No Rise Cinnamon Rolls

I definitely was skeptical about trying this recipe. Come on, cinnamon rolls with NO yeast?! It did intrigue me though, so I just had to try it. I was very pleasantly surprised! Now don’t get me wrong, they don’t have the same texture as yeast cinnamon rolls, but they were absolutely delicious. They kind of reminded me of what the Pillsbury cinnamon rolls taste like. For being so fast, they were to die for. They were tender and satisfied my Sunday morning cinnamon roll craving. I will definitely make these again – especially when I’m craving cinnamon rolls, but don’t want to wait all day.

For the Dough

3/4 cup part skim ricotta cheese (or cottage cheese)

1/3 cup low fat buttermilk

1/4 cup sugar

2 oz. Butter (½ stick)

1 t vanilla

9 oz. all purpose flour (about 2 cups)

1 T baking powder

1/2 t salt

1/4 t baking soda

For the Filling

½ stick butter

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

2 teaspoon cinnamon

For the Glaze

2 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup powdered sugar, or to taste

1 tablespoons buttermilk

1 t vanilla

Instructions

Heat the oven to 400°F. Grease the sides and bottom of a 8 or 9″ baking pan with shortening.

Combine the ricotta cheese, buttermilk, sugar, melted butter, and vanilla in food processor and process until smooth, about 10 seconds (I did this in my kitchen aid.) Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda and pulse in short bursts just until the dough clumps together (don’t overprocess). The dough will be soft and moist.

Dump the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it with floured hands 4 or 5 times until smooth (it really only takes 4-5 times). With a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 12×15-inch rectangle. I discovered that 12×15 is exactly the size of my flexible plastic cutting board, so that’s a quick and easy way to size it.

Brush the dough with the melted butter, leaving a 1/2-inch border unbuttered around the edges. In a medium bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle the mixture over the buttered area of the dough and press gently into the surface.

Starting at a long edge, roll up the dough jelly-roll style. Pinch the seam to seal, and leave the ends open.

With a sharp knife, cut the roll into equal pieces (I got about 12). Set the pieces, cut side up, in the prepared pan; they should fill the pan and touch slightly.

Bake until golden brown and firm to the touch, 20 to 28 minutes. Set the pan on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Run a spatula around the inside edge of the pan to loosen the rolls, and transfer them to a serving plate.

In a small bowl, mix the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla to make a smooth glaze. Add milk as needed to achieve desired consistency. I chose for it to be a little thinner and whipped. It was delicious with the buttermilk, so I definitely suggest using that. Spread or drizzle onto warm rolls. Let stand 10 minutes and serve.

*From dontforgetdelicious.com