Mini Cinnamon Roll Cookies

I don't know about you, but I LOVE cinnamon rolls! This recipe was adapted from one I found in my Taste of Home magazine. I was so thrilled when I saw these, I knew I just had to make them! Well that was probably two months ago.... (I got a little busy... or lazy, and I forgot all about them.)

 I have the sweetest neighbor, he is an elderly man who likes a clean neighborhood. I always see him outside picking up a few peices of garbage down the street, taking my bins out to the street for me, and returning them at my gate, and I have seen him going down the street with his lawn mower mowing several lawns along the way (he has done mine probably 4 times!) I think that is amazing, especially since its 120 degrees outside and I can hardly go out there to swim! Thank you's are big in my book of must-do's, but I don't feel like a mere 'thank you' makes up for how much kindness he has shown me and the other neighbors. Which is why I decided to bake him cookies! (Maybe he likes my goodies, I brought him a platter of goodies the first time he mowed my lawn, and a dinner of pot roast the 3rd time, so I think it is time for more goodies for such a good man!) As I was thinking of what cookies to make... this recipe came back in mind! And I finally had a good excuse to make it! (Other than to shove my mouth full of delicious cookies!) Anyways, without further ado, I give you:


Mini Cinnamon Roll Cookies
Prep: 1 hour   Bake: 10 minutes/ batch +cooling    Yeild: About 2-1/2 dozen

1 cup butter, softened
1-3/4 cups sugar, divided
3 egg yolks
1 Tbsp., plus 1 tsp. Honey
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 Tbsp. ground Cinnamon
8 oz. White baking chocolate, chopped

1. Gather all ingredients listed. (I highly reccomend using 'real butter' for this... However I was out, so I was forced to make due with margarine :(

2. In a large bowl, cream butter and 1-1/4 cups sugar until light and fluffy (about 1 minute). You mixture may be slightly smoother than mine if you use real butter instead of margarine.

3. Beat in egg yolks, 1 Tbsp. honey, and vanilla.

4. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and cream of tartar in a medium sized bowl.

5. Gradually add the 'dry mix'  to the creamed mixture and mix well.

6. Shape a heaping Tablespoon of dough into a 6 inch log. (My dough was very sticky, possibly because of the maragarine, but I could not do this step with how sticky it was. I added 1/2 cup more flour, it was still sticky, but manageable. I kept my hands slightly wet and the dough would not stick to my hands. Refridgerating the dough before shaping it may also help, please feel free to comment if you  ran into the same problems and/ or have any solutions!)

7. In a shallow bowl, combine cinnamon and remaining sugar; roll log of cookie dough in cinnamon sugar mixture, coating well.  Loosely coil log into a sprial shape (this is what gives it that 'cinnamon roll' look); place on a greased baking sheet.  Repeat, placing cookies 1 inch apart. (they really stay about the same size after baked.)

   After I did two cookie sheets worth of this, I converted to spooning a ball full of dough and rolling it around in the cinnamon sugar mixture (like snickerdoodles.) When I placed it on the cookie sheet I used the back of a spoon to flatten the ball out slightly. I didnt get the cinnamon roll look, but they still cooked and tasted the same, it was just easier! :)

8. Bake at 350 degrees for 8- 10 minutes or until set. Remove to wire racks to cool. In a small bowl, melt baking chocolate with remaining honey; stir until smooth. Drizzle over cookies, unless of course, you burn your chocolate and turn it into a thick cake-like substance like I did :/ In which case I would advise you whip up a quick vanilla frosting recipe and add milk to make it a drizzle consistency, and then drizzle that over your cookies. (I think a cream cheese frosting would also be delicious!!!) Let stand until set. Store in an airtight container.

These were delicous! I was worried they might taste like snickerdoodles, but they didn't! They were actually fluffy and had more of a cinnamon roll texture than a cookie texture! Enjoy!

Nutrition facts: (based off of 'real' butter and chocolate frosting) 1 cookie equals 189 calories. 9 g fat (6 g saturated fat) 38 mg cholesterol, 105 mg sodium, 25 g carbohydrates, trace fiber, 2 g protein. Diabetic exchange: 1-1/2 starch, 1-1/2 fat