Cinnamon & vanilla bean rolls with brown butter cream cheese frosting

Cinnamon rolls are something I can just about make in my sleep, in fact, on very early mornings in various baking jobs, I probably have made them that way. They're such a comfort food, but I also associate them with work too, so... let's just say I have mixed feelings!

This version is so good though, that I could just about forget all that and just focus on the comforting aspect. In this recipe they're packed with dark muscavado sugar, cinnamon spices and sweet fragrant vanilla bean. I decided to top off all that deliciousness with cream cheese frosting, because that's how they eat them in America, and they know a thing or two about decadent home baking. And American bakers seem to add brown butter to everything, so I did that too. When I've tried it in the past I've been underwhelmed - maybe I was doing it wrong?! - but this time round I am sold! The flavour is normally compared to nuts, but to me it matched a smoky salted caramel flavour more closely. Either, way, it's DELICIOUS and totally worth the hassle.

Try this:

(Bun recipe adapted from Nigella Lawson's 'Norwegian Cinnamon Buns' in How to be a Domestic Goddess)

Makes 12

Buns:

600gm high grade flour

400ml milk

15gm active yeast

100gm caster sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs

100gm butter (room temperature)

Filling:

150gm butter (soft but not melted)

150 gm dark muscovado sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

Frosting:

120gm butter

2 cups icing sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

200gm cream cheese (room temperature)

In a small bowl, warm the milk in the microwave, then stir through the sugar, and add the yeast. Leave to activate for 10 minutes, until the yeast is foaming. In a stand mix with the dough hook attachment, pour the yeast mixture, then add the flour, eggs, butter and salt. Knead the dough until it's smooth and springy (approx 10-12 mins). Cover the dough and leave to rise until doubled in volume.

To make the filling, combine all ingredients in a bowl until well incorporated and smooth. It should be a soft consistency, ready for spreading.

Start the frosting by gently heating the butter over a medium heat, and stirring regularly while it simmers for 5-8 minutes. Watch it carefully to ensure it doesn't catch and burn on the bottom. The butter is done when there are some small brown bits in the bottom of the pan. Remove from the heat and pour into a bowl, then refrigerate until it has firmed up a bit (a soft room-temperature consistency is perfect).

Heat the oven to 205c. Line a roasting tin with baking paper. Roll out the dough on a floured surface to a rectangle measuring approximately 35cm x 25 cm. Spread all the filling carefully out over the dough as evenly as possible. Roll it up into a large sausage, long side down to long side. Using a serrated knife or a piece of dental floss, cut the roll into 12 even pieces and spread them out onto the lined tin. (Don't worry if they don't touch - they'll puff up as they rise again, and then grow even more in the oven.) Cover the rolls, and set aside for 20-30 minutes until risen and puffy.

Bake rolls for 20-25 minutes until risen and golden brown, then remove and leave to cool in the tin on a wire rack. While the rolls bake continue with the frosting by adding the brown butter to a stand mixer and beating for a few minutes until light and fluffy. Add in the sugar, salt and vanilla paste and beat again for a minute until the frosting is well combined. Finally, add the soft cream cheese, and beat quickly until just combined.

When the rolls are cool, dollop a spoonful of frosting onto each one, spread it out with the back of a spoon, and enjoy!