Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting

It is 2 days before my last final as a 1L... I can't believe I'm almost done! To get through the next few days, I made a big batch of cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting for a mega sugar high. These will go perfectly with french vanilla coffee at 6 am before my civ pro exam.

Cinnamon rolls made from scratch take forever but they're worth the wait. I have never been very successful baking with yeast but the last few times I've made these they've turned out perfectly. I just try to be very delicate with the yeast and proof it first!

Ingredients:

Dough:

1 cup milk

1 envelope yeast

1 tsp white sugar (to proof the yeast)

2 eggs at room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup butter melted

1 tsp kosher salt

4 1/2 cups flour

1) Microwave the milk for 1 minute in a microwave safe mixing bowl. Mix in 1 tsp sugar. Sprinkle the packet of yeast on top and gently combine with the milk. Place the bowl back in the microwave to keep it warm. Do NOT turn the microwave on. Just let the yeast/milk/sugar mix sit together for 10 minutes.

2) After 10 minutes the yeast should have bubbled up slightly and it should smell a little bit like beer. Gently but thoroughly mix in the eggs, sugar, melted butter and salt.

3) Next, mix in the flour 1 cup at a time. Scrape the side of the bowl to keep the dough from sticking. Once you've added 4 cups of flour in, use your hands to knead in the last 1/2 a cup. The dough should not be too sticky. If it is, sprinkle a little flour on top and dust your hands with it. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes until it forms one big ball.

4) Spritz a mixing bowl lightly with cooking spray. Place the dough ball in the lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel. Let the dough rise in a warm place for 60 minutes. To keep the dough warm I've run the microwave empty (I know, I know. It's bad) for a minute and the placed the bowl inside and closed the door. Or you can turn on the oven and place the bowl on the range top. After 60 minutes the dough should double in size. While the dough is rising, make the filling.

Filling:

1/3 cup butter softened and just a little bit melty (30 sec in the microwave)

1 cup brown sugar

1 TBS cinnamon

1 TBS pumpkin pie spice

1) Spritz your clean kitchen counter lightly with some cooking spray. Place the dough on your spritzed area. Roll it out to 16x21 in. Make sure it looks rectangular to make rolling it easier.

2) Melt the butter for 30 seconds in the microwave and set aside.

3) Mix the brown sugar, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice together. If you don't have or don't like the pie spice just substitute another TBS of cinnamon.

4) After rolling out the dough spread it with the butter. Then, sprinkle the sugar and spice mixture evenly across the buttery dough. Try not to drool.

5) Gently roll the dough away from you. When you get to the end, pinch the tail of the dough to the body of the dough log. This keeps the ends from burning.

6) Use a sharp chef's knife and cut your cinnamon log into 10 individual rolls. See the picture above. Mine were about 1 1/2 inches tall.

7) Place the rolls on a greased baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Let the rolls rise for another 30 minutes. Ugh. At this point you'll just really, really, really want a fresh, hot, ooeey-gooey cinnamon roll. You're almost there.

8) While the rolls are rising pre-heat the oven to 350. Pop them in the oven and bake for 19 minutes until they're lightly golden brown and still a little soft. While the rolls are baking whip up the cream cheese frosting.

Frosting:

3 or 4 oz cream cheese at room temperature (I used fat free cream cheese, couldn't tell the difference)

1 1/2 to 2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup (or 1/2 a stick) of butter softened

1 tsp vanilla extract

dash of salt

1) Whisk everything together. Taste several times to make sure its perfect. Mmmmm.

2) Once the cinnamon rolls are out of the oven let them cool for 5 minutes then drizzle allll over with the frosting. Enjoy!