Insomnabaking & a Recipe for Cinnamon Swirl Biscuits
By: Stephanie Arsenault
Tags: Biscuits, Cinnamon, Breakfast, Baking, From The Kitchen

You know those mornings when you wake up way too early and just lie there, thinking, “Maybe I should get up.” I had one of those mornings last week. Four o’clock {yes. Four. In the morning.} rolled around and I just tossed and turned, my mind apparently deciding to contemplate everything in the history of the world {who knew I was so wise? Or such an insomniac…}.

Usually I would just continue to toss and turn, mind a buzz, in that half-asleep, half-awake but absolutely getting no rest state, but this morning was different. I figured I should be productive instead of trying to decode the meaning of life {so far I have come to the conclusion that it most definitely involves baked goods. Also beer. And pizza. Preferably all at the same time.}, so I got up and groggily made my way to the kitchen.

See, I had a lot on my mind. My brother was in the hospital about to get brain surgery, and there was no way I was getting any sleep any time soon. In fact, I hadn’t for a while, which was why I decided to do something about it. Enter: Insomnabaking. It’s a new tactic I’ve invented {because surely no one else has ever done it… right?} to combat insomnia/stress/carb-loading/eating ones feelings.

Obviously something good was in order. Something sweet, spicy, and sticky that I could practically eat right from the oven. I didn’t want to make too much noise, so using my best friend stand mixer was out of the question. I was too tired to knead, to impatient to make anything that required a rising or resting time, and too lazy to make anything all that impressive. It had to be good, though. After all, I was eating my feelings. It couldn’t be for nothin’.

About 15 minutes into my zombie-like staring at the pantry with a terrible movie playing in the background {Father of the Bride Part II, if you must know. Also, I not-so-secretly love that movie. Steve Martin! Martin Short!}, I decided on biscuits. Easy-peasy, yes, but when you shove a bunch of butter, sugar, and cinnamon on ’em and roll them up — voila! — you’ve got yourself a warm plate of Cinnamon Swirl Biscuits in no time. The perfect recipe for the insomniac, zombie-like, carb-loading person in your life.

PS: I apologize for the lack of photos. The sun wasn’t up just yet, and my belly was a-grumblin’!

Cinnamon Swirl Biscuits

Makes 12

Ingredients:

BISCUITS

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup whole-wheat flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup cold, unsalted butter, cubed

1 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

FILLING

1 tablespoon butter, microwaved for 10 seconds {should be almost, but not completely melted}

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

6 teaspoons of milk, to finish

GLAZE

¼ cup icing sugar

¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking dish with parchment; set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk flours, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and sugar. Add butter, and, using a pastry cutter or a couple of butter knives, cut in butter until the mixture has the texture of coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter. Stir in the buttermilk and vanilla, and mix as well as you can. Turn it out onto a clean surface, and knead about 10 times, or until you have a soft, but firm dough {the mixture will seem too dry at first, but be patient! It’ll all come together}.

3. Next, roll the dough out between two sheets of parchment, into an 8x14-inch rectangle. Brush the dough with the soft butter, and then sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon over top. Starting at the long end closest to you, roll the rectangle into a 14-inch log, and then pinch the ends to seal. Slice the log into 12 equal-sized pieces, and place them in the parchment-lined baking dish. Drizzle half a teaspoon of milk over each roll, and place in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until the biscuits are golden-brown in colour.

4. Cool the biscuits in the dish on a wire rack for 10–15 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the icing sugar with the vanilla and just enough water to make the mixture smooth. Drizzle over top of the cooled biscuits, and serve warm! Enjoy!