CLASSIC CINNAMON ROLLS Makes 12 servings INGREDIENTS:
Rolls: 2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast 1 cup lukewarm water 3 tbsp. Crisco 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup hot water 1 1/2 tsp salt 1 egg 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour Filling: 8 tbsp. butter, softened 3/4 cup dark brown sugar 1 tbsp. cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting: 1/4 cup cream cheese, room temperature 1/4 cup butter, softened 2-3 cups powdered sugar 1 tsp. vanilla extract 2 tbsp. milk INSTRUCTIONS: Add the yeast to the warm water and let it rest for 5-10 minutes until it start to get foamy. (The water should be warm to the touch but not too hot. If it is too hot, you will kill your yeast and it will not get foamy.) Using a stand mixer with a dough hook, combine the Crisco, sugar, salt, and hot water. Mix in 1 cup of flour until we’ll combined, then add the yeast mixture. Add the egg and mix until smooth. Gradually add the remaining flour. Mix on medium-high for 5 minutes. The dough should be smooth and fairly sticky. If too sticky, add a little flour, 1-2 tbsp. at a time. Transfer the dough to a large bowl that has been sprayed with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with oil, oil side down. Place the bowl in the oven on the center rack, and place a bread pan full of boiling water on the bottom shelf, situated underneath the bowl. Close the oven and keep the door closed and the oven turned off for one hour, or until the dough has doubled in size. Transfer the dough to a well floured surface and roll the dough out into a 12”x16” rectangle. Spread the dough evenly with the softened butter. In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon, then sprinkle that evenly over the butter. Slowly roll the dough up lengthwise. Trim the ends of the roll, then cut the dough into 12 equal pieces. (Cut the roll in half, then cut each of those halves in half, then cut each of those four sections into thirds.) Place the twelve rolls into a greased 9”x13” glass or ceramic baking dish. Cover the dish loosely with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with oil, oil side down. Place the pan back in the oven. Keep the oven door closed and the the oven turned off for 30 minutes to 1 hour, or until the rolls have doubled in size. Take the rolls out of the oven and remove the plastic wrap. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Once the oven is preheated, bake the rolls for 25-30 minutes, until the rolls are light golden on top. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer, combine the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Gradually add up to 2 cups powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk, and beat until smooth. If the frosting is too thin, add more powdered sugar, about 2 tbsp. at a time. If it’s too thick, add more milk, 1 tsp. at a time. Spread the frosting evenly over the rolls and serve warm.
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These rolls are my absolute favorite. The dough is so soft and fluffy, just what a sweet roll needs! The cherry filling can be made smooth or kept with chunky with whole fruit. And everything is better with gooey cream cheese frosting! Am I right?! Be forewarned though, these rolls are quite messy when you roll them up, due to the filling’s consistency. I was a little skeptical how they would turn out, since this photo below is what they looked like after I rolled them, cut them, and got them in the pan. They were a big ole mess! And oh boy, you should’ve seen my hands! It looked like a murder scene! But the rolls turned out to be absolutely amazing! Once you get the frosting on, you can’t see the big ole mess from before. All you can see is deliciousness! Sweet sweet deliciousness! Well worth the mess, in my opinion! CHERRY SWEET ROLLS WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING Makes 1 dozen rolls INGREDIENTS:
Rolls: 2 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast 1 cup warm water 3 tbsp. Crisco 1/2 cup sugar 1 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 cup hot water 1 egg 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour Cherry Filling: 20oz. can cherry pie filling 1/4 c. Powdered sugar** 1/2 c. Cornstarch** Cream Cheese Frosting: 1/4 cup cream cheese, room temperature 1/4 cup butter, softened 2 cups powdered sugar 1/4 tsp. almond extract 2 tbsp. milk INSTRUCTIONS: Add the yeast to the warm water and let it rest for 5-10 minutes until it start to get foamy. (The water should be warm to the touch but not too hot. If it is too hot, you will kill your yeast and it will not get foamy.) Using a stand mixer with a dough hook, combine the Crisco, sugar, salt, and hot water. Mix in 1 cup of flour until we’ll combined, then add the yeast mixture. Add the egg and mix until smooth. Gradually add the remaining flour. Mix on medium-high for 5 minutes. The dough should be smooth and fairly sticky. Transfer the dough to a large bowl sprayed with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with oil, oil side down. Place the bowl in the oven on the center rack, and place a bread pan full of boiling water on the bottom shelf, situated underneath the bowl. Close the oven and keep the door closed and the oven turned off for one hour, or until the dough has doubled in size. To make the filling, use a food processor or blender and purée the cherry pie filling. Mix in the powdered sugar and cornstarch. **Alternatively, you can leave the cherry pie filling chunky and omit the powdered sugar and cornstarch. I prefer my filling to be smooth, but if you don’t mind the whole fruit, this is an easy option. You could also use other fruit pie fillings in lieu of cherry as well. Transfer the dough to a floured surface and roll the dough out into a 12”x16”rectangle. Spread the dough evenly with the filling. Slowly roll the dough up lengthwise. This will be very messy, so be prepared. Try not to roll the dough too tight or else you will squish all the filling out. Trim the ends of the roll, then cut the dough into 12 equal pieces. (Cut the roll in half, then cut each of those halves in half, then cut each of those four sections into thirds.) Place the twelve rolls into a greased 9”x13” baking dish. Cover the dish loosely with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with oil, oil side down. Place the pan back in the oven. Keep the oven door closed and the the oven turned off for 30 minutes to 1 hour, or until the rolls have doubled in size. Take the rolls out of the oven and remove the plastic wrap. