Cinnamon Rolls - Another Try!

Sooner or later, I am going to get this recipe right!!  At least, you got to give me an A for effort - the search for "the perfect cinnamon roll."  It is out there - I know it is - I just have to find it.  Maybe today, maybe not.  Ok, let's be positive.  Today is the day.  It has to be today because I need it to be today.  Today is one of those Ohio's typical dreary Mondays and I am feeling down because I haven't had a phone call from my son (code name Opie) since he left "Mayberry" back in December.

Back to the recipe.  This particular recipe is one that I found about 10 years ago when I had NO clue what I was doing - only baked cookies and brownies.  Baking bread involved going to the store and buying those frozen loaves of bread that you threw in a pan and then into the oven - magically you were a bread baker.  I found the recipe this weekend, so I thought I would give it one more try since I had a better understanding of what I am doing now - HA!!  The recipe:

Giant Cinnamon Rolls


Dough:
8 to 8 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups warm milk (105 to 115 degrees)
2/3 cups granulated sugar
2 packages yeast
3 large eggs
2 sticks butter, melted and cooled (1 cup)

Filling:
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 stick butter, melted (1/2 cup)
3/4 tsp cinnamon

Frosting:
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1 T milk
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1.  Combine 2 cups of the flour, milk, sugar and yeast in large bowl, mix well.  Add eggs and butter.  Stir in as much of the remaining flour as need to form soft dough.  Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface.  Knead dough, adding more flour as needed, until the dough is smooth and elastic - about 5 to 8 minutes.  Transfer to a large greased bowl.  Turn to coat both sides.  Cover with saran wrap and dish towel and allow to rise until double in size - about 1 hour.

2.  Punch down with fist (great if you have kids - they love doing this BUT make sure they have clean hands!!).  Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead for 10 to 15 times.  Cover with towel and let rest for 10 minutes.  Roll out dough to 24 by 15 inch rectangle.

3.  For filling, combine brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon in small bowl, stir well.  Spread unto dough within 1 inch of edge - it doesn't have to be perfect - as you see above.  Roll up tightly lengthwise, pinching edges together to seal.  Cut into 16 slices with serrated bread knife.  Place rolls onto two greased 13 by 9 inch baking pans.  Cover with towel; let rise until double - about 15 minutes.

4.  Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.  Bake until golden brown - 20 to 25 minutes.  Let cool slightly.  For frosting, stir together confectioners' sugar, milk and vanilla in small bowl.   Mix until smooth.  Drizzle frosting over rolls.

Try to let rolls cool before you eat - trust me - it's hard not to!!!

Verdict:
These turned out HUGE!!  Though, they are NOT the 'PERFECT homemade cinnamon roll, they are pretty darn close.  I was very pleased how these turned out.  The one thing that was very interesting was that the rolls baked in the aluminium pan turned out differently than the ones in the pyrex glass baking pan.  The bottom of the rolls in the aluminium pan were a dark brown while the others in the glass pan were a nice golden color - hmmmm??  SO, if you do decide to bake these rolls, definitely use a glass pyrex baking pan.  This is definitely a keeper recipe!

Critic's Review (i.e. my husband) - We have a winner!!  He loved the cinnamon rolls.  He thought these were the best rolls that I have made.  They didn't last very long so I will be making them again.  I was thinking next time, I might add raisins to the filling.