Cinnamon Twists

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Cinnamon Twists

Here’s the recipe from today’s WSMV-TV “Today in Nashville” segment…

I hope you try it! Comment if you have questions. Thanks!

Glazed Cinnamon Twists
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, plus 4 tablespoons softened
2/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons sugar
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Using a pastry cutter or 2 knives, cut in the 6 tablespoons of cold butter, breaking apart the butter into very small pieces. Add the milk and stir until a dough forms, knead gently (not too much) to pull together a smooth ball of dough. 
Flour a work surface and roll out dough into rough rectangle (or oval), about 1/8” thick. Using a spatula or butter knife, spread the softened butter over the surface of the rolled dough to cover it all. Sprinkle cinnamon to distribute evenly, sprinkle sugar to distribute evenly. Fold dough in half. Press to adhered. Gently use rolling pin to press together a little more. Using a knife or fluted wheel cutter, cut 1/2-inch strips.
Twist each strip into a spiral and lay on a parchment or silpat-lined baking sheet. Press the two end down to adhere. Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden. Let cool completely before drizzling glaze criss-cross across the twists.
For the glaze: 
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature soft
1 cup powdered sugar (you may need a little more)
½ teaspoon vanilla
In a medium mixing bowl press out the butter with a spoon to make it smooth. Add the powdered sugar and mix until the butter is blended into small pieces with the sugar,. Add the vanilla and mix. Run the kitchen faucet until very hot. Add a couple of tablespoons of hot water to the mixture and stir rapidly to combine. If frosting seems too thick, add more hot water until it becomes the right consistency for drizzling. When adding water just a very little at a time— even just drops. (If it becomes too thin, let sit for a while — it will thicken on its own. Or add a little more powdered sugar.)
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Cinnamon Twists from my Childhood

Thanks, mom. And Betty Crocker. This recipe looks unassuming but once you unleash it in your kitchen you must eat every single one of them. Yes, they are that good. Even if your first bite does not tip you off. It’s the how-often-you-go-back that proves the point.

It all starts with a biscuit recipe from an old Betty Crocker cookbook (copyright 1950). Take the dough, roll it out, add the butter, cinnamon & sugar and make the twists. Bake ’em, then top with vanilla glaze. Ear-re-SIST-able.

Here’s my demo on WSMV Channel 4 Nashville’s More at Midday show (with Holly Thompson). And the recipe is below.

Chef Paulette’s Cinnamon Twists VIDEO

Chef Paulette’s Biscuit Dough Cinnamon Twists

2 cups flour

2 ½ teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold

¾ cup milk

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temp & spreadable

5-6 teaspoons cinnamon

2-3 teaspoons sugar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Add 4 1-tablespoon pats of cold butter. Cut into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or knife until butter pieces are small specks. Add milk and whisk together with a fork until a dough forms. Knead just enough to press into a thick disc of dough.

Roll out on a floured work surface to ¼ inch thick. Spread the 4 tablespoons of soft butter to cover surface of dough. Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar evenly over surface. Fold dough in half and rolled lightly to seal together. Cut into 1-inch strips. Lift each strip and twist into a loose spiral. Place on a baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden. Let cool then drizzle glaze.

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

hot water

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Place sugar in a medium mixing bowl. Run tap water until very hot. Add water to sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring, until you have a semi-thick icing. Stir in vanilla. Drizzle over cinnamon sticks.