#1. The other recipe, although delicious, makes A TON! Sometimes you just need a dozen, which is what this recipe makes.
#2. The other recipe takes time. It's not hard by any means, but all the waiting you have to do in between steps takes too much time sometimes. Especially when your husband (OK...MINE) tells you he'd like to take cinnamon rolls for a potluck at work and you've already made 4 batches of
Twisty Breadsticks, and still have to make 4 dozen
Snickers Cookies, you just need something a little quicker! These I started at 9:30 as was done with them by 10:30! That's pretty amazing for cinnamon rolls!
#3. Sometimes you want an ooey gooey cinnamon roll and sometimes a nice firm dough is easier to handle (especially if you're sharing!) This recipe has a firm dough...don't read that as dry or hard. These are still soft and delicious, they just don't fall apart in your hands and create as big a mess. (partly due to the frosting instead of the glaze used on top too.)
So, whichever recipe you decide to use, you won't be disappointed! (also, you can omit the mapeline in the frosting if you don't really care for maple, but if you haven't tried the maple YOU'VE GOT TO!)
Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Frosting
3/4 cup warm water
1 tablespoon yeast
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
4 tablespoons butter
2 eggs
5-6 cups flour
Filling:
4 tablespoons butter, softened
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar
Maple Frosting:
4 tablespoons butter, softened
5 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon mapeline
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup milk
Heat the milk in the microwave for 1 minute. Place the butter into the hot milk and let it sit until ready to use.
Put 2 cups flour, salt, sugar, and the eggs into your mixer. Let it mix for just a few seconds to coat the egg a little bit. Pour in the hot water and the milk/butter mixture. Mix for about 30 seconds. Add the yeast and mix until combined.
With the mixer on, add the rest of the flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and starts to "clean" it. Once this happens let it mix for 5 minutes.
Spray your counter with cooking spray and form the dough into a ball and let it rest for 5 minutes before rolling out. This will help with the rolling part, so don't skip this step! Roll the dough into a rectangle about 1/4 an inch thick.
Spread the butter over the dough and then sprinkle with the brown sugar and cinnamon and make sure it's spread around evenly (use your hand...Tony-the hubby-says he could never do this because he hates the feel of sugar on his hands, and really who doesn't?? But as soon as your done just rinse it off in the sink...no harm done!)
Roll the dough to make a long "log" of cinnamon rolls. (ok...maybe that wasn't the best term to use when cooking, sorry!:)) Spray a knife with cooking spray and cut the rolls into approximately 12 pieces about 1 inch thick. If you wanted to be precise (which I wasn't after an eventful day of cooking) you can cut the long loaf in half, and then each half in half again. Then cut each quarter into 3 pieces and you have 12 rolls.
Place your rolls on a large cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray and put them in an over preheated to 170 degrees. Close the door and let them rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes. Turn the oven up to 350 degrees (DO NOT take the rolls out of the oven!). When oven is at 350 degrees bake the rolls until golden brown, about 15 minutes.
While the rolls are baking, make your frosting. Place the softened butter in your mixer and beat for about a minutes until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, mapeline, and vanilla. Turn on your mixer to low and while it is running add the milk a little at a time until you have your desired consistency. Beat for 1 minute.
Let the rolls cool for about 10 minutes and then you can frost them. Or you can let them cool completely and frost them then. I like to frost them while they are still a little warm...the frosting will "melt" just a little and it is so good!
And there you have cinnamon rolls that are so good in about an hour! Phew!:)
