Some of my favorite memories of growing up were from our family's Pizza Nights.
My Aunt Marilyn, Uncle John and their son, Craig would come out. Sometimes, Dad's cousin Joe would join us. We'd rent a movie from the local movie rental . . . I remember the excitement of knowing we had a movie reserved that we'd been wanting to watch for weeks!
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| Rolled out dough all covered in cinnamon sugar goodness. |
Then, every-so-often, we'd have cinnamon rolls. My memories don't lend to there having been special reasons for the delicious goodies, but those rolls made our weekly pizza night into a Special Occasion. I loved watching them roll out the dough with Mom's gold colored rolling pin, usually on her Tupperware mat. Then, there was the sprinkling of cinnamon and sugar. The yeasty smell would scent the house, cinnamon would then mix in. Soon, our mouths were watering and though the homemade pizzas of our creation were good, we were all eagerly anticipating the minute those rolls would be pulled from the oven and the icing drizzled over them.
We liked the evenings Mom and Aunt Marilyn would get side-tracked and the rolls would kinda do a little more than "DOUBLE" in size. They would puff up to the top of the cake pans, and you just KNEW they were going to be a little doughy in the middle, even when done baking. SIGH. YUMMY.
Jump ahead a few years and to the Holiday season when cooking commercials and family togetherness overwhelm. A very popular national brand has been telling us that baking and cinnamon rolls are necessary to be part of the perfect family demographic.
This message not-so-subtly got my 91 year old Gramma thinking. She started hankering for a cinnamon roll. With the usual Thanksgiving and then Crhstimas backing, neither Mom nor I got around to baking them.
The week leading up to Chrismtas led to Mom and Aunt Marilyn discussing Christmas Dinner. Aunt Mariyln would be hosting at her beautiful house - my girls absolutely LOVE the Christmas Eve Tradtion of visiting there - especially as their magial elf knows we typically have dinner in there and has left their Christmas Eve PJs under Aunt Marilyn's Tree before! I was wrapped up in getting work (we were on overtime), Christmas Projects, Christmas Presents, Christmas Parties and Christmas Programs completed, so I didn't really join in on any plans.
Until Mom mentioned how Gram G wanted cinnamon rolls.
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| Not ready to bake yet! |
So, I did back down from the all cinnoon roll meal plan, but wouldn't let the subject drop.
It was worth being called a pest. It rewally was!
Aunt Marilyn made homemade cinnamon rolls.
Gram G had one after dinner. I still think we should've checked under the table or in her pocket because I have NEVER seen a cinnomn roll disappear so quickly, and that's saying a lot growing up with my brother and boy cousins and my sweet-freak Dad and Uncle John!
My Aunt Marilyn shared the recipe - and I tried it at home today. They turned out PERFECTLY. After making them, some thoughts (well, ***suggestions*** from my Dad) are double the icing amount that is drizzled over the rolls and maybe the same for the filling. If not double it, maybe 1 and 1/2 times it.
Additionally, do not let it rise in your Kitchen Aide mixing bowl. This will need to double - and I had to dig out my Gigantor Tupperware bowl (I don't know the size right now, but I will check it out).
Also, because I don't keep cow milk in the house, I was a smidge worried, but using unflavored, unsweetened coconut milk didn't affect this in any way that I could notice. And the homemade butter was PERFECT in these!
Frosted Ice Box Rolls
(makes 24 rolls)
2 pkg dry yeast (or 3 T if you by in bulk as I do)
1/2 c warm water (105-115 degrees, hotter will kill the yeast)
2 c lukewarm milk (scalded) (I just let milk warm in small pan on stove while I let yeast proof)
1/3 c sugar
1/3 c vegetable oil or shortening
3 t baking powder
2 t salt
1 egg at room temperature
5-7 cups flour
Dissolve yeast in warm water. Let proof 5-10 minutes, until bubbly.
Stir in lukewarm milk, sugar, oil, baking powder, salt, egg and 2-3 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Mix in enough remaining flour to make dough easty to handle. Turn out onto well-floured board and kneed until smooth and elastic (8-10 minutes). (Here, I just had the dough hook on my kitchen aide and let it continue to mix on medium for about that length of time due to being sidetracked with Christmas presents).
Grease Gigantor size Tupperware bowl and place dough in bowl. Cover and let rise in warm place until dough doubles in size (this was around 1 1/2 hours for me, with the dough sitting in front of the burning fireplace). Dough will be ready when indentation remains when touched.
Grease 2 13x9 cake pans.
Punch dough down. Divide in half. Roll into 12x10 rectangle.
Put filling of choice on top of rolled dough Starting at wide side, roll dough. Cut into twelve even pieces. Space slightly apart in cake pan. Wrap pan tightly with foil. Repeat with remaining 1/2 of dough.
*** This next step is optional - you can simply skip the Fridge step and let rise again. *** Refrigerate at least 12-48 hours. Remove foil before letting rise and then baking. - If skipping the fridge step and baking immediately, do not wrap in foil. -
*** Now, back to the mandatory steps either after removing from fridge or after placing in pan and skipping the fridge step.***
Let rise in warm pan until double (around 1/2 hour).
Bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes..
Frost with powdered sugar frosting.
Cinnamon Filling
4 T butter, softened
1/2 c sugar
1 T and 1 tsp cinnamon
Spread softened butter on rolled out dough. In small bowl, mix sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar mixture over buttered dough.
Caramel Pecan Filling
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 c butter
2 T light corn syrup
Heat brown sugar and butter until melted Stir in corn syrup. Spread over rolled out dough. Sprinkle with pecans.
Icing
1 c powdered sugar
1 T milk (almond milk works well)
1/2 tsp vanilla
Frost while warm.
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