I just want to take a moment to say that Jenny of Picky Palate is a genius.
La la laa, making sugar cookies. Wait, what if I smeared this dough with butter, cinnamon, and sugar, and called them sugar cookie cinnamon rolls?
Results as pictured above. Genius, lady. Why didn't I think of this?? Ugh.
Well, I'm glad somebody thought of it. These cookies are knock-your-socks-off-worthy. Everywhere I've brought them they've disappeared. Every person who's tasted one has gone on to at least two, with numerous OH MY GOD's.
This is a serious cookie, not to be taken lightly.
I did halve the recipe this time round, I just couldn't justify making 6 dozen. So, halving. 'Tis possible.
And I can say that the cream cheese glaze here is my own thing. Sort of. It's based off of my all time favorite cream cheese frosting, and it's kinda delicious. No biggie. And, I totally agree with Jenny here, these are best eaten chilled (and dipped in warm coffee). Plus the glaze gets kinda gooey at room temperature. Keep it chill, yo.
Let me explain to you the incredibly complex process.
You're dividing your two (or one, if you're halving) dough discs into thirds, and each third is rolled into about a 12x5 inch oval.
Just a few numbers, whatever. Totally easy.
Now we're being really naughty. We're spreading 2 tbsp. of softened butter onto each oval.
You like it, you know you do.
Then comes the brown sugar and cinnamon! (If you want to throw in a few walnuts, or some nutmeg, that'd be fine by me.)
Roll it (not so) pretty, from the long end. Notice in this picture that I was a total dope, and rolled from the short end (keep in mind that I had 40 minutes to cut, bake, and take pictures here). Hey, it certainly didn't hurt anything. But I guess rolling it from the long end would yield more cookies.
I like to think it actually helped the cookies hold up better. Which might be true, I'll have to experiment. It's been a while since the first time I made these, but from what I remember, they still held up alright when rolled from the long end. Just be mindful that you don't slice them too thin.
It may be necessary to trim the ends (oh darn...), but otherwise, just cut some nice 1/2 inch thick rounds.
Space them on a lined cookie sheet a couple inches apart, bake, and you're golden (just don't overbake them)!
Mix, chill, roll, bake, cool, glaze, and chill. It's a process, and it's entirely worthwhile.
Cinnamon Roll Sugar Cookies
Yield: at least 6 dozen cookies
Ingredients for the dough:
- 6 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup sour cream
Ingredients for the filling:
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened and cut into 2 tbsp. chunks
- 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar, divided into 1/4 cups
- 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon, dividedinto 1/4 teaspoons
Ingredients for the cream cheese glaze:
- 10 oz. cream cheese, chilled
- 6 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2-4 tablespoons of milk, or as needed to thin
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Directions:
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a stand mixer (or with an electric mixer), cream the sugar and butter. Add eggs, vanilla, and sour cream until well combined. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined. Divide the dough in half and shape each half into a disc. Wrap and chill for at least 2 hours.
Once well-chilled, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, line cookie sheets with parchment paper, and heavily flour a work surface. Cut each disc into thirds, and roll each third into an 1/8 inch thick oval, about 12x5 inches. Spread each rolled piece of dough with 2 tablespoons of butter, then sprinkle with 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon. Starting at the long end closest to you, roll into a log shape (I actually rolled from the short end by accident, so don't freak if you do the same thing. It still works!). Using a sharp knife, cut 1/2 inch pieces from the log. Place them onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
Bake for 9-11 minutes, until the edges just start to firm up, but the centers are still quite soft and puffy. Don't overbake. Let cool on the sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the glaze, beat the cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and beat on low speed until just incorporated, then increased the speed to medium-high and beat until smooth. Blend in the vanilla. Add the milk to thin to desired consistency (if you go too far, just add more powdered sugar to thicken).
Using a fork, drizzle the glaze over the cooled cookies. Chill in a single layer until the glaze is set, then store in an airtight container in the fridge.
Sources: adapted from Picky Palate, glaze inspired by Annie's Eats
