Cinnamon Bun Pinwheels
Cinnamon Bun Pinwheels
(11)
|
rate this recipe » |
| Hands-on time: | |
|---|---|
| Baking time: | |
| Total time: | |
| Yield: | 4 dozen |
Ingredients
Vanilla Dough
- ½ cup confectioners' sugar
- ¾ cup (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon salt, extra-fine preferred
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
Cinnamon Dough
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- ½ teaspoon salt, extra-fine preferred
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon oil, optional, for stronger flavor
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup chopped pecans, toasted
- 1 ½ cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
Directions
1) To make the vanilla dough: In a medium-sized mixing bowl cream together the sugar, butter, salt, and vanilla.
2) Add the flour, stirring to make a cohesive dough. Flatten the dough into a disk, wrap it in plastic, and refrigerate until ready to use — at least 1 hour.
3) To make the cinnamon dough: In a saucepan combine the sugar, honey, salt, cinnamon oil, vanilla, butter, and cinnamon. Heat over medium heat until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved.
4) Remove from the heat and allow to cool briefly.
5) Transfer the cinnamon mixture and the toasted pecans to a food processor, and process until smooth.
6) In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the pecan mixture and flour to make a cohesive dough. Flatten the dough into a disk, wrap it in plastic, and refrigerate until ready to use — at least 1 hour.
7) To shape the cookies: Place parchment or waxed paper on your work surface and dust it lightly with flour. Lay the vanilla dough on the parchment and roll it into an 18" x 12" rectangle. Set it aside.
8) Using more parchment paper or waxed paper, roll the cinnamon dough slightly smaller than the first, into a 17 ½" x 11 ½" rectangle.
9) Place the smaller piece of dough on top of the larger piece of dough, using the parchment to transport.
10) Starting with a long edge, use the parchment to help you gently roll the stacked dough into a tight log, with no gaps. Press the edge to seal, then wrap the log in plastic wrap or parchment, and freeze for 1 hour.
11) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets.
12) Remove the dough from the freezer, unwrap it, and place it on a clean work surface. Let it thaw for 15 minutes, or until it's soft enough to cut.
13) Use a sharp knife to gently cut the log into ¼" slices. If the dough becomes too soft to handle, place it back in the freezer briefly. Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets.
14) Bake the cookies for 12 to 14 minutes, or until they feel firm. Remove them from the oven and transfer to a rack to cool.
15) When cool, store airtight, at room temperature; freeze for longer storage.
Yield: 4 dozen cookies.
Reviews
- 02/20/2012
- I had a hard time with the method of this recipe, the dough was so rock hard I couldn't roll it out without breaking, I even reduced the flour by 2 tbsps in each part because of previous posters issues. I ended up kneading the dough to warm it up and flattened it with my hands on press and seal which I had cut to 12x18 inches, once it was warmed I started to roll it, not using any extra flour. Once I had both pieces rolled out and laid on top of each other I rolled them a few times again to make sure they stayed together, when I started rolling the long edge I pushed the seams together and used the press and seal to lift the dough then I squished the dough together, then continued until done. I put in the fridge overnight, then let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before slicing. I got 67 cookies, 10 minutes were perfect on Silpat lined sheets. I would double the vanilla in the vanilla dough next time as it was quite tasteless.
- 12/22/2011
- The taste is fantastic, but I too had a heck of a time getting these cookies to roll up properly once the doughs were together and I was making the final roll. The dough kept falling apart and cracking and the vanilla dough stuck to the wax paper. It got really frustrating I am also a pretty good baker, i ususally don't have problems like this - any ideas as to what went wrong. Is the amount of flour in the dough tthat critical? I read form a previousreview that it may be the way I measured the flour. I did dip into the flour and level off a measuring cup. Looking forward to hearing back.
Yes, correct measurement method really is important. If you "dip" flour, you'll end up with 20% too much. Take a look here: http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipe/measuring-flour.html Frank @ KAF.
- 12/14/2011
- If I omit the pecans, should I add anything to replace them, such as more flour or keep the recipe the same? THANKS!
If you omit the pecans, you should either replace them with another nut or omit them completely. ~Amy
- 12/09/2011
- I am rating these cookies a 4 because they are delicious - but I had a terrible time making them, and I am usually a proficient baker. I found that the line between the dough being warm enough to roll and too warm and too soft to handle was very thin. Once I assembled the two doughs and started rolling them up, the dough was tearing and falling apart! Should I have put the two sections back in the fridge for a while before assembling and rolling?
Anytime a butter-based cookie dough is difficult to handle, placing it in the refrigerator helps to firm up the butter again, and make it much easier to work with. Give it a try next time! ~Mel
- 12/09/2011
- Getting ready for holiday cookie trays & would like to prepare now & freeze for when I need them. Loved your recent email on 'Freeze Now, Bake Later'.
Question? Can I shape the Cinnamon Bun Pinwheels dough & just freeze? Or do I have to cook them first and then freeze?
Also, how long can they freeze for? Cooked and raw dough.
Thanks so much for your on-gong help!!
You can shape and freeze the pinwheels unbaked for up to three months. I don't recommend freezing these cookies baked. ~Amy
- 12/01/2011
- This is actually a question, not a rating--I just mixed up the cinnamon part of the dough and the butter is sort of separating out a bit (not completely, but there is some butter left in the bowl)--is it supposed to be this greasy? I guess it'll all firm up and solidify in the fridge, but I'm just curious...Thanks!
As soon as the flour and nuts are mixed in, they should absorb some of that butter that is leaching out. ~Amy
12/01/2011- I found one HUGE issue with these cookies - they are sinfully delicious! My cardiologist just might be having words with me at my next checkup. Again, if you follow the directions, they are not difficult at all to make. These are going to be a wonderful addition to my holiday cookie platters.
11/26/2011- I've made pimwheels for years, and never seen them so crumbling. I'm wondering should there be eggs in this recipe?
This is a pretty soft dough. You may have too much flour in it. Here is the method we use to measure in all of our recipes: http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipe/measuring-flour.html If you "dip" directly from your flour container, -you'll end up with about 20% too much flour. If this does -not seem likely, please give us a call on the Baker's Hotline, 800-827-6836, Frank @ KAF.
- 11/22/2011
- I tried these cookies and they do taste like a tiny cinnamon bun. I added a drizzle of icing as suggested. They are delicious!
- 11/13/2011
- I adore all things cinnamon and was excited to make a cinnamon bun style cookie. The key to success for this recipe is to be patient. Make the dough ahead of time so you don't feel rushed when it comes time to roll out, assemble and shape the dough. Dip the knife in flour and rotate the log a quarter turn after each cut to keep the cookies consistent. I sprinkled some white decorating sugar on the cookies before baking to add a little extra sweetness and create the appearance of glazed cinnamon rolls. They were a big hit and tasted great! Any way to incorporate the King Arthur Baker's Cinnamon Filling into this recipe?
So glad to hear you enjoy the cookies! I'm not sure there would be a way to incorporate the Baker's Cinnamon Filling in the dough itself, but you could play around and use it as part of a frosting and/or filling. Let us know if you do! ~Mel @ KAF
