Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

I never thought I could make anything that required the use of Yeast and rising and setting and all these terms I am soooo unfamiliar with, but I did it!!! Today I took the plunge into the home made world. Took myself back to a way of baking that was an everyday event back in the day. The best part, they turned out yummy and edible, lol! Kendall and I split a warm roll right out of the oven. WE both agreed that it was delicious even with out the sugary drizzle.

Why you ask did I decide to make cinnamon rolls? Well, we are starting a tradition here in the Lee house. We have started making it a routine on Saturday mornings that momma (ME) gets up and makes the family cinnamon rolls, before waking them up. It makes the house smell yummy and makes everybody happy to wake up for a special treat. This tradition though is starting to get expensive. Cause with out a good sale refrigerated rolls are over $2, and that is the generic/store brands. So this cheapy momma, I mean frugal, lol, whatever I am, decided to try something new. Make my own cinnamon rolls. How hard could it be, lol!

I headed to my trusty netbook to find a recipe. There are a lot out there and I took what looked like to be an easy one. As I continue to make the rolls I may start tweaking it to make it a little more healthy. I did some tweaking as we drink Almond milk so that is the milk I used and I use splenda brown sugar. Eventually I will try to use Whole Wheat Flour and see how that tastes.

It was a rather fun and simple process. The majority of the time is waiting for the bread to rise. Mix all the ingredients, roll into a ball, let it rise. A very cool process for kids to see. The dough goes from a small ball to a big ball. Then you divide and punch, that is a fun part. Save this step for when you need to get some frustration out, lol! Then you let the two seperate parts sit and grow. Then once again when you have actually made the rolls you let them sit and they grow again. Just a cool process. The kids loved painting on the melted butter and sprinkling the cinnamon.

All in all this was a fun and yummy activity for me and the kids. I will post the recipe at the bottom for all you brave souls who would like to take the leap also. They freeze and that is what I plan on doing. I can make 2 or 3 weeks worth, and it is way cheaper. I can not wait to keep this tradition going and now we will get to make the rolls together creating even more memories.

HOMEMADE CINNAMON ROLLS

4 1/4 to 4 3/4 c. all-purpose flour 1 pkg. active dry yeast 1 1/4 c. milk 1/4 c. granulated sugar 1/4 c. butter 1 tsp. salt 2 eggs 6 tbsp. butter, softened 1/2 c. packed brown sugar 2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1 recipe Maple Nut Glaze or Powdered Sugar Glaze Step 1: In a large mixer bowl combine 1 1/2 cups of the all-purpose flour and yeast. Heat the milk, granulated sugar, the 1/4 cup butter and salt just until mixture is warm (120 to 130 degrees) and the butter is almost melted, stirring constantly. Step 2: Add milk mixture to flour mixture; add eggs. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds; scrape sides of bowl constantly. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Using a spoon, stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can. (Dough will be soft.) Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately soft dough (3 to 5 minutes total). Shape dough into a ball. Step 3: Place dough in a lightly greased bowl; turn once. Cover; let rise in a warm place until double (about 1 to 1 1/2 hours). (The dough is ready for shaping when you can lightly and quickly press two fingers 1/2 inch into dough and indentation remains.) Step 4: Punch dough down. On a lightly floured surface, divide dough in half; shape each half into a smooth ball. Cover; let rest for 10 minutes. Step 5: On lightly floured surface roll half the dough to 12x8 inches. Spread with 3 tablespoons softened butter. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle half over rectangle. Roll up from a short side. Seal edges. Make a second roll with remaining dough, butter and sugar mixture. Step 6: Slice each dough roll into 8 pieces. Arrange slices, cut side down, in a greased 13x9x2 inch baking pan. Cover; let rise until nearly double (about 30 minutes). Step 7: Bake rolls in a 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until light brown. Invert at once onto a wire rack. Cool slightly. Drizzle rolls with Maple Nut Glaze or Powdered Sugar Glaze. Serve warm. Makes 16 rolls. MAPLE NUT GLAZE: In small bowl combine 1 cup sifted powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons maple syrup or 1/2 teaspoon maple extract and enough water or milk (2 to 3 teaspoons) for drizzling consistency. Stir in 1/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans. POWDERED SUGAR GLAZE: Combine 1 cup sifted powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and enough milk (about 3 to 4 teaspoons) for drizzling consistency. FREEZING AND REHEATING: Bake and cool rolls as directed, do not glaze. Wrap in moisture and vapor proof wrap. Seal, label, and freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat in a conventional oven, wrap frozen rolls in foil. Place in a 350 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until warm. Drizzle with your choice of glaze. To reheat in a microwave oven, wrap 2 of the frozen rolls in microwave-safe paper towels. Micro-cook on 100% power (high) for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until warm. Drizzle with glaze.