Cinnamon rolls

So this past week, I have been conquering some of my fears in the kitchen. Early in the week, I made a roast chicken. It looked amazing but unfortunately I overcooked it so the meat was tough. I had the chicken roast on a layer of onions and from that was able to make onion gravy. Which was yummy with the mashed potatoes. 


And I finally used one of my Christmas gifts, the dutch oven to make baked beans for the first time. Hubby has been asking me to try making these and I usually cringe when he opens up a can of it. And to my surprise it wasn't that bad but it did involve a lot of sweetening. And another day, it was my first time to make pizza dough. I guess the thought of working with yeast somehow intimidated me. But we gave it a go. And we had pretty good pizza that night. 


And since working with the yeast wasn't that bad, I decided to make cinnamon rolls. So here is the recipe. They turned out pretty well and even got hubby's approval. The only thing he would change is the whole wheat flour. I know, cinnamon rolls, whole wheat?? but that was the flour I had on hand, and of course, the assortment of gluten free alternatives, but I thought I would master it with wheat first!

Enjoy!

Cinnamon Rolls

Modified from Allrecipes.com

For the dough

2 packages active dry yeast or 4 1/2 tsp.
1/3 cup organic sugar
2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 tablespoon salt
6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided ( I used a mix of all purpose and whole wheat flour)
2 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil

For the filling 
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup softened butter
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Cream Cheese Frosting

( I made a lot of frosting since I doubled the dough recipe)

1 package of cream cheese

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

2 cups. icing sugar

Directions

1.  In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast and 1/3 cup sugar in warm water. Stir in salt and 2 cups flour using the dough attachment on your mixer. Beat mixture for 2 minutes. Beat in eggs and oil. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. 
2. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. (Instead of this step I left it in the mixer with the dough attachment for another 8 minutes). Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes. 
3. For the filling, cream the butter in the mixer and add the rest of the ingredients. Mix and set aside. 
4. Remove the dough from the bowl and place onto a floured surface. Make a log and then using a roller, roll and flatten it into a rectangle shape. Using a spatula spread the filling over the dough, leaving a 1/2" border around the perimeter. At this point you can sprinkle the nuts or any other topping you choose to use. Starting from one end, roll the dough into a log. Using a sharp knife or a pastry tool cut approx. 2" length pieces and place into a lightly oiled 9x13 inch baking dish with approximately an 1" space in between to allow for more expansion.  
5. Cover the rolls with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled in volume, about 50 minutes.  Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). For the frosting, to ensure a  smoother frosting allow the cream cheese and butter to soften at room temperature. Beat cream cheese at medium speed until smooth, and then add butter and continue to mix. Add in the vanilla extract and icing sugar one cup at a time. Beat for a few minutes at medium to high speed.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, until golden. Remove the rolls from the pan and let them cool on a rack. And since they taste better when they are warm, you can frost them after cooling a few minutes and enjoy!

Happy Friday and have a great weekend!!!

XOX