Not only does this recipe make just 8 rolls (thus they will be larger than 12, approaching head-size perhaps?) their icing sounds more like what I'm looking for: less creaminess and more crunch (no added butter and more sugar).
And the origin of the recipe is supposedly Cooks Illustrated, which I have found to be one of the absolute best sources for good recipes. I need to get a subscription again! I listen to their podcast America's Test Kitchen Radio and it is an amazing source of information and laughs.
How could I not have found this recipe in my quest? Is it because they are called "buns" instead of "rolls"?
The butter is downstairs softening. Time for perhaps my last test, so that I can check at least one recipe off my list?
UPDATE:
Complete disaster. When the liquid was added to the flour mixture it became a dry cement-like mess. Impossible to add butter to it. I ended up throwing it away. I read that it was supposed to be a brioche-like recipe but there must have been somthing wrong with it, or it must be difficult to make brioches?...
So I thought I would instead go back to my original recipe (Test recipe 1) and adjust it according to my first comments, and use the filling and glaze from the above recipe. Well, that dough turned out beautifully so I am going to keep that. I let it rise to twice its size and also baked it a few minutes longer than before and it turned out very fluffy - perfect. Test recipe 1 dough is the best (this time I used unsalted butter and added 1 tsp salt to the dough - I think either unsalted or salted is fine).
The filling had too much brown sugar and cinnamon, even when I cut back, so that is still a problem. 1/4 cup of butter is perfect. Next time I'll try 3/4 cup brown sugar and 1 Tbs. cinnamon.
The glaze contained no butter this time but more sugar and vanilla. Delicious.
I actually made 12 rolls since I'm thinking of bringing them to work tomorrow.
I think one more test of this recipe and I will have the ultimate Sunshine rolls.
