Cinnamelts

While doing road trips in the USA, we like to stop at McD*'s for coffee on occasion.  It's always a quick stop and the coffee is not bad.  And every once in awhile we order their cinnamon melts to go with the coffee.  Very tasty!  I decided that I would attempt a copykat version in my own kitchen one day...to have with a good cup of home-brewed coffee.  It was all good!  So now I'm sharing the recipe with you.

 
Dough

• 2 cups very warm water 
• 1/4 cup potato flakes (instant mashed potatoes) 
• 2 Tablespoons yeast (instant, fast rising) 
• 1/2 cup sugar 
• 1 Tablespoon salt 
• 2 eggs beaten 
• 1/2 cup butter (or margarine) 
• 6 1/2 cups flour 

  Cinnamon Sauce

• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 3 Tablespoons cinnamon
• 1 cup butter (or margarine) melted

 Icing

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup cream cheese
• 1 1/2 cups icing sugar
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1/2 teaspoon white vanilla extract 

 Method

1. Stir together the water, potato flakes and sugar. 
2. Add eggs, softened butter, and yeast mixed with 3 cups flour. 
3. Beat with mixer on high speed. 
4. Stir in remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time until a kneadable dough is obtained.
5. Knead well. 
6. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk (about 1 1/2 hours), before forming cinna-melts. 
7. Prepare cinnamon sauce by mixing the ingredients together.  Set aside.
8. Grease mini pie plates or over sized muffin pans.
9. Roll out dough (1/2 at a time) to about 1/2" thick.
10. Using a pizza cutter, cut 1/2" wide strips. Then slice these strips into chunks about 3/4" long.
11. Drop 6 chunks into the bottom of each 'cup'. Spoon over about 1 tablespoon of cinnamon sauce  over the dough.  Top with another 7 chunks of dough.  Drizzle over 1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon sauce. Repeat for each cinna-melt cup.  Cover and allow to rise in warm spot for 30-60 minutes.
12. Bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes...until golden.
13. For icing, combine cream cheese and butter until smooth.  Add powdered sugar, milk and vanilla.  Beat until smooth.  Spoon icing over warm cinnamelts. Double the icing recipe if you like more than a drizzle!
14. Serve warm.  (Or wrap well, freeze to enjoy later.)
15. Yields 16 large cinnamelts.

 * This is actually a refrigerator dough, so it is a simple thing to use only half and place the rest in a greased, covered bowl in the refrigerator for later use.  It will be good for several days.