… These Cinnamon Rolls are Gooey and Decadent and Definitely Not on the Healthful Foods List.
But once in awhile, it’s okay to treat yourself to something warm … and sweet … and oh-so-good! The house will be wafting with the scent of something cinnamon-y delicious being home-baked. These rolls are sure to bring your clan clambering to the kitchen table in a hurry.
Bake time: 18-20 minutes, ovens vary
Oven temp: 425º F
Ingredients for dough:
1 Tablespoon margarine or butter – I use Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread – red tub, soy free
2 cups (240g by weight) gluten-free all-purpose flour – I use Bette’s Gourmet Four Flour Blend
1 1/2 teaspoon Xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon salt – I like to use Kosher
4 teaspoons baking powder – I like the way Argo’s works
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar – I use McCormick’s
2 Tablespoons sugar
3/4-1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup butter or margarine – Earth Balance
2/3 cup milk or non-dairy substitute – I use unsweetened coconut milk (in the carton, not canned)
Ingredients for Cinnamon-Sugar Filling:
1 1/2 Tablespoons margarine, softened – Earth Balance
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar, plus 1 Tablespoon extra (held aside)
1 Tablespoon cinnamon, plus a little extra for dusting if desired
Ingredients for icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
4 teaspoons water
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425º. Prepare a 9×9 inch glass baking dish by coating with 1 Tablespoon butter or margarine. Set aside.
In a medium-size bowl, combine flour, Xanthan gum, salt, baking powder, cream of tartar, sugar, and cinnamon. Stir together until well blended. Add 1/2 cup margarine. With fingers, crumble flour mixture and margarine together until small pea size crumbles form. Don’t overwork the dough. All the flour and margarine do not need to be completely blended. You can also put the ingredients into a food processor and quickly pulse until proper consistency. Add the milk and stir with a fork, or pulse a few more times to make a very soft ball of dough.
On a generously floured silpat, or a generously floured large sheet of wax paper, place the ball of dough. Gently roll around on the floured surface to lightly coat and knead the flour into the dough. Re-flour the surface if dough begins to stick. With a floured rolling pin, roll the dough out into a large rectangle until the dough is about 1/4 inch thick. Square off the edges by pressing the dough gently into place. The dough should not extend past the wax paper or silpat. Spread the softened butter over the entire surface of the dough, being careful not to tear the dough. With your hands, gently spread the brown sugar over the buttery surface of dough until sugar is even. Butter might begin to melt; that’s fine. Sprinkle the 1 Tablespoon cinnamon over the brown sugar layer.
Using great care and patience (and moving slowly), lift the long side of the silpat or wax paper and begin to gently roll the dough into a long log, using the paper or silpat as support and to encourage the rolling process. The dough may want to stick to the surface. If so, just take a knife and gently scrape the dough back onto the log and off of the sheet. Continue rolling until all the dough is in one long log, with the seam side of the log on the bottom. Pat the ends of the log to slightly seal them to keep the filling from spilling out. With a floured knife, slice the log into nine equal portions.
Gently place the rolls in the prepared baking dish creating three rows of three, leaving a little space between each roll for room to expand while baking. Sprinkle the remaining 1 Tablespoon brown sugar over the top of each cinnamon roll. Sprinkle a little extra cinnamon over the rolls, if desired.
Place rolls in preheated oven and bake for 18-20 minutes or until rolls are beginning to turn golden brown and the filling is bubbly. Remove baking dish from oven and allow rolls to cool in dish for a few minutes. This will help the rolls set, and will allow sugar to cool down to prevent burnt tongues.
While the rolls are still warm, combine the powdered sugar, water, and vanilla extract. (If it is thicker than you prefer, add more water just a few drops at a time. It will thin out quickly.) Drizzle icing over the warm cinnamon rolls. Enjoy!