Fastest Cinnamon Rolls

Photo: Digigirl

Ingredients

For the Dough --

3/4 cup part skim ricotta cheese (or cottage cheese)

cup low fat buttermilk

1/4 cup sugar

2 ounces unsalted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

9 ounces all purpose flour (about 2 cups)

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

For the Filling --

3/4 ounce unsalted butter

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

For the Glaze --

2 ounces mascarpone cheese (or cream cheese), room temperature

1/2 cup powdered sugar, or to taste

1 tablespoon skim milk, or as needed

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

Heat the oven to 400°F. Grease the sides and bottom of a 8 or 9" baking pan with cooking spray.

Combine the ricotta cheese, buttermilk, sugar, melted butter, and vanilla in food processor and process until smooth, about 10 seconds. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda and pulse in short bursts just until the dough clumps together (don’t overprocess). The dough will be soft and moist.

Dump the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it with floured hands 4 or 5 times until smooth (it really only takes 4-5 times). With a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 12x15-inch rectangle. I discovered that 12x15 is exactly the size of my flexible plastic cutting board, so that's a quick and easy way to size it.

Brush the dough with the melted butter, leaving a 1/2-inch border unbuttered around the edges. In a medium bowl, combine brown sugar and spices. Sprinkle the mixture over the buttered area of the dough and press gently into the surface.

Starting at a long edge, roll up the dough jelly-roll style. Pinch the seam to seal, and leave the ends open.

With a sharp knife, cut the roll into equal pieces (I got 8). Set the pieces, cut side up, in the prepared pan; they should fill the pan and touch slightly, but don’t worry if there are small gaps. My pan was too big, so the rolls didn't fill it up - no big deal, the outer ones leaned over a little, but it was all good.

Bake until golden brown and firm to the touch, 20 to 28 minutes. Set the pan on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Run a spatula around the inside edge of the pan to loosen the rolls, and transfer them to a serving plate.

In a small bowl, mix the softened mascarpone cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla to make a smooth glaze. Add milk as needed to achieve desired consistency. Spread or drizzle onto warm rolls. Let stand 10 minutes (or as long as you can stand) and serve.