Cinnamon Rolls

Cinnamon Rolls, warm and steamy from the over …. Is there anything more comforting on a Sunday morning? Well, ‘Farmer’s Bounty’ maybe, but that’s just because our family watched Kate and Leopold last night, starring Meg Ryan and Hugh Jackman. A close second though are my Cinnamon Rolls, which get raves from all the guests who try them, and each time I make them I get asked for the recipe. This morning I got four such requests, so I’m going to share my secret with you (just don’t be disappointed when you discover how easy they are to make!).

It helps enormously if you have a bread machine. I basically use a recipe for a basic white bread dough using unbleached flour, but you can substitute whole wheat or a combination of dark and light flours for a heartier and more nutritional product. (The more whole wheat you use, however, the heavier the result).

Here’s the basic white dough recipe I use:

1 ½ c. water
2 T sugar
1 T salt
1 T dry yeast
2 T oil
2 T powdered milk
4 c. flour

Put everything in the mixing bowl of your bread machine, adding the flour last, and be sure to set it for “Dough”. (You do not want it to bake in the machine!) When it is ready, it should be very light and fluffy as a baby’s bottom (as we say in our family!). Roll this dough out on a floured surface then spread it with a creamed mixture of butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Roll up the long way, and cut into rounds. I put them on baking trays lined with parchment; it makes clean up a snap. Bake at 350 for about 12 minutes til brown. I drizzle them with a glaze of confectioners sugar, water and almond extract. Voila! You’ve created a delicious sensation, and it is so easy!