Cinnamon Rolls

Who doesn't love the smell and taste of those cinnabons at the mall? When walking by their stores it's hard to resist! After trial and error of many different recipes, I put something together that is the next best thing. You'll definitely fall in love with these and everyone who tries them will always bother you to make more! Yes it does take a bit of time, but in the end it's so worth it. They're super comforting and extremely delicious.

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Yield: Makes 14 to 16 Rolls

Ingredients:

For the Dough:

1 Package of Dry Yeast

·1/4 cup of Water, warmed up to 115 degrees

·3/4 cup of Whole Milk, room temperature

·1/4 cup of Granulated Sugar

·1/4 tsp of Vanilla Extract

·1 Egg

·1 tsp of Salt

·1/4 cup of Unsalted Butter, melted

· 3 1/2 cups of All Purpose Flour

·1/4 cup of Melted Butter, to brush over the top before baking

For the Filling:

·1/3 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

·3/4 cup dark brown sugar

·1/4 cup granulated sugar

·1 1/2 tablespoons of ground cinnamon

For the Glaze:

·1/2 cup of cream cheese, room temperature

·2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

·1 1/4 cups of powdered sugar

·1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

·4 tablespoons of milk, room temperature

Directions:

1. In a bowl, combine the warm water with about a teaspoon of sugar. Sprinkle the yeast over the top and stir slightly. Let it sit for about 5-10 minutes.

2. In a standing mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix the milk, sugar, egg, salt, and melted butter. Add in the yeast mixture, vanilla, and 2 cups of flour. Mix until it's all incorporated and gradually add in the rest of the flour. Turn up the speed to medium and let it mix until you have a smooth dough, about 5 minutes.

3. Take a large bowl and spray it with non-sticking baking spray and set aside. Take the dough out of the mixer and knead with your hands it for about one minute, until you form the dough into a ball. Place it into the oiled bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let it rise in the warmest spot in your kitchen for about 2 hours. 

4. In a medium sized bowl, combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cinnamon and mix; set aside.

5. After the dough has risen, take the dough out of the bowl onto a floured surface. Roll the dough out into a 15 X 9 inch rectangle. Spread the softened butter over the top evenly and then sprinkle the filling mixture over evenly. 

6. Starting from the one side of the long ends, tightly roll the dough into  a roll. Cut into about 14 slices and place them cut side down in a sprayed 9 X 13 baking pan. Cover with plastic wrap and put them back into a warm spot to rise for about another hour.

7. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

8. Once the rolls have risen, brush them with some melted butter and bake them for about 30 minutes or until golden brown. 

9. While the cinnamon rolls cool for a few minutes, make the glaze. Whisk the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla in bowl. Slowly add the milk until you get a runny glaze consistency. Immediately pour the glaze over the cinnamon rolls and enjoy!