Myths and Magic: KidLit Confections Cinnamon Roll Sugar Cookies

 Oops! I meant to post this #KidLitConfections pairing nearly a year ago, and I thought I had... but my ADHD brain never actually followed through with finalizing and sharing the post! I only realized this oversight when I tried to share the link to the post with someone ("You have to read this book! It's amazing!! You'll love it!!!")... and the link didn't exist!

(The recipe, including a link to the index of printable PDF files, can be found at the bottom of this post.)

I discovered this book on TikTok, when I saw a post from the MacMillan Kids account and immediately knew I had to have it for my home library. I tracked down the author (amazing coincidence: he’s local!!) and met him at a nearby indie bookstore where I talked him into signing 5 copies (for me and nearly everyone on my Christmas list)! This quickly became one of my favorite books, and I am still thinking about it a year later! (I also love his second book, which released just over a month ago! I guess this means Craig Kofi Farmer is officially one of my favorite authors.)

The Book:

KWAME CRASHES THE UNDERWORLD by Craig Kofi Farmer

Description from the Publisher:

Winner of the Coretta Scott King John Steptoe New Talent Award

Discover a stunning middle grade fantasy about a boy hurled into the Ghanaian underworld to help his grandmother save humanity, perfect for fans of Tristan Strong and Amari and the Night Brothers.

Twelve-year-old Kwame Powell isn't ready to deal with losing his grandmother, even as he and his family head to Ghana for her celebration of life.

He's definitely not ready when he's sucked into a magical whirlpool that leads straight to Asamando, the Ghanaian underworld. There, he comes face to face with his grandmother, who is very much alive, and somehow still...a kid? Together with his best friend, Autumn, and a talkative aboatia named Woo, Kwame must battle angry nature gods, and stop the underworld from destroying the land of the living.

But there's an even bigger problem: Only living souls can leave Asamando. In order to save the mortal world and return home, Kwame will need to find the courage to do the bravest thing of all -- learn how to say goodbye.

My Thoughts:

Fans of Percy Jackson will love this book! It has the same epic fantasy meets the real world vibe, but with the mythology of Ghana instead of ancient Greece. Our family loved reading Rick Riordan’s books together, so just on those vibes alone I knew I would love this one. But I didn’t expect to connect so solidly with Kwame! 

He’s reeling over the death of his grandmother and can’t wrap his mind around the fact that she’s gone. I think anyone who has ever lost a close loved one can relate! But when he gets accidentally sucked into the underworld and has the opportunity to connect with his grandmother all over again? Who wouldn’t jump at that chance?

I love the way this story explores ideas of family and heritage and the way our roots connect us to something so much bigger than ourselves. And this was the bright spark of hope I so desperately needed in a time that sometimes feels overwhelmingly dark. 

I need more people in my life to read this book too so we can talk about it!!!

The Recipe:

As you may have noticed, I love cinnamon rolls. I have several different cinnamon roll kinds of recipes on my website. There’s just something about the warm, comforting scent of cinnamon filling your kitchen cinnamon rolls are baking that can’t be topped. And for some reason, fall just puts me in the mood for a good, gooey cinnamon roll. But sometimes I want the flavor without the sticky, gooey-ness of an actual cinnamon roll. I think that’s where the inspiration for these cookies originally came from. I shared the recipe for the regular version of these a few years ago, before I started cooking gluten-free and it quickly became a family favorite. But when my daughter was diagnosed with celiac disease, I stopped making them. This gluten-free version is every bit is delicious as the original, and it’s almost as easy to make, so I'm excited to share it with my gluten-free audience! (The dough is a bit stickier, so it’s not quite as easily rolled up into the cinnamon roll log, but if you press the dough out onto parchment paper, and use the parchment paper to help you manage the dough while you form the roll, it’s basically the same thing.)

Cinnamon rolls play an important part in KWAME CRASHES THE UNDERWORLD. They're almost a symbol of the warmth and comfort we find in our family traditions, so I was only a few pages into the book when I knew that I was going to share this recipe along with the book. (In fact, I did share the recipe on TikTok last year. I just forgot to share it here on my website.)

Cinnamon Roll Sugar Cookies

 Sugar Cookie Dough:

2 c. butter

3 c. sugar

6 eggs

2 tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. vanilla

6 c. gluten-free all-purpose flour

Cinnamon Sugar Cookie Dough:

1/3 sugar cookie dough

4 Tbsp. cinnamon

Cream together butter and sugar, mixing at high speed for 2-3 minutes.

Add eggs, vanilla, and salt. Mix on low speed until combined. Slowly increase speed to high, and beat 3-5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Stir in flour, just to combine.

Scoop 2/3 of dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Press dough to fill the pan, and chill 10-15 minutes in the refrigerator. Knead cinnamon into remaining cookie dough, until it’s uniformly incorporated. Carefully press this dough into a thin layer on top of the vanilla cookie dough, making sure to cover all the way to the edges of the pan. Carefully roll dough into a long tube, using the parchment paper to help you control the dough if necessary. Return to the fridge to chill for 4-6 hours, or overnight.

Slice cookies approximately ¼ inch thick, and place on parchment-lined baking sheet, approximately 2 inches apart. Bake in an oven preheated to 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 8-10 minutes, until the bottoms of the cookies are slightly browned. Cool for 1-2 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Serve as-is or frost with your favorite vanilla or cream cheese frosting.

Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

*Optional: Bake a few cookies & freeze the extra cookie dough. Prepare and slice cookies as directed. Place cookie slices on parchment-lined baking sheet (no space necessary) and freeze for 2-4 hours. Transfer cookie dough to a large freezer bag and return to your freezer. You can bake straight from frozen at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 12-14 minutes. Freshly-baked cookies anytime you want!

This recipe pairs well with KWAME CRASHES THE UNDERWORLD by Craig Kofi Farmer.

 

Printable PDF Recipes