Mom's Cinnamon Twists
Sarah’s mom is famous for her cinnamon twists and with McCormick® Ground Cinnamon, these flaky, buttery pastries get the sweetest dose of spice.
Ingredients
for 8 twists
- ⅔ cup warm water, 100–110°F (38–43°C)
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- ¾ cup granulated sugar, plus 1 teaspoon, divided
- 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 2 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt
- 1 ½ cups cold unsalted European-style butter, plus 5 tablespoons, divided
- ½ cup whole milk
- ¼ cup McCormick® Ground Cinnamon
- coarse sugar, for sprinkling
Icing
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon whole milk
Nutrition Info
- Calories 561
- Fat 24g
- Carbs 78g
- Fiber 2g
- Sugar 23g
- Protein 8g
Estimated values based on one serving size.
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Preparation
- Make the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together the warm water, yeast, and 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar. Let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, ¼ cup granulated sugar, and the salt.
- Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a small bowl.
- Add the milk and melted butter to the stand mixer bowl with the yeast mixture and stir until evenly combined. Fit the mixer with the dough hook, add the dry ingredients, and mix on low speed for 6 minutes, until incorporated. Increase the speed to medium and knead the dough until smooth and elastic, 8–10 minutes. Transfer the dough to a clean large bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
- Place 1½ cups of cold butter between 2 sheets of parchment paper. Using a rolling pin, pound the butter to flatten and soften slightly. Using a bench scraper and the rolling pin, shape the butter into a 7½-inch square block of even thickness. Refrigerate until ready to laminate the dough.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Lightly flour a clean surface, then unwrap the dough and roll out a 12-inch square. Brush off any excess flour. Place the chilled butter block at a 45 degree angle on top of the dough in a diamond orientation. Fold the dough over the butter block. Using the rolling pin and starting at the edges of the butter diamond, roll each edge away from the center until they are ¹⁄₁₆ inch thick. Roll the dough with the edges of the butter and stretch it gently to cover the butter, like an envelope. Press the rolling pin horizontally across the dough to create long divots, then roll the dough out to a smooth 24 x 12-inch rectangle. Starting from a short side, fold the dough into thirds, mimicking a letter. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet lined, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 20–30 minutes, or until firm. Repeat the rolling, folding, and chilling process 3 more times.
- Meanwhile, make the cinnamon sugar spread: Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium bowl in the microwave. Stir in the remaining ½ cup granulated sugar and the McCormick® Ground Cinnamon to make a paste.
- Shape the cinnamon twists: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to a 12 x 16-inch rectangle. Spread the cinnamon sugar mixture over the dough all the way to the edges, then cut the dough starting from one of the short sides of the rectangle into 16 1-inch-wide strips. Take 2 strips and pinch the tops together, then twist and pinch the bottoms together as well. Repeat with the remaining dough strips to make 8 twists total.
- Place the twists on the prepared baking sheets, spacing evenly and sprinkle with any remaining cinnamon sugar spread and coarse sugar. Freeze for 30 minutes.
- Bake the twists for 20–25 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Make the icing: In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and milk until smooth.
- Remove the twists from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before drizzling with the icing. Serve warm.
- Enjoy!