Good cinnamon rolls have 3 key components; the dough, the filling and the frosting. Two of these can be fiddle with just a bit for your own personal taste, but the dough needs to be made as outlined.
The Dough
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup margarine
- 1/4 cup very warm water
- 1 package active dry yeast
- 1 egg
- 4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
Scald milk; stir in sugar, salt, and margarine; cool to lukewarm. Put warm water in large warm bowl, sprinkle in yeast, stirring until dissolved. Stir in lukewarm milk mixture, egg, and half the flour; beat until smooth. Stir in remaining flour to make a stiff batter.
Cover tightly with waxed paper or aluminum foil. Refrigerate dough at least 2 hours. Dough may be kept in refrigerator up to 3 days.
The Filling
The filling is nothing more than a combination of brown sugar, cinnamon and the “right” amount of butter. I prefer softened butter instead of melted butter because you end up using a bit more. I use dark brown sugar instead of light brown sugar. These measurements are approximate – feel free to improvise here, include raisins if you are so inclined.
- 1/2 cup softened margarine or butter (I like unsalted butter)
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons of cinnamon
Roll dough into an 18 x 12 inch rectangle and spread the softened butter. Cover butter with the filling mixture. Roll up, seal the ends up, cut into 12 slices. Place in a buttered 9 x 13 rectangular pan. Cover and let rise until doubled. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Baking time is about 25-30 minutes but can vary.
The Frosting
You can leave these naked, or drizzle with a simple powdered sugar and milk mixture. I like a Cream Cheese frosting.
- 8 ounces of cream cheese
- 1/2 cup margarine or butter
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla
- 3 cups confectioner’s sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk
Combine all ingredients, mixing until smooth. Frost rolls while still warm.
