Cinnamon Rolls

I'm not just a nut, I'm a nut about cinnamon rolls. I like them so much I get confused and lightheaded when I am in a bakery and have to choose between a cinnamon roll or my beloved donuts. They look good, they smell good and they taste sweetly heavenly. I think that anyone who doesn't like a good cinnamon roll of donut should be watched careful. They may be from another planet and threaten civilization.

I know they are a calorie laden bomb of empty calories, but look at the cinnamon component and all that can be ignored. Cinnamon is a food police dream come true. Eating just a little cinnamon lowers cholesterol, helps regulate blood sugar, can treat yeast infections, helps ward off leukemia cells, boosts memory, helps preserve the food to which it is added, helps relieve arthritis pain and is is a great source of manganese, fiber, iron, and calcium. So go ahead and devour that evil cinnamon roll you see in the bakery shop window.

I almost always get my cinnamon rolls already made, because making them is a longgggggggg process. It is worth it though and if you want a good recipe for making a very good cinnamon roll I have one for you one below. Or you could just find the nearest Cinnabon outlet and get one of those. Any company that makes only Cinnamon rolls as well as they do gets my support. They are outstanding. Curiously, as much as I dislike IKEA, they do sell very tasty cinnamon rolls.

I have to thank Sweden for the cinnamon roll. That's where they started and where they are liked so much that every year there is a national Cinnamon Roll Day. In my own life I have experienced the power of the Swedish cinnamon roll, for my high school cafeteria supervisor used to make those and another decadent cinnamon treat that I can still remember that a sole motivation for me to not skip school (well, at least until after lunch had been served). Hmmmm I guess another benefit of the cinnamon roll is that it reduces the high school drop out rate.

I hope I have given you an incentive to either bake and eat a cinnamon roll or to just pig out on one where ever you find a good one.

Spicy Sticky Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing
Makes 24 rolls
Ingredients


For the dough:

2 1/4 teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast
1 1/4 cup milk, lightly warmed
1/2 cup sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, very soft
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
4 1/2 - 5 cups flour

For the filling:

4 small cinnamon sticks
1 star anise pod
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon cardamom seeds or powder
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, very soft

For the icing:
4 ounces cream cheese, very soft
1/2 cup milk or cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar, plus more as desired

Directions
To make the dough
- Sprinkle the yeast over the warmed milk in a large bowl and set aside for 5 minutes until slightly bubbly.
-With a whisk or the paddle attachment of a stand mixer, beat in the sugar, softened butter, eggs, vanilla, and salt. Stir in the flour 1 cup at a time, until the dough is very thick.
-Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and warm, or switch to the dough hook and knead in the stand mixer. Knead for about 5 minutes in the mixer, or 7 minutes by hand, until the dough is taut and smooth.
-Wipe out the bowl and spray lightly with vegetable oil. Shape the dough into a ball and place in greased bowl, turning it to make sure it's coated in oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled -- about 2 hours.

For the filling
-Grind the spices in a spice grinder until fine and mix with the brown sugar. (If you want to skip the extra spices or use powdered cinnamon instead of whole, substitute 3 to 4 tablespoons cinnamon for all the spices.)
-Cream the butter with the spices and sugar in a mixer or with hand beaters.
-Lightly grease two 9-inch cake pans (a 9x13-inch pan works fine as well). On a floured surface roll the dough into a large rectangle, about 14 inches by 24 inches. When the dough is rolled out, slather it thickly with the creamed butter and sugar, making sure to spread it nearly to the edges.
-Roll up along the long side, stretching and pulling the dough into a taut and tight roll. Use a bench scraper or knife to cut into 24 individual rolls.
-Divide the rolls among the prepared pans and let rise in a warm place until the rolls double in size -- about 45 minutes.
-Preheat the oven to 350 F. Bake the rolls for about 20 minutes or until just beginning to brown.

Make-Ahead Instructions: To make the rolls ahead of time, follow the recipe up until baking. Par-bake the rolls for just 10 minutes. Remove the rolls and let them cool, then freeze them in their pans or in freezer bags. To finish baking, remove them from the freezer and let them thaw in the fridge overnight. Then bake in the morning at 350 F for 10 to 15 minutes. Frost and serve warm.
For the icing
-Beat the cream cheese, milk, vanilla, and sugar together, adding more powdered sugar as necessary to get the consistency you prefer. Drizzle over hot rolls with a fork. Serve warm.