Sweet Cinnamon Rolls Recipes

QUICK CINNAMON ROLLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Brush a 9-inch square baking dish with 2 tablespoons melted butter.
• Whisk flour, 2 tablespoons white sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Work 3 tablespoons softened butter into flour mixture using your hands. Beat milk and egg together in another bowl; pour into flour-butter mixture and stir with a rubber spatula until a soft dough forms.
• Turn dough out onto a floured work surface and roll dough into a 1/4-inch thick rectangle. Brush surface of dough with 2 tablespoons melted butter.
• Whisk 1/2 cup white sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Sprinkle 1/2 of the cinnamon sugar mixture in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle remaining cinnamon sugar over butter-brushed dough. Roll dough around filling to form a log; cut log into 18 rolls and place rolls in the prepared baking dish.
• Bake in the preheated oven until rolls are set, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Beat confectioners' sugar, cream cheese, 1/4 cup softened butter, and vanilla extract together in a bowl until frosting is smooth. Top hot cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting.

GRAMMA'S OLD-FASHIONED CINNAMON SWEET ROLLS

Steps:

• In a liquid measuring cup, heat milk/water to "wrist-warm" (do NOT boil; just warm).
• Add yeast and 2 tablespoons of the sugar (you'll use the rest in the next step). Stir the yeast and sugar; let this "work" for about 5 or 10 minutes. You should have some bubbly, frothy stuff in the cup when you return. (If not--your yeast is no good, dump it out and get better yeast.).
• Pour yeast-milk into mixing bowl, and add remaining sugar, butter, eggs, salt and 1 cup of the flour. Using beater, mix this mess for about a minute.
• Switch to the paddle (flat beater) or a dough hook, and add remaining flour one cup-at-a-time. The dough will form a ball, and feel slightly sticky. You may not need the entire 5 1/2 cups (depends on humidity, too).
• Fill medium glass bowl with hottest tap water. If your oven can be adjusted to 100 degrees, set it to 100 degrees. Also, if your oven has a light, turn it on; place the hot water on the bottom of the oven. Close the door.
• Grease a large, glass bowl. Remove dough from mixing bowl to a floured table/counter-top; knead for 1 minute; form into a ball and place in greased bowl, turning to get grease on all sides. Cover bowl loosely with a sheet of plastic wrap.
• Turn off 100 degree oven, place bowl of dough into oven; close the door. Set the timer for 1 hour.
• Clean up the mess BUT leave floured counter-top AS IS.
• At the end of one hour the dough should've risen to about double the size. If not, let it go for another 15 minutes (set the timer--it's easy to forget---out of sight, out of mind!).
• Gather filling ingredients: 1/4 cup of melted butter; cinnamon; brown sugar; raisins and/or chopped nuts (optional).
• Punch down the down; remove from bowl; with a large butcher knife, cut dough into two equal parts. Set one aside (cover with plastic wrap).
• Grease two 13x9-inch pans with BUTTER (no substitutes are allowed -- this is GRAMMA's recipe). :-) humor me, okay?.
• On floured counter-top, lay dough and with a rolling pin, shape & roll into large rectangle, oh about 8 x 16 inches or a bit larger, keep thickness consistent throughout.
• Pour HALF of the melted butter over this, and spread with a pastry brush, right out to the edges. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon (like 1-2 tablespoons), then a handful of brown sugar, spreading it evenly with fingers; right to the edges!
• Sprinkle some raisins and chopped nuts -- if using. Keep these closer to the long side closest to you.
• HERE's THE HARD PART: Starting at the side closest to you, LOOSELY roll away from you. Loosely is the KEY word. Tuck in any runaway raisins or nuts.
• Use that big knife to divide the roll in half in the middle. Then cut each half into SIX equal portions, for a total of 12 rolls.
• Starting in the middle of the roll (nicest shaped rolls) and working to the sloppy outside roll piecs, set them along the outside edges of the buttered pan, spacing evenly in the pan. Put the two end rolls in the very center of the pan. Set the cut side DOWN (so the top looks flat-ish). Set this pan on the stove for now.
• Repeat with remaining dough; vary the ingredients -- if you skipped raisins or nuts, maybe add some to this pan of rolls.
• Check if the water in the oven is still warm, if not dump out and start with fresh hot water. Put plastic wrap on both pans (re-use the other piece), and pop in the warm oven. Set the timer for 45 minutes. Go do something productive---clean the counter-top before all that stuff gets hard! :-D.
• When the rolls have risen to the top of the pan (or a smidgen over), remove them from the oven, preheat oven to 350. When it's warm bake them for 20 minutes; tops will be golden brown.
• Cool on a rack; then frost with a cream cheese/butter cream frosting (slather it on thick like Gramma does for the grandkids!).
• You have JUST entered the Pearly Gates!

