Cinnamon Rolls During the Storm
It’s snowing! Here in Virginia the snow has been falling fairly consistently for about 24 hours, which is a BIG deal. The only cars on the road have been heavy trucks and the occasional plow.
What to do on a snowy day? Make cinnamon rolls, I say! And if the power goes out while they’re on the 2nd rise? Fire up the generator to power the oven! (Yes, this happened today. Cameron saved the cinnamon rolls.)
My inspiration for this recipe comes from “Clone of a Cinnabon” on AllRecipes.com. I have modified the instructions for those of us who don’t have bread machines.
1 cup milk, warm
1 pkg. (2 1/2 teaspoons) yeast
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
4 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 Tablespoons cinnamon (I recommend some really good stuff, like King Arthur’s Vietnamese Cinnamon.)
1/3 cup butter, softened
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (This organic version is a favorite.)
1. Combine warm milk and yeast in mixing bowl. Stir to dissolve yeast. Let sit for 10 minutes, until bubbly.
2. Add melted butter, eggs, sugar, salt, and flour. Mix until combined. Knead with dough hook for 5 minutes or by hand for 8-10 minutes.
3. Transfer dough to a large buttered bowl. Turn dough once to coat with butter. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm location* until doubled, about 1 hour.
5. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon. Spread softened butter evenly over rectangle of dough. Sprinkle evenly with sugar and cinnamon mixture.
6. Starting with a long edge, roll up dough into a log. When you reach the other long edge, pinch the dough to seal it and place it seam down on your work surface. Use a very sharp knife to cut log into 12 disc-like pieces. (Or use thick thread – run a piece under the log and cross the two ends over the top to slice each piece.)
7. In a buttered 9 by 13 pan, arrange the 12 pieces. Cover with plastic wrap. Place in a warm location and let rise until doubled.
8. Once doubled, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake rolls for 15-18 minutes.
9. As soon as you remove them from the oven, mix the frosting. In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla extract. Beat until well blended. Spread on top of warm rolls.
