Time to make: 1 hour –

I stumbled into this recipe on a whim and it’s quickly become my most in-demand treat come the holidays. You may have seen cinnamon bun cookies before, but they’re nothing quite like these.

While the cinnamon bun cookie recipes I’ve come across are typically shortbread based, these are pie crust based. I’ve been playing with this recipe for the past decade, and I think I’ve finally settled on my favourite version. The trick is to combine the best of two worlds – the flakiness and chewiness of shortening-based pie crust with the flavour and crunch of butter-based pie crust. Add to that the crunch of melted white sugar with the flavour and ooze of brown sugar.

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cup of frozen salted butter
1 cup of refrigerated vegetable shortening
3 cups of flour
1/2 cup of white sugar
1/2 cup of brown sugar
2 tablespoons of cinnamon
1 cup of ice water

The secret to making the best pie crust is keeping the ingredients cold!

Instructions:
Add 3 cups of flour to a bowl. Grate in 1 cup of frozen salted butter and 1 cup of refrigerated vegetable shortening cut into 1/2″ cubes. Mix together with a fork until the dough is shaggy. Add in iced water, one tablespoon at a time, until the dough just comes together. Don’t overwork – having pieces of butter visible throughout your dough is a sign that it will be nice and flaky. If your dough becomes too sticky just add in some extra flour.

Mould the dough into a large ball and cut it into four equal sections. Wrap those sections in saran wrap and press into a disk shape. Put the dough in the fridge for at least 2hrs. If you’re storing your dough for more than 2-3 days, put it in the freezer and let it sit in the fridge for a day to defrost before using it.

Once your dough is cooled, preheat your oven to 205C/400F. Cover your dough and your counter with flour and proceed to roll each segment of dough out until it’s about 1/8″ thick and as square as possible. Melt your remaining butter in the microwave and brush it over the dough.

Mix together 1/2 cup of white sugar, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, and 2 tablespoons of cinnamon. Sprinkle this mixture over the buttered dough, leaving a 1″ strip along one edge free of sugar. Roll your dough tightly toward the non-sugared edge of the dough, creating a log. Using a sharp knife and making quick, light passes, carefully slice 1/4″ rounds from your log.

Place these rounds close together on a cookie tray. You can use parchment paper or a silicone mat to stop the rounds from sticking. If you have leftover butter, brush it over the top of the rounds before baking. Leftover sugar can also be sprinkled on top for an extra crunch, or kept on hand for cinnamon toast.

Bake the cookies for 25-30 minutes, or until they turn a golden brown colour. The melted sugar will cling to parchment paper as it cools, so if that’s what you’re using, act quickly to move the cookies to a cooling tray.

The first time I made these, recipents told me they were their favourites. Every year I’ve changed the recipe and every year they’ve remained a hit. So, don’t feel afraid to experiment with these. Change the ratio of white and brown sugar to change the filling texture. Use all butter or all shortening dough and see which you prefer.

Happy Baking!

Recipe by: Nicola Spurling