Cinnamon Rolls

My family has a long history of baking buns. From Zweiback to ordinary dinner rolls, the Fast women just know how to bake buns. I'd always loved my Aunt Carolyn's recipe, as they are slightly sweet (and scrumptiously delicious). One time she gave me a dozen buns for my birthday. It might have been my best birthday ever.

A few years ago I decided to try my hand at baking buns. I pulled out an old church cookbook (the best kind of cookbook there is), and found a recipe for sweet buns. I gave it a try, and they were absolutely delicious. In fact, I now get asked to bring them to Thanksgiving every year.

Recently I was inspired to make cinnamon rolls and thought the sweet roll recipe would make really good cinnamon rolls. So, I gave it a try. Now, as the baker of said cinnamon rolls I may have been slightly partial, but they were amazing. I shared them with my fellow volunteers at our 5:00 service at church, and I certainly didn't hear any complaining (mostly because its not okay to talk with your mouth full).

INGREDIENTS:

Rolls:

2 cups warm water
1 pkg yeast
1 tsp sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
5 cups flour, plus flour to knead


Filling:
1 Cup (2 sticks) butter
2 Tbsp cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp (approx) half & half (enough to make the filling spreadable, but not too runny)



Caramel Topping:

1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
Chopped pecans (optional)


Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 tsp vanilla
4 cups (approx) powdered sugar
1 Tbsp (approx) milk


DIRECTIONS:

Rolls:
Mix yeast and 1 tsp sugar into warm water. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat shortening, salt and 1/2 cup sugar together until well blended. Alternately mix in flour and liquids with mixer. Stir in remaining flour by hand until dough, when kneaded, does not stick to hands or bowl and has a satin finish. Grease bowl lightly. Let rise two times. Make into rolls or buns and let rise. Bake at 350 until browned. Baking times varies depending on the type of roll. When I make buns, it takes about 20 minutes. When making cinnamon rolls, baking time is closer to 30 minutes for large rolls. Recipe makes about 2 dozen large buns or rolls, or 3 dozen smaller buns or rolls.

Filling:
Mix ingredients together until well blended, adding half & half last (to desired consistency). Split dough in half and roll each half into a large rectangle. You may need to let the dough sit a minute in the middle of rolling. This will help the dough to relax so you can continue to roll it out without it shrinking back too much. Spread 1/2 of filling onto each portion of dough, going clear to all edges except the bottom (long edge), leaving about 1 inch of dough uncovered to seal the rolls.

Starting at top (long edge), roll up the dough.

Pinch together to seal the top edge of the dough to the roll.

Using about 18 inches of clean sewing thread (or a serrated knife), cut into desired amount of rolls.

 Place rolls cut-side up on greased baking dish. If using the caramel topping, place topping ingredients into pan before placing rolls into the pan.

Let rolls rise one last time, then bake until browned, about 30 minutes.


Caramel Topping:
Divide ingredients by the number of pans. Spread brown sugar across pan. Pour melted butter evenly over sugar. Sprinkle with desired amount of chopped pecans. Place cut cinnamon rolls on top of mixture, let rise, and bake as directed above.

Once baked, flip rolls onto tin foil so caramel side is up.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
In a large mixing bowl, mix cream cheese and butter with electric mixer. Add vanilla and powdered sugar (1 cup at a time). Add enough milk for desired consistency, spreadable but not too thin.

Frost cinnamon rolls immediately upon taking them out of the oven with a thick layer of frosting.

 *****

If you want to split the recipe between caramel/pecan rolls and frosted rolls, simply halve the ingredients for the toppings.