Ingredients
Method
- Prepare oven and icing ingredients. Preheat oven to 350F. If your cream cheese isn’t already out and warming up, cut it or tear it into small chunks and set them on a plate so it reaches room temperature faster. To brown the butter, place it in a small pan over medium-high heat. It will melt, then it will begin to foam. Cookfor about 5 minutes, stirring every so often, until the little bits at the bottom of the pan turn a nice amber color and the liquid is a medium brown. Once the butter reaches this point, remove it from the heat quickly, pour into a heat-proof bowl, and let it cool. I stick it in the fridge to speed up the process—it should be ready by the time the rolls are done.
- Bake the rolls. Spray a baking dish with high sides with baking spray. Separate the cinnamon rolls from each other gently and arrange them in the dish. Don’t squish them in—make sure they have an inch or two to expand. Use two pans if you must. Pour the heavy cream evenly over the rolls and bake for about 25 minutes. (Start checking them at 20.)
- Make icing. When the rolls come out of the oven, make the icing while they cool. Combine the cooled, solidified brown butter with the cream cheese in a mixing bowl. If using extract, add it now. If using a vanilla bean: we are only using half, so cut it in two width-wise and set one aside for later. Slice the one you are using open length-wise and scrape the brown flecks into the mixing bowl. Add a little powdered sugar, then mix with a hand-mixer on medium until combined and smooth. Add powdered sugar, a little at a time, until it’s all mixed in. At this point it will be very thick, almost like a paste. Add milk a tablespoon at a time to loosen it until you’ve reached the desired consistency. Taste and adjust as needed.
- Ice and serve. Once the cinnamon rolls are cool enough—they should be warm, not hot—generously spread the icing on them and serve immediately.
Notes
cinnamon rolls: use 2 packages of Pillsbury grands
vanilla bourbon beans: can be found at Trader Joe’s. If you can’t find them, use 1 teaspoon of vanilla bourbon flavoring. If you’d rather skip the bourbon altogether, that’s fine too. Just swap for the same amount of plain vanilla.
salt: don’t skip it! Not enough people recognize the power of salt, especially in desserts.
to reheat: while I am a proponent of reheating most things in the oven, these heat so well in the microwave for thirty to sixty seconds.
leftovers: keep for 4-5 days, tightly wrapped/covered and refrigerated.