Baby Cinna - Buns

Well, March Break is almost over and done with, which means that Monday brings another run of cookin' for the kids! Before we went on break, I decided I'd give them something to look forward to, at least where my job is concerned! Growing up, I was a huge fan of the cinnamon roll, be it from a restaurant or a can, but I had never made a batch from scratch myself! The realization shocked me, since not only do I love eating the buns but I love to make bread too! 
 
I think my stumbling block when it came to cinnamon buns is not only that they're often laden with fat and sugar, but it's that they're really only best the day they're made, ideally hot out of the oven. Well, I don't have time to do that at work - but I still wanted them to get that homemade, fresh treat and make it a bit better for them too. So I settled on a compromise - miniature (AKA kid-size) rolls, prepped all the way to the second rise and popped into two foil lasagne pans on the weekend. Frozen, the yeast stops it's activity, meaning I could choose just what day I wanted to bake off a batch. As long as I remembered to take the frozen pans out of the freezer and put them in the fridge the morning before, I had perfectly risen rolls waiting for me come time for snack.

To make sure I got the baking and ratios right for the mini-buns, I adapted this recipe from Pixel Whisk. My changes were mostly nutrition-related, making them whole grain, eggless and lower in fat, as well as adding pureed chickpeas for extra protein, fibre and flavour! I kept mum on that subject though, and the kids never complained - I mean after all, who doesn't like a warm cinnamon bun? 

In honour of Meal Planning Mom's Eating the Alphabet Challenge (featuring letters C&D this month), I'm submitting these chickpea- and coconut milk-laden treats to the party! Check out all the great posts below after the weekend:

Baby Cinna - Buns
Makes 40

Dough:
2 cups flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp instant yeast
2 tbsp sugar
¼ cup buttermilk powder or skim milk powder
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp cardamom
2 tbsp flaxseed
¼ cup water
1 cup evaporated or coconut milk, warmed
½ cup applesauce
1 tsp salt
¼ cup pureed tofu or pureed chickpeas
¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
Milk, for brushing

Filling:
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup raisins or dried cranberries, optional

1. Combine the flours, yeast, sugar, buttermilk powder, cinnamon, and cardamom in the bowl of a stand mixer.
2. Mix together the flax, water, milk, applesauce, salt and tofu or chickpeas and add to the dry mixture.
3. Knead with the dough hook for 5 minutes, then add the butter bit by bit and knead for 7 minutes longer.
4. Scrape down sides of bowl, cover and let rest for 1 hour.
5. Deflate the dough and transfer to a large floured work surface. 
6. Divide into 5 equal pieces.
7. Working one piece at a time, roll each piece out into a thin rectangle.
8. Combine the sugars and cinnamon in a bowl.
9. Brush dough with milk, then sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar and fruit if using, leaving 1” of space on one long side.
10. Starting with the sugared long side, roll each rectangle up.
11. Slice each roll into 8 pieces and place 1.5” apart in two well greased 9x13” pans and cover with plastic wrap.

• At this point, the cinnamon rolls can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated overnight or covered with foil and frozen for 1 month. Before baking, allow rolls to thaw in the fridge for 24 hours and rise 1 hour in a warm place.

If baking immediately:

1. Let rise in a warm spot for about an hour. 
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
3. Brush tops of the buns with milk, cover with foil and bake buns for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake 15 minutes longer.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 79.5
Total Fat: 1.7 g
Cholesterol: 4.1 mg
Sodium: 78.3 mg
Total Carbs: 14.5 g
Dietary Fiber: 1.1 g
Protein: 2.4 g