Going, going, gone....Cinnamon Rolls

When I was growing up, each weekend you'd find my dad in the kitchen...creating recipes and making lots of wonderful things to eat. He even created a wonderful cookbook which he gave all us kids. I use that book every week!

These cinnamon rolls were some of my favorites. He always made them with raisins and walnuts which I didn't like.....but once I started baking with him, he would let me make a batch for myself...just plain old cinnamon and sugar...with LOTS of cinnamon!

Here is my dad's recipe that I grew up with. Be prepared, this makes A LOT of cinnamon rolls:

For the dough:

1 c milk, scalded
1 c very warm water
3/4 c sugar
2 packages dry yeast (I use RapidRise)
2 tsp salt
6-7 c flour
1/4 c softened butter

Scald the milk, add sugar, salt and butter. Stir well. Let cool to lukewarm.

Proof yeast in a large bowl (directions on the package) with the warm water. When the milk mixture is cooled off, add it to the bowl along with half the flour.
Start mixing, then gradually add the rest of the flour as needed until you get a soft ball of dough...not sticky. Be careful not to add too much flour.

Halve the dough into 2 portions and then use the dough hook on your mixer to knead it about 5 minutes each. If you don't have a dough hook, knead on a floured board about 10 minutes.
Don't over work the dough...it will get tough. Once it works easily into a ball, stop.
Put dough balls into a large bowl sprayed with Pam and cover loosely. Put it in a warm place and let rise until double in size.*

*I put mine on top of the dryer while it is running if it isn't warm in the house.

For the Filling:

1 stick melted butter
Mix 1 cup sugar with 6 tsp cinnamon (more or less to your taste)
if you like, add walnuts and raisins too. My dad always soaked his raisins in rum to plump them up.

Remember to work in 2 batches!

On a floured surface roll the dough out to about a 1/4 inch thickness.
Using a pastry brush, brush the dough with the melted butter...go all the way to the EDGES.

Sprinkle the dough with the cinnamon sugar mixture and any other ingredients you added.
From the short end, roll up jellyroll fashion. This is why you want buttered edges, you need to smooth the edges into one another. Some people 'pinch' the edges but if you put the butter to the end of the dough, they will slip together easier.

Then cut the rolls into equal segments. I use a skinny boning knife for this so the dough doesn't drag over a large blade. I cut mine about 1 and 1/2 inches thick.

Arrange them into a pan that has been sprayed with Pam. For the ends of the dough, they are usually funny shaped. Put them in the pan upside down, they'll cook more evenly...sometimes you have to push them down a bit to help even them out.

Cover again and let rise once more...about 30 minutes or until the sides touch.

Bake at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes. I bake mine at 375 for 20 minutes because my oven runs hot.

As soon as you pull them from the oven, drizzle this glaze over them.
Whisk together:
2 cups confectioners sugar
1 tsp vanilla
a dash of cinnamon
enough milk to combine it (about 4 tsp.)
Be careful not to make the glaze too thin.


Enjoy!