This is certainly not the post I expected to make to rechristen my personal blog, however it is hard to imagine anything more real. When my gal woke up this morning she had a bit of a craving for cinnamon buns. My desires to please her and to maintain a healthy lifestyle were in conflict as an average Cinnabon is just south of 800 calories and enough sugar to sweeten an entire urn of coffee. Not to mention Thanksgiving morning in the West Loop is not prime hunting season for Cinnamon Bun goodness.

I remembered many of my favorite brunch places make a cinnamon bun inspired breakfast items – French toast, pancakes, etc… So I figured it cant be that hard. I used a mix of white and wheat flour and splenda in place of sugar to maintain an semblance of healthy:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• ¼ cup splenda
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt (preferably a mild salt – himalayan or similar)
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1¼ cups skim milk
• ½ stick butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

• Mix dry ingredients and set aside; for best results use a wire whisk.
• Melt butter and whisk in milk, eggs, and vanilla.
• Combine wet with dry by slowly pouring the wet and stirring dry to make a uniform batter.
• Cook on warm griddle (pan, or similar).
• Bob’s your uncle.

In order to make the experience as authentic as possible I made an impromptu icing using a cup of splenda, a splash of vanilla (about ½ teaspoon), and enough skim milk to make the right consistency (I would say my splashes were about a tablespoon or so).

If you make them I would love a comment on your thoughts; plus suggestions for improvement are always appreciated.