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Homemade Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting

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My son raves about cinnamon rolls his friend’s mom makes and sells. I love to bake bread and decided I’d find something online and see if I could come close to his description of her gooey sweet rolls. This recipe is found on Allrecipes.com but I made a few adjustments. It isn’t hard but takes a while to prepare. It’s also a very sticky dough. Be prepared to get a little messy.

Dough

  • 1 cup milk
  • ½ cup butter
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 6 cups all-purpose flour

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Filling

  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 cups brown sugar
  • ½ cup butter, softened

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
  • 1 TBSP butter, softened
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 TBSP milk

 

  1. Warm the milk over low to medium heat. As soon as tiny bubbles begin to form around the edges of the milk, remove the milk from the heat.
  2. Mix the butter with the milk until the butter is melted.
  3. Add the water and let the milk, butter and water mixture cool to lukewarm.
  4. In a large mixing bowl, add the milk mixture, sugar and yeast. Stir to dissolve the sugar and let the mixture stand for about 10 minutes. **This is important for the yeast to activate.

 

While you are kneading the dough in the next step, preheat your oven to 175 degrees. If your oven doesn’t go as low as 175, don’t heat higher than 200 degrees. Once it hits the temperature, leave it on for five minutes and then turn it off.

 

  1. To the mixture from step 4, add salt, eggs and 2 cups of flour. Mix to combine. Then add ½ cup flour at a time of remaining flour, beating after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out on a lightly floured surface. Let it rest about 10 minutes and then knead the dough for at least 8 minutes. IF YOU HAVE A DOUGH HOOK, on your stand mixer, I recommend using it for this sticky dough. If not, the hand kneading is sticky but works.
  2. Put the dough in a greased mixing bowl (large bowl at least twice the size of the dough). Place a lightly damp towel over the bowl and place the bowl in the middle of the warmed oven (make sure the oven is not on). Let the dough rise for about an hour.
  3. Turn out the risen dough on a lightly floured surface. Cut it into two equal parts.
  4. Roll each part into about a 13×9 rectangle. This dough is really hard to roll into a rectangle. Since it’s so “springy,” it doesn’t shape well. I have a large butcher block cutting board and have better luck when I use this for my “lightly floured surface.” Others posted in their reviews on allrecipes.com they rolled it out as much as they could and then pulled the corners out by hand.
  5. Once the dough is rolled out, mix the ingredients for the cinnamon and brown sugar filling. (I mix this in two separate bowls, halving the ingredients for each bowl. I have more to clean up this way but it’s easier for me to put equal amounts into each dough rectangles.)
  6. Spread half of the mixture over each rectangle (if you didn’t separate it into two bowls). Leave about ¼ to ½ inch at the top, long edge free of the mixture. Starting from the edge closest to you (long edge), roll the dough leaving the top edge showing (mixture free). Wet the top edge with a little water. Then finish rolling the dough. This will seal the roll.
  7. Using a sharp knife OR flavor free dental floss to cut the roll into 12 pieces. Place 12 rolls in a greased 13×9 pan. Cover and let rise in refrigerator overnight. (OR cover and let rise on your counter for about 2 hours.)
  8. Repeat steps 10 and 11 for the other rectangle of dough.
  9. In the morning, I let mine rise for another hour on the counter but it isn’t necessary. Bake at 375 degrees for 22 – 25 minutes.
  10. While the rolls are baking combine confectioners’ sugar, cream cheese, butter and vanilla. Add milk gradually until the frosting is smooth. Spread over warm rolls.

These rolls freeze really well, but if you don’t want to make 24 rolls, simply half the recipe. You can also add chopped pecans and raisins to the brown sugar mixture. I have added cinnamon and brown sugar to the bottom of the greased pan prior to adding the rolls. After the rolls cook, I immediately turn them upside down on a tray. The cinnamon and brown sugar caramelize the top for an even sweeter treat.

My family and friends love them. It does take some work, but it’s always an appreciated hit.

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