Yahoo Lifestyle The British Way to Make Canned Cinnamon Rolls 10x Better
The British love to bake and whenever they do, Americans will often drop everything to find out what they've got in the oven. Or maybe that's just us. Many of us here at Parade are big fans of The Great British Baking Show. When tough judge Paul Hollywood drops a recipe for hot cross buns or Irish soda bread, we run to make it. We were lucky enough to sit down with his co-judge Prue Leith when she was in New York and it was definitely a nerve-racking moment. And, of course, we also have the baking competition show to thank for introducing us to scrumptious bakes.
Related: See 'Great British Bake Off' Judges Try Girl Scout Cookies
If you ever polish off an episode of GBBO and want to channel your inner Mary Berry (my personal fave judge) but find the recipes a little intimidating, I have good news for you. After a little research and creative thinking, I devised a way to make a British-ish dessert and all you need to do is tweak how you make a can of store-bought cinnamon rolls. To make quick British Chelsea buns (like the ones featured on the Great British Bake-Off) just stuff canned cinnamon rolls with raisins.
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What is a Chelsea Bun?
In his 1927 book, British writer and baker John Kirkland defined a bun as a "small, soft, plump, sweet, fermented cake." His definition was decidedly loose—nothing more and nothing less than a piece of sweet bread and that's still the case today in the UK. If you go into any British bakery, you'll find a wide variety of buns in abundance.
One of the most popular British buns is the Chelsea bun, a spiraled, spiced roll that looks like an American mall cinnamon roll but contains one more key ingredient: dried fruit! The dried fruits commonly used are either raisins or currants and some orange zest also often finds its way into the filling. After they're baked, traditionally Chelsea buns are glazed with syrup or smeared with icing.
Since going to the UK is not always possible, I came up with a way you can take a very American-style shortcut to get a taste of the iconic Chelsea bun by using a simple canned cinnamon roll hack. The resulting treat has the buttery, gooey richness we love about a cinnamon roll but with a simple, sophisticated sweet pop.
Related: The 12 Best Store-Bought Cinnamon Rolls Ranked
How to Make a Chelsea Bun with Canned Cinnamon Rolls
To make British-inspired cinnamon rolls, you'll need a can of cinnamon rolls, preferably a larger roll like Pillsbury Grands and raisins. On a lined baking sheet, unroll each cinnamon roll and sprinkle the surface evenly with raisins. Carefully re-roll the dough into a spiral and cut it into rolls. Bake the rolls according to package directions until they're golden brown. Take the can of icing that comes with the canned cinnamon rolls and drizzle it on top of the raisin-filled buns. If you're feeling extra British you can also add a little orange zest to the filling for the full Chelsea bun experience.
We're not sure these Chelsea buns would get a Hollywood handshake but they're a fun, easy and delicious way to feel like you're baking in the GBBO tent even if you're just in your home kitchen here in the States.
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