Cinnamon Swirl Biscuits

I only get around to making Cinnamon Rolls once or twice a year. Even with my regular recipe that allows me to refrigerate them overnight and just pop them in the oven the next morning, it still requires a bit of planning. Our weekend mornings are usually a little more spontaneous (ok, lazy) than that. So, when a friend with two little boys said she could get this version of cinnamon rolls on the table in under an hour I knew I had to give them a try. They were perfect for our household as David is a huge cinnamon roll fan and me ( I bet you didn't know this) a fan of scones. They were like a cross between the two, a perfect compromise. I got so excited by the idea that I actually tried to make them again using the dough from a scone recipe. Ummm, well not such a good idea, it turns out that scone dough doesn't roll up all that well. I am still thinking about the idea though and will continue on with my search for a Cinnamon Roll Scone.
On a side note...I have been doing some spring cleaning around here (no, my house is still a mess). The last few posts have been sitting around gathering dust in the draft post area for a while. I have been cleaning them out to make was for new spring posts (with real light). I have been working little by little for over a month on a recipe index and welcome page. Who knew it took so long to create links to nearly 200 recipe pages! This place is always a work in process, but this one has been a little more than blowing the dust off. This is the last of the old posts, so sometime tomorrow I am going to make the site private for a bit to do a little re-construction project. I'm hoping to get everything back up on Friday with a great recipe to make use of all those strawberries you have stocked up on. See you soon!

Cinnamon Swirl Biscuits
from Cook's Illustrated

Biscuits
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
Topping
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon unsalted butter , melted
1 tablespoon egg white
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
dash vanilla extract
Instructions
Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees.
Stir together brown sugar and cinnamon in small bowl; set aside.
Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl. Add 1 1/4 cups cream and stir with wooden spoon until dough forms, about 30 seconds. Transfer dough from bowl to counter top, leaving all dry, floury bits behind in bowl. In 1 tablespoon increments, add up to 1/4 cup cream to dry bits in bowl, mixing with wooden spoon after each addition, until moistened. Add these moistened bits to rest of dough and knead by hand just until smooth, about 30 seconds. Roll dough into 9- by 12-inch rectangle, about 3/8 inch thick.
Brush surface of dough rectangle with melted butter and sprinkle evenly with brown sugar mixture. Following illustrations below, roll, cut into 8 rounds, flatten, and arrange biscuits in ungreased 10-inch pie plate; bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes.
While biscuits are baking, whisk together egg white, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla in small bowl until smooth and glossy, about 1 minute. Spread icing over hot biscuits.