Ooey Gooey Cinnamon Rolls

Apparently it's become a Friday thing to bake breakfast for people. Or an anytime thing, really...to bake anything...for anyone. It's a little out of control. BUT, nonetheless...here's a pretty easy recipe for something that looks complicated. 

CINNAMON ROLLS.

I've really had a lot of luck with these things, though I have really learned a lot along the way.

#1... When mixing the brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter, do NOT melt your butter, it creates a ridiculously soupy mess...and your "filling" will no longer be inside of your dough as it should be. Use softened butter ONLY.

#2... When dividing your prepared dough into 12 rolls, don't use a knife... Instead, use a piece of dental floss. Slide the floss underneath the middle of  the 12" roll, take one side of the floss with each hand and pull tight to make a clean cut. Repeat until you have 12, pretty neatly, divided rolls. 

So there you have it. A recipe and some advice. You can dooo it.

Ingredients:

Rolls:

• 3/4 c. milk
• 1/4 c. butter, softened
• 3-1/4 c. flour
• 1 package instant yeast (2-1/4 tsp.)
• 1/4 c. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 c. water
• 1 egg
• 1 c. brown sugar
• 1 tbsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 c. butter, softened

Icing:

• 3 c. powdered sugar
• 6 tbsp. butter, melted
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 5 tbsp. milk (more or less)

Directions:

1. In small saucepan, heat milk until it begins to bubble. Remove from heat and mix in butter until melted. Let cool until lukewarm.
2. In large bowl, mix 2-1/4 cups of flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Mix well with dough hook.
3. Add water, egg, and milk mixture. Mix well.
4. Add remaining cup of flour, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well.
5. When dough has just begun to pull together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and form into ball.
6. Cover dough in oiled bowl with a damp cloth. Let rest for 10 minutes.
7. In the meantime, In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, cinnamon, and softened butter. 
8. Roll out dough into a rectangle approximately 12" by 9". Spread dough with brown sugar and cinnamon mixture. 
9. Roll dough, and pinch seam to seal. Use dental floss to cut roll into 12 1" rolls. Place in a lightly greased 9x13 pan. 
10. Cover with a warm damp cloth and allow to rise until the rolls have doubled in size. (* Note: With any dough that needs to rise, I like to heat a pot of water until boiling and then place the pot of water in the oven on a shelf beneath the covered dough. Cover This allows the heat and moisture stay inside and helps the dough rise a bit better.)
11. Once the dough has risen, preheat the oven to  375 degrees. Bake for 20 minutes, or until browned. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.
12. When the rolls have cooled for a while, mix together ingredients for icing. Drizzle over rolls.
13. Serve immediately, or later...but make sure you serve them warm. MMM.