Alas, the peach season is coming to a close in Northern Virginia. I did my best to capitalize on these naturally sweet and juicy flavors bombs while they were at their peak but never found the time to go fruit picking. Fortunately, I was able to swipe a few at the local farmer's market. There were a handful of recipes floating in my head and at the top of the list was Peach Cobbler Cinnamon Buns.
Never would have I thought to add peaches to cinnamon buns; this yet again illustrates why cinnamon buns are so freaking awesome. Their versatility will never cease to amaze me nor will the creative cooks that share their innovative recipes. These buns are brought to you by the ever charming, Joy the Baker.
In terms of flavor, these cinnamon rolls will make you swoon. I was actually giddy on the first bite because I had no expectations. These are good. Like... really really good. The hubby says that they live up to their name but I would disagree. When I think of a cobbler, there's an element of texture that cannot be replicated in a yeast-based dough. In my opinion, these were more closely related to a danish because the bread is beautifully soft. There is a crumble inside but its loses some of its consistency when baking. Butter tends to do that when exposed to heat.
Two fair warnings:
First, the rolling of the dough into that trademark cinnamon roll log. If I were a weaker person, I would have walked away. It was a freaking gooey mess that oozed and dripped all over the counter. Steel your nerves and get through it with a sturdy, serrated knife (wow that sounds kinda bad). As I placed the rolls into the pan, I feared that they would unravel but the pressure of the other surrounding buns help keep it all together. It doesn't really matter how they look- just get 'em in the pan and the flavor will be there!
Second, it goes without saying, be super careful not to burn the yeast. The ingredients are mixed in a large sauce pan (or dutch-oven) over a medium heat until they're gently warmed and left to cool to 105 degrees F. The flour is added directly to the sauce pan and left to rise in a warm place for 1 hour. No need to mix with a dough hook for 8 minutes- walk away. As many time as I have made cinnamon buns, the first batch did not rise and I was bummed. That's four cups of flour that I'm not getting back! I knew the culprit had to be the milk and was diligent the second round. If you don't have a thermometer, I cannot emphasize what a life saver it is in the kitchen.
Peaches. Almonds. Oats. Brown sugar. You can't lose! We really enjoyed these rolls and I would recommend them to any peach lover!
For the recipe, check out the Peach Cobbler Cinnamon Rolls post on Joy the Baker!
