Cinnamon Rolls

Obligatory short story; I learned how to make cinnamon rolls completely out of utility I was nearing the end of my college career and had to leave my apartment soon, but my pantry still had an abundance of flour, sugar, butter, cinnamon, powdered sugar, and a packet of yeast hidden on the top shelves. I didn’t want to buy a bunch of new groceries to satisfy my munchies, so instead I spent three hours making cinnamon rolls from scratch. The recipe I based my rolls off of comes courtesy of Paula Dean and the Food Network, I have no shame. But having this recipe in my back pocket came in handy when I surprised my mom with an unannounced trip home and an oven full of rolls for her birthday (I even made the kitchen cleaner than when I got there). I digress about how awesome of a son I am, here’s the recipe.

 

Ingredients:

  • ¼ ounce package yeast
  • ½ Cup warm water
  • ½ scalded milk
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • ⅓ cup butter
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 egg
  • 3 ½ -4 cups all-purpose flour

Filling

  • ½ cup melted butter
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 1 cup diced apples

Icing

  • 2 ounces cream cheese
  • 7 tbsp butter
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp milk
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 ½ cups powdered sugar

     

Directions

Dough:

  1. Dissolve yeast in warm water and set aside for a few minutes for yeast to activate.
  2. In a large bowl, mix milk, sugar, butter, salt, and egg. Add 2 cups of flour and mix until smooth.
  3. Add yeast mixture to batter. Gradually add remaining flour as the dough begins to form. Once pliable, knead dough on a lightly floured surface for 5-10 minutes. Be careful not to overwork the dough.
  4. Place dough in a greased bowl, loosely cover and let rise for 1 ½ to 2 hours.
  5. Dough will expand drastically. Once it’s about double its initial size, punch it down to release any large air pockets. Roll out on a floured surface until dough is about ¼ inch thick evenly. For most efficient use of dough, roll into a square shape. Spread melted butter evenly across the dough. Mix sugar and cinnamon, liberally sprinkle the mix over the buttered dough. At this point I like to add diced granny smith apples for flare.
  6. Start rolling the sheet of dough lengthwise, be careful to keep the tuck tight. As you finish the roll, pinch the edge to seal the dough. Cut into 1 ½ -2 inch slices.
  7. Thoroughly coat a baking pan with butter and place the cinnamon roll slices in close quarters, cover with a towel. Preheat oven to 350 F. Let rise for 45 minutes to an hour. Then bake for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.
  8. Wait 10 minutes to cool after baking before putting on icing.

Icing:

  1. In a mixing bowl, cream together cream cheese and butter.
  2. Add vanilla and milk, gradually mix in powdered sugar and salt until smooth.

Enjoy some cinnamon rolls with a tall glass of milk, dark coffee, or a good scotch.