The Cookie Hunt [Cinnamon Roll Cookies]

I've been on the hunt...the hunt for the perfect holiday cookie. Growing up, my favorite holiday cookie was almond spritz. I know, so boring. But to me, they tasted like Christmas. They're kind of like an "adult" sugar cookie.

Having a few years of adulthood under my belt, I felt like it was time to broaden my Christmas cookie horizon. So I've gotten myself into two (possibly three) cookie swaps. Oopsies?

You know I've been loving every minute of it! I've spent hours brainstorming and searching high and low for cookies that I want to make (and eat) and share.

The first cookie up to bat was the cinnamon roll cookie. I had really high hopes for these, being a cinnamon roll LOVER and all. How can you not love something so warm, buttery, spiced, and carby FOR BREAKFAST?! And here was a cookie with the promise of cinnamon roll goodness...in cookie form.

My expectations included the assumption that turning cinnamon rolls into cookies would result in a less time-consuming process. Silly me. If anything, maybe there's less room for error since there's no yeast involved. The cookie dough had to chill in the fridge for a grand total of 1 hour 15 minutes, plus the rolling out, rolling up, cutting, and glazing.



After all this work, you can imagine how disappointed I was when I tried one warm and freshly glazed...and it wasn't great. The only way I can describe it is: bland, with a funny aftertaste. Luckily, I don't easily give up on a cookie. A warm cookie can taste drastically different from a cooled cookie; so the next morning, I revisited them.

And this time, they were good. But by then (wouldn't you know it?), I didn't have enough cookies to use for my first cookie exchange, so off to the office they went.

Isn't he a cute mug? He's my favorite :)

Cookie Conclusion: While well-received, pretty, and delicious, I'm not sure these cookies are worth the effort or really measure up to actual cinnamon rolls. If I'm going to invest my time in a cinnamon roll, I want it to be a real one and perfect when eaten fresh out of the oven. That being said, I'll probably make them again for the holidays because: (1) they are cute, (2) like my spritz cookies, they aren't overwhelmingly sweet, (3) the time may be worth the good impression they make :-)



Happy baking,

Cinnamon Roll Cookies

Found on Baker's Royal

Servings: ~3 dozen cookies

2 cups, plus 2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon, plus 1 tablespoon for separate use
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, plus 3 tablespoons for separate use
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar, plus 1/2 cup for separate use
1 egg yoke
1/4 cup apple sauce
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Glaze
powdered sugar
1-2 tablespoons milk

• Combine flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. Beat together 1/2 cup butter and sugars (1/4 cup granulated, 1/4 cup brown) until light and fluffy (~3 minutes). Add yoke, apple sauce, corn syrup, and vanilla and mix until well combined. 

• Using a sturdy spoon (or standing mixer on low) slowly mix in dry ingredients until just combined (my dough was very crumbly, but stuck together when kneaded). Divide dough into two equal disks, wrap in wax paper, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. 

• While the dough is in the fridge, combine remaining brown sugar and tablespoon of cinnamon. Remove one dough disk from the fridge, (because it will be a bit sticky) place it between two pieces of wax paper, and roll it out to about a 1/4 inch thickness. 

• Remove the top layer of wax paper, and (using a pastry brush or your fingers) spread 1 1/2 tablespoons of soften butter over dough. Sprinkle half of the sugar-cinnamon mixture over top of that, then gently press it down. Roll the dough up, using the long side, much like when making cinnamon rolls. (You can use the wax paper below the dough to guide the dough up, down, and around.) End with the seam-side down, and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Continue this same process with the other half of the dough and return to the fridge for another 30-45 minutes.

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove dough from fridge and slice into ~1/2 inch slices. Bake for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned along the edges. Allow to cool for 2 minutes on the baking sheet, and then place on a cooling rack to finish cooling.

• To make glaze, combine sugar and milk until the desired consistency is reached. I suggest glazing the cookies are still slightly warm to touch. Allow glaze to harden before storing in an air-tight container.