Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

I had some girls over this morning for a Mary Kay party and decided it was the perfect time to try homemade cinnamon rolls. I found a recipe online for copy cat version of Cinnabon cinnamon rolls and figured I would give it shot. They were amazing!!!

I used my bread machine to make the dough.  Once the dough is ready, gently punch down the dough and knead for a minute or two, to remove excess air bubbles. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a rectangle about 12 inches by 17 inches.

Melt the butter and spread over rolled out dough.  

Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon and mix well. Spread over dough, covering as much of the surface as possible. Sprinkle nuts and raisins over dough if using.

Starting with the widest end, roll dough into a tight log. Pinch edges to seal. 

With a thin sharp knife (I use a serrated knife), cut log into 12 equal slices. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9x13-inch glass baking dish. Cover with a clean towel and place in a warm location to rise until nearly double in size, about 30-45 minutes.

Yield: 

12 large cinnamon rolls (a FULL 9x13 dish!)

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup boiling water
1 cup milk
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
4 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour
1 box (3.4 ounces) instant (no-cook) vanilla pudding mix
2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast or instant active dry yeast

Filling:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, optional
1/4 cup raisins, optional

Frosting:

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
~1-2 teaspoons milk

Instructions: 

1. To make these cinnamon rolls using a bread machine, place the ingredients in the bread machine in this order: Boiling water, cold milk, melted butter, sugar, salt, egg, 1 cup of the flour, the pudding mix, 2 1/2 more cups of flour, and the dry yeast.
2. Start the DOUGH cycle with the lid open, and watch to see how sticky the dough is. Add another 1/2 cup of flour as the dough cycle runs, or as much flour as needed to make a soft, smooth dough.
3. Close the lid for the rest of the dough cycle, and when cycle is complete
4. Gently punch down dough ad knead for a minute or two, to remove excess air bubbles. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a rectangle about 12 inches by 17 inches.
5. Combine the first three filling ingredients and mix well. Heat in microwave 10 seconds to make spreadable. (It's okay if it's fairly thick.) Spread over rolled dough, covering as much of the surface as possible. Sprinkle nuts and raisins over dough if using.
6. Starting with the widest end, roll dough into a tight log. Pinch edges to seal. With a thin sharp knife (I use a serrated knife), cut log into 12 equal slices. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9x13-inch glass baking dish. Cover with a clean towel and place in a warm location to rise until nearly double in size, about 30-45 minutes.
7. Bake rolls in a preheated 350 degree oven for 25-35 minutes. After about 20 minutes of baking, check on rolls and cover loosely with foil if they are getting too dark. Rolls can stay in the dish after baking; set the dish on a wire rack and cover with a clean towel to let it cool.
8. To make the frosting, cream the butter and cream cheese. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and maple syrup and beat. Add enough milk to make a spreadable consistency, about 1-2 teaspoons.
9. Frost rolls while they are still warm for a drizzly melty look! Enjoy!