Cinnamon Rolls

My sweet little boy asked if we could have Cinnamon Rolls for breakfast Thursday morning. Unfortunately, I was not keen on getting up at 4:00 am to have fresh rolls ready at 7:00 am. So, I promised I'd have them made for Friday morning. Here is my recipe, a few pictures and a couple of helpful hints.

Ingredients:

2 1/4-oz packages dry yeast

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1/3 cup cooking oil

2 cups warm water (120 degrees - 130 degrees)

5 cups flour

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup white sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar
1     tablespoon ground cinnamon
GLAZE
2 1/2 tablespoons whipping cream
1/4     teaspoon vanilla
1        tablespoon butter, softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
pinch of salt

Put first 6 ingredients in blender and blend on high until thoroughly incorporated.

In large a bowl, pour blender mixture over flour. Mix well.

Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise until doubled...about an hour.

Mix sugars, butter and cinnamon together until a paste is formed.

I cover my workspace with plactic wrap (makes clean up so much quicker,) and sprinkle with flour.

Punch down dough. Dough may be refrigerated at this point until ready to roll out rolls.

Divide dough into two parts.

Roll out dough by hand into a rectangular shape.

Spread half of cinnamon-sugar mixture on dough (reserving other half for 2nd piece of dough.)

Carefully roll up dough.

Cut into equal pieces.

Put in buttered cake pan and let rise until doubled.

( At this point I usually cover with plastic wrap and put in fridge. They will rise overnight and be ready to bake in the morning. Just put out 15 minutes or so before baking.)

(If I'm sharing with friends this is the point where I wrap them up to deliver.)

*Click here to see how I wrap them up for my friends.*