Profile: Tin Pan Cinnamon Rolls
Fresh, gooey & creamy— does Tin Pan make the perfect cinnamon roll?
Photos by Courtney Wiebe
Last August as I was scrolling through IG, I came across one of the most delicious posts… an image of Cinnamon Apple Streusel Rolls! The post belonged to Tin Pan Cinnamon Rolls. I had been following them for awhile, and just hadn’t focused much on their account until I crossed paths with that wonderful image of cinnamon, apples and icing. Of course, I then started scrolling endlessly on their mouthwatering page. Turns out our very own Chiefs are huge fans of this tin pan delicacy! Needless to say I placed my first order and have been obsessed ever since.
From that first bite, I knew I needed to sit down and chat with Dan Edwards and get the recipe for his cinnamon rolls– but unfortunately he wouldn’t let me have it, I mean duh! Fortunately, he did agree to meet with me for an interview! El Señor Dan Edwards is not a baker by trade. Most of his baking knowledge comes from cookbooks, magazines and English baking competition shows. So, as a self-taught interior designer myself, I give kudos to Edwards for teaching himself to create this cinnamon-y treat.
When Dan’s favorite shop for cinnamon rolls shut down, he knew he had to get into the kitchen and start working on a roll that would meet his high standards. Not these tough, dry dough, not enough cinnamon flavor, thick gloppy cream cheese frosting… none were coming close to the cinnamon roll he was dreaming about. So he took it upon himself to make the cinnamon rolls of his dreams.
After finding the right dough recipe (a modified brioche dough that’s soft and lush yet structured, that is all the top secret info he is supplying *wink*), he began to focus on the pastry’s namesake: CINNAMON. Most rolls he tried seemed to overlook the cinnamon and treated it almost as an afterthought. Dan wanted to make the cinnamon the STAR. He tried different amounts and different types and settled on a blend of strong Vietnamese cinnamon and fragrant ceylon cinnamon (again, you didn’t think he’d give us all the ingredients, did you?). The result is a cinnamon taste that is front and center with a complex flavor that sets it apart from the rest. When it comes to the icing, he leaves the cream cheese in the fridge. Only a simple vanilla glaze to bring the dough and filling together in harmonious matrimony.
Once the recipe was perfected he began to share his rolls with family and friends to rave reviews. Offers to buy them came quickly, but Edwards was happy to give them away (where was I?!?), never intending to do anything more with the rolls. Until one day, when his good friend who worked for a local design and branding company (Reactor Studio) brought a pan in to share with her co-workers. The rolls were so well liked by the design team that they insisted on creating a brand for them. Dan was happy to let them, and together they came up with Tin Pan Cinnamon Rolls. The name fit so well, as the aluminum pans in which Dan bakes the rolls were becoming iconic to those who knew what they held.
Tin Pan Cinnamon Rolls soon became a side-hustle to his daytime gig, being a full time dad to four. With the encouragement and support of his wife Sarah, Dan began to do pop-ups and special events. Dan knew that cinnamon rolls tasted best when they were at their freshest. He wanted everybody to experience his rolls at their peak deliciousness. So he developed the business around this idea; freshly baked cinnamon rolls, delivered to your door, still warm from the oven. So far, it’s been a resounding success. Being handed a pan of cinnamon rolls that’s still warm, (sometimes even too hot to hold, my experience for sure) as it turns out, is a novel idea that surprises and delights most who order them. As it turns out most of this customers become repeat customers *clears throat and pointing at myself*.
When the Covid-19 pandemic started, some ingredients became hard to come by and deliveries had to be halted for several weeks. Once things started to settle down, demand for home delivery shot up! Tin Pan was ready to meet the need and Mr. Tin Pan himself now finds himself busier with deliveries now than he was pre-Covid. In the last year, Edwards has begun to expand his offerings, including seasonal signature rolls, frozen bake-at-home rolls and individually packaged rolls. At the core of Tin Pan Cinnamon Rolls is a high quality product, thoughtfully made and personally delivered.
“I may be a one trick pony” says Dan, “but it’s a REAL good trick!"
