Cinnamon Rolls

DOUGH:

1 cup warm milk

1 pkg (1 T.) active dry yeast

Heat milk slightly in the microwave. Dissolve the yeast in the warm milk in a large bowl or a kitchen mixer bowl.

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup margarine, melted

1 tsp. salt

2 eggs, room temperature

Mix in the sugar, margarine, salt and eggs.

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Add the flour in quarters and mix well.

NOTE:  If using a kitchen mixer – use the mixing blade until about 1/2 the flour is used and then switch to the bread hook.   If you are mixing with a hand mixer, mix until it gets too hard to mix and then dust your hands with flour and finish mixing it by hand.

Form dough into a large ball and put it back into the bowl.

Cover it with a dish cloth and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size.

To speed up this process – turn your oven to the WARM setting – warm up your oven – and then turn it off before putting the dough in the oven.  If the sides of the oven are too hot to touch, it is too hot.  Open the door and let it cool off a bit.

Remove dough from the oven.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Roll dough into a large rectangle, making sure not to roll it too thin.

I have found that it makes it easier in the end if you start with the dough in somewhat of a rectangle shape.

FILLING:

1/3 cup butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar, packed

About 2 – 3 T. ground cinnamon – I don’t measure this out

Spread dough with the softened butter.

Sprinkle the brown sugar over all.

Sprinkle cinnamon over the brown sugar.  (I don’t measure the cinnamon – I just sprinkle it on.)

Roll the dough up.

Using dental floss, cut into about 10 – 12 rolls, making sure that the rolls are pretty close to even in size.  You could mark the dough where you are cutting it to help keep the rolls a constant size.  I cut these 1 1/2 inches.

Place rolls in a lightly greased 9 x 13 baking dish.  Put the larger rolls around the sides and the smaller rolls in the middle for even baking.  (These are in an aluminum tin because I was giving them away.)

If you have extra rolls that don’t fit into your pan, just put them in an extra small pan.  Don’t want to waste any of that yummy goodness!

Cover and let rise until nearly doubled.  You may want to heat your oven up again – MAKE SURE TO TURN IT OFF before inserting rolls.

Bake rolls at 375 degrees for about 19 minutes, or until golden brown.  Check the rolls half way through the cooking process.  You might want to lay a piece of foil over the top if they are getting too brown.

FROSTING:

3 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar 

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/8 tsp. salt

milk – to achieve the correct consistency

While rolls are baking, beat together the frosting ingredients. Spread or drizzle over the rolls.

FULL RECIPE WITHOUT PICTURES —

CINNAMON ROLLS DOUGH:

1 cup warm milk

2 eggs, room temperature

1/3 cup margarine, melted

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. salt

1/2 cup sugar

1 pkg.  (1 T.) active dry yeast

FILLING:

1 cup brown sugar, packed

About 2 – 3  T. ground cinnamon

1/3 cup butter, softened

FROSTING:

3 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar 

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/8 tsp. salt

milk – to achieve the correct consistency

Heat milk slightly in the microwave.

Melt margarine in the microwave. Dissolve the yeast in the warm milk in a large bowl or a kitchen mixer bowl.

Mix in the sugar, margarine, salt and eggs.

Add the flour in quarters and mix well.

NOTE:  If using a kitchen mixer – use the mixing blade until about 1/2 the flour is used and then switch to the bread hook.)   If you are mixing with a hand mixer, mix until it gets too hard to mix and then dust your hands with flour and finish mixing it by hand.

Form dough into a large ball and put it back into the bowl. Cover it with a dish cloth and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size.

To speed up this process – turn your oven to the WARM setting – warm up your oven – and then turn it off before putting the dough in the oven.  If the sides of the oven are too hot to touch, it is too hot.  Open the door and let it cool off a bit.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Roll dough into a large rectangle, making sure not to roll it too thin.

Spread dough with the softened butter and sprinkle the brown sugar over all.

Sprinkle cinnamon over the brown sugar.  (I don’t measure the cinnamon – I just sprinkle it on.)

Roll the dough up.

Using dental floss, cut into about 10 – 12 rolls, making sure that the rolls are pretty close to even in size.  You could mark the dough where you are cutting it to help keep the rolls a constant size.  1 1/2 inches is a good size.

Place rolls in a lightly greased 9 x 13 baking dish.  Put the larger rolls around the sides and the smaller rolls in the middle for even baking.

Cover and let rise until nearly doubled.

Bake rolls at 375 degrees for about 19 minutes, or until golden brown.  Check the rolls half way through the cooking process.  You might want to lay a piece of foil over the top if they are getting too brown.

While rolls are baking, beat together the frosting ingredients.

Spread or drizzle over the rolls.