The smell of cinnamon

There is nothing like the smell of cinnamon to transform a kitchen into a cozy sanctuary. My mother used to make cinnamon rolls on Saturdays and my sisters and I would gobble them up while watching early-morning cartoons. I've long tinkered with her original recipe and the one below is a combination sticky-bun and pinwheel-style cinnamon roll.
Unlike most recipes for cinnamon rolls, this is a "quick" bread, meaning that yeast is not used to help the dough rise. The baking powder is the only leavening ingredient, therefore it is extremely important not to overwork the dough. When you add the wet ingredients to the dry, be sure to stir until they are just combined. Also, as always, be very careful not to burn yourself when handling any kind of caramel mixture.

Dough:
2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
3 ½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup melted butter
½ cup milk
2 tablespoons sugar

Caramel Cinnamon Filling:
¼ stick butter
2 tablespoons corn syrup
½ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla

Dough:
1. In a large bowl sift together 1 cup of flour, baking soda and salt. Stir to combine the dry ingredients well.
2. In a small bowl or measuring cup combine the melted butter and sugar, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Add the milk.
3. Add the butter mixture to the dry ingredients all at once, stirring until the dough is just combined in a soft, sticky dough.
4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of flour and knead lightly about 5 times or until just smooth. Cover dough and let rest for 10 minutes.

Filling:
1. In a heavy saucepan combine the butter and corn syrup over medium heat. When the butter has melted add half of the brown sugar and stir constantly until the sugar begins to dissolve and the mixture is bubbling.
2. Add the remaining sugar and continue to stir until all of the sugar has melted and the mixture has turned a dark caramel colour. Stir in the cinnamon and vanilla. The mixture will sputter and darken further. Set the mixture aside to cool and thicken slightly.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 F. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out into a 12x17 inch rectangle approximately ¼ inch thick. Evenly spread the caramel cinnamon mixture over the entire surface of the dough.
4. Starting from a long side, carefully roll the dough into a 17 inch log with the seam on the bottom.
5. Using a serrated knife carefully trim the rough ends. Slice the log into 12 pieces and place in a greased 9x9 inch pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven and carefully invert onto a large plate. Serve warm.
For a faster treat you can make these the way that my mother does. Once you have rolled out the dough, spread with a thin layer of softened butter, sprinkle liberally with brown sugar and cinnamon. Roll and bake as instructed above, no need to invert the pan.