Cornbread Cinnamon Rolls with Salted Honey Brown Butter Icing
These soft cornbread cinnamon rolls are made with corn-infused milk, brown butter cinnamon filling, cornbread crumbles, and salted honey brown butter icing.
Ingredients
Corn Bread Dough
- 300 g whole milk infused with fresh corn
- 1 ear fresh corn kernels removed and cob reserved for steeping
- 412 g bread flour
- 56 g finely ground cornmeal
- 66 g brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 6 g active dry yeast
- 84 g unsalted butter softened
- 12 g salt
Brown Butter Honey Cinnamon Filling:
- ¾ cup Brown Butter
- 1 ½ cup Dark Brown Sugar
- 2 tablespoon Honey
- 2 tablespoon Cinnamon
Salted Honey Glaze
- ¼ cup Honey
- ½ cup Brown Butter
- 1 ½ cup Powdered Sugar
- ¾ teaspoon Sea Salt
- ¼ cup Heavy Cream
Topping/Filling
- 100 g cornbread 40g (topping) 60g (in filling)
Pour over before baking
- ½ cup heavy cream
Instructions
Corn-Infused Milk
- Remove the husk and silk from the corn. Using a sharp knife, carefully cut the kernels off the cob. Reserve both the kernels and the cob
- In a small saucepan, warm the whole milk with the corn kernels and cob over medium-low heat. Do not let the milk boil. Remove from the heat and let the corn steep in the warm milk for 20 minutes. Strain the milk, discarding the corn kernels and cob. Measure out 244 g of infused milk, adding more whole milk if needed. Let the milk cool until lukewarm before using.
Check notes for canned corn substitute
Cornbread Dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the corn-infused milk, brown sugar, eggs, and active dry yeast. Mix until combined.
- Add the bread flour, finely ground cornmeal, and salt. Mix on low speed until a shaggy dough forms. Continue kneading until the ingredients are incorporated.
- With the mixer running on low speed, gradually add the softened butter, a few pieces at a time. Allow each addition to incorporate before adding more. Continue kneading until the dough becomes smooth, soft, and elastic. Because of the cornmeal, this dough will not pass the traditional windowpane test.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl and cover tightly. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Chilling makes the dough easier to handle and allows the flavors to develop.
Make the Brown Butter Filling
- In a light-colored saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, stirring frequently. Continue cooking until the butter turns golden brown and develops a nutty aroma. Remove from the heat and transfer to a heatproof bowl. Allow it to cool until thickened but still spreadable.
- Combine the browned butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and honey until a spreadable mixture forms.
Assemble the Cinnamon Rolls
- Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and transfer it to a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a large rectangle, approximately 12 × 20 inches.
- Evenly spread the brown butter cinnamon-honey filling over the dough, leaving a small border along the edges. Sprinkle 60 g of crumbled cornbread evenly over the filling.
- Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut the dough into approximately 2-inch-wide strips. Roll each strip individually into a cinnamon roll and arrange them in a greased baking dish, leaving space between each roll.
- Cover the baking dish loosely and allow the cinnamon rolls to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, approximately 1–2 hours, depending on the room temperature.
Bake the Cinnamon Rolls
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C).
- Once the cinnamon rolls have doubled in size, evenly pour the heavy cream over the tops and between the rolls just before baking.
- Bake for 40–50 minutes, or until the cinnamon rolls are golden brown and the centers are fully baked. If the tops begin browning too quickly, loosely cover the baking dish with aluminum foil.
Salted Honey Brown Butter Icing
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently until golden brown and fragrant. Transfer to a heatproof bowl and allow it to cool slightly.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the powdered sugar, browned butter, honey, vanilla extract, and salt. Gradually add the heavy cream and mix until smooth and creamy. Adjust the consistency with additional heavy cream if needed.
- Allow the cinnamon rolls to cool for 10–15 minutes before spreading the salted honey brown butter icing over the warm rolls. Add the remaining 40g crumbled cornbread.
- Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
For corn, substitute:
1 cup canned sweet corn, drained
How to infuse the milk:
Warm the canned corn with the whole milk over medium-low heat. Gently mash some of the kernels to release more corn flavor. Remove from the heat and steep for 20–30 minutes. Strain, then measure out the required 244 g of infused milk.
Avoid creamed corn, unsalted
Nutrition
Calories: 1375kcalCarbohydrates: 184gProtein: 16gFat: 67gSaturated Fat: 41gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 2gCholesterol: 243mgSodium: 1544mgPotassium: 383mgFiber: 5gSugar: 117gVitamin A: 2177IUVitamin C: 0.4mgCalcium: 223mgIron: 2mg
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