Wow.

It’s snowing today. A beautiful, steady snow with big, fat snowflakes that practically plop when they hit the ground. It’s a winter wonderland!

Did I mention it’s October 29^th?

We were given an autumn treat today in the form of snow. It’s so beautiful… the changing colors of the leaves outlined by pure white snow. *happy sigh* Our family loves snow. We practically celebrate it! In fact, this morning we did that very thing. As the flakes began to fall, I got to work on a new recipe. (I wish I could take credit for this one, but alas, the wonderful people at www.thebakingbeauties.com came up with this one.)

My review of this new recipe is so complex and detailed that I found it difficult to really express it. How does one put into words the happiness that occurred with each bite? Instead, I decided to keep it simple. Here it is.

Wow.

This isn’t something to whip up on a busy Sunday morning. This is something to bring out when you want to celebrate a birthday or Christmas… or snow. It’s a little labor intensive and there is a waiting period as you let the buns rise before baking them, but it is completely, totally and utterly worth it. I promise.

The next time you check the weather report and it says snow is on its way, do yourself a favor. Run to the store. Forget the basics you usually buy in the event of a storm. Get the ingredients for these cinnamon buns. In the quiet of the morning, make a cup of tea or coffee and get to work on these babies. After that, there is but one thing left to do.

Celebrate!

Gluten Free Cinnamon Buns

Topping:

4 Tbsp butter

½ cup packed brown sugar

2 Tbsp corn syrup

1 tsp vanilla

2 Tbsp heavy cream

Pinch of salt

Dough:

2 ½ cups all purpose gluten free flour blend (without leavening or xanthan gum)

½ cup tapioca starch

1 Tbsp yeast

3 Tbsp white sugar

½ tsp salt

3 tsp xanthan gum

¼ cup instant vanilla pudding mix (dry)

1 tsp baking powder

4 Tbsp butter

½ cup water

¾ cup milk

1 egg

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

2 Tbsp oil

1 tsp vanilla

Filling (may want to double this if you like really thick filling):

2 Tbsp butter, very soft

½ cup packed brown sugar

1 Tbsp cinnamon

½ cup raisins, chopped walnuts or pecans

Spray a 9x13 pan with non-stick spray.

For the topping: In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter, brown sugar and corn syrup. Stir until the brown sugar loses its graininess, then add the vanilla and heavy cream. Remove from the stove and pour into the prepared pan.

For the filling: In a small bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Stir with a fork until completely combined. Once combined, add the raisins, walnuts or pecans (if you choose to use them).

For the dough: In the bowl of the stand mixer, mix all the dry ingredients until combined.

Put the water and butter in a glass measuring cup and microwave until the butter has melted. Remove from the microwave and add the remaining wet ingredients. Stir to combine. With the stand mixer running (use the paddle attachment), pour the wet ingredients into the dry, scraping down the sides as needed. Mix on medium speed for 3 minutes.

Take a piece of plastic wrap and lay it out on a slightly dampened countertop or cutting board, so it covers an area bigger than 8” x 16”. Sprinkle 2 Tbsp of sugar on the plastic wrap and lay the ball of dough on it. Cover with another piece of plastic wrap and pat the dough down into a rectangular shape, approximately 8” x 16”.

Remove the top plastic wrap and spread the filling across the dough’s surface, leaving 1 ½” of space without filling on one of the long sides of the rectangle. This will seal your cinnamon rolls.

Starting along the long end, use the bottom sheet of plastic wrap to lift the edge of the dough and roll it up, forming a long cylinder. Start with edge that has filling on it (which will be the center of your cinnamon roll).

Using a long piece of thread, cut the long cinnamon bun log into 8 even pieces, about 1 ½“ wide. You do this by placing the thread under the roll, crossing it at the top and pulling the threads so they cross each other, pulling it through the dough.

Place the rolls, cut side up, in the topping in the pan, spacing them evenly. With damp fingers, flatten the rolls slightly.

Cover with a damp paper towel and allow the cinnamon buns to rise in a warm, draft free place for about 30 minutes, until nearly doubled in size. (I place mine in my second oven with the light on.)

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes, until the tops are a nice golden brown.

Allow the buns to cool for 5 minutes before serving. Invert a bun on a plate and scoop additional syrup from the pan over the bun.

Best served warm, but can be reheated in the microwave for a few seconds if they are a day old.

Makes 8 cinnamon buns.