Cinnamon Roll Cookies

You know what my Mom used to do with leftover pie crust dough when she'd make a pie?  She'd sprinkle it with cinnamon and sugar, roll it up jelly-roll style, slice it, and bake it up.  And I loved it.  Absolutely loved it.  I think I might have even liked these little 'cinnamon snails' better than I liked the pie itself.  (Well, unless it was blueberry pie.  Blueberry pie's my favorite.)

These cinnamon roll cookies remind me of my Mom's 'cinnamon snails.'  Only better.  Because they've got  glaze on the top.  And because they're oh-so-soft and cinnamon-y.  Yup, I know cinnamon-y isn't a word.  But it's still perfect to describe these cookies.

When I found the recipe for these cookies at one of my favorite blogs, Heat Oven to 350, I knew immediately that I had to make them.  When I made them, I knew immediately that I loved them ... cinnamon-rolled shortbread with powdered sugar glaze.  What's not to love?

 But if you're a frequent reader of my blog, you know that I can rarely leave a recipe alone.  I've always got some idea I want to try!  As fabulous as the original was, I wondered what would happen if I tried these cookies with a different dough.  The dough I had in mind is Barefoot Contessa's rugelach dough, which is a cream cheese-based pastry dough.  So off I went to the kitchen to whip up another batch!

I was thrilled with the result.  The cream cheese-based dough baked up so soft, and with a little bit different look than the original.  Both are fabulous ... it's just a matter of preference as to which one someone likes better.

Original shortbread dough on the left ... 'experimental' cream cheese-based dough on the right

Regardless of your preferred version, these are simple to whip up.  Just mix up your base dough, chill it for a while, roll it out into a rectangle, and then cover it in a big ol' sprinkling of cinnamon and sugar.

Rolled out & sprinkled

Roll it up jelly-roll style, slice the roll into pieces, ...

Rolling up

... and bake 'em up.

Baking up

After the cookies have cooled, drizzle them with a powdered sugar glaze.  Don't they look just like miniature cinnamon rolls??  So cute!  And so yummy.

Drizzle!

So whether you prefer crisper shortbread-y cookies like the original recipe, or softer chewier cookies like this altered version, you really can't go wrong.  Hey, actually, why choose?  Just go right on ahead and give them both a try!

Cinnamon Roll Cookies
Source: Concept adapted from Heat Oven to 350, dough from Barefoot Contessa Parties! Rugelach

Ingredients
Dough:
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese
1/2 lb. unsalted butter
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. flour

Filling:
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 egg white
1 T. water

Glaze:
1 c. confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 T. hot water


Directions
For the Dough: 
1.  Bring cream cheese and butter to room temperature; cream together until fluffy.  Add 1/4 c. granulated sugar, salt, and vanilla.  With mixer on low, add the flour, mixing until just combined. 

2.  Dump dough onto a well-floured board; roll it into a ball.  Cut dough ball in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate 1 hour.

3.  After chilling, roll each dough half into a 9x6-inch rectangle.

For the Filling: 
4.  Whisk together the egg white and water until foamy. 

5.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the cinnamon and 1/4 c. granulated sugar. 

6.  Brush egg white mixture onto the surface of the rolled out dough; sprinkle evenly with the cinnamon-sugar mixture.

7.  Starting with the 6-inch side of the dough rectangle, roll each into a log, pressing gently to seal the edge.  Wrap each roll in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes.

8.  Preheat oven to 350.  Remove dough logs from the refrigerator and unwrap.  Using a serrated knife, gently cut dough logs into 1/2-inch thick slices.  Transfer to a baking sheet. 

9.  Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes.  Cool.

For the Glaze: 
10.  Combine confectioners' sugar and hot water until smooth.  Drizzle over the top of cooled cookies.  Let glaze set to dry.

Enjoy!

This post is linked with Tuesday Tutorials hosted by The Kurtz Corner, Recipe Sharing Monday hosted by Jam Hands, Savvy Homemade Monday hosted by Savvy HomeMade A to Z, Tasty Tuesday hosted by For the Love of Blogs, Tea Party Tuesday hosted by Sweetology, Crazy Sweet Tuesday hosted by Crazy for Crust, These Chicks Cooked hosted by This Chick Cooks, Cast Party Wednesday hosted by Lady Behind the Curtain, It's a Keeper Thursday hosted by It's a Keeper, Foodie Friday hosted by Designs by Gollum, Sweets for a Saturday hosted by Sweet as Sugar Cookies, Freshmen Friday hosted by Home Savvy A to Z, and Sweet Indulgences Sunday hosted by A Well-Seasoned Life.