Cinnamon Rolls - a Christmas Tradition

The recipe originally comes from The Pioneer Woman ... and I've been making them every year for the past 5 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 started making these on Christmas Eve one year, and it just became something that everyone expected ... and since I love that people LOVE when I make something for them, I'm always happy to bring out the flour and hop to the baking ...

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

I also use brown sugar instead of white ... so there's my one noticeable 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 counter top.

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 counter top 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!

*This makes a TON of cinnamon rolls and you can easily cut the recipe in half! If you don't want a bunch of sweets taunting you this year, by all means, halve the recipe!

*I am going to become very emotional this year when I make these as the last time I made them, my neighbor had requested them after she had gone through some chemotherapy ... it took her all day to eat one but she ate it and called me to bring another for the following day.

Looking forward to sharing with some of these great parties ... make sure you check them out! Wonderful Wednesday, Hearth & Soul, Fluster Buster Creative Muster,  Show Me What Ya Got, What's Cooking Wednesday, Its a Party!, Works For Me Wednesday, Sugar and Spice, Wake Up Wednesday, Whatever Goes Wednesday, Wednesday Whatsits, Real Fun, Work It Wednesday, Lovely Ladies, Weekly Creative, Domestic Superhero, All Things Thursday, The Weekly Creative, Together on Tuesday, Tasty Thursday, Full Plate Thursday, Create It Thursday, Fabulously Frugal Thursday, Crafty Thursday Obsessions,  Showcase Your Talent, Think Tank Thursday, Simple Lives Thursday, Foodie Friday, Get Real Frugal Friday, Frugal Fridays, Food on Friday, Freakin Did It Friday, Feature Friday, The Pin Junkie, Freedom Friday, Friday Favorite, Foodie Friday, A peek into my paradise, Weekend Social, Foodie Friends Friday, Fun Friday blog hop, Celebrate It!,  Friday Favorites, TGIF BLOG HOP, Weekend Retreat, What’s Shakin, Weekend Wonders, Weekend Potluck, Get Him Feed Anything Goes, Dwell on Fridays, Friday Foodfight, Lil Luna Link Party, Foodie Friday, TGI Friday Friday with Friends, Simple Living Foodie Friday, Inspirations, Weekend Wander, Weekly Roundup, Feature Yourself Saturday, Saturday Night Fever, The Party Bunch, Show Off Saturday, I Gotta Create, Show Off Weekend, Show Stopper Saturday, Sweet and Savory, The Weekend Creative, Weekend Potluck, Will Cook For Smiles, Strut Your Stuff Saturday, Saturday Show & Tell, Super Saturday Show & Tell, Say G'day Saturday, Not Bad Sunday, Potluck Party, Sunday Showcase,  Sundae Scoop, Super Sunday, Mop It Up Monday, Merry Monday, Creative Monday, The Scoop, Melt In Your Mouth Monday, Pin It Party,  Made By You Monday, Hunk of Meat Monday,  What’d You Do This Weekend, Marvelous Mess, Making It Cuter, Time To Sparkle, Mealtime Monday, Time To Sparkle, Makin You Crave Monday, Clever Chick, Creative Corner Blog Hop, Make Your Own Monday, Mix it Up Monday,  Save Money Monday, Lou Lou Girls, Inspire Me Monday, In and Out of the Kitchen, Memories, Tasty Tuesdays, Tuesdays At Our Home, How To Tuesday, Handmade Tuesday, Making a Home, Show Me The Goods, Totally Tasty Tuesday, All My Bloggie Friends, Share Your Stuff Tuesday, Tuesday Talent Show, Fat Tuesday, Penny Pinching Party, The Gathering Spot, Anti-Procrastination Tuesdays