Cook's Illustrated

Quick and Easy Cinnamon Buns

Published May 1, 2002.

Yeasted cinnamon buns take hours to make, and store-bought are dreadful. Could we transform a recipe for baking-powder biscuits into quick, high-rise breakfast buns?

The Problem

Good yeasted cinnamon buns take time to make, and lots of it. We tasted store-bought buns to see if they were a viable substitution, but they're so bad that they're not worth considering.

The Goal

An easy, foolproof method for making tender, fluffy cinnamon buns in under an hour. The buns should have a moist cinnamon-sugar filling and a smooth and thick (not chalky or pasty) icing. The bun should be tender and fluffy, the filling sweet and spicy, and the glaze sinful, encouraging even the well-bred to lick the gooey remnants from their fingers.

The Solution

Prepare a quick biscuit dough with buttermilk, melted butter, and flour, adding baking powder for lightness and baking soda to balance the acidity of the buttermilk. Fill with a mixture of cinnamon, cloves, brown sugar, and white sugar that is moistened with butter. Top the buns with a tangy, smooth icing made of buttermilk, cream cheese, and confectioners' sugar.

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