Cinnamon Rolls
adapted from my favorite king cake recipe
3/4 cup low-fat milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup butter
2 packages active dry yeast
1/3 cup warm water (105°F to 115°F)
3 whole eggs plus 2 egg yolks, room temperature
5 1/2 – 6 1/2 cups bread flour
Cinnamon filling, recipe follows
Honey-cream cheese frosting, recipe follows
Place milk, sugar, salt, and butter in small saucepan. Heat over low heat until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Cool to lukewarm.
Dissolve yeast in warm water in warmed mixer bowl. Add lukewarm milk mixture, eggs, and 5 cups flour. Attach bowl and dough hook to mixer. Turn to Speed 2 and mix about 2 minutes. Continuing on Speed 2, add remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, and mix about 2 minutes, or until dough clings to hook and cleans sides of bowl.
Knead on Speed 2 about 2 minutes longer. Place dough in greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover. Let rise in warm place, free from draft, about 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk.
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Punch down the dough and place it on a lightly floured counter top. Flatten or roll it out into a long rectangle; the wider you make the short side, the bigger the cinnamon rolls will be. Top the dough with cinnamon filling, leaving about 1/2 inch clean dough around the edges. Wet the edges of the dough along the far, long side. Roll up the dough into a long, skinny snake-like shape and press to seal the wet edges. Slice the dough into 3/4-inch rolls and carefully transfer them to a buttered baking sheet.
Cover the rolls with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place for about 50 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until golden. Remove from oven and slather with honey-cream cheese frosting while the rolls are still hot.
Cinnamon Filling
8 tablespoons butter, melted (optional)
2 cups brown or granulated sugar
4 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/4 cup flour or oatmeal
Mix ingredients together into a thick paste, then spread on dough. It’s best not to do this too far in advance; once the butter cools, it becomes much less spreadable.
Honey-Cream Cheese Frosting
8 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
8 ounces neufchatel cheese, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons honey, or to taste
Cream butter in stand mixer on setting 6 for 1-2 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and beat to incorporate.
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