Homemade Cinnamon Buns- The Pillsbury Dough Boy just can't Compete

Sweet smells of cinnamon wafting from the oven, rich, puffy rolls just waiting to be pulled apart... Makes you feel like a kid all over again!  These just can't be bought at the supermarket...

I'm not a sweets person, except when I spy cinnamon buns in the bakery showcase... They are my downfall!  Making them at home is easy and oh so much better than store bought.  These buns are just sweet enough (not cloying) and just cinnamon"ey" enough to send me to bun Heaven!  I make one dozen and freeze half the batch for later.  Imagine, waking up in the morning to freshly baked buns!

You'll need one batch of basic sweet dough to make these.


Ingredients:
1     tbsp butter, melted, plus more for the baking dish
3/4  cup packed light brown sugar (5 ounces)
2     tsp ground cinnamon
1/4  tsp ground cloves
pinch of salt
1     recipe basic sweet dough
flour for rolling out the dough

Icing:
1 1/2 oz cream cheese, softened
3     tbsp buttermilk or whole milk
1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar

Directions:

Remember to press the mixture into the dough

Butter a 13 x 9 inch baking dish and set it aside.  Mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves and salt together in a small bowl.  Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and press it into a 16 x 12-inch rectangle.  Brush the dough with melted butter.  Sprinkle the dough with the sugar mixture, leaving a 3/4 inch border along the top edge.  Press on the sugar mixture to help it adhere to the dough.

Roll the dough into a tight cylineer and pinch the seam closed.  Place the cylinder seam side down.  Gently stretch it until it is about 18 inches long and even in diameter.  Pat the ends of the cylinder to even them.  Slice the cylinder into 12 evenly sized rolls, using a serrated knife.  Arrange the rolls, cut side down, in the prepared baking dish.

Now you have options:
If you want to bake them later: without pressing on the buns, wrap the baking dish tightly with greased plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 16 hours.  To serve these, remove them from the refrigerator, loosen the plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature until puffy and pressed against one another, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.  Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Unwrap the rolls and bake until golden and puffed, about 20 to 30 minutes.  Flip the rolls onto a rack to cool before icing.

If serving later- let rise as directed
If freezing- they are ready to wrap

If you want to freeze: loosely wrap with greased plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until they have doubled in size and press against one another, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.  Wrap the dish tightly with greased plastic wrap, without pressing the the rolls and freeze up to one month.  To bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Unwrap the buns and wrap tightly with foil.  Bake the rolls for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and continue baking for about 30 more minutes, until the buns and golden and puffy.  Flip the rolls onto a rack to cool before icing.

To make them right away: cover the buns loosely with greased plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size and pressing against one another, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.  Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven until golden and puffy, bout 20 to 30 minutes.  Unmold, cool and ice.

To make the icing:
Whisk the cream cheese and buttermilk together until thick and smooth.  Sift the confectioners sugar over the mixture and whisk until smooth, about 30 seconds.  Using a large spoon, drizzle the glaze over the warm rolls.

WANNA PLAY?
I've added toasted pecan pieces to my sugar mixture.

I also froze the buns in batches of four using foil containers.  Just butter the sides and bottom of the container.  It will hold four buns.  Let them rise in the container; cover with greased plastic wrap as specified in the recipe, then prepare for freezing.