Pinteresting!

This week, I have finally found a little time to do some of the ideas I've seen on Pinterest! After trying the coconut oil on the hair trick (which worked fabulously!), I decided to try a recipe for what promised to be "just like Cinnabon" cinnamon rolls. So I gathered all the ingredients - I only had to go to the store for yeast - and set to work Saturday night. Here are the instructions - with my revisions and hints.

Ingredients:

1 cup warm milk 

2 eggs, room temperature

1/3 cup butter, melted 

4 1/2 cups bread flour or regular flour (bread flour makes for a lighter cinnamon roll)

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup white sugar

1 pkg yeast (1/4 ounce) 

Filling:

1 cup brown sugar, packed

2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

1/3 cup butter, softened 

Icing:

3 oz cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) butter, softened

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt (I never use salt in my recipes though)

First, microwave the milk for 45-60 seconds in the microwave. Dissolve the yeast in the warm milk in a large bowl. Add sugar, butter, salt, eggs, and flour. Mix well. Knead dough into a large ball, using your hands dusted lightly with flour. Put it in a bowl sprayed with cooking spray and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm place about 1 hour or until it has doubled in size. 

Next, in a small bowl, thoroughly combine the brown sugar and cinnamon. Spray a flat surface with cooking spray or sprinkle flour on it. Roll dough into a 16x21 inch rectangle about 1/4 inch thick. Spread the dough with 1/3 cup softened butter and sprinkle evenly with the sugar/cinnamon mixture. Roll up the dough, starting with the longer side, and cut into 12 rolls (or more smaller rolls). Place the rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 inch glass baking dish. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. After this, put them in the refrigerator for the next morning if you are doing them the night before (which I recommend). 

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake the rolls until golden brown, about 18-20 minutes. While the rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Spread frosting on while they are still warm so that the frosting melts into the roll. 

A few tips:

I thought I could outsmart the instructions and put the dough in a Tupperware bowl with the lid on instead of a bowl with plastic wrap. Little hint: The lid will pop off. Also, I tried to cheat a little and left the dough a little thinner and shorter than the recipe called for - this made the rolls a little too thick and not as enjoyable. The last thing I recommend is doubling the frosting. I used what the recipe called for here and it was a little scant for my taste. (This might be improved, however, if you simply roll the dough out correctly.)

All in all: they were still a success! I can't wait to make them again (in a little while - the prep time is about 2 hours and 15 minutes including the time waiting for the dough to rise) and improve them!