Christmas Morning Cinnamon Rolls with the Terrain Cafe Pastry Chef

There’s no better way to wake up on Christmas morning than with the aroma of cinnamon rolls filling the air. And this season, we’ve added a cinnamon swirl flavor as a sweet update to our original flower pot bread kit. We asked Hilary Myers, the pastry chef at our Glen Mills, PA cafe to work her baking magic and give the basic recipe a special terrain twist. Read on for her tasty tips and ideas for a few icing options.

terrain: What do you like most about this recipe for the holiday season?

Hilary: There’s something so comforting and nostalgic about the smell of cinnamon buns in the morning, especially when you do all the work the night before. You pull these beauties out of the fridge, preheat your oven, and in 30 minutes, you have the most decadent breakfast to share with your loved ones! It’s absolutely perfect for Christmas morning.

terrain: Are there any other modifications you can suggest for folks to play around with their own versions?

Hilary: This recipe is really fun to play around with! For a “butter pecan” breakfast bun, I would add some finely chopped pecans, and serve them with toasted pecans on top. That recipe would be delicious with the caramel topping. I would love to make a mocha version too; I would mix white sugar with cocoa powder and some instant coffee powder. For a more subtle variation, I would add orange zest in the dough and add some zest to the cinnamon sugar filling too. The citrus brightens up the warm cinnamon flavor. Have fun and find your favorite version!

Cream Cheese Icing
1/4 cup softened cream cheese
3 tbsp milk
1 ½ cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Beat in a mixer until smooth

Salted Caramel Sauce
1 cup sugar
1 stick of butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 pinch of flaky sea salt

Melt the sugar over medium heat in a large pot, stirring as needed to make sure it cooks evenly. When it reaches a nice copper color, take it off the heat, add the butter and cream, and whisk until it’s smooth. Be careful: it will foam up and sputter, just keep whisking!

Looking for more holiday entertaining ideas? We shared our simple snacking tips with Nicolas Vahe, a Panettone Punch recipe, and more cake baking tips with Odette Williams!