Raisin Cinnamon Roll Muffin Things
/
We are awash in little people!! We have 3 of our 4 grandchildren with us this weekend, and it’s way more fun than being parents ever was. I recommend it highly. Besides the general fun and hilarity, I love having an excuse to make kid food. Last night we had a giant vat of macaroni and cheese, tonight is homemade pizza (everyone makes their own) and today it’s cinnamon rolls.
We do love our cinnamon rolls around here, and I recently discovered a very awesome version using my cinnamon raisin bread. I love being able to sneak a little wholesome goodness into kid food, and it’s really easy here because there is a whole wheat component to these and raisins too! They’re goo-ey, sticky, and absolutely addicting.
I start with my cinnamon raisin bread dough, and at the point where it gets rolled out for its dusting of cinnamon sugar, I just roll it up a little tighter and then slice it up like you would for most cinnamon roll recipes.
But these then go into the cups of a muffin tin and baked like you would a muffin. The only trick
is to make sure you don’t over-bake them. We like our cinnamon rolls a little dough-y, and these are best left a little soft in the center. Oh my.
You don’t have to have kids around to make these. Oh no. When it comes to cinnamon rolls, we’re all kids, right?
Raisin Cinnamon Roll Muffins
2 cups unbleached bread flour
1 cup whole-wheat flour
2 tablespoons gluten flour (optional)
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons powdered milk
1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
2 tablespoons shortening or unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup water, at room temperature
½ to ¾ cup raisins
1/3 cup cinnamon sugar
Whisk together the bread flour, whole-wheat flour, gluten, sugar, salt, powdered milk, and yeast in a 4-quart bowl of a standing mixer. With the machine running, add the shortening, and 1 ½ cups of the water. When fairly well mixed, slowly add the raisins and continue mixing on low speed until the ingredients form a ball. It should be fairly tacky. If not, add a little more water and continue mixing. It is better for it to be a little too soft that to be too stiff and tough.
Knead for another 10 minutes or so to make a firm, supple dough that is slightly tacky but not sticky. Create a ball with the dough, dragging it towards you against the counter to create surface tension. Lightly oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Ferment at room temperature for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the dough doubles in size.
Remove the dough to a flat work surface and press it by hand into a rectangle about ½ inch thick, 8 to 10 inches wide, and 10 to 12 inches long (with the longest side closest to you). Sprinkle liberally with the cinnamon-sugar mixture, and roll up the length of the dough pinching the crease with each rotation to strengthen the surface tension. It will spread wider as you roll it. Fold the ends closed.
Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray. Cut into 1-inch slices and placed in the cups of a muffin tin that has been lightly coated with cooking spray
Let rise for about 45 minutes or until the rolls just start to crest above the lip of the muffin cups.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees with the oven rack on the middle shelf. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes.
Let cool for about 5 minutes and then remove to finish cooling on a rack. Eat while still warm, butter optional.
