Wednesday, January 06, 2010

-6 degrees

It's currently -6 degrees outside, and the snow is still coming down. On days like today there are only two things to do. Cook and eat. We did both with gusto today. Cinnamon Rolls were high on the list of consumables this evening. I've used this same recipe for over 30 years. (Yes, I'm that old.) It makes a melt-in-your-mouth, soft, buttery sweet roll. My four year old granddaughter was my sous-chef/baker today. She helped me by sprinkling the sugar mixture on the rolls, rolling them up and "cutting" them. Here's what they looked like resting in the pan before they had risen...

And here they are all fat, full, and ready to pop into the oven...

Heavenly Cinnamon Rolls

Dissolve 1 Tbsp. yeast in 1/4 cup warm water for 5 minutes

Stir in mixing bowl:
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup oil
1 tsp. salt
1 1/4 cups warm milk
2 eggs

Add yeast to mixture above.

Then add:
3 1/2 to 4 cups flour (The dough will be very light and slightly sticky.)

Barely mix, then cover and raise about 3 hours. Flour surface and roll dough into a rectangle. Sprinkle with sugar mixture (about 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 Tbsp. flour -- use more if needed). Then generously sprinkle cinnamon on the top of the sugar mixture. (Optional: Add nuts or raisins.) Roll up dough and use a piece of dental floss to cut the rolls. Put rolls into a buttered 9x13 pan. Brush tops with a little melted butter, and let them raise about 1 hour. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. This is what greets you when you take them out of the oven...

You can frost using a powdered sugar, milk and vanilla glaze or frosting OR you can purchase a "can" of vanilla frosting. Heat the canned frosting in the microwave for 40 seconds on high and drizzle from the end of a spoon onto the rolls. Trust me -- this is just what the doctor ordered on a freeeezing winter's night...

As good as these are, Spring can't come soon enough!