Happiness Is A Warm Bun

freshly grated cinnamon taste, and oh so fragrant

a real honey of a bun, so caramelly, buttery and utterly delicious

I borrowed the title for this post from my cookbook SHE CAME IN THROUGH THE KITCHEN WINDOW: Recipes Inspired By The Beatles And Their Music, which is of course from John Lennon's Happiness is a Warm Gun. People my age would know that. I KNOW, it's corny and lame but I don't care, I need a title for this post! ;-)

I made one batch of sweet roll dough, one half for cinnamon rolls and the other half for honey buns, sweet, sweet yummmy buns. I used this cinnamon mill which is really fragrant and the taste is excellent. It's sooo good.

Sweet Roll Dough
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
½ cup very hot water
½ cup very hot milk
1 egg, room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
¼ cup soft butter
3½ to 4 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon salt

• In a bowl combine water and milk, heat in the microwave oven for 1 minute, add 2 cups flour, sugar and egg. Beat for 1 minute, then add yeast. Beat for 1 minute. Add the salt and the rest of the flour and beat for 2 minutes. Transfer dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes. Form into a ball and put in a greased bowl, turn dough so that greased side is on top. Cover tightly with cling wrap and let rise for 1½ hours. Punch dough down, divide in half. Return the other half in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap while shaping the first half.
  

Cinnamon Rolls
filling
¼ cup sugar
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons soft butter
glaze
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

• Combine sugar and ground cinnamon, set aside. Roll dough into a 12 x 9 inch rectangle, spread the soft butter, sprinkle with the sugar mixture. From the longer side, roll tightly, pinching edges. Slice into 8 pieces, arrange in a buttered 9-inch round pan. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise for 40 minutes. Bake in a 375°F oven for 30 minutes. Glaze: Combine ingredients until smooth. Drizzle over baked cinnamon rolls.
  Freshly grated cinnamon taste, and oh so fragrant

Honey Buns
glaze
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons soft butter
2 tablspoons honey.
filling
2 tablespoons soft butter
2 tablespoons chopped nuts
2 tablespoons honey

• Combine ingredients for glaze. Divide among 6 extra large muffin pans, set aside. Combine the filling ingredients, set aside. Divide dough into 6 pieces, flatten into a 6 x 3 inch rectangle, spread filling in the middle, roll up tightly, pinching edges, then form into a circle. Place circles on top of honey mixture. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise for 40 minutes. Bake in a 375°F oven for 30 minutes. Invert pan onto a container, leave for 1 minute. Remove pan, scraping all the caramel onto the honey buns.

♫ Happiness is a warm, yes it is, bu-u-un! ♫