Christmas morning always calls for something special. I don’t know why I’m always drawn to cinnamon rolls, but they just feel like Christmas morning, a present unto themselves. Unwrapping the layers of soft dough and gooey filling, the sticky sweet frosting melting into the swirls and down your fingers… that’s Christmas to me. That said, I had an idea this year, that, if it worked, would raise the bar on Christmas morning. Inspired by Tartine’s famous morning buns, with a hint of orange and a bonus marzipan swirl hidden inside: indeed, if I could pull this off I just might make it onto Santa’s good list. This year and for all eternity. (What? Santa likes morning buns.) I’d argue that these buns are not just for Christmas morning. They’d truly make any day feel like a holiday, whether it is Christmas morning, New Years’ brunch, or just any old Tuesday, they’re that special.
Rather than a traditional cinnamon bun dough, these buns incorporate a more pastry-like base. Think croissant or danish. It’s buttery and flaky, crispy on the edges and soft on the inside. It was so good, in fact, and so EASY, that I don’t think I’ll ever make a traditional cinnamon roll again.
The secret ingredient in these particular morning buns, are twofold: marzipan and orange blossom water. You can also use almond paste (mix with powdered sugar until it’s not quite as sticky), but they key is you want it to be workable. Some of the tubed stuff you find in grocery stores these days is rock hard. Try to stay away from that stuff, it’s not worth the frustration. I used Odense Marcipan, the European kind, that, unfortunately, isn’t distributed in the states any more (boo). It’s worth the cost if you can find it though (try here or here) European marzipan (marcipan) has a much higher percentage of almonds and a purer almond flavor. Orange blossom water is similar to rose water, made from distilled orange blossoms. It’s lightly floral and fragrant, and like rose-water, requires a delicate hand so your pastry doesn’t end up smelling like grandma’s boudoir. You can find it at specialty or international food stores or online. These rolls utilize just a light brushing, both to allow the sugar to stick to the marzipan, but also to give the rolls just a faint hint of something extra special.
The pastry dough itself is quite simple, made in a food processor. It looks like a mess when you first start, but after a few folds and rolls it begins to look like a pastry dough should. And it is leaps and bounds easier than doing a homemade croissant dough (which is what Tartine’s morning buns call for). Been there, done that, and would rather not do it again if there’s an easier way.
While these are fairly simple to make, I still recommend dividing the work into three days. On day 1, make the pastry dough. Cover and chill the bowl overnight. On day 2, roll and fold the dough, then let chill for a few hours. Later that day, prepare the sugar topping and roll out the buns. Cover and refrigerate the buns in the muffin tin overnight. Then, the morning of, take them out of the refrigerator and set them in a warm spot (like on top of a pre-heating oven). They’ll need an hour or so to rise and another 30 minutes to bake.
While I toyed with the idea of using the orange blossom water to make a simple powdered sugar glaze, in the end I decided that less is more: these buns are perfect in their birthday suits, no glaze necessary. Total Time: 24 hours
