Any recipe that deals with yeast scares me. I’m not sure if it’s because of the magical capabilities it has to transform a small round of bread into an overflowing Ghost Bowl-Buster or if it’s because of the name… yeast… either way it’s something I’ve always stay away from when I sort through new recipes to try at home.
Recently my 6-year-old Camden told me that he ordered a #2 option at school (Cinnamon Roll) and was disappointed to see that he got something else. My soul laughed a little, but it also cried a little because I know the excitement of ordering that sweet piece of heaven only to be let down by getting something else. So naturally the mom in me needed to push past my fears of yeast and make Camden that Cinnamon Roll he’d been craving.
In trying to find the perfect Cinnamon Roll recipe I needed something that met the following criteria:
- All ingredients were currently in my pantry
- Recipe that took less than 1 hour since my time and patience expires quickly while cooking/baking
- Simple ingredients (1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp cardamon, 1/2 tsp ginger, 1/2 tsp nutmeg… seriously who has time to measure out that many spices?!)
Below you will find a recipe I found with a few tweaks to make it simple and personalized to me – The Papa’s Roast Coffee Trailer Entrepreneur who also owns MenSalon and is known for her Cheesecakes and Scones while making Pumpkin Chai Milkshakes – simple.
For the dough:
- 1 cup warm milk (room temp milk heated in the microwave for an extra 20 seconds)
- 2 1/2 teaspoons instant dry yeast
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1/3 cup room temperature salted butter
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
For the Filling:
- 1/2 cup room temperature salted butter
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon
- 1/2 cup room temperature heavy cream to pour over rolls prior to baking
For the Frosting:
- 6 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
- 1/3 cup salted butter at room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon almond extract (almond is a hit or miss with people so you can also do maple or vanilla extract)
Instructions
- Pour milk in the bowl of a stand mixer and add yeast.
- Add eggs, butter, sugar – mix until combined.
- Add salt and flour. Mix slightly until combined. Cover mix with towel and allow to rest for 5 minutes. This helps the wet and dry ingredients come together without over mixing.
- Attach your dough blade and beat dough on medium speed.
- Continue to knead dough for 5-7 minutes or until the dough becomes elastic.
- While dough kneads spray a large bowl with cooking spray.
- Remove dough from the mixing bowl and place it in the greased large bowl.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Covered greased bowl with a towel and allow bowl to rest on stove for 30 minutes. The heat from the preheated oven will provide the warmth the yeast needs to help the dough rise.
- Prepare the cinnamon filling – combined butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon until combined. Set aside.
- Turn dough onto flowered surface and with a rolling pin roll dough into a rectangle.
- Next spread cinnamon filling over dough using a spoon or a spatula.
- Once cinnamon filling covers the entirety of the rectangle start rolling the dough together starting on the long end. As you roll the center may become thicker so use your hands to help spread out the thickness to an even consistency.
- Cut into 12 rolls and placed in greased 9×13 baking pan.
- Cover pan with towel and once again let dough rise on heated stove for 20 minutes.
- Evenly distribute heavy cream in-between rolls so it evenly coats bottom of baking pan.
- Bake at 375 degrees for 20-22 minutes or until center of roll is cooked through.
- Remove rolls from oven and allow to cool and start to prepare the frosting.
- Beat together cream cheese, butter, and extract until smooth.
- Top cooled Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting and top with favorite toppings – I added toasted pecans to mine.
The best way to bring family together is through coffee and baking.
With love,
Shauna
