving a half inch border around the edges. In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice and cloves. Sprinkle the mixture over the buttered area of the dough and pat gently into the surface. Sprinkle the nuts over the sugar mixture (if using).
Starting with the long side, roll up the dough, jelly roll style. Pinch the seam to seal and leave the ends open.
With a serrated knife, cut the roll into twelve equal pieces. Set the rolls in the prepared pan, cut side up. The rolls should fill the pan and touch slightly, but don't worry if there are small gaps.
Bake at 400 for 20 to 28 minutes until golden brown and firm to the touch. Set the pan on a wire rack for five minutes. Run a spatula around the inside edge of the pan and remove the springform ring. Transfer the rolls to a serving plate.
For the Glaze:

• 2/3 cup powdered sugar
• 2 to 3 tablespoons of cold milk* (see note)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a small bowl, mix the powdered sugar and 2 Tbsp. milk and vanilla to make a smooth glaze. It should have a thick but pourable consistency, so add up to 1 more tablespoon of milk if necessary.
Drizzle the glaze over the rolls. Let stand 15 minutes and serve.
NOTE: This glaze was too thin for my liking and I added quite a bit more sugar to thicken it up. Start off with a couple teaspoons (not tablespoons) then add more as necessary. It's okay if it's a little on the thicker side because once it hits the hot rolls, it will melt and glaze them nicely.

And this is my Nativity scene. I love that it's all white and so simple. I got it from Target last year after Christmas. They have the set of three (Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus) this year, but I haven't seen the animals or the manger at any of the stores.

See ya tomorrow for more breakfast yummies! 3 more days to go!