CINNAMON ROLLS

When most people think of cinnamon rolls, it's the famous shopping mall chain bakery that pops into their head. You always knew where one was because of the intense cinnamony sweet aroma wafting from their ovens.

Despite the luring smell, I was probably one of the few people who was not enticed by the commercial cinnamon rolls. It wasn't until my recent quest to find new breakfast and brunch ideas, that a cinnamon roll, a homemade one, interested me. I came across several recipes; some required letting the dough rise overnight, and others were 'quick' recipes that could be prepared in 90 minutes or less. I created a hybrid of both of these recipes, assembling and refrigerating them the night before, so they were risen and puffy and ready to pop into the oven in the morning.

I think cinnamon rolls, like other bread, is one of those foods that creates an entirely different experience when home made. While I'm sure there are many great corner bakeries that have delicious cinnamon rolls, I still like the idea of making them myself with just the right amount of cinnamon, sugar and best of all, cream cheese icing.

I have included the 'actual' recipe below, but when I made these, I tried to make them a little healthier and reduced the butter in the filling by about half. I like to bake them so they are bit crusty on the outside but still soft and chewy on the inside.


CINNAMON ROLLS

3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 (.25 ounce) package instant yeast
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 t salt
1/4 cup water
1 egg
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 T ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, softened

CREAM CHEESE ICING

2 cups confectioner's (powdered) sugar
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 T butter, softened
1/2 t vanilla
3 T milk

Heat the milk in a small saucepan until it bubbles, then remove from heat. Mix in butter; stir until melted. Let cool until lukewarm.

In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 1/4 cup flour, yeast, sugar and salt; mix well. Add water, egg and the milk mixture; beat well. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the dough has just pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 5 minutes.

Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together brown sugar and cinnamon.

Roll out dough into a 12x9 inch rectangle. Spread dough with butter. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture. Roll up dough and pinch seam to seal. Cut into 12 equal size rolls and place cut side up in 12 lightly greased muffin cups. Cover and let rise 30 minutes or refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 375.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until browned. Remove from muffin cups. Spread with icing while warm and serve.

To make the icing
Cream butter and cream cheese together in a bowl. Add powdered sugar, milk and vanilla and beat until icing is smooth and spreading consistency. Add more milk if necessary.