Puff Pastry Cinnamon Nut Rolls

Fall has been making its way across our yard this past week. It waves a wand of color brushing the tips of the trees. Since I am house-bound for many more weeks to come, be sure to send me your snapshots of fall in your area to post.

Make your weekend shine with Puff Pastry Cinnamon Nut Rolls. Each flaky roll is topped with a creamy irresistible drizzle of cream cheese filling. 

 Cook's Notes: A shortcut cinnamon roll recipe, a delicious alternative to yeast roll recipes. One puff pastry sheet makes 8 rolls. You will use a whole package of puff pastry for 16 rolls and will need to double filling. 

PUFF PASTRY CINNAMON ROLL INGREDIENTS:

• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, lightly thawed 
• 1 tablespoon melted butter, divided
• 1/4 cup white sugar 
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar 
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon 
• 1/3 cup finely walnuts

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING INGREDIENTS:

• 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 teaspoon butter, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 1 cup powdered sugar 
• 1–2 tablespoons milk as needed

DIRECTIONS:

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. 
• In a small bowl, combine the granulated white sugar, brown sugar, nuts and cinnamon. Whisk until evenly combined and set aside.
• Roll out the puff pastry. Lightly dust your work surface with flour and unroll one sheet of puff pastry out so that it is in a single layer. Brush the sheet evenly with the melted butter. Sprinkle evenly cinnamon-sugar mixture, leaving an empty 1-cm border on the right side of the puff pastry.

• Roll and cut the puff pastry. Beginning on the left side, gently roll the puff pastry vertically to the right side. Gently press the border to seal the roll. Using either a bread knife or piece of dental floss, slice off about 1/2 inch from each end (since the ends are usually fairly uneven). Then cut the roll into 8 evenly-sized rolls and place them in the parchment-lined baking sheet.

• Pop the sheet in the freezer for 5 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees and bake rolls for 20 minutes or until the rolls are lightly golden on top and have puffed up considerably. 
• Meanwhile, while the rolls are in the oven, whisk all of the frosting ingredients together in a small mixing bowl until smooth.  Add milk if needed to thin the frosting out to your desired consistency.
• Frost the rolls. While the rolls are still warm, lightly spread or drizzle the frosting generously over the tops of the rolls. Serve warm and enjoy!

Make your Sunday shine or any day, in fact, serving up Puff Pastry Cinnamon Nut Rolls.