Welcome Back Cinnamon Rolls

Nothing says we missed you like warm coffee and freshly baked cinnamon rolls. So move over Mr. Pillsbury, you ain’t got nothing on homemade cinnamon rolls. Although you are super cute and I do love it when they push your belly and you laugh…
Like most yeast breads, there is rise time involved, but you can break it into steps and let it rise over night so all you need to do is pop it in the oven for 20 minutes in the morning. This recipe is adapted from Chef Leslie Meyers, Instructor at L’academie de Cuisine.

Dough

½ cup of warm water
1 Tablespoon of yeast
¼ cup of sugar
½ cup of milk
1 stick of buttah
1 egg
2 egg yolks
1 ½ teaspoons of salt
4 cups of all purpose flour

In a measuring cup combine the warm water, the yeast, and the sugar. Let stand until poofy. I call this step poofing, but really it is called proofing. The bubbles are proof the yeast is active. That way all you waste is sugar and water not the whole dough.

In a sauce pan warm up the milk and buttah until it is melted and then let the mixture cool.

In your mixer, add the eggs, the egg yolks, the yeast mixture, and the cooled milk/butter combo to combine. Add the salt and flour. When the dough pulls away from the bowl switch to the dough hook to knead for a couple minutes until the dough is smooth and glossy. If the dough is still sticky and not forming a ball, add ¼ cup more flour. The dough will be a smooth shiny yellow tan color.

When smooth and elastic, place in a bowl sprayed with Pam and turn the dough in the bowl so it to is properly lubbed up. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled. This means you can either leave it in the fridge over night or you can let proof in a warm place for 2 hours.

Filling

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
¼ cup of cinnamon
1 cup chopped pecan (if you wish)
1 stick of butter soft or melted

Mix the sugar and cinnamon in a bowl and set aside.

Punch down the doubled dough, and lightly dust your rolling pin and work area. Turn the dough out and roll 15 inch by 20 inch rectangle (sort of). 15 inches is about the length of woman’s forearm, 20 inches includes the hand. But just eyeball it. You want the dough to be about ¼ an inch thick.

Spread the butter out all over the dough.

Put on the cinnamon and sugar. Press into the dough so it sticks. Sprinkle nuts if you wish, and press those in as well.

Now, start to roll up the dough and filling with the long side closest to you, so you can make a long roll.
Just lift the dough, form a little lip and lift and roll until the end. Pinch the ends of the roll closed and push the seam together and roll seam down.

Using a serrated knife, gently saw the roll into 12 equal slices. Try to keep the round shape.

Butter a 13 X 9 pan, glass or metal doesn’t really matter. If the dish is dark glass or non-stick metal and dark, baking time will take a little longer.

Add any of the left over sugar mixture to the bottom of the pan. Place the rolls evenly in the dish. They won’t touch now, but after the second rise they will just kiss but be easy to pull apart.

Place the rolls on to the baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and allow doubling in size. This means an hour in a warm spot another night in the re-fridge.

Once doubled, bake at 350 for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cream Cheese Icing

¼ stick of butter (soften by leaving out overnight)
6 oz of cream cheese (softened in the microwave, because I forgot to take it out)
1 cup of powdered sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

In your standing mixer with the paddle attachment. Whip all the ingredients for as long as you wish. Just start slow or you and your kitchen will be covered in a cloud puff of powdered sugar. Unless you want reminisce about when you used to get into your grandmothers makeup drawer and spilled all of her dusting powder and then you were four smelled like Channel #5 for a week.

Set aside at room temperature.

When the cinnamon rolls are baked, let cool for 10 minutes before spreading the icing.

Makes 12 to 14 rolls.

I know it sounds like a lot of work, but when you break it into steps it really is about 20 minutes at a time. And the reward is the best cinnamon rolls you have had even better than ones at the mall and a much more manageable size to boot.

As always, much love, many blessings, and happy baking.