Morning buns

When I was young, my favorite Saturday mornings were when my mom would make morning buns. Crisp, sugary, cinnamon buns, warm from the oven. We would make them from the grocery store dough tubes and roll them in cinnamon-sugar, but I wanted to make something a little fancier.



These use the same dough as the danishes. Once the dough has completed the final roll, fold, and chill, follow the directions below.

Filling
1/2 c. unrefined cane sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cardamom
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
zest of 1 small orange (optional)

Stir all of the filling ingredients together, then set aside. Roll the dough into a rectangle, about 18 x 12". Sprinkle the filling over the dough and use your hands to spread it evenly. Starting with a long side, roll the dough as you would a cinnamon bun, so you end up with about an 18" tube.

Grease a 12-cup muffin tin with melted margarine, then sprinkle about 1/2 tsp of granulated sugar into each cup and shake to coat the side and bottom.

Slice the dough into 12 pieces, about 1 1/2" thick. Place 1 roll into each cup (swirl side up), and brush the tops with more margarine. Cover with plastic, then set in a warm place to rise for about 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350F, then bake the rolls for about 20-25 minutes, until golden brown. Remove the pan from the oven, and let cool for about 2-3 minutes. Measure about 1/4 c. of granulated sugar into a large bowl. One by one, remove the buns from the tin and roll in the sugar. Place on a rack to cool.

Shaudi hosted a brunch potluck today. I brought morning buns, cheesy danishes, and bacon-esque seitan.



There was so much good food! Banana-stuffed french toast, roasted potatoes, potato salad, watermelon, mini blueberry muffins, cherries, tofu scramble, and pumpkin waffles.