Cinnamon Rolls
Skill Level
Intermediate
I got this recipe from a friend of mine (thank you Erin). She would cut the recipe in half because her Kitchen Aid wouldn't handle a full batch. I made a full batch for a church Christmas Party in my Bosch mixer and realized a full batch is over 5 dozen. These are so good though that I came home with no left-overs, which was my goal. Because of the ridiculous size of a whole batch, I've posted the recipe as a half batch, which still feeds my family for a couple of days (perfect for sharing).
1
Dough - Step 1
Ingredients
1 Tbsp
Yeast
1/2 C
Water, tap-hot (120*)
1/2 tsp
Sugar
Instructions
Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water to proof yeast. Let rest for 5 minutes. If the yeast is good it should become foamy.
No matter the recipe, I always proof my yeast to give it a head start and to make sure it's good. Then I avoid the frustration of making a whole batch of dough that didn't rise.
2
Dough - Step 2
Ingredients
2 C
Milk, scalded
1/2 C
Sugar
1/2 C
Shortening
2
Egg
1 C
Mashed potatoes
1 tsp
Salt
6 C
All-purpose flour
Instructions
Scald milk, add shortening, sugar, salt and potatoes. Add half the flour before adding eggs and yeast mixture. This will help cool the mixture so the scalded milk doesn't kill the yeast. Mix until combined in a mixer. Add flour until the dough is a soft consistency - not too sticky. Cover and let rise until double it's original size (about 1 hour).
The trick to these cinnamon rolls is in the soft dough. To keep the dough soft, mix in the flour until just the right consistency, don't over mix. As soon as the dough is the right consistency -- starting to pull away from the sides -- I turn off my mixer. Also, don't add too much flour. I err on the side of the dough being a little sticky. I can always add more flour at the roll-out step. For the mashed potatoes - I have made instant potatoes frequently. I add the extra water, and potato flakes to the scalded milk before adding the other ingredients. It's important to cool the milk down to 120* before adding the yeast.
3
Slurry
Ingredients
1 C
Butter, melted
2 C
Brown sugar
4 Tbsp
Cinnamon
2 Tbsp
Vanilla instant pudding
Instructions
Mix all ingredients together.
I have also used other flavors of pudding with success, but our favorite is simply vanilla.
4
Form the Rolls
Ingredients
Instructions
Split the dough into 2 sections. Roll out 1/2 of dough into a rectangle (16x21) and cover with half of the slurry. Roll the dough from the short side into a spiral (so the finished roll will be 21 inches long) and cut using floss to slice 1 1/2 inch sections. Place rolls, cut side up (so you can see the swirl), in a greased 9x13 glass pan. Repeat with the second half. Let rise again until double (about 30 minutes).
My new favorite way to make cinnamon rolls is not actually rolls, but a star. I found the pattern through pinterest but it's also easy to google. It uses the same amount of dough to make 4 layers in the star and turns out so pretty.
5
Bake
Ingredients
Instructions
Bake for 10-15 minutes at 375*. Then spread the icing over warm cinnamon rolls shortly after they have come out of the oven.
Another secret to success - do not overcook the cinnamon rolls. Pull them from the oven when they are slightly brown on top. Overcooking will dry the rolls. (But if they do overcook icing works great to cover it up.)
Let the cinnamon rolls cool for 5-10 minutes to avoid drippy icing.
6
Icing
Ingredients
8 oz
Cream cheese, softened
1 tsp
Vanilla
3 C
Powdered sugar
1 Tbsp
Milk
Instructions
Cream all ingredients together in a stand mixer for 5 minutes.
Put icing into a zip top bag and cut off a bottom corner to easily spread icing without squishing the cinnamon rolls. This will also help with evenly spreading out the icing.