BASIC SWEET-ROLL DOUGH

Steps:

• Warm 1/2 cup water and the milk in a saucepan over low heat until a thermometer registers 100 degrees F to 110 degrees F. Remove from the heat and sprinkle the yeast on top, then sprinkle with a pinch of the sugar; set aside, undisturbed, until foamy, about 5 minutes.
• Whisk the melted butter, egg yolk and vanilla into the yeast mixture until combined. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, the remaining sugar, the salt and nutmeg. Make a well in the center, then add the yeast mixture and stir with a wooden spoon to make a thick and slightly sticky dough. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until soft and elastic, about 6 minutes. Shape into a ball.
• Brush a large bowl with butter. Add the dough, turning to coat lightly with the butter. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until the dough is doubled in size, about 1 hour, 15 minutes.
• Turn the dough out of the bowl and knead briefly to release excess air; re-form into a ball and return to the bowl. Lightly butter a large piece of plastic wrap and lay it directly on the surface of the dough. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.

BASIC SWEET ROLL DOUGH FOR CINNAMON BUNS

Steps:

• in a large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, sugar, salt and yeast; blens well to mix. in small sauce pan heat water milk and butter until very warm (120-130 Degrees F.) Add warm liquid and egg to flour mixture. Blend at low speed until moistened. by hand add the other 3 cups of flour until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
• On floured surface, knead in another 1 to 2 cups of flour until dough is smooth and elastic, about 8-10 minutes. place dough in greased bowl and let rise covered in a warm place, until doubled in size.abouy 45 to 60 minutes.
• Punch dough down and divide in half. Shape and bake dough as desired, I make cinnamon rolls with this dough.by rolling it out spreading melted butter on it and sprinkleing it with cinnamon sugar and rolling up to cut in 1inch slices.
• To make dough a day ahead, after first rise time, punch dough down and cover to refrigerate overnight.

BEST CINNAMON ROLLS

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in warm milk. In another bowl, combine sugar, butter, eggs, salt, yeast mixture and 2 cups flour; beat on medium speed until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky)., Turn dough onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour., Mix brown sugar and cinnamon. Punch down dough; divide in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll 1 portion into an 11x8-in. rectangle. Brush with 2 tablespoons butter; sprinkle with half the brown sugar mixture to within 1/2 in. of edges. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; pinch seam to seal. Cut into 8 slices; place in a greased 13x9-in. pan, cut side down. Cover with a kitchen towel. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350°., Bake until golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Cool on wire racks., For frosting, beat butter, cream cheese, vanilla and salt until blended; gradually beat in confectioners' sugar. Spread over tops. Refrigerate leftovers.

SWEET CINNAMON ROLLS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the water. Set aside.
• Scald the milk over medium-high heat. Pour the heated milk into a large bowl, add the butter, and wait until the butter has melted.
• Add the sugar and salt, then stir to dissolve.
• Mix in the instant pudding and 1 1/2 cups of the flour.
• Add the yeast mixture and eggs and beat well.
• Stir in the remaining flour, cup by cup, until well blended.
• Turn the dough onto a lightly floured board and knead for 5 to 8 minutes, until it springs back when touched.
• Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 3 hours.
• Once the dough has risen, punch it down and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface.
• Roll out the dough into a 1/2-inch-thick rectangle.
• Smear with butter.
• Blend the sugar and cinnamon, then sprinkle them over the dough. Wait 2 to 3 minutes.
• Tightly roll up the dough lengthwise. Cut the roll into 1-inch pieces and place them cut-side up on slightly greased baking sheets, leaving a few inches between rolls.
• Let rolls rise until double in size (1 to 1 1/2 hours).
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Bake rolls for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden.
• After removing them from the oven, brush them with 1/4 cup of melted butter.
• Once they've cooled, dribble with a thin icing (optional).