Hello everyone...
Well this weekend Jason worked 11am to 11pm Saturday and Sunday! So I decided to bake.
I had been wanting to try making homemade cinnamon rolls... I mean who does not love a cinnamon roll... they smell amazing, they are OoOey GoOoey and sweet... and they just make people smile and laugh... So I did it. I searched some recipes at AllRecipes.com and found what i thought sounded like the perfect one. There was just one problem... I DO NOT HAVE A BREAD MAKER and that is what the recipe called for! I really like the idea of making bread the old fashion way and I have never had the extra money to get one so there for I do not own one.
I decided to see if I could make it work without one and I did!! They are amazing and perfect and definitely going to be made at our house again. I split them up and took half with me to work and half with Jason to his work.... I tried one last night... I could only get through a third of it as it was 9pm and I was full from dinner anyway... but I had to try one ;o) I have been at work for almost 2 hours and we are down to one!!! Everyone has said they are wonderful so here is the recipe and how I did it minus the bread machine...
Ingredients:
-1 cup of warm milk (will need to be 110 degrees F)
-2 eggs
-1/3 cup melted or softened butter ( all recipes said you can you margarine if you want but I used butter)
-4 1/2 cups All purpose flour( the recipe called for bread flour but I was out so I improvised)
-1 teaspoon salt
-1/2 cup white sugar
-7g pack of yeast ( I used Red Star)
For the filling:-1 Cup brown sugar
-2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
-1/3 cup softened butter
For the Icing:-1 3oz package of cream cheese softened
-1/4 cup butter softened
-1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
-1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
-1/8 teaspoon salt
OK so first things first you need to take the milk and heat it up. I placed mine in the microwave for 30 seconds, then I stirred it up and heated it for another 30 seconds. I pulled it out and checked the temperature and then I added the yeast packet in. I then stirred until the yeast had dissolved. Then pour the milk yeast mixture into your kitchen aid mixer ( which I could not live without!!). I then added the eggs one at a time. Then the butter, salt, sugar and flour. I kept mixing until a dough form appeared. I then heavily floured my surface and pulled the dough out of the mixer. I kneaded the dough with my hands for approx 5 to 10 minutes.
Once this was done I preheated the oven to 200 degrees F and turned it off. I placed the dough in a bowl with a damp paper towel over the top and placed it in the oven to rise.
After one hour I removed the dough.
Again on a floured surface I rolled the dough out.
In a separate bowl I mixed the brown sugar and cinnamon for the filling. I then dropped in the butter and started mixing... I thought to myself how in the world am I going to spread this on. I then realized like a retard that I was supposed to put the butter on the dough then coat not drop it into the sugar cinnamon mixture...I then took a little extra butter and coated the dough and then placed the cinnamon and sugar mixture all over the dough. It was a little clumpy but it in no way affected the outcome.
Then you roll the dough up and get a piece of dental floss ( this is the best trick that I learned from AllRecipes.com) you place the floss under the cinnamon roll log and raise both sides up. You then cross them and pull down. This will cut the roll in a perfect cut without smashing it as you try to cut it.
place wax paper in the pan and spray it down with Pam or the cooking spray of your choice. Place the rolls in the pan.
Then leave them to rise some more while you preheat the oven to 400 degree F. Once the oven is preheated place the rolls in the oven for about 15 minutes or until lightly golden brown on the
top.
While the rolls are in the oven go ahead and make the icing.
In a bowl combine all the ingredients and turn your mixer on... at first it will seem to dry and all balled up... just keep mixing and it will turn into luscious creamy frosting in no time flat!
Once the rolls come out of the oven put them onto a place and frost right away so the frosting can melt all into the rolls...
I doubled the recipe for the icing but it was too much... I think 1 and half the amount of frosting would be perfect but it depends how you like to eat them!
I do recommend you guys try this recipe out... it took no time at all and from the research I did you can make the dough the night before then take it out of the fridge in the morning and let it rise and start from there... I even think after I cut the rolls and placed them in the pan that they would have been fine in the fridge over night. I would have taken them out for a half hour or so to rise and reach room temp then attempt to cook them and frost them... I think they would have been ok but for the first try I didn't want to play around....
I hope you all had a fantastic weekend. We are supposed to get about 6 inches of snow tonight and if that happens and I get a snow day from work I will be baking at least 1 if not 2 new recipes I have to try... Since it will be like a free day! I am really hoping for that haha but we will see...
Sinfully Yours,
Heather
EDIT: This picture is when I made them Mini for an Easter party... I think they are adorable in this size... they look like a fairy sprinkled magic dust on them and they shrunk!!
