Cinnamon Roll Cookies

In case you haven't noticed, this is a continuation from my last blog post. I guess I was feeling unusally lazy, and wanted to publish this in two posts. I'm not quite sure if my last two sentences made any sense at all; but hopefully you have followed my train of thought. (:
Now, back on track. These. Cinnamon. Roll. Cookies. Are. AMAZING. I can't say enough about these cookies. Yes, they're quite a laborious process. But these cookies are definitely worth it. I would suggest decreasing the amount of sugar in the dough by 1/8 to 1/4 cup; depending how sweet you like your cookies to be. But for me, I like my desserts a little sweeter...
And these cookies were so delicious that I might've ate more than one... or two... or four...
You get my point. By hey, mixing the dough and taking trips down to the refrigerator count as exercise right?

The visible cinnamon roll swirl ...

Cinnamon Roll Cookies
Adapted from http://www.mybakingdom.com/
Makes 4 dozen
Ingredients

FOR THE COOKIES
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons cinnamon
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

FOR THE FILLING
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, very soft
1/4, plus 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

FOR THE ICING
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder
2 teaspoons vanilla
2-4 tablespoons milk

To make the cookies: In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, or the bowl of a standing mixer, cream the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, and beat until just combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl, then add half of the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Add the remaining flour mixture and beat until thoroughly combined, scraping the bowl as needed. Scrape the dough into a ball in the center of the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and chill in the freezer for 30 minutes, or the refrigerator for at least an hour.

Once the dough is chilled, divide it into two equal halves. Place one half back in the bowl and put it back in the refrigerator for now. On a large piece of plastic wrap, pat the first half of the dough into a rectangle about nine inches by twelve inches, and about half an inch thick. Place half of butter on the dough and spread it all the way to the edges. Sprinkle half of the brown sugar evenly over the buttered dough and press the sugar into the dough. Finally, sprinkle half of the cinnamon evenly over the dough. Use the plastic wrap to tightly roll the dough into a log. Place the log in the freezer for 30 minutes or the refrigerator for at least an hour. Repeat with the remaining half of the dough and filling ingredients.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with Silpat mats or parchment paper.

After the dough has chilled again, slice each log into half inch slices (about 24 per log). Place on the prepared baking sheets and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and allow to cool completely before icing.

To make the icing: In a medium bowl, combine the butter and instant espresso powder. Add the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla and whisk until it just comes together. Next, add the milk, one tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached. It should be thin enough to drizzle, but thicker than a glaze.

With the cookies on a wire cooling rack set over parchment paper, drizzle the icing over the them with your whisk. Allow the cookies to set up for a few minutes before stacking or storing.

Recipe by Sugarbear