Someone’s Mum’s Cinnamon Buns

I don’t care for the commercial grade, overly hefty cinnamon buns.

It’s what my mum would call “too much of a muchness.”

It’s just not okay to me when a bun looks as though it’s been carved away in the style of a Chicago Deep Dish pizza; it’s too much on the plate, the icing texture is reminiscent of toothpaste and no matter how tantalizing the smell is at the time, ultimately, there will be disappointment and a broken plastic fork.

If you can relate to any of this, you will be very happy with the following recipe.

It’s a “fast” cinnamon bun – so no yeast, no rising – and each one is compact, tight and perfectly coiled in its own muffin cup.

Purists may say this is not The Real Thing and of course they’re right in a way, but I truly prefer these and this recipe can be ready in a trice for unexpected company, who will neither mention nor lament the lack of yeast I can assure you.

2/3 cup butter at room temperature  (Please do use real butter!)

1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed

½ tsp. cinnamon

2 cups unbleached flour

4 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

½ cup shortening

1 cup whole milk

1 cup roughly chopped walnuts or pecans (Optional but really, you should find some …)

1. Grease 12 muffin cups with butter and pre-heat oven to 425F .
2. Combine butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Put to one side till later.
3. In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt with fork before cutting in the shortening with two knives till fine.
4. Add milk all at once and turn onto a floured board. Knead a few times to bring together but don’t get carried away, really leaning into it – the dough will toughen.
5. Roll into a 8-9” square about 1/3” thick and lavishly spread the butter-sugar mixture all over right to the edges. Spread the nuts (also to edges) and roll tightly à la Jelly Roll fashion.
6. With a sharp knife, slice in pinwheels about ¾” thick and place cut side down in the muffin tray.

Bake for 12-18 minutes and remove from cups at once. (I use two teaspoons to lift them out tenderly)

Serve warm beside some strong tea in beautiful china cups and obviously offer more butter.

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