Cinnamon Rolls.

What You’ll Need

Dough

2 1/4 cup All Purpose Flour

1 Instant Yeast Packet (I use Fleischmann’s Rapid Rise or Red Star Quick- Rise)

1/4 tsp. Salt

1/3 cup Granulated Sugar

1/2 cup Whole Milk

4 tbsp. Unsalted Butter, melted

1 Large Egg, at room temperature

1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

Filling

1/2 cup Brown Sugar

2 tsp. Cinnamon

1/4 tsp. Nutmeg

3 tbsp. Unsalted Butter, melted

Icing

3 ounces of Cream Cheese, softened

2 tbsp. Butter

3/4 cup. Powdered Sugar

1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract

Heavy Cream

Instructions

To begin the dough, combine the flour, salt, yeast, and granulated sugar in a bowl. Set aside.

Heat the milk in the microwave until it reaches about 120 degrees on a kitchen thermometer. If you don’t have a thermometer, microwave milk for 45 seconds-1 minute until milk is very warm to the touch.

Add the milk, melted butter, vanilla extract, and egg to the dry ingredient mixture and combine until a dough begins to form. *I use a silicone spatula first to get the ingredients combined, then I use my hands to continue to work the dough until it’s soft.

Sprinkle flour on the counter. Place the dough on the counter, and use your hands to knead until the dough is easy to work with and a ball forms.

Grab another bowl. Spray lightly with non stick oil spray. Place the dough ball in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap. Set it in a warm place (on the counter works fine), and let the dough rise for 3 hours. Once the dough is nice & springy, you’ll know its ready.

To roll out the dough, flour the counter again. Take a rolling pin and roll out the dough into a rectangle (10″ x 6″). If the dough is too tacky, feel free to sprinkle more flour on your working surface.

Use a spoon or sauce brush to distribute the 3 tbsp. of melted butter over the surface of the dough. Sprinkle the filling mixture over the melted butter.

Starting with the longest side of the dough, gently roll but be careful not to squeeze the dough as you go.

Line an oven safe pan or baking dish with parchment paper and arrange the rolls about an inch or two apart. They will expand!

Cover the pan VERY tightly with plastic wrap. You don’t want the cool air to penetrate the rolls or they will not rise properly. Place in the refrigerator overnight.

Take them out the next morning and allow them to rise on the counter for at least an hour ( I do two) before baking. Its worth the wait, don’t skip this step!

Grab the heavy cream, and gently pour over the cinnamon rolls making sure that it reaches every crevice. About 1/2 cup of heavy cream is what I use. This creates that smooth, ooey-gooey, but still fluffy texture that makes the perfect cinnamon roll. Just do it!

Place in a 350 degree oven for 22 minutes, they should be golden but still supple. *For darker cinnamon rolls, remove from oven after 25-30 minutes.

While the rolls are baking, make the icing. In a small saucepan, begin to melt your butter on low while whisking frequently. The butter will begin to brown after 3-4 minutes and you should smell a nutty aroma. Take it off the heat immediately and move to a mixing bowl.

In that same bowl, add softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and a splash of heavy cream. Use a hand mixer and combine until smooth.