In the Kitchen: My Best Cinnamon Rolls Yet

I've been using this same cinnamon roll recipe for, well, forever and yet this weekend with two little tweaks, I produced my best batch yet!  I love when that happens.  I don't make cinnamon rolls too often, mostly because once I do make them, I go on what I like to call the cinnamon roll diet: Breakfast? Cinnamon roll.  Lunch? Cinnamon roll.  Dessert? Cinnamon roll.  You get the idea...I just can't stop myself.

I was this close to not making them this weekend for #ldsconf, given my large & swollen state, then I thought about the cinnamon roll diet & thought, what the heck? and headed right into the kitchen to whip up a batch...or two.

So tweak number 1: I doubled the batch.  I did it thinking I'd take some to friends, or just eat a few more myself, but what actually ended up happening was even better.  Instead of having twice as many rolls, they were twice as big.  Yes please.  When I really stop and think that I'm actually eating two instead of one, it makes me a little sick.  Naturally, I stop myself from thinking that way & just enjoy every bite.

The next tweak was a big one.  Instead of dry on the top, until you add frosting, I got ooey-gooey-sticky-rolls & it's so simple I banged my head on the wall that I'd wasted so many years not applying it.  My mom happened to be over when I pulled them out of the over & when I reached for my spatula to take them off the pan, she exclaimed, "What are you doing?!"  I stopped to indicate the obvious & gave her a side long glance because the last time I remember my mom making cinnamon rolls is: never. BUT she still held the key to my best batch with a nugget of wisdom from her mother.  Instead of using a spatula to remove the rolls, simply dump your pan upside down...thus capturing all of the caramel goodness.  We actually frosted them & ate them upside down as well & not gonna lie?  Game changer. 

Cinnamon Rolls

2 C warm water
1/4 C sugar
1 1/2 TB yeast (or two packets)
combine in mixer, let sit for 5 minutes
3 C flour
1/4 C oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 C flour
Mix all ingredients together, cover bowl with clean dishtowel & let rise 15 minutes.
Roll out, fill with melted butter (1 stick), sugar, brown sugar & cinnamon
Roll dough, then cut into 1/2" strips.  Place on cookie sheet, sprayed with non-stick spray.  Cover with dishtowel & let rise until double in size, about 15 minutes.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 stick butter @ room temperature
1 8oz cube cream cheese @ room temperature
1 t vanilla
3 C powdered sugar

Feel free experiment with the frosting, sometimes I add more butter and less cream cheese, sometimes I add almond flavoring or maple instead of vanilla...make it how you like it!