So, let me just get this out of the way… I am by no means a photographer and, will try to take better food pictures in the future but, as of now my food pics will be as real as they come but, i will never post a recipe that isn’t insanely good!! So, with that being said, this is by far the best recipe ever for cinnamon rolls! I have a friend who brought them to me when I had my last child, and I had to get the recipe. I had never made them from scratch prior to that and it truly is a foolproof recipe. I am a big fan of many of “The Pioneer Woman’s ” recipes from The Food Network and, this is one of hers. There are a few tips I have for making it easier, quicker and just as yummy! Indulge in these this weekend! You won’t regret it!
Here are my notes before looking at this recipe:
- I have not made the dough from scratch, but am looking forward to trying soon! I have bought the pre-made dough in the frozen section of the grocery store and let that thaw out. Then I rolled it out and followed all of the instructions.
- I have found many places now that sell the maple icing locally, there is a place called Zimmerman’s that is a candy shop but, there are also some grocery stores including many large retailers online that have it available. Therefore, I did not have it every time so one time I left it out all together and another time I added maple syrup and, both times were still equally amazing!
- You can cut this recipe easily in half as this does make a large amount of cinnamon rolls for my family unless we are having others over.
- Lastly, the picture posted above was before I added the icing so you could see how yummy they look before being smothered in sugary goodness.
Ingredients:
- 1 quart Whole Milk
- 1 cup Vegetable Oil
- 1 cup Sugar
- 2 packages Active Dry Yeast, 0.25 Ounce Packets
- 8 cups (Plus 1 Cup Extra, Reserved) All-purpose Flour
- 1 teaspoon (heaping) Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon (scant) Baking Soda
- 1 Tablespoon (heaping) Salt
- Plenty Of Melted Butter
- 2 cups Sugar
- Generous Sprinkling Of Cinnamon
Maple Frosting:
- 1 bag Powdered Sugar
- 2 teaspoons Maple Flavoring
- 1/2 cup Milk
- 1/4 cup Melted Butter
- 1/4 cup Brewed Coffee
- 1/8 teaspoon Salt
Instructions: (These are very detailed, but don’t let that intimidate you! I promise they will come out perfect!)
- For the dough, heat the milk, vegetable oil, and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat to just below a boil. Set aside and cool to warm. Sprinkle the yeast on top and let it sit on the milk for 1 minute.
- Add 8 cups of the flour. Stir until just combined, then cover with a clean kitchen towel, and set aside in a relatively warm place for 1 hour. After 1 hour, remove the towel and add the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and the remaining 1 cup flour. Stir thoroughly to combine. Use the dough right away, or place in a mixing bowl and refrigerate for up to 3 days, punching down the dough if it rises to the top of the bowl. (Note: dough is easier to work with if it’s been chilled for at least an hour or so beforehand.)
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- To assemble the rolls, remove half the dough from the pan/bowl. On a floured baking surface, roll the dough into a large rectangle, about 30 x 10 inches. The dough should be rolled very thin.
- To make the filling, pour 3/4 cup to 1 cup of the melted butter over the surface of the dough. Use your fingers to spread the butter evenly. Generously sprinkle half of the ground cinnamon and 1 cup of the sugar over the butter. Don’t be afraid to drizzle on more butter or more sugar! Gooey is the goal.
- Now, beginning at the end farthest from you, roll the rectangle tightly towards you. Use both hands and work slowly, being careful to keep the roll tight. Don’t worry if the filling oozes as you work; that just means the rolls are going to be divine. When you reach the end, pinch the seam together and flip the roll so that the seam is face down. When you’re finished, you’ll wind up with one long buttery, sugary, gooey log.
- Slip a cutting board underneath the roll and with a sharp knife, make 1/2-inch slices. One “log “will produce 20 to 25 rolls. Pour a couple of teaspoons of melted butter into disposable foil cake pans and swirl to coat. Place the sliced rolls in the pans, being careful not to overcrowd. (Each pan will hold 7 to 9 rolls.)
- Repeat the rolling/sugar/butter process with the other half of the dough and more pans. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cover all the pans with a kitchen towel and set aside to rise on the countertop for at least 20 minutes before baking. Remove the towel and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden brown. Don’t allow the rolls to become overly brown.
- While the rolls are baking, make the maple icing: In a large bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, butter, coffee, and salt. Splash in the maple flavoring. Whisk until very smooth. Taste and add in more maple, sugar, butter, or other ingredients as needed until the icing reaches the desired consistency. The icing should be somewhat thick but still very pourable.
Now go enjoy!!
