I recently purchased the Cook's Illustrated "Best Light Recipe" book. This is truly the best light recipe cookbook I have ever tried. I made these yummmy cinnamon rolls this morning.
Quick Cinnamon Rolls with Buttermilk Icing
Yields: 9 rolls, Serving Size: 1 roll
Nutritional Info (per serving): 268 cal./ 5 g protein/ 52 g carb./ 4 g fat (3 sat., 1monounsat., 0 polyunsat.)/ 13 mg chol./ 319 mg sod./ 1 g fiber/ 27 g sugar/
This recipe, reprinted courtesy of America's Test Kitchen, is from "The Best Light Recipe."
Note: Be sure to knead the dough for a full 30 seconds, which makes the dough easier to work with and gives the finished rolls a better rise and great texture. Also, don't be afraid to use a little extra flour on the counter when shaping the buns, if the dough seems a little sticky. The rolls are best eaten as soon as they are iced, but they hold up well at room temperature for up to 2 hours.
INGREDIENTS
Vegetable oil spray
For the filling
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon salt
For the dough
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the 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
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled, divided use
For the icing
2 tablespoons light cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons buttermilk
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Adjust an oven rack to the upper-middle position and heat the oven to 425 degrees. Spray an 8-inch-square baking pan and a wire rack with the vegetable oil spray; set aside.
2. For the filling: Mix all the ingredients together; set aside.
3. For the dough: Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk and 2 tablespoons of the melted butter together. Stir the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture with a wooden spoon until the liquid is absorbed (the dough will look very shaggy), about 30 seconds. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and knead until just smooth and no longer shaggy, about 30 seconds.
4. Pat the dough with your hands into a 12-by-9-inch rectangle. Brush the dough with the remaining tablespoon of melted butter. Sprinkle evenly with the filling, leaving a 1/2-inch border of plain dough around the edges. Press the filling firmly into the dough. Using a bench scraper or metal spatula, loosen the dough from the work surface. Starting at the long side, roll the dough, pressing lightly, to form a tight log. Pinch the seam to seal. Roll the log seam-side down and cut it evenly into 9 pieces with dental floss. With your hand, slightly flatten each piece of dough to seal the open edges and keep the filling in place.
5. Arrange the rolls in the prepared baking dish (3 rows of 3 rolls). Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for about 12 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the edges of the rolls are golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes longer.
6. Use an offset metal spatula to loosen the rolls from the pan. Wearing oven mitts, place a large plate over the pan and invert the rolls onto the plate. Place a greased wire rack over the plate and flip the rolls onto the rack. Let the rolls cool for 5 minutes before icing.
7. To ice the rolls: While the rolls are cooling, line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper (for easy cleanup). Set the rack of cooling rolls over the baking sheet. Whisk the cream cheese and buttermilk together in a large nonreactive bowl until thick and smooth (the mixture will look like cottage cheese at first). Sift the confectioners' sugar over the mixture; whisk until a smooth glaze forms, about 30seconds. Spoon the glaze evenly over the rolls.
Source:
Cooks Illustrated, "Best Light Recipe"
