My Annual Christmas Week Baking Tradition

CINNAMON ROLLS

Not just any Cinnamon Rolls either...Ree Drummond, the Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Rolls!!  They are the BEST and if you make the entire recipe, it makes lots of little round crinkled aluminum pans full...of yummy ooey, gooeyness!  And the recipe is so easy.  You can even make the dough and store in the refrigerator for 3 days, in advance of when you want to bake the rolls.  The rolls roll out easier and they turn out prettier too.

Alright, so how many of you would really care just how PRETTY these yummy cinnamon rolls look when they come out of the oven?  I do, because I'm that way.  I used to make and decorate cakes, including wedding cakes that served 500 people!  I had to care how those turned out and now I'm no different when it comes to always wanting baked and cooked goodies to look pretty too.

I'm mixing up the dough today and will bake on Friday or Saturday, in preparation of delivering them to friends and neighbors, soon after they are cooled enough to put their tiny little clear plastic lids on them.  I love to give baked goods as gifts.  This year, it's the only thing I can give.  Thank goodness, I had everything I need to make these in my pantry.  I began stocking up on some things back in October...so that was good.

I absolutely LOVE these Cinnamon Rolls!!  So does everyone I give them too!

***This makes me remember how much my husband used to love these Cinnamon Rolls.  Tom, if you somehow are reading this, know I have thought of you often in the past years apart...and especially this Christmas, since it was to be your First Christmas back home.  I know everything got side-tracked and I don't know where you are again, but we'll be together in our hearts.***

I make one change in the following Recipe from Ree Drummond....in the Frossting, I eliminate the Maple Flavoring and the Coffee...I prefer plain white icing.  For an extra treat, I'll make a Cream Cheese Icing.

Enjoy!!

Now...before you begin the process of making these for yourself, click on this link and go to Ree's Blog, she shows photos every step of the way through the process and shares lots of good information!!!

  

REE DRUMMOND, THE PIONEER WOMAN'S YUMMY,

OOEY-GOOEY CINNAMON ROLLS

PREP TIME:  2 Hours

DIFFICULTY:  Easy

COOK TIME:  30 Minutes

SERVINGS:  8 pans full

INGREDIENTS

1 quart Whole Milk

1 cup Vegetable Oil

1 cup Sugar

2 packages Active Dry Yeast, 0.25 Ounce Packets

8 cups (Plus 1 Cup Extra, Reserved) All-purpose Flour

1 teaspoon (heaping) Baking Powder

1 teaspoon (scant) Baking Soda

1 Tablespoon (heaping) Salt

Plenty Of Melted Butter

2 cups Sugar

Generous Sprinkling Of Cinnamon

MAPLE FROSTING:

1 bag Powdered Sugar

2 teaspoons Maple Flavoring

1/2 cup Milk

1/4 cup Melted Butter

1/4 cup Brewed Coffee

1/8 teaspoon

INSTRUCTIONS

For the dough, heat the milk, vegetable oil, and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat to just below a boil. Set aside and cool to warm. Sprinkle the yeast on top and let it sit on the milk for 1 minute.

Add 8 cups of the flour. Stir until just combined, then cover with a clean kitchen towel, and set aside in a relatively warm place for 1 hour. After 1 hour, remove the towel and add the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and the remaining 1 cup flour. Stir thoroughly to combine. Use the dough right away, or place in a mixing bowl and refrigerate for up to 3 days, punching down the dough if it rises to the top of the bowl. (Note: dough is easier to work with if it’s been chilled for at least an hour or so beforehand.)

Preheat the oven to 375°F. 

To assemble the rolls, remove half the dough from the pan/bowl. On a floured baking surface, roll the dough into a large rectangle, about 30 x 10 inches. The dough should be rolled very thin.

To make the filling, pour 3/4 cup to 1 cup of the melted butter over the surface of the dough. Use your fingers to spread the butter evenly. Generously sprinkle half of the ground cinnamon and 1 cup of the sugar over the butter. Don’t be afraid to drizzle on more butter or more sugar! Gooey is the goal. 

Now, beginning at the end farthest from you, roll the rectangle tightly towards you. Use both hands and work slowly, being careful to keep the roll tight. Don’t worry if the filling oozes as you work; that just means the rolls are going to be divine. When you reach the end, pinch the seam together and flip the roll so that the seam is face down. When you’re finished, you’ll wind up with one long buttery, cinnamony, sugary, gooey log.

Slip a cutting board underneath the roll and with a sharp knife, make 1/2-inch slices. One “log “will produce 20 to 25 rolls. Pour a couple of teaspoons of melted butter into disposable foil cake pans and swirl to coat. Place the sliced rolls in the pans, being careful not to overcrowd. (Each pan will hold 7 to 9 rolls.)

Repeat the rolling/sugar/butter process with the other half of the dough and more pans. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cover all the pans with a kitchen towel and set aside to rise on the countertop for at least 20 minutes before baking. Remove the towel and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden brown. Don’t allow the rolls to become overly brown. 

While the rolls are baking, make the maple icing: In a large bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, butter, coffee, and salt. Splash in the maple flavoring. Whisk until very smooth. Taste and add in more maple, sugar, butter, or other ingredients as needed until the icing reaches the desired consistency. The icing should be somewhat thick but still very pourable.

Remove pans from the oven. Immediately drizzle icing over the top. Be sure to get it all around the edges and over the top. As they sit, the rolls will absorb some of the icing’s moisture and flavor. They only get better with time… not that they last for more than a few seconds. Make them for a friend today! It’ll seal the relationship for life. I promise.