Cinnamon Rolls

November 14, 2021 1 Comment

There is nothing better than a warm cinnamon roll during a cold winter day. While I am not an expert at making cinnamon rolls, this recipe was easy to make and everyone enjoyed them!

Want to prep them the night before? Place the pan of uncooked rolls in the refrigerator, remove and let rise the next morning for approximately an hour - bake and enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

For the dough:

¾ cup warm milk (whole milk or 2%)
2 ¼ teaspoons quick rise or active yeast (1/4-ounce package yeast)
¼ cup sugar
1 egg plus 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
3 cups flour, plus more for dusting (bread flour if you have it!)
3/4 teaspoon salt

For the filling:

2/3 cup brown sugar
1 ½ tablespoons ground cinnamon
¼ cup unsalted butter, softened

For the frosting:

4 oz cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup powdered sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

Warm milk to around 110 degrees F, you can microwave for about 40 seconds. It should be like warm bath water. In an electric mixer, add warm milk, yeast, sugar, egg, egg yolk, and melted butter. Stir until combined. Next stir in flour and salt with a wooden spoon until a dough begins to form.

Place dough hook on stand mixer and knead dough on medium speed. Dough should form into a nice ball and be slightly sticky. If dough is too sticky, add in more 1-2 tablespoons more bred flour. No mixer? You can knead by hand for approximately 8-10 minutes on a well floured surface.

Transfer dough to well oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and warm towel. Allow to rise 1-2 hours, until doubled in size. Time will depend on temperature/humidity in your home.

After dough has doubled in size, transfer to a well-floured surface and roll out into a rectangle. Spread softened butter over dough, leaving a ¼ inch margin at the far side of the dough.

Mix together brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Use your hands to sprinkle mixture over the buttered dough, then rub the brown sugar mixture into the butter.

Tightly roll dough up and place seam side down making sure to seal the edges of the dough as best you can. Cut off about an inch off the ends of the dough as cinnamon/sugar wont be at the ends.

Cut into 1 inch sections and place in a greased pan. (I used a 9x13) Cover with plastic wrap and let rise again for 30-45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350F. Remove plastic wrap and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool approximately 10 minutes before frosting.

To make the frosting: In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth and fluffy, spread over cinnamon rolls and enjoy!