A Taste Of Place

Stuffed Brown Butter Cinna-Rolls

by Chef Liz Chadwick

Dough Ingredients:

1 C butter (salted or unsalted)
¾ C warm whole milk
2½ tsp of active dry yeast
¼ C white sugar
3 C bread flour
¾ tsp salt
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
Extra flour for rolling out dough
Cinnamon
Dark Brown Sugar

Icing Ingredients:

5 oz cream cheese
¼ C of the melted brown butter (see recipe)
½ C powdered sugar
a squirt of vanilla

Boil 1 cup butter (salted or unsalted, doesn’t matter) over medium heat until bottom begins to brown. Immediately remove from heat and transfer to a bowl. Set aside to cool while you mix together ¾ cup warm whole milk (108°F degrees is perfect) , 2½ teaspoons of active dry yeast, and ¼ cup white sugar. Stir until fully combined and wait for it to starting burping.

In a mixer with a dough hook, add 3 cups bread flour and ¾ teaspoon salt. With the speed on low add in 1 egg + 1 egg yolk, ¼ cup of the browned butter, and the now-volcanic yeast mixture. Mix on low until it forms a sorta-but-not-too-sticky dough. Let rise, covered, an hour or two in a warm dark spot.

Make the icing while you wait: Mix together 5 ounces cream cheese, ¼ cup of the melted brown butter, ½ cup powdered sugar, a squirt of vanilla.

When dough is ready, roll it out on a floured surface to ½” thickness. Brush with more brown butter, liberally sprinkle cinnamon and dark brown sugar over butter, and delicately add globs and globs of cream cheese all over the place. Yes, cream cheese. Roll it up tightly, cut into 2” slices, slap them onto an oiled baking sheet, and drown them in more brown butter. Let rise for another 15 minutes.

Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes, or until they’re good and brown and not doughy in the center. Remove from oven and immediately spread icing on top of rolls … be prepared to get icing all over yourself (and everything around you). Enjoy a-little-too-warm and on a rainy day.