Christmas Cinnamon Buns

Due to working in retail and how hectic the holiday season can be, my husband and I don't always have the opportunity to spend it with family.  We've started some traditions of our own though to celebrate the holidays.  On Christmas Eve, we'll usually order Chinese takeout and watch a movie on TV.  Then Christmas morning, I always make homemade cinnamon buns which I refer to as Christmas Cinnamon Buns.  I make the dough for the cinnamon buns the night before.  They are really an indulgence and oh so delicious when they are still warm from the oven.  The sugar and cinnamon fill the house with smells of the holidays.  Below is the recipe, I do take a short cut on making the dough and use my bread machine but you can also use the dough hook on a stand mixer to make the dough as well.

Christmas Cinnamon Buns

Dough: 

1 c warm water (80 degrees)

3 c bread flour

5 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces (room temperature)

1/4 c powder milk

2 tsp Agave Nectar (or 5 tsp sugar)

2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast

1 3/4 tsp salt

Combine above ingredients in your bread machine in order, select dough setting, check after a few moments to make sure dough is forming into a ball and not too dry or too wet. (If using a dough hook, add water and yeast, mix with fork until foamy, then add all other ingredients, mix with dough hook until dough forms a ball and has a web like texture.)  

Once dough is done, place in a greased glass bowl and cover.  Refrigerate overnight.  

The next day, mix together 1/4 c sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon and set aside.  

Honey Glaze:
3/4 c light brown sugar packed
4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp Agave Nectar (or 2 tbsp light corn syrup)
1 tablespoon water


In a separate bowl, mix brown sugar, butter, honey, corn syrup and cinnamon with a hand mixer until smooth.  Add the water and mix with beater until smooth and spreadable.  Add additional water until spreadable if needed.  Set aside. 

Remove dough from refrigerator.  Lightly flour a flat surface to roll out dough.  Melt 4 tbsp butter in a glass measuring cup and set aside.  

Remove dough from glass bowl and place on floured surface.  Roll dough out to 1/4 inch thick and approx 12in x 12in.  

With a pastry brush, brush melted butter over surface of dough.  

With a spoon, sprinkle sugar and cinnamon mixture on top of dough.  Optional, sprinkle with 3 tbsp chopped walnuts.  

Start at one end of the dough and slowly roll dough, trying to get it as tight as possible.  

Let sit uncovered for 30 minutes.  While the dough rises, lightly grease a 12-cup muffin pan and divide the honey glaze evenly in each muffin cup.  

Cut dough with a sharp knife into 12 equal pieces.  Place one piece of dough flat side down in each muffin cup.  

Press each piece of dough down into muffin cup.  Cover with a damp cloth and let rise to the top of the muffin tins, approx 10-15 minutes depending on how thick your pieces were.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  

Place muffin tin on a foil lined cookie sheet to prevent sugar over boil dripping onto oven.  Bake for 25-30 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool for 2 minutes in muffin tin.  

Flip muffin tin over onto cookie sheet.  Remove muffin tin and allow cinnamon buns to cool on cookie sheet. 

Enjoy!