I had the sweetest Mother's Day with my little girl. Audrey was only a few weeks old last year on my first Mother's Day. I'm not sure I enjoyed it as much as this year. Everything has become more fun as she grows and can interact with us. Yes, of course my first Mother's Day was special but this year I was up to doing something special for my family.
My husband loves cinnamon rolls and frankly, who doesn't?! Instead of taking the easy route with one of those cans that pop and scare me every time I open one, I decided to make some from scratch. These are life-altering, so good, I already want to make them again cinnamon rolls. With all of cinnamon's healthful and healing properties, I can't help but think these are actually good for you! ;-)
A couple of things about this recipe; you should make the base dough the night before, feel free to add toasted chopped pecans or other nuts/chocolate chips in the filling, and feel free to use a mixer with a dough hook to knead the dough (I happen to love kneading things by hand). I haven't tried freezing the rolls after they are cut (before they rise and go in the oven) but experience tells me, you can freeze them at that point and just take them out the night before you want to bake them and let them sit, covered with plastic in the parchment lined baking dish until they have proofed overnight. I would brush them with melted butter before they go in the oven.
Enjoy with tea and good company.
Best Ever Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Glaze
Ingredients
For the dough base:
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup water
1 1/4 -ounce packet active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
1/4 cup sugar
pinch of sugar (for the yeast mixture)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled, plus more for brushing
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
3/4 teaspoon good salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
Directions:
Warm 1/2 cup water and the milk in a saucepan over low heat or in microwave until a thermometer registers 100 degrees F to 110 degrees F. Remove from the heat and sprinkle the yeast on top, then sprinkle with a pinch of the sugar; set aside, undisturbed, until foamy, about 5 minutes.
Whisk the melted butter, egg yolk and vanilla into the yeast mixture until combined. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, the remaining sugar, the salt and nutmeg. Make a well in the center, then add the yeast mixture and stir with a wooden spoon to make a thick and slightly sticky dough. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until soft and elastic, about 6 minutes or use a dough hook in a stand mixer. Add additional flour if necessary. Shape into a ball.
Brush a large bowl with melted butter. Add the dough, turning to coat lightly with the butter. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until the dough is doubled in size, about 1 hour, 30 minutes.
Turn the dough out of the bowl and punch it down to release excess air; re-form into a ball and return to the bowl. Lightly butter a large piece of plastic wrap and lay it directly on the surface of the dough. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
Ingredients
For the filling:
1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
All-purpose flour, for dusting
For the glaze:
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon maple extract (optional)
Pinch of salt
Directions
Make the rolls: Line a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with parchment paper. Whisk the sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. On a floured surface, roll out the dough into a 10-by-18-inch rectangle about 1/4-inch thick. Spread the melted butter over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border on one of the long sides. Top with the cinnamon sugar. Tightly roll the dough into an 18-inch log, rolling toward the clean border, brushing off excess flour as you roll; pinch the seam to seal.
Slip a long piece of thread or fishing line under the roll, about 1 1/2 inches from the end. Lift the ends of the thread and cross over the roll, pulling tightly to cut off a piece. Repeat, cutting every 1 1/2 inches, to make about 12 rolls. Place the rolls in the parchment lined baking dish.
Cover the rolls loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour, 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Uncover the rolls and bake until they spring back when pressed, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes in the pan. (You can freeze the baked rolls for up to 2 weeks. Cool completely before freezing, then thaw, warm up and glaze before serving.)
Make the glaze: Whisk the confectioners' sugar, melted butter, milk, vanilla, maple extract and salt in a bowl until smooth. Drizzle over the warm rolls.
Recipe adapted from Food Network Magazine
