Equipment Needed
- Medium mixing bowl
- Hand mixer or sturdy whisk
- Small bowl for melted butter
- Small, shallow bowl for cinnamon sugar
- Rolling pin (helpful but not mandatory)
- Sharp knife or pizza cutter
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Pastry brush
- Cooling rack
Step-by-Step Instructions
I always start by preheating my oven to 375°F (190°C) and lining my baking sheet with parchment paper. This is a sticky business, and parchment is a lifesaver for cleanup. Then, I make the filling. In my mixing bowl, I combine the softened cream cheese, the 1/4 cup of sugar, and the vanilla extract. I use my hand mixer on medium speed to beat it for a good minute or two until it’s completely smooth, creamy, and lump-free. I once tried to mix it with a spoon when my mixer was dirty, and I ended up with a streaky filling—the mixer is worth the extra dish. I set this delicious cloud of filling aside.
Next, I unroll my first crescent dough sheet onto a clean surface. If it’s the perforated kind, I firmly pinch all the seams together to form one solid rectangle. Then, I use my rolling pin to gently roll it out just a bit, smoothing the seams and stretching it to about a 10×12-inch rectangle. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, I slice the dough vertically into 8 even strips. Now, here comes the fun, slightly messy part. I take about a tablespoon of the cream cheese filling and place it at the top of one dough strip. Using a small spatula or the back of a spoon, I spread it in a thin, even line down about three-quarters of the strip’s length, leaving a small border at the bottom.
Starting at the cream-cheese-topped end, I carefully roll the strip down over itself, creating a tight little pinwheel log. I place it seam-side down on a plate and repeat with all the strips and the second can of dough. Now, in my shallow bowl, I mix the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar with the cinnamon. In another small bowl, I melt the butter. I take each rolled log, brush it generously all over with the melted butter—this is what makes the sugar stick and gives that gorgeous golden color—and then I roll it thoroughly in the cinnamon sugar mixture until it’s completely coated in that sparkly, spicy armor.(See the next page below to continue…)