Hello! I haven't blogged for a while now. I wish I could blog more - more recipes - but there just isn't enough time to spend taking pictures and then blogging them. My semester has been crazy busy, but also really good. It feels like classes just started for the year, but we are almost to Thanksgiving break. When we come back from break, we only have 2 more weeks of classes and then finals weeks. It will go by so fast!
Between school, work, being involved with Cru, and hanging out with my roommates, I have had some time to cook and bake. Last weekend I made these cinnamon rolls - they are my favorite recipe. I have tried lots of recipes, but this one is simple and delicious. They are more of a bun-like cinnamon roll, not the goey kind. I do have a couple favorite recipes for the more goey-like cinnamon roll, but these is my all-time favorite.
Cinnamon rolls are perfect any time of the year, but especially now with the weather becoming colder and the holidays just about here. I have been trying to do lots of fall baking - lots of pumpkin and cinnamon. And, cinnamon rolls are nice and cinnamony.
I ended up cutting the rolls kind of thin this time. So, with the ones that were real thin, I basically ended up real rolling them individually - popping up the center some and rolling them tightly.
I prepared the rolls and then refrigerated them overnight. The next morning, I let them rise, baked, and frosted them.
Confession: I didn't add all the cinnamon sugar this time, and they weren't as good - they were a bit dry. Make sure you add at least 3/4 of the cinnamon sugar mixture before rolling the dough.
My Favorite Cinnamon Rolls
Dough:
1 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup (5 Tbsp.) butter, melted
1 tsp. salt
4 - 4 1/2 cups bread or all-purpose flour (bread flour makes for a lighter roll)
1 pkg. (2 1/4 tsp) yeast
Filling:
1 cup brown sugar (or white sugar)
2 1/2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
a few tablespoons butter, melted
Icing:
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup (4 Tbsp.) butter, softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Microwave milk for 45 - 60 seconds. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm milk. Add sugar, eggs, butter, salt, and most of the flour. Mix well (by hand with spoon/fork or with an electric hand mixer). On a floured surface, knead dough (and add in the some remaining flour), and form it into a large ball. Place dough in a large, lightly oiled bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until dough has doubled in size (may need to turn on oven to generate some heat and let bowl sit on top of oven).
In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar and cinnamon. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 16X21 inch rectangle about 1/4 inch thick. Spread dough with some melted butter and sprinkle evenly with cinnamon sugar mixture. Roll up dough starting with the longer side. Trim off ends and slice log into 12 rolls. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9X13 pan (can use glass baking dish, cake pan, jell roll pan). Let rise until nearly doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
Bake rolls at 350 degrees until golden brown, 18-20 minutes. While rolls are baking, beat together the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla for the icing. Spread icing on cinnamon rolls while they are still warm.
Notes:
Dough:
1 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup (5 Tbsp.) butter, melted
1 tsp. salt
4 - 4 1/2 cups bread or all-purpose flour (bread flour makes for a lighter roll)
1 pkg. (2 1/4 tsp) yeast
Filling:
1 cup brown sugar (or white sugar)
2 1/2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
a few tablespoons butter, melted
Icing:
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup (4 Tbsp.) butter, softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Microwave milk for 45 - 60 seconds. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm milk. Add sugar, eggs, butter, salt, and most of the flour. Mix well (by hand with spoon/fork or with an electric hand mixer). On a floured surface, knead dough (and add in the some remaining flour), and form it into a large ball. Place dough in a large, lightly oiled bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until dough has doubled in size (may need to turn on oven to generate some heat and let bowl sit on top of oven).
In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar and cinnamon. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 16X21 inch rectangle about 1/4 inch thick. Spread dough with some melted butter and sprinkle evenly with cinnamon sugar mixture. Roll up dough starting with the longer side. Trim off ends and slice log into 12 rolls. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9X13 pan (can use glass baking dish, cake pan, jell roll pan). Let rise until nearly doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
Bake rolls at 350 degrees until golden brown, 18-20 minutes. While rolls are baking, beat together the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla for the icing. Spread icing on cinnamon rolls while they are still warm.
Notes:
- Dough can be make in a bread machine.
- The rolls can be assembled the day before, refrigerated, and then let rise and bake in the morning (rising time will be longer).
- Make a double batch of icing if you want well frosted cinnamon rolls.
