Cinnamon Rolls

It was cold outside.

I had kids to tutor...which meant I had to go outside...in the blistering wind...in order to get into the car. Yeah.

It was a legit concern at that time, people. Let's not judge.

Because I present you lovely peeps with none other than... cinnamon rolls. You know, one of the best foods ever known to man, woman, child, your best friend, the practically invisible roommate, your cousin who lives in Cali, and even that guy who still doesn't have a clue, because let's face it: boys are kind of stupid.

We are lucky to have these cinnamon rolls. Yes we are.

As always, a great cinnamon roll begins with a great dough.

I like to think of this dough as a little kid- has good intentions, but doesn't know what's good for her, so she throws tantrums when she doesn't want to cooperate. In other words, this dough is VERY sticky, especially when you're kneading it without the use of a standing mixer with a dough hook. I had to add a teensy more flour into it, but next time, I'll just let the sticky dough rise by itself.

That extra 1/4 cup makes a difference. Put up with the stickier dough, and you will undoubtedly have a more tender cinnamon roll.

You might be thinking that I make this process look really easy. But it's not.

I found it surprisingly challenging to roll out the dough into a rectangular shape, with an almost even thickness throughout. The dough likes to shrink back once you stretch it. So you gotta show it who's boss.

 
 Heaping THREE tablespoons of cinnamon...with dark brown sugar.

I am not ashamed to admit that I ate pinches of that cinnamon sugar. No shame whatsoever.

FYI, you roll with two hands ;)

 Once you get to the edge of the roll, pinch the dough together with a little bit of water to seal.

What does dental floss have to do with cinnamon rolls, you ask?

Well, believe it or not, floss is perfect for "cutting" the roll into pieces. Instead of a regular kitchen knife, which can flatten the dough into an oval shape while cutting, using dental floss "pinches" the dough from the entire outside in, resulting in a perfectly circular cross-section.

Pretend you're tying the floss around the dough, like a ribbon...

Then pull the ends in an opposite direction to cut the dough. Don't worry about pulling too hard. Dental floss is really tough to break.

...And this is what you end up with. Dental floss- who knew, right?

The pieces go into a greased pan...

...and an hour later, they are puffy and fluffy and oh-so-pretty.

Eat them while they're hot!!!!

Cinnamon Rolls

*makes 12 servings*

Ingredients:

Dough:
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup warm water (about 110 degrees)
- 1 envelope instant yeast
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 large egg, plus 2 large egg yolks
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 4-4 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the work surface

Icing:
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened but still cool
- 2 Tbsp corn syrup
- 2 Tbsp heavy cream
- 1 cup confectioner's sugar, sifted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch salt

Filling:
- 3/4 cups packed light brown sugar
- 3 Tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp salt

Directions:

1. For the dough: heat the milk and butter in a small saucepan or in the microwave until the butter melts. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside until the mixture is lukewarm (about 100 degrees)

2. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle, mix together the water, yeast, sugar, egg, and yolks at low speed until well mixed. Add the salt, warm milk mixture, and 2 cups of the flour and mix at medium speed until thoroughly blended, about 1 minute. Switch to the dough hook, add another 2 cups of the flour, and knead at medium speed (adding up to 1/4 cup more flour, 1 Tbsp at a time, if necessary) until the dough is smooth and freely clears the sides of the bowl, about 10 minutes. Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Shape the dough into a round, place it in a very lightly oiled large bowl, and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Leave in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in bulk, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

3. For the Icing: While the dough rises, combine all of the icing ingredients in the bowl of a standing mixer and blend together at low speed until roughly combined, about 1 minute. Increase the speed to high and mix until the icing is uniformly smooth and free of cream cheese lumps, about 2 minutes. Transfer the icing to a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate.

4. To roll and fill the dough: after the dough has doubled in bulk, press it down and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Using a rolling pin, shape the dough into a 16 by 12-inch rectangle, with a long side facing you. Mix together the filling ingredients in a small bowl and sprinkle the filling evenly over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border at the far edge. Roll the dough, beginning with the long edge closest to you and using both hands to pinch the dough with your fingertips as you roll. Moisten the top border with water and seal the roll. Lightly dust the roll with flour and press on the ends if necessary to make a uniform 16-inch cylinder. Grease a 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Cut the roll into 12 equal pieces and place the rolls cut-side up in the baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in bulk, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

5. To bake the rolls: when the rolls are almost fully risen, adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the rolls until golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of one reads 185 to 188 degrees, 25 to 30 minutes. Invert the rolls onto a wire rack and cool for 10 minutes. Turn the rolls upright on a large serving plate and use a rubber spatula to spread the icing on them. Serve immediately.

Source: The New Best Recipe