From the October 27th, 1931 edition of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, via the blog Steve Rogers’ New York
ROYAL PHILADELPHIA CINNAMON BUNS
1 cup sugar
4 ½ cups flour
1 teaspoonful salt
8 teaspoons baking powder
4 tablespoons shortening
2 eggs
1 cup water
4 teaspoons cinnamon
8 tablespoons seeded raisins
Sift four tablespoons measured sugar with flour, salt and baking powder; rub shortening in lightly. Add beaten eggs to water and add slowly to dry ingredients to make soft dough. Roll 1/4-inch thick on floured board; brush with melted butter: sprinkle with sugar, cinnamon and raisins. Roll as for jelly roll. Cream 6 tablespoons butter with 6 tablespoons brown sugar. Spread this mixture on bottom and side of iron baking pan or iron skillet. Cut dough in 2-inch pieces, place with cut edges up in pan. Allow to stand 15 minutes; bake in hot oven at 425 degrees about 35 minutes. Remove from pan at once, turning upside down to serve.
4 teaspoons is actually rather a *lot* of cinnamon. This was an awkwardly wet dough to work with. The end result was much less sweet than expected. Seems to be more biscuity than what I generally think of as a cinnamon roll, but with raisins and a cinnamon swirl. I can definitely taste the baking powder.
I *loved* the technique of baking it in sugar and inverting it to get caramel on top. I’m definitely using that again, but maybe next time with a yeasted roll. It would probably even be tasty with canned cinnamon rolls.
