CINNAMON ROLL BISCUITS

Saturday was my husband's birthday. I wanted to surprise him with a special breakfast. He had wanted to go to nearby Parkville's 14th Annual Microbrew Fest but the 100% chance of rain sorta ruined that idea. I know how much he loves cinnamon rolls, but practices restraint when it comes to enjoying them.

I love cinnamon rolls myself but have rarely made them because of the time it takes to prepare them (dough rising time, etc). My dil Sara makes a cinnamon roll that is really good. She makes and bakes them the night before and then ices them the next morning. (She also has a recipe that I love using a bread machine. If you have one, you might want to check out that post.) I must admit that it wasn't my original idea to use a biscuit dough but I did use my original biscuit recipe. I read it in a cookbook I was flipping through at an estate sale. (I didn't buy the cookbook so I don't remember the title of it.)

So I decided that I should surprise him with these Cinnamon Roll Biscuits.

Anyway, I got up before he did and shut the bedroom door so I wouldn't wake him with my noise from the kitchen. As I was getting ready to "roll" the  dough up in a roll, I felt like I was forgetting something, but I couldn't think of anything so I continued. I patiently waited for him to eat his bacon and eggs as he was saving his cinnamon roll til the end, to ask him what he thought. He took a bite and said he didn't taste much cinnamon. CINNAMON. I couldn't believe it - that's what I had forgotten. We started laughing and almost couldn't stop. He decided to call them No Cinnamon Cinnamon Rolls. Another funny thing was when I was asking him about them, he said they tasted a little like my biscuits. (I did tell him my biscuit recipe was the base for them.)

A little later, after eating the third one, he told me I needed to call the boys next door and give them some. He didn't want all of them in the house. I couldn't help but laugh.

I still can't believe I forgot the cinnamon. Who makes cinnamon rolls and leaves out the cinnamon? Since I was making up the recipe as I went along, I didn't have anything I was following written down. That's my excuse anyway. Oh well - Next time I will be sure to remember.

CINNAMON ROLL BISCUITS

2         cups flour
3         teaspoons baking powder
1/2      teaspoon salt
1/4      teaspoon baking soda
pinch of sugar (I measured 1/2 teaspoon sugar)
5         tablespoons shortening
1          cup buttermilk
1          stick butter + 2 tablespoons, melted
1/2      cup light brown sugar
cinnamon

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Sift together two times the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.

Add the shortening and

smash it up with your fingers

til shortening is in itsy bitsy pieces (Or cut in with a pastry cutter if you don't want to get your fingers messed up - but it's not the same.)

Add buttermilk and

work with the mixture just til all of the flour mixture is wet.

Drop dough on a lightly floured surface and knead (work) it about 5 times

til dough is fairly smooth. (You don't want to work with it too long.)

Form dough into a rectangular shape

to roll out thin

in a larger rectangular.

Melt the stick of butter and brush it over dough to cover.

(You can pour it out in the center and then spread it with a brush or spoon if you like.)

Sprinkle the brown sugar over the butter.

Shake cinnamon over the sugar to give a nice coverage. (DON'T FORGET THE CINNAMON! I made them again and here is a picture with the cinnamon.)

Starting on one of the long sides, start rolling up the dough until almost to the other side.

Then bring the other long side up over the roll and lightly press to seal the edge.

Cut slices about 1/2 inch wide and place them on baking sheet. (I almost forgot to take a picture)

(I made about 15 rolls)

Melt the other 2 tablespoons of butter and brush the tops of the cinnamon rolls with the melted butter.

Bake about 20 minutes or until biscuits are done. (Baking in the oven.)

While rolls are baking, sift 2 cups of powdered sugar and

stir in about 2 tablespoons milk to form

a thick glaze. (I made half that much at the beginning and had to make up another batch to finish covering all of the rolls.)

As soon as the rolls are done,

spread the glaze on them.

Serve.

My hubby's surprise birthday breakfast...

IF YOU JUST WANT TO MAKE BISCUITS...

As I said the biscuit recipe is my original recipe. If you didn't want to make the cinnamon roll, after you work the dough about 5 times, press out the dough to about 1/2 inch thick. Cut the biscuit the size you want. (I use a glass I have had forever that is the right size to make a biscuit to fit in my cast iron biscuit pan.) I pour a little oil out on a plate and pat the biscuit top side first in oil and then flip over to coat the under side. I like to have a crust all the way around my biscuit so that is why I use my biscuit pan. If you don't, place biscuits about a half an inch apart and they will bake together. Bake in a 450 degree F oven for about 15 minutes. Serve warm (but trust me these biscuits taste good even cold.)

Here is a picture of my favorite biscuit pan...

The SECRET to these fantastic biscuits, I think, is sifting the dry ingredients twice. Then you want to work the dough as little as possible. The biscuits turn out light tasting every time. (Our younger son Patrick always remarks how "light" they are when he eats one.) Not like hockey pucks. (My mother used to say that that is what her brothers called her biscuits when she first started making them as a teenager.) You can see what they look like in the pan here.