Those delicious cinnamon rolls!

Ok, here it is! I tempted you on Facebook and on this blog with a photo of these delicious cinnamon rolls (which I will once again post as an "after" on this post, because really, you can't see it too many times!). A lot of you asked for the recipe, and here it is.

(Please note, this recipe, while not difficult, takes about 3 1/2 hours because of the double rising of the dough... so don't promise these for a 7am breakfast to your kids, or it will be an EARLY morning for you! And they are absolutely fabulous hot - think hot Krispy Kreme fabulous - so you want to keep that in mind, too.)

CINNAMON ROLLS
(very slightly adapted from Cooking Light, don't know the issue date)

Dough
1 pkg dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (100-110 degrees)
1/2 cup warm 1% milk (100-110 degrees)
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 tsp salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour, divided
cooking spray

Filling
2/3 cup packed brown sugar (I used light brown)
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp butter, melted

Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tbps 1% milk
1/2 tsp vanilla

To prepare dough, dissolve yeast in warm water in a large bowl (or in the bowl of your stand mixer if you have a dough hook). Let stand 5 min. Add 1/2 cup warm milk, sugar, butter, vanilla, salt and egg. Stir with a wooden spoon (batter will not be smooth).  Lightly spoon flour into measuring cups, level with a knife. Add 3 cups of flour to the yeast mixture and stir until a soft dough forms. (Reserve that 1/2 cup.) 


If you have a dough hook, mix, adding flour 1 tbsp at a time, until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 min. If kneading by hand, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured smooth surface and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 min. Dough will feel slightly sticky. (NOTE: I only used about 1/4 cup of the remaining 1/2 cup... add slowly!)

Place the dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray and turn to coat. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85 degrees), free from drafts, for an hour or until it's doubled in size. If you press your finger in the dough and the indentation remains, it's ready. (NOTE: I have a bread proofing setting on my oven, which is 100 degrees, and it took an hour.)

To prepare filling, coming the sugar and cinnamon in a bowl, mixing to get out the lumps and combine well.

Turn out the dough on a lightly floured surface and roll into a 15x10 rectangle (or the approximation of a rectangle!). Brush the dough with the 2 tbsp of melted butter, and spread the sugar cinnamon filling over all, leaving a 1/2" border. Beginning with the long side, roll the dough up jelly-roll fashion. Pinch or wet the seam so it will stick. Don't pinch the ends. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 20 minutes.

Unwrap the roll and cut into 20  1/2" slices (my roll made about 30  1/2" slices). Arrange the slices, cut side up, on a jelly roll pan sprayed with cooking spray. Cover and let rise 1 1/2 hours until double in size.

Preheat oven to 350. Uncover rolls and bake 15-20 minutes, until golden brown.

To prepare glaze, combine powdered sugar, milk and vanilla, stirring with a whisk until it's not lumpy. Drizzle over the warm (hot!) rolls. EAT HOT!!! (You can also microwave room temp ones for 12 seconds for gooey deliciousness!)

ok, here it is again. Can you really see this picture too many time?? I think no.

NUTRITION:  If your jelly-roll cuts into 20 slices, here's the nutritional info. Mine was more, but some were small (uneven jelly roll syndrome)...   200 cals per roll, 4g fat, 3.2g protein, 38.3 carbs