When I was a teenager, we lived in a small town with a village restaurant. This particular restaurant had the most enormous cinnamon rolls, and they tasted even better than they looked! It was always a treat to get one, although it was difficult to eat a whole one by yourself. They were just too big.
Earlier this summer, after reminiscing about some childhood memories, I became obsessed with finding the recipe for these delicious rolls. Further inquiry revealed that the rolls were made by a local Amish woman, and no one really knew the recipe. I was disappointed, but not deterred. I knew that somewhere in the wide world, the recipe lurked, just waiting to be discovered. I searched the internet, perused dozens of recipe archives, and came up with nothing similar. It seemed that the more elusive the recipe, the more obsessed I became with finding it!
One day after several weeks of searching, I found, quite by accident a recipe that I thought might just work. I tweaked it a little, and was very pleased with the results. I will share my much-sought-after recipe with you, since it is getting to be that time of year when we all like to bake things warm and yummy and scentalicious (I think I just made up a new word).
Cinnamon Rolls
Prep time: About 2 hours rising (unattended) 40 Min attended
Cook time: 25 min
Serves: 8+
Yield: 12 rolls
Dough
1 cup + 1TB warm buttermilk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C) You can also use regular milk, but I got better results using buttermilk
2 eggs
5 TB melted butter
4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup white sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
Filling
1 cup brown sugar
2 TB ground cinnamon
4 TB softened butter
Glaze
4 TB melted butter
4 TB cream cheese, softened
2 TB warm milk
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Dough: Mix all wet ingredients together in a medium bowl, then add the dry ingredients, mixing until a soft dough is formed. Knead until mixed well, then cover and allow to sit in a warm place for one hour, or until almost doubled in size. Dough can also be mixed using a stand mixer with a dough hook.
After rising, turn the dough out onto a floured surface and let it rest while you prepare the filling. Mix the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl and melt the butter in a separate bowl.
Roll the dough into a rectangle about 12” wide and 24” long. Spread the entire surface with melted butter, then sprinkle it with the filling mixture, leaving about 1” clear on the long side. It should look something like this.
Begin rolling the dough from the long side, keeping edges even. This can be a bit tricky, but the dough usually handles very well.
Pinch closed along the open edge, sealing the roll shut.
Once the dough is sealed, shape the ends a little, and cut into twelve rolls. I have found that using dental floss to make the cuts results in a cleaner cut, and does not squash the shape. I even used cinnamon floss to enhance the flavor! :)
Set the rolls, cut side up, in a lightly sprayed 13x9” dish, leaving space between them. Cover and allow to rise for 30-45 minutes in a warm place.
After rising, preheat the oven to 350. The rolls will have grown in size and will look something like this.
Bake for 18-20 minutes. While rolls are baking, mix up the glaze, adding more milk or sugar to achieve the proper consistency.
Allow the rolls to cool slightly before adding the glaze. I usually wait 15-20 minutes, then pour on the glaze.
The rolls are delicious right out of the oven, but I usually make them the night before and reheat them for breakfast the following morning. (I do not relish the thought of getting up at 5 a.m. to have cinnamon rolls by breakfast time.) They taste great no matter what you do, and your house will smell scentalicious and cinnamon-y.
Now, go make some! I promise you won’t regret it!
