Sinful Cinnamon Toffee Pinwheels

Working on a few sweet treat recipes for a new contest, I came up with these little pinwheels.  These would be a great addition to a Sunday brunch or coffee meeting- a decadent bite with a crisp outer edge and chewy center.  Plus, using a store bought dough really cuts down on the prep time and (in my kitchen) the mess. Here's how they came together:

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg

2 tbsp melted unsalted butter
1 tube of Pillsbury crescent rolls
1/8 cup toffee bits
1/8 cup slivered raw almonds

Preheat the oven to 375°. Mix 1/4 cup sugar with 1/4 tsp salt and sprinkle liberally over a 13 x 13 space on a clean counter or work area.  Roll out the dough over the sugar/salt mixture, pinching the seams together to keep together as one sheet and using the rolling pin to spread the dough and push into the sugar.  Next, using a basting brush, liberally brush the dough with the melted butter.  Mix together the remaining sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg and sprinkle generously over the entire surface (you'll have some leftover which will be used to top the pinwheels when they are fresh out of the oven). Next, cover the surface area with the toffee bits and almonds.  Once the dough is evenly covered, roll the dough onto itself to form a log.  Using a sawing motion, cut the dough into 1/2 inch discs and place on a silpat on a cookie sheet, pressing each one down slightly to form more of a cookie than a roll.  Bake for 9-11 minutes until golden brown and the sugar has caramelized. Pull out the pinwheels, brush with the remaining butter and sprinkle some additional sugar/cinnamon mixture on top for a little sparkle and crunch!

Serve with a little cinnamon whipped cream - heavy cream whisked together with confectioner's sugar and cinnamon to taste.