Tasty Thursday (aka Foodie Friday a day early): Cinnamon Rolls

Christmas is definitely upon us. I have presents wrapped and under the tree. The stockings have been stuffed. Cookies are baked. Since we will be celebrating Christmas as a family today I also got up early to make cinnamon rolls. Right now they are rising, but soon the house will be filled with the delicious aroma of bread, sugar, and cinnamon. Mmm, what a great way to start the day!! My current favorite recipe is from allrecipes.com called Clone of a Cinnabon. To me it is the perfect ooey, gooey numminess that a cinnamon roll should be. And just when you think that it can't get any better, mix up a batch of the cream cheese frosting to top it all off. 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1/3 cup margarine, melted
• 4 1/2 cups bread flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast
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• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
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• 1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
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• Directions:
• 1. Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select dough cycle; press Start.
  2. After the dough has doubled in size turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, cover and let rest for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon.
  3. Roll dough into a 16x21 inch rectangle. Spread dough with 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Roll up dough and cut into 12 rolls. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
  4. Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes. While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving.
• Since our bread machine is currently out of commission, I made the rolls today with my mixer the old fashioned way. :o) Just combine the warm milk and yeast, add in your sugar, margarine, salt and eggs. Mix in flour. Knead the dough into a ball. Place dough into a bowl, cover and let rise for about one hour. Then continue with the rolling out of the dough.
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• Have a merry and delicious Christmas!