Yummy Cinnamon Rolls

I've talked about how I have been looking for the perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe, but I also searched and searched for a good Cinnamon Roll Recipe.  I think Cinnamon Rolls are the perfect comfort food, I love to make them when its cold and snowy outside, they just make you feel good.  Have I mentioned that my kids love it when I'm trying to find the perfect recipe?  Yes, they benefit greatly when I'm looking for good recipes, they get to eat all the results.  My co-workers love this as well, they benefit in the same way.  Well anyway to get back to the Cinnamon Rolls, I grew up in a really small town, Kanosh, Utah.  I loved growing up there.  So many great people, great friends and fun times.  Also lots of good cooks.  I have a recipe book that was published by the LDS Relief Society in the Kanosh Ward, I've had it for a long time, since before I got married, which was 1987.  I use this recipe book so much, this recipe came mainly from that book, it was submitted to that book by Dena Shumway, she passed away a few years ago from Cancer, but I wanted to give her credit for this recipe, she called them sweet rolls and her recipe had nuts and some other things in it,  the dough is wonderful, I have not found another one that I like as much as this one.  I have also used this dough to make dinner rolls, this recipe makes alot of dough, sometimes if I don't what to make it all into cinnamon rolls I use half of it to make a pan of dinner rolls.  If you don't want to make this much just half the recipe,  it calls for 3 eggs beaten, so I just beat 1 of the eggs and half it to get the right amount in the half recipe.  When I find a recipe, I always make some kind of revision, I don't know why, but it seems I always do, I just have certain ways I like to do things and few little things I've learned through the years that I apply to most recipes.  It's like American Idol, you have to make it yours, thats what I do,  I think most people who cook alot do this, so go ahead make your revisions and enjoy this recipe!!!!

Kanosh Cinnamon Rolls

2 1/2 cups scalded, cooled milk
8 TBS shortening(no butter this time)
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1 TBS salt
10 TBS sugar
3 TBS yeast
1/2 cup warm water
8 to 9 cups flour

Scald milk, add shortening to warm milk, let cool until just warm.  Dissolve yeast in warm water in mixer, or mixing bowl.  Add 2 TBS of the sugar and let sit until yeast starts to foam, then add milk mixture, eggs, sugar and salt.  Mix well, then add flour 1 cup at a time until the dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl.  Take dough out of bowl and knead until smooth.  Let rise covered for 1 hour, then punch down and let rise 1 more hour.  Roll dough out into a rectangle a little less than 1/2 inch thick.  Spread dough with 1/3 cup of really soft butter, then sprinkle with 2 1/2 TBS cinnamon and 1 cup brown sugar that have been mixed together thoroughly.  Roll dough up, starting on the long side, seal the seam and cut into 1 inch section rolls using a length of dental floss.  Place rolls on greased cake roll pan(lunch room cookie sheet)and let rise for 1 hour or until at least double in size.  Bake @ 350 for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown.  Cool and frost.

Here are two frosting recipes, to be honest, I like alot of frosting on my rolls so I would double these recipes unless you are halfing the cinnamon roll recipe.  They are both wonderful on the rolls.  The cream cheese recipe is really rich, it is so good, but sometimes I don't feel like that one so I use the butter cream recipe.  They are both delicious !!!!!

Cream Cheese Frosting

4 TBS butter, softened
3 oz cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups powder sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt

Mix these ingredients together, if its too stiff slowly add a little bit of milk until you get the consistancy you like.

Butter Cream Frosting

1 stick butter, softened
1/2 tsp salt
1 TBS vanilla
1 1/2 - 2 cups powder sugar
up to 2 TBS milk

Mix ingredients together and beat until fluffy.  Just add milk and powder sugar to get the consistancy you desire.

One final note, you will notice if you follow this blog and use my recipes, that I also insist on using real vanilla, it makes a huge difference and I won't use imitation in my recipes.  Enjoy!!!!