homemade bread machine cinnamon rolls with cream cheese icing:

Using a bread machine makes light work of homemade cinnamon rolls.  They just require a bit of time, but trust me, these babies are sooooo worth the wait!

These babies require a bit of work, and a couple of hours, because of the rising and resting times, but once you bite into one of these ooey-gooey, heavenly treats….  Oh my goodness!!  They are SO worth the effort!!

I found the original recipe and tutorial here, which also includes methods for making the dough by hand, or with a stand-mixer.  I use my bread machine for the dough, so if that’s the route you want to take, you’ll find that method below.

The recipe:

For the dough:

• 1 c milk, heated 1 min in microwave
• 1/4 c water (110 degrees)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 c butter (room temp)
• 2 eggs (room temp, beaten)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 c sugar
• 5 c flour (pref bread flour, but I use all purpose)
• 3 tsp instant, active yeast (also known as Quick Rise)

For the Filling:

• 1/2 c soft butter (you want it to be totally spreadable)
• 1 c. brown sugar
• 5 tbsp cinnamon
• 3/4 cups chopped nuts (optional)

*Mix cinn/sugar/nuts together, but keep softened butter in a separate bowl.  Set all of it aside until you’re ready for the filling step. (step 7, below)

For the Frosting:

• 2 oz cream cheese at room temp (that’s a 1/4 of a brick)
• 1/4 c butter
• 1 c icing sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/8 tsp lemon extract or oil (optional)

* in med bowl, combine butter, cream cheese and beat until creamy.  Add sugar, lemon, vanilla, and mix until creamy.  You can refrigerate if you make this far enough in advance, but you want it at room temp when it’s time to use it.

Now… let’s get down to making them!

What you’re going to do:

1. Add all dough ingredients to your bread machine (look in your bread machine manual to see what order they recommend adding basic dough ingredients).
2. Select “DOUGH” setting.
3. When done, turn out onto a PAM-sprayed counter and form an oval.
4. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest 10 mins.
5. Meanwhile, butter a 9x13x2 glass pan & set aside.
6. After it’s rested, working on your sprayed counter, stretch and roll dough into a rectangle that’s roughly 15×24 inches. (I put some tiny marks on my counter with a pencil so I know when I’ve got it right.  A tape measure also comes in handy here).
7. Time to use the filling ingredients.  Using a spatula/spreader, smear the entire rectangle, almost to the edges, with your butter. 
8. Sprinkle with the cinnamon/sugar/nut mixture. 
9. Starting with long edge, closest to you, roll up dough (not too tight or centers will pop up when baking).  Once you have it rolled up, pinch the seam closed with your fingers.
10. Mark 1.5 inch sections along roll with a knife.  
11. Now the fun begins: grab a foot-long strand of unflavoured dental floss and slide it under the roll until it’s even with one of your knife marks.  Bring the ends of the floss up and cross them past each other above the roll.  This will slice off a neat chunk. This makes your cuts neat and clean and doesn’t squish the roll, like cutting it with a knife would. Make your way down the roll until it’s all sliced up.
12. Put the rolls into your buttered pan. (there should be some room between the rolls – they’ll expand and fill the pan as they bake).   The pic below shows how mine look in the pan before baking.

At this point, you have a few options:  You can refrigerate overnight and bake your rolls tomorrow. You can freeze your rolls for a later date, or you can bake them today.

To refrigerate overnight:  Cover pan with plastic wrap and place in fridge.  When you’re ready to bake, you can either pop them straight into the oven, or bring to room temperature first. (They do a slow rise overnight, so it’s not necessary to bring them to room temp first). Proceed to Baking Instructions.

To freeze: Cover with plastic wrap and place pan in freezer.  Before baking, allow to thaw on counter for 10-12 hours to ensure adequate rising. Proceed to Baking Instructions.

To bake them today: Cover with plastic wrap and let rise 45-60 mins.  Proceed to Baking Instructions.

BAKING INSTRUCTIONS:

Bake in 350 degree oven for 20-25 mins.  Cool slightly and spread with frosting.

I know….that’s a lot of steps, but if you’re up to it, TRY IT!  You’ll be glad you did! (and trust me, your family will be too!)