Cinnamon Rolls

Well, I did it! I made cinnamon rolls and they were awesome! I made them in honor of Carey, a friend who I've known for seven years and hadn't seen in five. These were amazing at 10 AM and again at 2 AM when we were up catching up on life! This recipe, minus the glaze, come from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone.

Cinnamon rolls are relatively easy to make but the dough requires a bit of time. Since I wanted to focus on my friend, I made the cinnamon rolls one week in advance and froze them before letting them rise the 2nd time. I defrosted over night in the fridge and let them rise at room temperature for 2 hours before baking them.

Classic Sandwich Bread Recipe
-2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
-1/2 tsp sugar
-1 cup warm milk
-1 T honey
-1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 2 1/2 tsp salt
-2 cups all purpose flour
-3 to 4 bread flour (used all purpose)

In a small bowl, stir 1/2 cup warm water and the yeast together, add the sugar, and set aside until foam, about 10 minutes. In a larger bowl, combine the milk, 1 cup warm water and salt, then stir in the proofed yeast. Using a wooden , work in the flour a cup at a time until you have a shaggy, heavy dough that leaves the sides of the bowl. Turn it out onto a lightly floured counter and gradually kneed in the remaining flour until the dough is smooth and resilient, about 5 minutes. Put it in a deep oiled bowl, turning it so that the top is oiled too. Cover with a damp towel and set in a warm place to rise until doubled in bulk, an hour or longer.

If you use this particular dough recipe, cut the recipe in half or make the full amount and use half for bread.

Filling
-1 T ground cinnamon
-1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (didn't have any)
-1/2 cup raisins or currants
-2 T melted butter

While dough is rising, mix the cinnamon, brown sugar, nuts, and raisins in a small bowl.

Push the dough down. Roll half the dough into a 12 x 156 inch rectangle. Brush it with the melted butter, sprinkle the sugar mixture over the surface, and tightly roll up lengthwise. Slice into rounds about inch wide and set them in the butter- coated pan, cut side facing up. Don't hesitate to cram them together. Let them rise for 30 minutes.

If you want to freeze, place sliced rounds in the freezer. Don't let them rise the 2nd time.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake the roll in the center of the oven until well risen and browned, about 30 minutes. I don't know why but all the recipes said to invert them onto a serving plate --the sugar will have caramelized and coated the rolls.

Click here for the glaze recipe -- it may seem a little thick but if you slab it on after the rolls come out of the oven, it just melts and oozes. Very good!

Having never made cinnamon rolls, I found this video super helpful for rolling and cutting up the rolls.