Elephant Ears - Cinnamon Biscuits

This recipe originally came in a children's cookbook from Gold Medal Flour.  We make this rolls every holiday.  It's just not Christmas or Easter without "Elephant Ears".  There is no yeast in the recipe, so it is not a typical sweet roll dough.  It is more like a biscuit dough with cinnamon sugar filling.  I ended up frosting them with a Hot Cross Bun frosting to make them more like the cinnamon rolls from the mall.  Enjoy!

Dough:

1/2 cup of butter, divided into 6 Tablespoons for dough, and 2 Tablespoons for filling
2 cups of flour
4 Tablespoons of sugar
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of salt
2/3 cup of milk

filling:

6 Tablespoons of sugar
2 teaspoons of cinnamon

Frosting:

1 cup of powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon of butter, softened
cream or milk to desired consistency - start small, teaspoon by teaspoon!
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1.  Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
3.  Heat 6 Tablespoons of butter in the microwave till nearly melted (cover first!) Set aside.  Stir flour, 4 Tbsp of sugar, salt, and baking powder in a bowl.  Stir in the milk and the melted butter.  Stir until a dough forms. 
4.  Sprinkle a surface (like a counter top) lightly with flour.  Turn the dough ball on the surface.  Knead about 10 times.  Roll dough with a flour dusted rolling pin, or shape with hands into two rectangles, about 9 x 5 inches.  Brush each rectangle with about 1 tablespoon of melted butter, and sprinkle liberally with the cinnamon sugar mixture.  Save any remaining cinnamon sugar for toast!
5.  Roll dough up tightly, beginning at the narrow end.  Pinch the edge of dough into a roll to seal.  Cut each roll into slices about inch thick.  Place cut side up on the prepared cookie sheet, patting each into a circle. 
6.  Bake at 425 until light brown, about 10 minutes.  They will not be very dark - do not overcook! Immediately spread frosting over each roll. 

This recipe makes a tray full of rolls - about 16. 

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