I am so bad about typing up and giving out recipes! Most of the things I make I just kind of know how they are supposed to look and throw things together until they look right. Coming up with a recipe is a whole different ball game, but here is my best try. I took pictures :)
Time: Overnight Dough Thawing
Prep: 30 min (or less)
Cook: 30-45min
Cinnamon Roll Ingredients:
1 1/2 loaves of frozen "ready dough"
1 stick of butter
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. white sugar
4T cinnamon
some flour
Icing:
8oz package of cream cheese
1 stick of butter
2 c. powdered sugar
1T milk
1t. vanilla
pinch of salt
Cinnamon Rolls were probably one of the first things I learned to make outside of my mom's kitchen. They were our Christmas Project for "Food Science" in high school. Back then I would make the dough from scratch. Several years later I learned about this great little product from my Mother in Law, and there is no going back. (This is what she uses for peperoni rolls, for those of you who have wondered the secret to that recipe. Make a ball with cheddar cheese and peperoni & cook in a muffin tin. Best.Snack.Ever. Seriously.)
You can find this dough in the freezer section next to other frozen rolls. Tom Thumb always carries it, but I have had trouble finding it at other stores a couple times.
If you are making the Cinnamon Rolls in the morning, take the tray of dough out of the plastic bag and set it on the counter overnight. The dough will thaw and rise. If you are making them later in the day, put the dough in the fridge over night, then on the counter for at least 4 hours before you start baking. The dough should double in size. This picture is after it has been handled a little bit. It should be pretty big.
Take 1/2 the package, or a loaf and a half of dough and roll it out into a rectangle. For some reason I still do not own a rolling pin, so I wash a wine bottle (I always have one of those). I am also super fancy, and just wash my counters with soap and water and through some flour down. Excess flour on the counter and rolling pin do not affect the taste, so use as much as you need :)
Once you get the dough rolled into a rectangle cover it in butter. You want the butter to be soft and easy to spread, but not melted. Once it is covered in butter layer the Brown Sugar, White Sugar and Cinnamon. The order does not matter, and the amount does not need to be specific either. I just use a large spoon and sprinkle all three until it looks about like this:
Once you are happy with how it looks start rolling the dough into a long tube.
Using a bread knife (or whatever you have) slice 1in pieces and place them in a greased baking tin. This size works great for a 1 1/2 loaf batch. It feeds 4-6. If you are cooking for a large group, repeat the process with the remaining dough and fill a larger tray. The rolls expand in the oven, so leave them a little space.
Once your pan is filled bake for 30 min at 350. I often add 10-20 min. Start checking them after 30 min and once the center rolls are done pull them out.
Now for the icing. This is what makes them!
Beat together Cream Cheese and Butter. Add Vanilla & Salt. Then, slowly add in powdered sugar. Once the sugar is added, throw in a tablespoon of milk, and you should be done. More sugar makes it thicker, more milk thins it out. Find a consistency you like, then spread it on the Rolls while they are hot & enjoy!
I'm sure I messed something up or left something out, so if you have questions just call me :) After you make these once you will be able to do it in your sleep!
