American Classics: Easy Cinnamon Rolls with Browned Butter Icing

[Photograph: Alexandra Penfold]

I'm a sucker for a good cinnamon roll, but I'll admit that I don't make them all that often. Why? In the day to day whirlwind, I have a hard time fitting in treats that require dough with a double rise. I know, I know, I could be more organized and start the recipe the day before, but when a craving strikes, I don't want to wait hours.

When I heard my Lithuanian colleague longing for the bacon buns from her hometown bakery, for some reason I imagined a cinnamon roll stuffed with bacon. (Even when I learned that bacon buns were actually filled with chopped bacon and onion, I couldn't shake my own version.) I first developed this recipe last Christmas—our plan was to make the Twelve Pizzas of Christmas, but fatigue and fullness set in before we made it quite to twelve pies. I saved the leftover dough for the next morning and whipped up these cinnamon rolls inspired by my misinterpretation of what constituted a bacon bun.

The beauty of using leftover pizza dough for this recipe is you don't need to wait for a second rise (your dough will have already done that). Just fill, assemble, and bake. This recipe can be prepared the night before and refrigerated until baking. They are best served warm and fresh.

About the author: Alexandra Penfold is mild-mannered literary agent by day, food ninja by night. Never one to skip dessert she's the Brownie half of Blondie & Brownie, a Midtown Lunch contributor, and co-author of New York à la Cart: Recipes and Stories from the Big Apple's Best Food Trucks. You can follow her on Twitter at @BlondieBrownie.