Cinnamon Rolls

Soft dough engulfed with cinnamon and sugar and topped with a simple iced sugar glaze.

What do you do on a cold and stormy winter day — well, bake of course!

I do have a lot of things on my list to bake over the chilly weekends; but cinnamon rolls was not one of them!

You see, my son was craving cinnamon rolls and asked me to make some. Now mind you, I have never made cinnamon rolls before.

Not only does my kiddo loves cinnamon rolls, but he is always asking me to make homemade versions of the treats he likes – some of which I have never made before. Yes, he challenges me to go beyond my comfort zone. And these Cinnamon Rolls are no exception.

I first was a bit flustered, as I am not really a dough making type of person.

So, to help me decide if I even wanted to attempt creating cinnamon rolls, I first did a quick search to see what ingredients I needed and how involved the recipe was to complete this sweet request.

Luckily for me, and most importantly my son, I found a simple recipe that only called for a few ingredients and no yeast; which meant no need to wait for the dough to raise.

And if you know me, you’ll know that I like recipes that are simple, don’t take a lot of time, and taste great.

Hoping for the best, I crossed my fingers for luck and gave my son the nod of approval to make his favorite breakfast treat.

Of course, he was overjoyed! Me, well, I was still apprehensive.

But I got my ego and nerves in check and was 100% committed to making some incredible cinnamon rolls!

No going back. No giving up. Sweet filled dough here I come!

After I gathered up the ingredients – which I had on-hand – flour, sugar, butter, milk and cinnamon, the recipe came together quite simply.

I even enjoyed rolling out the dough, filling it up with the cinnamon and sugar, and even did a pretty good job with rolling up the whole thing!

Whew! I actually made Cinnamon Rolls! Quite an accomplishment for me!

And since they looked so pretty and tasted great, I thought I might as well snap a few photos and share my recipe and story with you!

Thank goodness they turned out or this post would not be happening!

The outcome…well, can I first say, I was impressed? Because I was! Not only was I able to work with dough (something I don’t really do) but these rolls were actually edible and photo worthy!

These Cinnamon Rolls were baked to perfection. They were soft and fluffy with just the right amount of sweetness from the cinnamon-sugar filling and the icing on top.

The true test for me was serving these to the boys! And not only did my son LOVE them, my husband did too! They gobbled up the batch in no-time flat!

So, they’re a WIN in my book. The good thing is that they were amazing. The bad thing is that they were amazing! Funny right? This just means that since they were so good, I will probably end up making these whenever they are requested!

Thanks to my son for inspiring me to go beyond my standard recipes and exploring baking with dough! And if you see more of these types of recipes here in the future, you can thank my son for that too!

CINNAMON ROLLS

Servings: 15 pieces
Difficulty: easy
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By: Sheila | Sweet Baked Life

Ingredients:

For the rolls & filling:

3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
5 cups self-rising flour
2 cups milk
8 tablespoons (1/2 cup)unsalted butter, melted & divided

For the glaze:

2 cups confectioners sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions:

Heat your oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9×13-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spay and set aside.
Into a small bowl mix 1/2 cup of the sugar and the cinnamon and set aside; this will be used for the filling.
Into a large bowl, add the flour and remaining 1/4 cup sugar and whisk until blended. Mix the milk and 4 tablespoons of the melted butter in a small bowl, then add this into the flour mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until a soft dough forms.
Place the dough onto a large floured board and knead the dough until it is smooth. Do not over knead or the rolls will be tough. Then using a floured rolling-pin, roll the dough into a 24×10-inch rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick.
Brush 2 tablespoons of the melted butter onto the top of the dough. Then sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture, leaving a 1/4 inch border. Roll the dough by starting at the long end closest to you, roll the dough tightly into a log. If the dough seems stuck, use a scraper to help release the dough from the board. When completely rolled, pinch the seam together at the top.
Cut the dough crosswise into 15 pieces then place the rolls, cut-side up into the baking dish – 3 rolls across and 5 rolls down. Brush the tops with the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 30-40 minutes.
For the glaze, into a medium bowl, add the confectioners sugar, milk, salt and vanilla and whisk until smooth.
When the cinnamon rolls are finished baking, remove from oven and place on a wire rack. Pour the glaze on the top and if needed, spread evenly with an offset spatula. Let cool about 5 minutes before serving.