Cinnamon Buns, Rolls, whatever you want to call them!

The recipe originally comes from The Pioneer Woman ... and I've been making them every year for the past 4 years ... of course, I had to count on my fingers and remember key events to get to that number of years ... really, FOUR YEARS??

They aren't hard to make either ... I mean heck, if the Pioneer Woman is making them ... you know that they are GOOD and EASIER than most recipes ... gotta love that about anything!

I still have a HECK of a time gettng rolled tight, but probably cuz I really really load them up with filling. Which is what makes them so good, I think.

I also use brown sugar instead of white ... so there's my one noticable difference in the recipe...give your self 2 days to make these as you can toss the dough in the fridge over night and roll and bake the morning of.

Cinnamon Buns ... my version:

2 cups of milk (I use 2%)
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup of white sugar
1 pkg yeast
4 cups plus 1/2 cup of all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder (make this heaping)
1/2 tsp baking soda (make this 'scant')
1/2 tbs salt (heaping)
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
cinnamon

Ready?  Get yourself a big pot and add the milk, oil, sugar. Give it a quick whisk and scald the milk ... this is just BEFORE it starts boiling. Make sure the pot is big because it will bubble like mad AND you are going to mix the flour in too.

Once it is scalding go ahead and remove from the heat and let it sit for an hour or so til it cools down some (lukewarm to warm but NOT hot).

Sprinkle the yeast over top of and let that sit for a minute while it does it's foamy action.

Add in your 4 cups of flour. It's going to be a wet soggy mess, but that's ok. Put a lid on it and either let it rest for an hour on your countertop.

Add the 1/2 cup of flour, baking powder and baking soda AND the salt. Stir together. At this time, I would recommend you put in the fridge. It may grow overnight, just punch it down and tell it who's the boss. Personally, I would highly recommend you do the overnight thing. The dough will become much more manageable once it's cool like that. OR you can proceed to finishing them NOW.

::next morning::

Hello and good morning my baby (ummm, surely you talk to your food when excited?). Sprinkle your countertop surface with some flour. Dump the dough out in the middle of all the flour and roll out  into a rectangle (now, mind you, it does not need to be perfect).

Take your soft butter and rub it over the surface of the dough. Um, yes, I do use my hands because it's quicker and easier... then sprinkle the brown sugar over the butter and then the cinnamon. I don't measure the cinnamon, I just eyeball it, but I'm pretty generous with it.

Roll the rectangle up. I have no easy recommendations on this, except if you have a bench scrapper, use that to assist you where the dough might stick a little. I am still struggling with a TIGHT roll, but it's sufficient.

Once rolled, pinch the seam as much as you can. Cut into 1 inch sections (using the bench scraper, knife, non-waxed floss, etc.).

Place these is a dish that you've sprayed with non stick spray.

Cover and let rise for about 30 minutes.

 Bake at 400 degrees til light brown, 15 to 18 minutes.

Pull out, and top with glaze. I've made it with powdered sugar and milk with a pinch of vanilla. But I prefer to use canned cream cheese frosting that I've diluted (to make pourable) with milk. I just dump the frosting in a bowl, add a little milk, whisk, add more milk (a little), whisk until it's runny enough.

Enjoy!