Rich & Gooey Cinnamon Rolls

Instructions

1. To mixing bowl of stand mixer, add flour, yeast, salt and sugar.
2. Pour warm milk, eggs, butter and vanilla over flour mixture and mix with rubber spatula until the ingredients are just barely combined. Let mixture rest for 5 to 10 minutes for yeast to bloom.
3. Fit stand mixer with dough hook attachment and beat dough on medium speed, for 7 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic. Dough is supposed to be tacky and somewhat sticky. Do not add additional flour.
4. Spray a large glass or ceramic bowl with cooking spray.
5. Remove dough from mixer bowl and place in a lightly oiled bowl.
6. Turn dough in bowl to coat with oil then cover with plastic wrap and leave in a warm spot to rise for 30 minutes but no more than 45 minutes.
7. While the dough is rising, prepare the cinnamon filling. In a medium bowl, combine the softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and vanilla.  Mix until well combined.  Set aside.
8. Once 30 minutes has passed and dough has risen, turn out dough on generously floured pastry mat.  Sprinkle top of dough with additional flour.
9. Using a floured rolling pin, roll dough to a large rectangle. (I roll mine to the size of my pastry mat, 24”x15”)
10. Using a rubber spatula, spread cinnamon filling over the entire dough surface.
11. Starting at the long end, roll up dough.
12. Cut into 12 equal slices and place on a greased 9×13 baking pan. (If baking right away, skip step 13 and continue to step 14.)
13. For Overnight Rolls, cover baking pan with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator.  In the morning, remove baking pan from refrigerator.  Remove plastic wrap and cover pan with towel.  Place in a warm spot and allow rolls to get to room temperature and rise.  Approximately 1 hour.  While rolls are rising, preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Skip steps 14 and 15 and continue to step 16.
14. Cover the pan with a towel, place in a warm spot and allow the rolls to rise for 30 minutes until almost doubled.
15. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
16. Warm the buttermilk in the microwave for 20 seconds.
17. Once rolls have risen, drizzle the buttermilk over the top of each roll, allowing the buttermilk to seep into the crevices.
18. Bake at 375 degrees for 18 to 22 minutes, until the tops of the rolls are lightly golden and the centers are cooked through.
19. While the rolls are baking, prepare the cream cheese frosting.
20. In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, add softened cream cheese plus butter and cream until light and creamy.
21. Add vanilla and almond extracts, powdered sugar and salt. Beat, scraping down sides, until well combined.
22. Remove rolls from oven and immediately spread the icing over the hot rolls so that the icing melts into the rolls.
23. Leftover rolls may be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.  Warm in microwave for 30 seconds before serving.

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Until next time….