Home made cinnamon rolls!

Thanks to the amazing PIONEER WOMAN and her phenomenal cook book I found an excellent recipe and even though everything is made from scratch it's actually not hard at all.  A little time consuming but definitely worth it.  For our family Christmas gifts this year I got a small pyrex dish and made these cinnamon rolls to go inside and hand out to each family in our extended family.  It was perfect!  Inexpensive and tasty, perfect combo right?!?!

Dough

Rolled out and sprinkled with butter, and cinnamon sugar

Ready to go into the oven.

Here is the recipe:

• 1 qt Whole Milk
• 1 cup Vegetable Oil
• 1 cup Sugar
• 2 packages Active Dry Yeast, 0.25 oz packets.
• 8 cups + 1 cup All Purpose Flour
• 1 tsp (heaping) Baking Powder
• 1 tsp (scant) Baking Soda
• 1 tbsp (heaping) Salt
• Plenty of Melted Butter (I used 2 cups by the time I was finished)
• 2 cups Sugar
• Generous Sprinkling of Cinnamon

Maple Frosting:

• 1 bag (2 lb) Powdered Sugar
• 2 tsp Maple Flavoring
• 1/2 cup Milk
• 1/4 cup Melted Butter
• 1/4 cup Brewed Coffee
• 1/8 tsp Salt

Preparation:

1. For the dough, heat the milk, vegetable oil and sugar in medium saucepan over medium heat or just below a boil. Set aside and cool to warm.  Sprinkle the yeast on top and let it sit on the milk for one minute.
2. Add 8 cups of flour.  Stir until just combined, then cover with a clean kitchen towel, and set aside in a relatively warm place for 1 hour.  After 1 hour, remove the towel and add baking powder, baking soda, salt and the remaining 1 cup flour.  Stir thoroughly to combine.  Use the dough right away, or place in a mixing bowl and use immediately, or refrigerate for up to 3 days, punching down the dough if it rises to the top of the bowl.  *Note: the dough is easier to work with if it has been chilled for at least an hour or so beforehand.
3. Preheat oven to 375*F
4. To assemble the rolls: remove half the dough from the pan/bowl.  On a floured baking surface, roll the dough into a large rectangle about 30x10 inches.  The dough should be rolled very thin.
5. To make the filling: pour 3/4 - 1 cup melted butter over the surface of the dough.  Use your fingers to spread the butter evenly, I actually used a BBQ brush.  Generously sprinkle half the ground cinnamon and 1 cup sugar over the butter.  Don't be afraid to drizzle on more butter or more sugar...GOOEY is the goal.  (I mixed the cinnamon and sugar together before pouring it over the dough and it seemed to work fine, so either way you do it I would think is okay.)
6. Beginning at the end farthest from you, roll the rectangle tightly towards you.  Use both hands and work slowly, being careful to keep the roll tight.  Don't worry if the filling oozes as you work; that just means the rolls are going to be absolutely delicious!  When you reach the end, pinch the seam together and flip the roll so that the seam is face down.  When you're finished you'll wind up with one long but cinnamony, sugary, gooey log.
7. Slip a cutting board underneath the roll and with a sharp knife, make 1/2-inch slices.  One log with make 20-25 cinnamon rolls.  Pour a small amount of melted butter (1-2 tsp) into cake pans and coat entire baking surface, sides included.  Place the sliced rolls in the pans, being careful not to overcrowd.***
8. Repeat the rolling/cinnamon sugar/butter process with the other half of the dough and more pans.
9. Cover all the pans with a kitchen towel and set aside to rise on the counter top for 20-25 minutes before baking.  Remove the towel and bake for 15-18 minutes, until golden brown.  Don't allow the rolls to become overly brown.
10. While the rolls are baking, make the icing.  In a large bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, butter, coffee, and salt.  Add the maple flavoring and whisk until very smooth.  Taste and add in more maple, sugar, butter, or anything else you think it may need until the icing reaches the desired consistency.  The icing should be somewhat thick but very pourable.
11. Remove pans from the oven, and immediately drizzle icing over the top.  Be sure to get it all around the edges and over the top.  As they sit, the rolls will absorb some of the icing's moisture and flavor.  They only get better with time, but whether or not they last more than a few seconds is totally and completely up to how many people are in your home at the time.  

These rolls freeze really well and can be left on the counter top wrapped in foil if they are meant to make a divine breakfast.  No adjustments need to be made for high elevation, or at least I can't think of anything that needs tweeked, at a mile high they are perfect.


***Funny story, the first time I made these I apparently wasn't thinking and made them on cookie sheets.  This was a huge mistake!!!! The rolls expanded and many of them fell off the cookie sheets into the bottom of the over and made for a complete disaster so take my advice and definitely put them in a cake pan.


<3 Timmie


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