Cinnamon Rolls : Five Years in the Making

I love cinnamon rolls.  I really do.  (Of course, I love a lot of other things too, and I got the hips to prove it.)

I used to hang outside the Saint Cinnamon store in Glorietta  which had a marble counter behind the glass window.  I would watch the baker roll out the dough, spread the butter, sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar, add the raisins or the nuts, then roll up the cinnamon rolls and slice out precise portions for baking.

I do know that one of the secrets to these yummy cinnamon rolls is the topping (essentially cream cheese, butter and powdered sugar), especially if it is placed on top of a freshly baked or recently warmed cinnamon roll.

I had tried several recipes in the past, both for the dough and the topping, in the hope of replicating or even getting close to the Cinnabon cinnamon rolls.  (You have to admit, those were really, REALLY good).  I don't think I ever found one that managed to reach that standard but I know I managed to get some decent cinnamon rolls out of the oven over the years.  

Although I had not thought about making cinnamon rolls in a long time, during one of my recent food trips on the internet, I followed a link that led to a link that led to a site which I had chanced upon a long time ago.  I remember the site because it was precisely the cinnamon roll recipe that drew me to the site years ago.

I checked my drafts folder (aka my recipes for testing repository) and found the below:

Draft saved at Wednesday, 29 August 2007

Ingredients: 

2 C whole milk
1/2 C vegetable oil
1/2 C sugar
1 tbsp active dry yeast
4 C flour
1/2 C flour
1/2 heaping tsp baking powder
1/2 scant tsp baking soda
1/2 tbsp salt 

Filling:
1 C melted butter
3/4 C sugar
1/2 C cinnamon (or more depending on preference)

Frosting:
1/2 bag powdered sugar (250g)
1/4 C milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp melted butter
pinch of salt 

Mix whole milk, vegetable oil and sugar in a pan.
Scald to 150 degrees. Let cool until lukewarm.
Sprinkle in yeast and let sit.
Then add 4 C flour, stir mixture together.
Cover and let sit for one hour.
Add 1/2 C flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Stir mixture together.
Sprinkle surface generously with flour and form into a rectangle,
roll the dough thin, maintaining a rectangular shape.
Drizzle melted butter over dough. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.
Roll the dough toward you. Pinch the seam to seal it.
Grease foil cake or pie pans.
Cut rolls 3/4 to 1 inch thick and lay in greased pans.
Cover the rolls and let sit for 30 minutes.
Bake at 400 for 15 to 18 minutes.
Combine all frosting ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly.
Generously drizzle frosting over warm rolls after they come out of the oven.

The above is not the recipe on the site.  This was one of the comments posted by one of the readers where the recipe was halved.  I had intended to try this way back in 2007 but never quite got around to it.   

After trying the original recipe today (it is a bank holiday and I got to stay home), my only regret is not having made this sooner.   We made almost 40 cinnamon rolls.  YUM!!

Check out  Cinnamon Rolls 101 by the Pioneer Woman  to get the real deal.  Better yet, head for the kitchen and make some cinnamon rolls, pronto!  

Addendum :  Below is a great recipe I had used in the past after downsizing the amounts. The long beating time is the secret, I think (of course given the core ingredients, it is hard to go wrong). I do not remember where I picked up this recipe and therefore I have no idea what the serving size is supposed to be.  My guess would be it was meant to frost enough cinnamon rolls to feed a whole community.  And by the way, if you decide to use this recipe, please don't blame me for any extra pounds you might gain.

FROSTING FOR CINNAMON ROLLS

1 lb margarine
1 lb cream cheese
2 lbs powdered sugar
2 t lemon juice
2 t vanilla extract

Let the margarine and cream cheese reach room temperature, then beat together.

Add powdered sugar slowly then beat for 12 minutes.

When almost done, add in the lemon juice and vanilla extract.