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Once the oven is preheated, place the rolls in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until the rolls are light golden brown on top. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer, combine the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar, almond extract, and milk, and beat until smooth. Spread the frosting evenly across the rolls. Serve warm or at room temperature. This recipe takes me back to the best sticky pecan roll I have ever had, which was in Minneapolis, Minnesota at a great little brunch spot in their downtown area. I remember it like it was yesterday. I was sipping on my bloody mary at the bar and chatting with my friend, when the bartender passed by holding a plate with a huge sticky pecan roll that was literally the size of the plate, stood about 4 inches tall, had a big scoop of melting butter on top, and about 4 forks sticking out of it. It was loaded with pecans, oozing with sticky caramel sauce, and it smelled like absolute heaven! Both me and my friend's jaws dropped and I swear we may have actually drooled a little. We HAD to have one! And oh boy, it was divine! The dough was light and fluffy, and the topping was sweet, nutty, buttery, and just everything that is right in the world. I craved that sticky pecan roll for months after, but since I lived in Denver at the time, I never again got to fulfill that craving. So sad! (But I suppose it's probably a good thing, because honestly, if I lived in Minnie and had access to that roll anytime I wanted it, I would probably be 700 pounds by now. No joke.) I will admit that these rolls aren't quite the same as that one giant heavenly roll I drooled over 15-some years ago, but they are pretty darn close in their deliciousness power, and you will still be craving these rolls long after they're gone! I sure did! STICKY BOURBON PECAN ROLLS Makes 12 servings INGREDIENTS:
Rolls: 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp. salt 2 tsp. sugar 3/4 cup lukewarm milk 1 tbsp. yeast 1 cup lukewarm water 2 tbsp. butter, melted 1 egg Filling: 1 cup brown sugar 1 1/2 tbsp. cinnamon 1/8 tsp. salt 1/2 cup butter, softened Sticky Bourbon Pecan Topping: 3/4 cup butter (1 1/2 sticks) 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed 1/3 cup honey 1/4 cup heavy cream 3 tbsp. bourbon (If you'd prefer no alcohol, you can substitute 3 tbsp. heavy cream.) 1 tsp. vanilla 1/4 tsp. salt 1 cup pecans, chopped & toasted INSTRUCTIONS: Sticky Bourbon Pecan Topping: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, brown sugar, and honey and stir until melted. Remove from heat and stir in the cream, bourbon, vanilla, and salt. Set aside and allow to cool. Once cool, pour the caramel topping into a greased 9" x 13" baking dish. Evenly scatter the pecans on top of the caramel topping, then set aside. Rolls: Add the yeast to the lukewarm milk and stir briefly to moisten the yeast. (Make sure your milk is not too hot to the touch or else it will kill your yeast.) Allow to rest for 10 minutes until frothy. Meanwhile, in the bowl for a stand mixer, mix together the flour, salt, and sugar for the rolls. Once the milk is ready, add the milk, water, butter, and egg to the flour mixture. Mix with a dough hook until well combined. Cover the bowl and allow to rise for 30 minutes by placing the bowl in the oven on the center shelf. On the bottom shelf of the oven, place a bread pan or 8"x8" pan full of boiling hot water. Keep the oven door closed and do not turn the oven on. Return the bowl to the stand mixer with a dough hook and knead the dough on medium-low speed for about 8-10 minutes until the dough is smooth. It should be fairly sticky to the touch, but pull away from the sides of the bowl. Add a tbsp. or two of flour if it is too sticky. In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, cinnamon and salt for the filling and set aside. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and roll the dough out to about a 12" x 16" rectangle. Spread the softened butter evenly over the entire rectangle, then sprinkle an even layer of the brown sugar mixture. Working from one end to the other, begin rolling the dough up lengthwise. Once rolled, trim the ends if needed, then cut the dough into 12 equal sized slices. (Lightly mark the dough prior to cutting. Cut the roll in half, then cut each of those halves in half, then cut each of those four pieces into thirds.) Place the 12 rolls on top of the pecans in the prepared baking dish. Generously spray a sheet of plastic wrap and cover the baking dish, oil side down. Place the baking dish back in the oven on the center rack to rise, and replace the bread pan with fresh boiling water. Keep the oven door closed for 45 minutes and do not turn the oven on. After 45 minutes, or once the rolls have doubled in size, remove the dish from the oven. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Once heated, place the rolls in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes until light golden brown and cooked through. Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 15 minutes. Run a sharp knife around the edges of the dish to loosen the rolls, then place a rimmed serving tray or baking sheet on top of the baking dish and carefully flip the rolls out of the baking dish onto . The sticky pecan topping will now be on top of the rolls. (The topping may be runny, so make sure your serving dish or baking sheet has a rim to catch any sauce.) Allow the rolls to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. The topping with thicken as it cools. |