Light Everyday Cinnamon Rolls

These were pretty awesome rolls for being a “low fat” version of cinnamon rolls.  Most low fat baked goods don’t turn out all that well.  On the plus side: you don’t have to wait for the dough to rise – you can have them that very morning.  My only issue was that the dough was VERY sticky… so I didn’t get the prettiest roll.  But I did love the cloves in the middle – you don’t really taste “cloves” but it gave the filling a great depth of flavor that I’ll try in my regular cinnamon roll recipe.  This is from America’s Test Kitchen’s book called America’s Test Kitchen’s Healthy Family Cookbook.  Most of the recipes have been great.  The granola bars were a total disaster, but I believe that is because I burned the caramel.

These have 290 calories and 7 grams of fat each.  Cinnabon is 730 calories and 24 grams of fat.

Light Everyday Cinnamon Rolls
yield 9 rolls

Filling
1/3 cup (2.3 oz) dark brown sugar
1/3 cup (2.3 oz)  sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp salt

Dough
1 1/2 cups (7.5 oz) all purpose flour
3/4 cup (4.1 oz) whole wheat flour
2 tbsp sugar
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
5 tbsp butter, melted and cooled, divided (only melt 4 Tb. first!)

Glaze
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 oz light cream cheese
1 tbsp buttermilk

1.   Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Take some non-stick foil or sprayed foil, and line the 8×8 or 9×9 pan with it.
2.  Filling:  mix it all up in a medium bowl.  Smell.  Ahhhhhhh.
3.  Dough:  In large bowl:  Whisk Together the dry stuff – flours, sugar, powder, soda and salt.
4.  In medium bowl:  Whisk together the wet stuff: 4 Tb. melted butter and buttermilk.
5.  Add wet stuff to dry stuff.  Stir until shaggy.  Move to a VERY VERY thoroughly floured surface.  Knead 8-10 times.
6.  Pat with your fingers a 12×9″ rectangle and make like normal cinnamon rolls:
7.  Brush dough with 1 Tb. butter leaving about 1/2″ at the top free of butter.  Sprinkle filling and pat down lightly.  Roll from the long side.  If you have a bench spraper, try that.  It is difficult to get this off, but it eventually worked.  Cut into 9 pieces and place into the prepared pan.  **This part might be a pain.  Some people had an easy time with it and I had a very hard time, but just make it come together.
8.   Now here is the cool part:  Cover the rolls with foil for the first 12 minutes of baking!  Keeps them moist.  Most low fat varieties get dry, but I believe this solves that problem.  Take off the foil and bake another 12-18 minutes.
9.  Glaze:  Mix it all up and drizzle on your rolls!