Best Cinnamon Rolls

A simple sweet dough recipe morphs into luscious, gooey, warm cinnamon rolls! For extra goodness, frost with orange frosting, or fill these yummy treats with your choice of nuts, raisins, craisins, dried cherries or dried apricots. For caramel rolls, add a little brown sugar to the bottom of the pan, sprinkle with water and chopped nuts, place rolls on top, raise, and bake. Flip out onto a foil-covered cooling rack immediately after baking.
~recipe by Susan, Cream of the West crew

Sweet doughs are easiest mixed in a bread machine. Fill with all dough ingredients, set to quick dough cycle, and have fresh, hot cinnamon rolls for breakfast!

Dough Ingredients

1 c. milk
2 Tbsp. butter, softened
1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp. yeast
2 eggs
3/4 tsp. table salt
3 3/4 c. bread flour

Filling

2 Tbsp butter, melted in microwave
1 c. brown sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Orange Frosting

2 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c. fresh orange juice
zest from orange
1/4 c. butter, softened
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract

Instructions

Mix dough ingredients in a bread machine or a heavy-duty stand mixer. Let rise until doubled. Roll out on a floured surface to approximately 18" x 12". Spread with melted butter (I use the back of a soup spoon - easier to wash!) and sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon. Add or substitute any other ingredients of your choice: softened raisins, craisins, dried cherries, or apricots; almonds, walnuts, or macadamia nuts. Roll up starting with a long side and pinch to seal. Slice about 1 1/2" thick with a serrated knife (I slide as much of the log as I can onto a cutting board.) Lay rolls cut side up in a greased baking pan. For caramel rolls, before setting rolls into pan, sprinkle with brown sugar, water, and nuts. Let raise for about 1 hour until they fill out the pan. Bake at 350 degrees, checking after 20 minutes. Carefully flip rolls onto a foil-covered baking rack immediately after baking.

For orange frosting, mix all ingredients and drizzle over warm rolls.

Makes about 15-18 rolls.

 

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