cinnamon rolls

i am a serious slacker.

i made ALL SORTS of stuff for xmas, and totally forgot to take pictures. duh!

but, one thing i did not make for xmas was cinnamon rolls, and that upset my husband very much. so, i decided to make them for new years instead. you need a bread maker for this recipe (in the past, i kept borrowing my mom's, but, i finally ordered my own!) it is sorta time consuming, in the fact that you pretty much need to hang around the house all day in order to make them, but, perfect for a snowy december day!

here goes ... !

Ingredients:
1 cup milk (heated approximately 1 minute in microwave)

1/4 cup warm water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

2 eggs, room temperature and beaten

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sugar

5 cups bread flour

3 teaspoons instant active dry yeast

cinnamon filling (see below)

butter frosting (see below)

Directions:

Add all the ingredients, except the cinnamon filling and the butter frosting, in the bread pan of bread machine. Process according to manufacturer's instructions for a dough setting (my bread maker - well, my mom's - has a different setting for regular dough vs pizza dough - the regular dough setting take 90 mins). When the bread machine has completed the dough cycle, remove dough from pan and turn out onto a lightly oiled surface. I use my kitchen table.

Form dough into an oval, cover with a plastic wrap and let rest for 10 minutes.

Butter a 9x13x2-inch baking pan; set aside.
After dough has rested, roll and stretch the dough into approximately a 15x24-inch rectangle.

Brush the softened butter over the top of the dough with a rubber spatula.

Sprinkle cinnamon filling over the butter on the prepared dough.

Starting with long edge, roll up dough; pinch seams to seal.

Rolling the log too tightly will result in cinnamon rolls whose centers pop up above the rest of them as they bake.

With a knife, lightly mark roll into 1 1/2-inch section. Use a sharp knife (I like to use a serrated knife and saw very gently). Place cut side up in prepared pan, flattening them only slightly. The unbaked cinnamon rolls should not touch each other before rising and baking. Do not pack the unbaked cinnamon rolls together.

then, you have TWO OPTIONS:

Refrigerating or Freezing Unbaked Cinnamon Rolls:
At this point, the cinnamon rolls can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated overnight or frozen for 1 month. Before baking, allow rolls to thaw completely and rise in a warm place if frozen (overnight is best).

Bake Immediately After Making:
Cover and let rise in a warm place for approximately 45 to 60 minutes or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Bake approximately 20 minutes until they are a light golden brown.

Let sit for a few minutes, but spread the butter frosting on while still warm.

This recipe was originally meant for 15-16 rolls - but I always end up with only 12 or 13 : ) ENJOY!

CINNAMON FILLING:

1/2 cup butter, melted or softened

1 cup firmly-packed brown sugar

5 tablespoons ground cinnamon

Soften the butter; set aside. In a bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon

BUTTER FROSTING:

2 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1/4 cup butter, room temperature

1 cup powdered (confectioners) sugar

1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon lemon extract

In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese and butter until creamy. Add powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon extract or oil until well mixed and creamy.