Cinnamon Rolls

I used to make cinnamon rolls like this when I was little with my mom. For many holidays throughout the year, our family always starts the morning off with fresh-baked cinnamon rolls. These cinnamon rolls don’t take very long to make and are a perfect way to start off the morning.

I like making  breakfast recipes like this because its easy to make and you can make them ahead of time to eat throughout the week. I usually like to make a breakfast recipe like this on a Sunday night so I have something tasty to look forward to on Monday morning… I think it makes getting out of bed just a tad bit easier that way! I usually leave the frosting off until I’m ready to eat one, that way I don’t have to worry about them getting too sticky overnight!

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Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 Cup All-Purpose Flour
• 2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1 Egg
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 1/3 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
• 1/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
• 1/4 Cup Unsalted Butter (Softened)
• 1/4 Cup Water
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Cinnamon Inside:

• 1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
• 1 Teaspoon Brown Sugar
• 1 Teaspoon Granulated Sugar
• 1/4 Cup Unsalted Butter (Melted)
• 1/2 Cup Chopped Walnuts (optional)

Frosting:

• 2 Cups Powdered Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Milk
• 1/4 Cup Cream Cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking Sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, cream the 1/4 cup softened butter and sugar. Add the rest of the wet ingredients: the vanilla extract, egg, water, and heavy cream. Mix well.

3. Next, add the salt, baking powder, and flour.  A dough should start to form. The dough should not be sticky to the touch. Knead the dough for a few minutes until it is smooth and elastic.

4. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough. Try your best to make it a rectangular or square shape. Keep it about 1/4 inch thick.

5. In a small bowl, stir the cinnamon, brown sugar, and sugar together.

6. In another small bowl, melt the remaining 1/4 cup butter. Using a brush or spoon, brush the dough with butter. Top with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Sprinkle with the chopped walnuts.

7. Starting with the longer edge, roll the dough up. Try to keep it as tight as you can and roll evenly. As you go you may need to shape the dough into a log if some areas are thicker than other. Once I finished, I was able to stretch the dough out a little bit longer than I had done before.

8. Once you have reached the other end of the dough, you will need to butter the edge and press it into the roll so that it does not come undone as you cut and bake them.

9. Using a sharp knife, cut the cinnamon roll log into 1 inch sections. They will not be a perfect circle after cutting, but you can reshape them a little once on the baking sheet. Place the sections on the baking sheet, cut side down.  Brush the tops with the remaining melted butter.

10. Bake the cinnamon rolls for about 15-20 minutes or until the bottoms and tops are a golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire cooling rack.

For the Frosting:

11. In a separate bowl, mix the powdered sugar, milk, and cream cheese together. Spoon over the tops of the cinnamon rolls when you are ready to serve. This frosting can be stored in an air tight container until you are ready to use it on the cinnamon rolls.