Soft Cinnamon Scrolls

If I can make a well-loved recipe in a handful of quick steps, then I know it will be a successful option for smoko. These super-soft and super-easy cinnamon scrolls are great for when you are time-poor, as you don't have to wait for the dough to prove. They are also delicious with or without the icing - you choose.

Makes 12 scrolls

 

INGREDIENTS

120 g (4. oz) butter, softened
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 1/2 cups self-raising flour
1 cup cream
1 cup soda water
1/2 cup caster sugar

White icing (optional)
Boiling water
1 cup icing sugar

 

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 200C (400F) fan-bake.

Choose a dish with sides - the one I use is approximately 32 cm x 25 cm (12. in x 10 in) - and line it with baking paper.

Cream together the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon and set aside.

In a separate large bowl, place the flour, cream, soda water and caster sugar. Use a butter knife to gently mix everything together, forming a soft dough.

Tip the dough onto a well-floured surface, and sprinkle a little more flour on top. Roll the dough out into a rectangle about 1 cm (1/2 in) thick.

Spread the creamed butter mixture over the dough. Don't press down - it should spread like an icing.

With floured hands, roll the dough up tightly into a log. Trim the ends off the log to make it look tidy.

Cut the log into 12 equal slices and pop them into the lined dish with a gap between each one. Don't make your gaps too big, because you don't want the scrolls to spread too far - you want them to touch when cooked.

Bake for about 20 minutes.

 

To Serve

For the icing (if using), mix 1 tablespoon of boiling water at a time into the icing sugar to make an icing with a smooth pouring consistency.

Allow the scrolls to cool a little before you ice them. Drizzle the icing over the dish of scrolls, using a sweeping motion as you move your hand back and forth across the dish.

 

Tips and Tricks

If you don't have self-raising flour, replace each cup with 1 cup of plain flour and 11/2 teaspoons of baking powder.

Keep a stash of UHT cream in your pantry to use when you don't have any fresh cream.

If you don't have a SodaStream, use store-bought soda water or lemonade - but consider purchasing cans that can be recycled easily, rather than plastic bottles. If you use lemonade, omit the sugar.

Baking the scrolls in a dish with sides helps to avoid them spreading too far. You want them to touch when cooked, but not to be squished. You could also use a muffin pan, placing one scroll in each hole.

For an alternative filling use raspberry jam and a sprinkling of chocolate chips.