Sweet Treat Tuesday-Holiday Morning Buns

So have I mentioned how far behind I am on posts? This post is a prime example of that. I made these on Christmas morning and I'm just now getting around to posting it! These were great for Christmas, and would be great for any occasion. You can make them the night before and pop them in the oven the next day, so that makes it easy, right? These are not overly sweet, but just perfect in dough and sugar and cinnamon.

Holiday Morning Buns
from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups all-purpose Flour

1/2 cup cornstarch

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons sugar

2 to 2 1/4 cups heavy cream

Coating

7 tablespoons butter, melted, OR 2 5/8 ounces milk

Cinnamon and sugar for rolling

Directions:

Lightly grease a 9″ x 13″ pan, line with parchment, and grease the parchment. Parchment isn’t  necessary, but it makes it easier to remove the buns from the pan once they’re baked.

Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Add 2 cups of the cream all at once, then toss and stir the mixture till the dough comes together. If necessary, add additional cream to make the dough cohesive. Gather the dough in your hands and knead it a few times to make sure there are no dry spots. I used my mixer for this.

Place the cinnamon sugar in a small, shallow bowl or pan; or in a plastic zip-top bag. Break off pieces of dough about the size of a ping pong ball. Dip each piece in melted butter or milk, then roll or shake in the cinnamon-sugar to coat. Place the cinnamon-coated dough balls into the pan of your choice in a single layer; they’ll be touching one another, which is just fine.

Cover the pan with plastic, and place in the freezer overnight, or for up to a week or so. If freezing longer than overnight wrap the entire pan in plastic wrap, then in foil. The next day, remove the pan from the freezer, and let the buns rest at room temperature while you preheat your oven to 350°F. The buns don’t need to thaw.

If you’re baking the buns immediately (not frozen), bake them for 45 to 50 minutes, till the buns in the center are cooked through. You can check to see if they are done with a toothpick. If the buns have been frozen, bake them for 65 to 70 minutes, testing for doneness as instructed above. Tent them with aluminum foil after 45 minutes of baking. Make sure that the bottoms of your buns aren't getting burned if you use parchment paper. Parchment paper seems to bake things faster sometimes.

Remove from the oven, and serve immediately. Dust with confectioners’ sugar, if desired, right before serving.

This recipe is linked to It's A Keeper Thursday, Tasty Traditions, Beauty and Bedlam, Fat Camp Friday, Potluck Sunday