It wouldn’t be the holiday’s without Mom’s cinnamon rolls. They appeared every Christmas & Easter morning, sometimes with biscuits and gravy for the savory crowd. We kids would lurk around the peninsula to snag the discarded end slices of dough and even once we’d all grown up and moved away, she was sure to save them for us. Through the years we’ve made double batches and half batches, converted it to use Dad’s sourdough, done butter frosting or cream cheese frosting. The recipe has been shared (perhaps you have a copy printed on bright purple paper?) and printed in the newspaper. There was even a version with orange marmalade and almond filling, a staple for City Hall potlucks.
We invite you to share the cinnamon roll love with your family this year and spread a little extra joy.
Dough
2½ tsp active dry yeast (one packet)
124 g sugar, divided
2 tbsp warm water
1 cup milk
½ cup (1 stick) butter or shortening
3 eggs
1 tsp salt
540 g flour
¼ tsp cinnamon
Filling
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
227 g brown sugar
3 tbsp cinnamon
Frosting
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
454 g powdered sugar
1 tbsp vanilla
1 tbsp milk
The night before you plan to have cinnamon rolls
In a small bowl combine yeast, 2 tsp sugar, and warm water. Set aside for 5 minutes to proof yeast.
Scald milk, about 2 minutes in the microwave, then add butter to melt. Set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, combine remaining sugar, eggs, and salt.
Add proofed yeast and cooled milk mixtures to the bowl; mix until combined. Stir in flour and cinnamon. It will be wet, more like batter than dough.
Cover bowl and refrigerate overnight.
Mix brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl, cover. Set out 2 sticks of butter to soften.
The next day (about 1½ hours before you want to eat cinnamon rolls)
Knead dough on lightly floured surface 5-10 times until it forms a nice ball.
Divide the dough in half and, working one half at a time, pull one ball into a rough rectangle shape and roll out into a long rectangle about 1/8″ thick.
Spread the dough with softened butter and sprinkle liberally with cinnamon sugar, avoiding the long edge farthest from you.
Begin rolling on the long side of the dough rectangle closest to you, it’s easiest to start in the center and move towards the ends, until a long spiral roll is formed.
Cut the rolled dough into 1″ wide slices, again beginning in the center, and place into buttered pans about ½” apart. Cover with a clean dish towel.
Repeat with second ball of dough.
Let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes, until doubled in size. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F.
Use this time to mix up your frosting: beat all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer at low speed until sugar is moistened. Increase speed to medium-high and beat, stopping once or twice to scrape down the bowl, until creamy and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Set aside.
Bake rolls 15-18 minutes, until rolls are golden and bubbly. Serve warm with frosting.
1/3 batch
Dough
1 tsp active dry yeast
41 g sugar, divided
2 tsp warm water
1/3 cup milk
38 g butter or shortening
1 egg
¼ tsp salt
180 g flour
pinch cinnamon
Filling
76 g butter, softened
76 g brown sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon
Frosting
76 g butter, softened
151 g powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp milk
k + v 
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