These SOFT, SWEET, SPICY cinnamon rolls will melt in your mouth. They take a little effort, but are so worth it! Plus this recipe makes 30 good sized rolls, so you’ll get a lot of reward for you effort. Just be sure you have someone in mind with whom to share, or you’ll find yourself eating more than you had intended. I’m speaking from experience, here.
ALSO ~ I frequently divide the recipe in half, and they turn out beautifully, so don’t think you’ve got to commit to making 30.
AND ~ One more thing, the cream cheese frosting is rich and delicious, but not overly sweet, which makes it a perfect compliment to the rolls.
Easy Step-By-Step Instructions for Cinnamon Rolls
Melt
½ cup butter (1 stick)
Let cool for 15 minutes.
Gently combine the following
2 cups warm milk
1 tablespoon yeast
½ cup sugar
Let stand until bubbly. (about 10 minutes)
In a separate bowl, beat
3 eggs
Then mix with the cooled butter.
Add egg/butter to the yeast mixture along with
3 cups flour
Mix until combined.
Add
1 teaspoon salt
1-2 cups flour
to make a soft dough. The less flour you use, the more tender your rolls will be.
Knead dough for several minutes.
Into a large mixing bowl, drizzle
1 teaspoon oil
Then wipe all the way around, from top to bottom.
Put dough into oiled bowl, and turn it over so that the oil coats all of it.
Loosely cover the bowl with a clean (lint-free) towel, and let it rise until double. (about 1 hour)
Punch down the dough and turn it out onto a clean surface. (I spray the surface with a non-stick cooking spray to keep the dough from sticking)
Divide into 2 equally sized balls. Then cover them with the towel, and let them rest for 10 minutes.
Working with one ball at a time, roll the dough into a large rectangle (approximately 15 x 10 inches) and spread with
¼ cup softened butter
Then sprinkle each rectangle with
½ cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon.
Starting at the wide end, roll up each rectangle to make a spiral tube. Pinch the seam closed.
Use a long piece (18 inches) of thread, fish line, or even dental floss. Slide it under the spiral tube about 1 inch from the edge. Lift both ends up to the top of the roll, and cross them to opposite sides, pulling tightly. The thread will smoothly slice through the dough and make a perfect roll.
Place the roll on a baking sheet which has been lined with silicone mats or parchment paper. (You could grease the sheet, instead.)
Repeat 15 times per spiral cylinder.
Cover with a towel, and let them rise until double in size. (about 1 hour)
When they’ve doubled in size, preheat oven to 350 degrees F, and bake for approximately 15-20 minutes. Watch carefully.
When they’re a lovely shade of golden-brown, remove from oven, and let them rest in the pan for about 20 minutes.
While they cool, make the icing.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the following, and beat until fluffy.
1 brick (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
½ cup butter (softened)
4 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons cream (or half and half or milk)
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
Spread over the warm rolls, and give it a few minutes to melt into the crevices.
YUM …
… YUM …
… YUMMY!
Free Printable Recipe for Cinnamon Rolls
- 2 cups warm milk
- 1 tablespoon yeast
- ½ cup sugar
- 3 eggs (room temperature)
- ½ cup melted butter (cooled)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 to 5 cups bread flour
- 1/2 cup softened butter for spreading on dough
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon oil (to grease bowl)
- 1 brick (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons cream (may substitute half and half or whole milk)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm milk. Let stand until bubbly. (about 10 minutes)
- In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and mix with the cooled butter.
- Add to the yeast mixture along with about 3 cups of flour. Mix until combined.
- Add and the salt and just enough more flour make a soft dough. The less flour you use, the more tender your rolls will be.
- Knead dough for several minutes.
- Drizzle teaspoon of oil into large mixing bowl, and wipe all the way around, from top to bottom.
- Put dough into oiled bowl, and turn it over so that the oil coats all of it.
- Loosely cover the bowl with a clean (lint-free) towel, and let it rise until double. (about 1 hour)
- Punch down the dough and turn it out onto a clean surface. (I spray the surface with a non-stick cooking spray to keep the dough from sticking)
- Divide into 2 equally sized balls. Then cover them with the towel, and let them rest for 10 minutes.
- Line 2 baking pans with silicone mats or lightly coat with non-stick spray.
- With a rolling pin, roll each ball into a large rectangle. (Approximately 15 x 10 inches) Spread ¼ cup of softened butter on each rectangle. Then sprinkle each with ½ cup brown sugar and 1 tablespoon of cinnamon.
- Starting at the wide end, roll up each rectangle to make a spiral tube. Pinch the edge closed.
- Use a long piece (18 inches) of thread, fish line, or even dental floss. Slide it under the spiral tube about 1 inch from the edge. Lift both ends up to the top of the roll, and cross them to opposite sides, pulling tightly. The thread will smoothly slice through the dough and make a perfect roll. Repeat to make 15 rolls from each spiral.
- Place the rolls on the prepared pans. Cover with the towel, and let them rise until double in size. (about 1 hour)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, and bake for approximately 15-20 minutes. Watch carefully.
- When they reach the perfect shade of golden-brown, remove from oven. Let them rest in the pan for about 20 minutes. Get started on the icing because you'll want to frost them while they're still a little warm, but not hot.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients, and beat until fluffy. Spread over warm cinnamon rolls, and enjoy.