Cinnamon Rolls {re-vamped and made easy!}

Ooook, so please don't look at the title of this post and automatically assume that I'm obsessed with cinnamon rolls, because I'm not  am.

Buuuut a few weeks ago I posted about cinnamon rolls that I made, that used yeast, that took forever. They were good, but I'm a firm believer that things taste a whole heck of a lot better when its easy! Am I right? Also on another side note, I don't often feed my family straight sugar for breakfast. So all my
health conscience friends, you don't need to stage an intervention. In fact I promise to make
something good to taste and for my family's bodies and post about it this week!

So bare with me and this seriously EASY and even more amazing recipe! Oh and the frosting?! Holy cow. But part of this was assignment to find the perfect buttercream frosting because I'm making a wedding cake this summer. How I even thought it would be a good idea to say yes to such a thing I'm not sure. There's no backing out. Not that I want to...but it'll be a bit of a challenge I'm sure.

On to the goodness....

Quick Cinnamon Rolls
4 cups unbleached AP flour
4 T. white sugar
2 1/2 T. baking powder
1 1/2 t. Kosher salt
1/2 cup butter, cut into small pieces
1 1/2 cups buttermilk (if you're not a pioneer woman and don't have this on hand...make it in 5 mins by adding 1 1/2 tbls of white vineagar to regular milk and let sit for 5 mins)

In a large bowl mix together all the dry ingredients then cut in butter and mix until the dough is crumbly. Add buttermilk and mix until a nice dough forms. Place dough on a floured surface, knead a little, and roll into a big, big rectangle about 1/4 inch thick. 


Toppers:
1/2 cup butter very soft
2 cups brown sugar- yes!
2 T. cinnamon- I just sprinkle
Nuts-this is optional...we did without (Tyler hates 'em remember?)


Spread the dough with the butter and then sprinkle with the remaining topper ingredients. Roll the dough length-wise away from you and slice into 14 evenly sized buns. Place 7 buns each in two greased 8 inch cake pans. Bake for 16-18 minutes in a 350 degree oven. 


then. the. frosting. 
I'm drooling thinking about it. 


Browned Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
1/2 cup butter divided
8 oz. package cream cheese, room temperature
1 t. vanilla
3 cups powdered sugar
1-3 T. milk, optional

In a small saucepan, over medium heat, heat 1/4 cup butter until browned. Cube up the other half of butter and place in a small bowl, pour browned butter over top and mix until all the butter is melted. In a large bowl beat butter, cream cheese, vanilla and sugar until creamy. Add 1-3 T. cold milk if needed to thin to a spreading consistency. Frost any cake with this frosting. Chill until ready to serve. Makes about 4 cups frosting (please don't use 4 cups of frosting for one batch of cinnamon rolls)

Disclaimer: there is a TON of butter in this recipe. Please proceed with caution.