Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Smell those cinnamon rolls

In 2002, my three female cousins got together and compiled a "family cookbook." It was a lot of work and I think they had fun. The outcome is a fantastic cookbook with many comments from the contributors, making this a fun, fun book for the family.

My cousin Harriet, known as an 'awesome baker' by her children, contributed a Cinnamon Roll recipe that is simply wonderful. It works every time and each time it seems to taste better. I have made a few minor changes like changing the margarine for unsalted butter, but I follow it otherwise. Below you see some of the cinnamon rolls formed after the first rising.

And then this wonderful smell comes out of the kitchen as the baking starts. If you have never tried to make cinnamon rolls, I really hope you will try this recipe as it is almost fail proof.

Cinnamon Rolls

2 pkgs dry yeast ( I use SAF instant yeast)
1 cup lukewarm water (120 degrees)
2 sticks unsalted butter (melted)
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 cup cold water
2 unbeaten eggs
6 cups flour (I really like King Arthur Flour)
Cinnamon (I use Penzey's Vietnamese cinnamon) mixed with sugar to your liking

Dissolve yeast in lukewarm water. Place melted butter, sugar, salt and cold water and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Add flour and mix well. You may need to use your dough hook as you begin adding flour. Put dough in a large bowl and cover and let rise until it is double (about 1 1/2 hours) in size. Divide into 3 clumps. Roll each clump on a floured board and brush with melted butter. Sprinkle dough with cinnamon and sugar combination. Roll the dough up into a long roll and cut into individual rolls. I get 12 rolls out of each clump of dough. Place into greased pans, round or square. Let rise again, 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours. During this time, cover with a clean cotton towel while rising. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Frost with your favorite recipe when cooled.

I put these in the freezer and then pull out and thaw and add frosting just before serving. My oldest grandson told his mom he was looking forward to eating grandma's cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning, and, he will get his wish. What are grandma's for?



5 comments:

  1. We make a similar recipe, that rises overnight. They were the signature baked good for our oldest daughter who made them for the annual swim meet(they sold out really fast), and her worship team for those early Sunday morning practices. We referred to them as her "husband getter rolls" and knew she made them for her boy friend it would be wedding bells. How very sweet that you get to lavish your grand children with old fashioned Grma goods!

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  2. Those look like amazing cinnamon rolls! I love the idea of family cookbooks and would enjoy hearing more about the one your cousins made. So many wonderful family stories are transmitted through recipe.

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  3. I smell them right now. They are almost too pretty to eat! Loved the prev post about Kippy. She is such a sweet little girl. My pets take up alot of my time but I can't imagine life without them. Merry Christmas!

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  4. My knees are buckling! I'm anxious to make cinnamon rolls, but am afraid my hips will explode.
    SIGH-- I can't stand it! Your pics are so inviting, that I think I'm falling!
    Merry Christmas!

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  5. These look nice and soft....mmmmmm cinnamon pillows.....

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