Cinnamon Roll Biscuits

She bakes her biscuits,
She bake ’em nice and keen, she bake ’em good enough for the queen
She’s a biscuit baking woman, she’s a biscuit baking woman
I want to tell the world ’bout that biscuit baking woman of mine

— Yank Rachell, “Biscuit Baking Woman”

I’m pretty sure the only way to make biscuits even better is to add lashings of cinnamon to them. This recipe does just that, and you can whip up these delicious cinnamon rolls, biscuit-style with the softest centers, in a flash.

Cinnamon rolls made with yeast are a classic breakfast sweet. Some may consider these “shortcut” cinnamon rolls to avoid rise and wait time, but we are a biscuit household and these would be my preference over a doughy glazed cinnamon roll. When you taste them, they are 100% biscuit with a delicious cinnamon and brown sugar filling in every bite.

This recipe creates 7-8 large biscuits. If you want more biscuits in a batch, cut 1” thick biscuits instead of 1 1/2” and you’ll get 11 or 12. You will most likely need to add a couple more minutes to the bake time, since more biscuits will create a crowded skillet. Check them after 22 minutes and bake up to 25 minutes or until the sides that are touching look less doughy.

If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, simply bake them on a baking sheet with a silicone mat with edges touching. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden.

A note on the flour—if you like to use soft winter wheat for biscuits, go ahead and use White Lily. When using White Lily flour, the biscuit rolls are more fragile after baking, but it hardly matters because they’re so delicious. After some trials, I did used King Arthur Baking’s all-purpose flour for a hardier dough.

CINNAMON ROLL BISCUITS

Makes 7-8 large biscuits

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE BISCUITS

• 3 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons (25 g) granulated sugar
• 7 tablespoons (98 g) unsalted butter, cubed and kept cold until use
• 1 cup (240 mL) buttermilk, kept cold until use

FOR THE CINNAMON FILLING

• 1/3 cup plus one tablespoon (78 g) light brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons (42 g) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• pinch of salt

INSTRUCTIONS

Melt three tablespoons of butter in a bowl. Stir in the light brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar together. Cut in the cubed, cold butter with a pastry cutter until the butter is pea-sized. Drizzle the buttermilk over the flour and stir until the dough becomes cohesive and moistened. If there are still dry areas, add more buttermilk a tablespoon at a time to avoid making the dough soggy.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, fold until it comes together, and roll into a 10×14 rectangle. Use your hands to straighten the edges and sides if needed. With a small spatula, spread the melted butter and cinnamon filling across the dough, leaving a 1/2” space between the edges.

Roll the dough from the longest side to create a 14” long roll, then place the seam side down. Gently push the ends of the roll toward each other to even out any difference in thickness. Place on a baking sheet and freeze for at least 15 minutes. While the dough is in the freezer, preheat the oven to 450° F.

Using a bench scraper or sharp knife, cut off the uneven ends of the roll, then cut out 1 1/2” thick biscuits. If the biscuits aren’t perfectly round, they can be gently rolled like tires between a flat surface and your palm. Place the biscuits in a 10” seasoned cast iron skillet and bake for 20-21 minutes or until golden. Let them cool in the skillet for at least five minutes before serving.

Keep uneaten biscuits in a container—but if not eaten after a day or so, freeze them in an airtight container and microwave until hot.