Ingredients:
Dough:
- 5 1/2 Cups Flour
- 1 Tbsp Yeast
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 Cup Sugar
- 2 Eggs (room temperature)
- 1/3 Cup Melted Butter
- 1 Cup Milk (Warmed to 115 Degrees)
Filling:
- 1 Cup Brown Sugar
- 1/4 Cup Sugar
- 2 Tbsp Cinnamon
- 1 Stick of Butter (Almost Melted)
- 1/2 Cup Whipping Cream (Poured When Rolls Go In The Oven)
Frosting:
- 6 oz Cream Cheese (Softened)
- 1/3 Cup Butter (Softened)
- 1 1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar
- 1 Tbsp Vanilla
Makes 12-16 Rolls
Nothing makes your house smell better than fresh, hot cinnamon rolls! We're getting the yeast out again to make this breakfast favorite.
Warm your milk to 115 degrees. Pour the yeast over the top, and add a pinch of your sugar. Let that sit for a few minutes so it starts bubbling.
Pour the yeast mixture to the bottom of your mixing bowl. Add the eggs, butter, salt, and sugar and turn on the mixer. If you don't have a mixer, just stir well.
Start adding the flour a cup at a time. Continue to add the flour while mixing. Use all but a cup of flour. You'll incorporate that later when your kneading the dough. Once the ingredients are mixed together, turn the mixer off for about five minutes and let it sit and absorb all of the wet ingredients.
After the rest, you can turn the mixer back on and add the rest of the flour. Let the mixer, with the dough hook, continue running for 5-7 minutes. If you prefer to knead the dough by hand, use the remaining flour to dust your surface and knead for 5-7 minutes, using the rest of the flour. If the dough is too sticky, you can add flour, a tablespoon at a time. When finished, you want to the dough to be moist, but not tacky.
Put a little vegetable oil at the bottom of a large bowl. Place the dough in the bowl, and coat it with the oil by flipping it over. Cover the bowl, and put it in a warm place to rise for about 45 minutes. The dough will nearly double in size.
While the dough is rising, you can make the filling. Take 1 Cup of Brown Sugar, 1/4 cup of sugar, a stick of butter (almost melted) and 2 Tbsp of Cinnamon. Mix well and set aside.
When the dough is done rising, flour your surface again and use a rolling pin to flatten the dough into a rectangle. Try to get it down to 1/2 inch thickness. This should give you a rectangle about 12x24 inches.
Spread your filling evenly across your dough. Try to get it all the way to the edges.
Starting on the long end, gently roll the dough until you get a tube. You'll see the swirls of the cinnamon rolls on each end. It's okay to pat the ends to even things out.
Cut the rolls, make them about 1 inch each. I'll usually end up with between 12 and 16 cinnamon rolls.
Spray the baking pan with non stick spray. Place the cinnamon rolls into the pan with a little distance between each and the sides. Cover again and return the rolls to a warm place for 45 minutes, or until they nearly double in size.
After they've risen, preheat your over to 375. Take the 1/2 cup of whipping cream and warm it in the microwave for a few seconds, until it is warm to the touch.
Pour the cream over the rolls. Soak them good and let the cream seep in between the layers. The cream will also pool at the bottom of the pan. Don't worry! That's part of the "good stuff" you'll be scraping off the bottom when they're done!
Put the rolls in the oven and set a timer for 20 minutes.
While the rolls are in the oven, start your frosting. Take 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar, 1/3 cup of softened butter, 6 ounces of softened cream cheese, and one tablespoon of vanilla. Cream that together. For a richer frosting, add a tablespoon or two of heavy whipping cream.
Rolls can take up to 25 minutes to finish. I like to check the internal temperature with an instant read thermometer. When they get to 190 degrees, they're done!
Take the cinnamon rolls out of the oven, and while they're still warm, spread on the frosting. You'll likely have some frosting left over, depending on how thick you like to apply.
Cut them up and serve warm, make sure you scoop some of the goo off the bottom of the pan!
Bonus Recipe! King Cake!
I use this same recipe to make King Cakes around Mardi Gras. Instead of rolling up the entire dough, I'll cut the dough longways into three strips, then roll those up.
I'll then braid the three rolls and shape it into the king cake. Let it rise for 45 minutes, and add the warm cream before putting it in the oven. Bake until the internal temperatures is 190 degrees. Parchment paper is a must with this recipe so it won't stick!
Separate the frosting into three bowls and add food coloring with purple, green, and gold!