cinnamon rolls.

when i was little, our mama (my mom's grandma) used to make us cinnamon rolls when we came to visit. in fact, one time she had made a batch of cinnamon rolls and she told my older sister that she had made them for her. and my sister literally took that to mean they were only for here. she ate the entire batch without anyone knowing. so when my mom and mama asked where the cinnamon rolls were, my sister told them she ate them. all of them. we still laugh at her for this. however, these aren't like the cinnamon rolls mama used to make. i'm still on the hunt for a recipe like hers. but that's okay. these are still delicious. for the cinnamon rolls i used a recipe found on our best bites. but i am not a huge fan of the powdered sugar icing/glaze so i decided to make a cream cheese icing instead. the one i used is from mel's kitchen cafe. i like that this roll recipe since it only makes 12 rolls instead of the million that i normally get out of a cinnamon roll recipe. it also doesn't take all day so if, i mean when, you get a craving for a cinnamon roll, and who doesn't, then you can actually have one fairly soon.

i made these this past weekend and on sunday afternoon, there were three left. i figured i was safe to leave and return to have a cinnamon roll waiting for me. i thought wrong. my boyfriend ate ALL of them. not one, not two like i thought he might. yep, three. thanks a lot, babe.

i'm dying to make them again. 

cinnamon roll dough + printable recipe

-- from our best bites

 

1 cup milk (i used skim and it worked just fine!)

4 Tbs butter, cut into chunks

3 1/4 - 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided

1 pkg instant yeast (about 2 1/4 tsp)

1/4 cup white sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg

put milk and 4 Tbs butter in a microwave safe bowl. heat for 1 minute 30 seconds on high. butter should be at somewhat melted. stir and set aside for later. i did this a little differently. i only put about 3/4 c of milk and the butter in the microwave. that way i could add the remaining 1/4 c milk cold so it would bring the temperature of the milk mixture down quicker.

in a large mixing bowl whisk together 2 C flour, yeast, white sugar, and salt.

when milk mixture has cooled to lukewarm (not hot), add it to the flour mixture along with the egg while the beater is running. beat until well combined, about 1 minute. switch to the dough hook now (if using a kitchenaid or stand mixer) add remaining flour only until dough barely leaves the sides of the bowl. it should be very soft and slightly sticky. continue to let the dough knead for 5 minutes.  

**if you are not using a stand mixer, place dough on floured surface and knead by hand for 5 minutes.

turn dough out onto a floured surface and let rest for about 10 minutes while you make the filling.

                          

filling:

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1 1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup butter, softened

make sure butter is soft and mix with brown sugar and cinnamon.

roll dough into a rectangle about 12 x 14 inches. spread brown sugar mixture over dough. you may have to use your fingers or a knife to spread around. roll up from the longer side of the rectangle and pinch edges closed. score the roll into 12 equal pieces starting from the middle and then cut into rolls. i used dental floss for the first time to score and cut my rolls and it worked beautifully! place in a 9 x 13 pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. cover pan with a clean towel and let rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes. to create a "warm" place for the rolls, i placed a small microwave safe bowl of water in the microwave on high until it boiled. i moved the bowl over to the side and placed my 9x13 pan in the microwave and shut the door.

preheat over to 350 F. bake for 15-20 minutes or until light golden brown. while the rolls are still warm, spread on icing. 

cream cheese icing
-- from mel's kitchen cafe  
 

8 ounces cream cheese
½ cup butter, softened to room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups confectioner’s sugar
2-3 tablespoons milk

**i halved this recipe and it was the perfect amount!  

cream together butter and cream cheese until well mixed. add vanilla and sugar and mix again. add milk until it is the consistency you like.