Our Favorite Sunday Treat!

So up until a few months ago, I had never attempted making cinnamon rolls. Not being a much of a bread maker, they seemed way too complicated. But then one Sunday I came across this recipe called "Clone of a Cinnabon". I had all of the ingredients and wasn't going anywhere for a few hours, so I gave it a try. They are now our FAVORITE treat! And they really DO taste like the real thing. I am kind of particular about my homemade cinnamon rolls -- I don't like the ones that have too much roll, but not enough gooey filling. (I mean, isn't the center everyone's favorite part?) So the trick I've found is to roll the dough a little thinner than you'd think, and then I added more cinnamon goo in the middle and a bit more frosting and they are just perfect! (The recipe below has the amounts that I use exactly -- no need to increase it from that.)

I can usually only make them on Sundays because start to finish they take about 2-3 hours, (and during the week I'm rarely home for a stretch that long) but they are well worth it. It does seem, though, when I go to make them, I'm usually missing an ingredient. Today I was out of eggs. Luckily my sweet neighbors across the street, Tracy & Justin, let me borrow two, so guess who got a plate of cinnamon rolls in return? Thank you!

Here's the recipe step by step. I promise you won't be disappointed!

Heat oven to 200 degrees while you're making the dough.

Dough:

1 cup warm milk
2 1/2 tsp yeast
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs, room temp (but I always forget to get them to room temp ahead of time, so they turn out fine if you put them in chilled)
1/3 cup melted butter
4 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt

Mix milk and 1 tbsp of the sugar until dissolved, then add yeast. I let it proof for a few minutes so you know the yeast is working (it starts to bubble a bit). Then add the rest of the wet ingredients. Mix the dry ingredients and add to wet mixture. Mix and kneed until it becomes a soft ball. (I just throw mine in the Bosch and it does all the kneading.)

Turn OFF the oven. Cover the dough with a moist towel over the bowl and put in warmed oven for 1 hour (it will double in size). Turn out the dough on lightly floured surface. Cover and let rest 10 minutes.

FILLING:

1 1/2 cups brown sugar
3 Tbsp cinnamon
1/3 cup butter, softened.

In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon. Roll dough into large rectangle.

(Hayley had fun taking pictures...)

Spread the softened butter all over the dough and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture.

Roll up the dough and cut into 12 rolls.

Place rolls in lightly greased 9x13 pan. Cover and let rise about 30 minutes.


Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake rolls in oven until golden brown, about 10-15 minutes.

While baking, make the icing:

6 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt

Spread frosting over warm (not hot) rolls before serving. Seriously, you need to try these.