day 21 - a favorite recipe

This one is easy! My favorite recipe has got to be my mom's cinnamon rolls. I have tried so many other cinnamon rolls and I always come away disappointed. I probably shouldn't, but I make these almost once a month. They are big and fluffy, yet a little chewy and moist. Really they are like a party in your mouth! But I am learning that yeast dough takes practice for some people - so if you try to make these and they don't turn out amazing then try again and I bet they will be better. I have been making them since I was basically able to hold a wooden spoon...that is like 30+ years of practice right there...

Here is the recipe:

3 cups warm milk

2 T. yeast

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp. salt

2 eggs

4 cups

Mix everything together. Add 5 more cups of flour. Knead for about 8 minutes (I never knead them this long...I am too impatient). Cover the dough and let it rise for 2 hours. Punch it down, cut dough in half, roll out one half, brush with 1/4 cup melted butter, and sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar; about 1/3 cup (recipe follows). Roll and cut into about 12-16 rolls. Place rolls on a cookie sheet that has been prepared with about 1/4 melted butter and sprinkled with about 1/4 cup of brown sugar (this is a very important part of the process -- that sugar and butter kind of caramelizes on the bottom of the cookie sheet and gives a wonderful flavor to the bottom of the roll). Repeat the process for the second half or shape it into cinnamon raisin bread (which is what I do if I don't want too many cinnamon rolls around). Let the rolls rise for 1 hour. Bake at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Frost with a simple powdered sugar frosting.

Cinnamon Sugar (note: this makes enough for about 3 batches of cinnamon rolls; the recipe above is one batch):

1 1/4 cup brown sugar

2 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup + 2 T. cinnamon

Powdered Sugar Frosting (you can look up an official one, but I never do):

I just put about 1 cup powdered sugar in a bowl. Add about 1 T. milk and 1/2 T. vanilla. Mix and add wet or dry ingredients as needed until the consistency is about like honey. Sometimes I put food coloring in it and make colored cinnamon rolls. The kids think that is pretty awesome!

One last note: Sometimes I add chopped pecans to them as well....it is super yummy with nuts.

After, afterthought: Read Michelle's comment in the comment section below. I forgot to add this tip and it is important and very accurate (Michelle is my sister and has also been making these since birth).