Puff Pastry Cinnamon Rolls

All of my kids are huge, okay not huge (poor wording choice), enthusiastic fans of cinnamon rolls. They will happily eat cinnamon rolls of any kind, whether they are homemade or the type that you buy in the dairy department-you know the ones I am talking about, the kind that are in a can.  

These puff pastry cinnamon rolls are a sort of compromise;  the puff pastry is light and flaky so they aren't ooey and gooey like traditional cinnamon rolls, but they sure are quick and easy to prepare.

For me, the hardest part about making these cinnamon rolls is remembering to take the puff pastry out of my freezer so it can defrost!

Today's Playlist

• "The Denial Twist"...The White Stripes
• "Short Skirt/Long Jacket"...Cake
• "Dope Nose"...Weezer
• "She"...Green Day
• "My Hero"...Foo Fighters

Puff Pastry Cinnamon Rolls
Printable Recipe

For the rolls:

• 1 package puff pastry (2 sheets)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (1/4 cup for each sheet of puff pastry)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

flour, for dusting your prep surface

For the frosting:

• 3/4 cup confectioners sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons light cream

Gather your ingredients for the rolls.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees

Line your baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place the brown sugar and cinnamon into a small bowl.

Stir to combine.  This will be your filling.

Dust your work surface with the flour, to prevent the pastry from sticking.

Unfold one of the sheets of puff pastry.

Sprinkle with half of the brown sugar/cinnamon mixture.

Spread it around to evenly distribute it, and press it into the puff pastry with the back of a spoon.

Roll the puff pastry.

Cut the roll in half.

Cut the halves in half.

And finally, cut in half again so that you have 8 rolls!

Place the rolls onto your parchment-lined baking sheet.

Repeat with the other sheet of puff pastry, using the remaining cinnamon/sugar mixture.

Place all of the rolls onto your baking sheet.  Bake in your preheated 400-degree oven for 18 to 21 minutes, until the pastry is puffed and lightly browned.

While the rolls are baking, prepare the frosting.

Gather your frosting ingredients.

Place the confectioners sugar into a small bowl.

Add the vanilla extract.

Add the cream.

Stir to combine.

You may need to add a bit more cream or more confectioners sugar, depending upon how dry or runny your frosting is.

I can't help but ponder why the frosting is too runny or in this case, too dry, when I always use the same amounts of ingredients.

If you do need to add more cream, add it in 1/2-teaspoon increments.

Here is the frosting, 1/2 teaspoon of cream later.  Perfect.  You want it to be thin enough to drizzle, but not watery.

The rolls will be all puffy and the cinnamon will be oozing out when they are finished baking.  You will know the rolls are ready when they are just starting to brown.

Drizzle the frosting over the warm rolls and serve immediately.

If you have leftovers, you can reheat the rolls individually in your microwave; 10 seconds on HIGH and they will be perfectly warm.

Enjoy!