Cinnamon Rolls

Ikea got nuttin’ on me. (Translation: These cinnamon rolls are better than Ikea’s.) Recently, I locked my keys in my car at Ikea in Atlanta. Long story short, I had a very good friend with me who, not only waited very patiently for me to figure out how to save us, also did NOT let me eat a yummy, gooey, warm Ikea cinnamon roll because we were on a diet. That was then and this is now. When I asked that same friend tonight if she wanted a homemade cinnamon roll, her response was, “Heck* yeah!” (*Text has been edited for content.)

This is another great recipe from the Mormon Cookbook Kristin referenced in an earlier post. I don’t think either of us has made a recipe from this book that wasn’t delicious. Be on the lookout for the caramel recipe coming soon!

Plan ahead when making this treat. The dough needs to sit overnight, and you will also need to figure out how you are going to burn off all the calories you consume.

Cinnamon Rolls

1 cup water
1 cup butter (yes, that says 1 cup, meaning 2 whole sticks)
¾ cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup cold water
4 eggs, slightly beaten
2—0.25 ounce packages yeast
½ cup warm water
7 ½ cups flour (count aloud and don’t get distracted!)
½ cup butter, softened (yes, another stick of butter)
1 cup brown sugar
¼ cup cinnamon
1 recipe cream cheese frosting

In a large pot bring 1 cup water to a boil. Add sugar, salt, and butter. Remove from heat. Add 1 cup cold water. When mixture is lukewarm, add eggs. In a separate bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water. Allow yeast to rise about 5 minutes, until foamy. Stir into mixture. Add flour and stir. Cover pan with lid and refrigerate overnight.

When ready to roll out, divide dough in thirds. Lightly flour your work surface. Roll dough into a 12x6 rectangle, about 1/2 inch thick. Spread each rectangle with 1/3 of softened butter. In a bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnmon. Sprinkle 1/3 of mixture onto each rectangle.

Roll up jelly-roll style and cut into about 12 rounds. Place on a greased baking sheet and allow dough to rise for about 2-3 hours. Bake one sheet at a time at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes or until light browned. Spread with cream cheese frosting while still warm.

Cream Cheese Frosting

½ cup butter, softened
1—8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups powdered sugar

Mix butter, cream cheese and vanilla on medium speed until smooth. Add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time and mix until smooth.

Hannah