Cinnamon Rolls

Yesterday, we had a Mother's Day Brunch at Mark and Beth's (pictures to follow in a day or so). It was a BEAUTIFUL day in so many ways, and the weather was gorgeous.

I tried a new recipe, Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Rolls, with two small adaptations -- and they were a hit! Already had requests for the recipe. I'm copying this one on here, not just giving you the link. Try 'em. They're super easy to make, incredibly delicious, and they make ALOT (next time, I'm cutting the recipe in half...even with brunch and giving many away, there were still quite a few).

Enjoy!


Cinnamon Rolls

Mix 1 quart of whole milk (4 cups), 1 cup of vegetable oil, and 1 cup of sugar in a pan. "Scald" the mixture (heat until just before the boiling point.) Turn off heat and leave to cool 45 minutes to 1 hour. (note from Linda – I also added 1 tsp Watkins butter extract at this point -- it added great flavor without the added fat.)

When the mixture is lukewarm to warm, but NOT hot, sprinkle in 2 packages Active Dry Yeast. Then add 8 cups of all-purpose flour. Stir mixture together. Cover and let sit for at least an hour.
Now add 1 more cup of flour…1 heaping teaspoon baking powder…And 1 "scant" (less than a full) teaspoon baking soda and 1 heaping tablespoon of salt.

Stir mixture together. At this point, you could cover the dough and put it in the fridge until you need it—overnight or even a day or two, if necessary. Or, of course, you can just go ahead and make the rolls.

Take half the dough and form a rough rectangle. Then roll the dough thin, maintaining a general rectangular shape. Rectangle should increase in both width and length as you roll it out. Now drizzle 1 1/2 to 2 cups melted butter over the dough (I used less than half this amount and it was plenty). Don’t be shy; lay it on thick, baby. You know you want it. Now sprinkle 1 cup of sugar over the butter……followed by a generous sprinkling of cinnamon. Now, starting at the opposite end, begin rolling the dough in a neat line toward you. Keep the roll relatively tight as you go. Some of the butter/sugar/cinnamon mixture may ooze out toward the end, but that’s no big deal. Next, pinch the seam to the roll to seal it.

Spread 1 tablespoon of melted butter in seven round, foil cake or pie pans. Then begin cutting rolls approximately 3/4 to 1 inch thick and laying them in the buttered pans. Repeat this process with the other half of the dough. This recipe makes approximately seven pans of rolls.
Let the rolls sit for 20 to 30 minutes to rise, then bake at 400 degrees until light golden brown, about 15 to 18 minutes. While the rolls are in the oven, make the deliciously sinful maple frosting.

To a mixing bowl, add 1 bag of powdered sugar. To this, add about 2 teaspoons maple flavoring…1/2 cup milk.... 1/4 cup melted butter……and 1/4 cup of brewed coffee. Also add 1/8 teaspoon (a generous pinch) salt. Generously drizzle frosting over warm rolls after you pull them out of the oven. And take a walk on the wild side. Don’t be afraid to drown them puppies. Be sure to get frosting around the perimeter of the pan, too, so the icing will coat the outside of the rolls.

And if you want seriously good rolls...don't mess around with store-bought stuff -- use the Watkins cinnamon, baking powder, butter extract, and maple extract. You won't be sorry!