My Favorite Cinnamon Buns, aka “CinnaBombs!”

I may or may not have shared previously that I was scheduled for and since, had undergone major surgery a week ago. It was a successful procedure, but to be completely honest, I was truly scared about it. And I could never have prepared myself for the consequences. It was an abdominal surgery, and so as you can imagine, any small movement could trigger pain. Fortunately, I had no adverse effects to the anesthesia, and my pain was relatively tolerable without much movement.

So for the last week and a half, I’ve had to force my usual high energy getup-n-go-self to literally sit and rest, with little movement all day. ALLLL.DAAAAY.LOOOONG. Just me and the couch mostly, with my at-home nurse/husband at my beck and call. It’s been the perfect harmony of simultaneously feeling spoiled and being held in captivity!

By day 11 post-surgery, I was of course going a little stir-crazy. Not gonna lie, though, I do love being home. I’m not the cabin-fever type. I mean, I loooove staying home. I love enjoying my home. Especially since most days my 9-5 (from which I’m blessed to have time off for this surgery) keeps me away from home, you know, the way most jobs do. 🙃

Back to my stir-crazy: I realized how beautiful the weather was outside after a number of grey and rainy skies. And I wanted to enjoy some fresh air. So the hubs and I took a little drive to the center of town and had a lovely stroll through the park while snapping a few pictures. I may have pushed it a bit moving around so much, but it was a nice break to be outside.

When we returned home, I felt inspired to come back to life in the same way the weather resurrected itself by baking something to make me feel alive again.

And voila! There’s nothing like cinnamon buns to make you forget the pains and frustrations of a health issue for even a few blissful moments, and indulge in a sugary spicy treat. Not to mention the thankfulness I truly feel for blessings like my health, my family and my friends. All that from a happy little cinnamon bun!

CinnaBOMB Cinnamon Buns

Servings: 9-10 buns
Time: 3 hours prep; 30 minutes cook
Difficulty: moderate
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Bring a little indulgence to your life with these sweet rolls of spicy decadence!

Ingredients

Cinnamon Bun Dough

3¾ c AP flour
1 package (1¼ oz) active dry yeast
½ c whole milk
½ c sour cream or greek yogurt (full fat)
¼ c sugar
6 TB unsalted butter
2 tsp salt
1 egg, lightly beaten

Filling & Frosting

½ c plus 4 TB unsalted butter, softened & divided
¾ c packed dark brown sugar
2 TB ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cardamom (optional)
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1¼ c powdered sugar
4 TB whole milk
½ tsp vanilla extract

Directions

Cinnamon Bun Dough

Use a standing mixer and paddle attachment to combine flour and yeast on low speed for 30 seconds.
In a small saucepan over medium low heat, combine milk, sour cream (or gr yogurt), sugar, butter and salt. Melt ingredients together, stirring often, until mixture heats to 115° F (a candy thermometer works best). Remove from heat.
Turn mixer to low speed, and slowly add milk mixture and egg to flour and yeast until dough begins to form.
Switch to the hook attachment on the standing mixer, and mix dough on medium speed for approximately 4-5 minutes, until the dough is elastic and no longer sticking to sides of the bowl.
Spray nonstick cooking spray into a large bowl, and place dough into bowl, flipping it once or twice to cover it with nonstick spray. Cover bowl with a kitchen towel, and place in a warm place, allowing dough to rest and rise for 1 hour 30 minutes – 2 hours. Dough should double in size.
After dough has doubled in size, punch the dough down into the bowl (just once with a close fist). Remove the dough from the bowl, and place it onto a lightly floured surface.

Filling & Finishing

Delicately roll the dough into a rectangular 12″X14″ shape. (Try not to overwork/press down too hard on the dough with rolling pin – we want fluffy cinnamon buns!) Use an offset or regular spatula to spread the 1/2 c softened unsalted butter evenly on the dough.
In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon and cardamom together. Sprinkle the mixture over the buttered dough evenly, and follow by sprinkling the walnuts evenly as well.
Slowly and tightly roll the dough starting from the long 14″ side into a log. Pinch the final long edge to form a closed seam across the roll. Cut the roll into 9-10 even pieces.
Spray a 9″X13″ baking dish or an 8″ (or 10″) cast iron skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Evenly space the 9-10 cinnamon buns into the baking dish or skillet. Cover again with a dish towel, and place in a warm area in the kitchen for 45 minutes-1 hour to rest and rise a little more.
Preheat oven to 350° F. Uncover cinnamon buns, and bake for 30 minutes until they are golden in color.
In a medium bowl, on medium speed use a hand mixer to beat 4 TB of softened butter and cream cheese together. Add powdered sugar, milk and vanilla extract, and whip for 1-2 minutes until icing is smooth.
Remove buns from oven and cool for 30 minutes on a baking rack while still in the baking dish or skillet.
Use a spatula to add icing on buns while they are warm. Enjoy as much or as little icing as you desire.