Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Rolls

Fluffy, sweet, decadent, divine...all perfect adjectives to describe these delicious cinnamon rolls!

Is there every a wrong time for a cinnamon roll?  They can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snack!  Or ever a wrong occasion?  I used to think that homemade cinnamon rolls were only for special occasions--Christmas morning, Mother's Day, my birthday...but now I've decided that any day is good for cinnamon rolls!

I've made these cinnamon rolls dozens of times.  They're my go-to recipe and they always turn out delicious!  The cinnamon rolls are light and fluffy, but it's really the icing that puts them over the top.  I drizzle it on while the rolls are still warm and the bread soaks up the icing like a sponge.  The cinnamon rolls become gooey and absolutely divine!  They're best warm from the oven, but you could always re-heat in the microwave for a special snack.

Don't let the thought of baking with yeast scare you away from these rolls!  As long as you are using warm milk, you shouldn't have any problems.  This recipe makes a very large batch of cinnamon rolls, so prepare to stock your freezer or give some away.  Trust me, your friends will love you!

Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Rolls

Makes approximately 5 dozen rolls

Ingredients:
1 quart whole milk
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
2 packages yeast (4.5 teaspoons)
9 cups flour, separated
1 heaping teaspoon baking powder
1 scant teaspoon baking soda
1 heaping Tablespoon salt
2 cups melted butter
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup (or more) cinnamon

1 pound powdered sugar
1/4 cup (or more) milk
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

1.  Mix the milk, vegetable oil, and sugar in a large saucepan.  Heat until almost boiling (scald), stirring occasionally.  Then turn off the heat and let the mixture cool to lukewarm, about 45 minutes.

2.  When the mixture is lukewarm (not hot!), add the yeast and stir.  Let this sit for 5 minutes.

3.  If your pan is large enough, add 8 cups of flour to the milk mixture and stir.  If not, transfer the milk mixture to a large bowl first and then add the flour.

4.  Cover the dough and let it rise for an hour.

5.  After an hour, add the last cup of flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the dough and stir until combined.

6.  Sprinkle your rolling surface (counter) generously with flour.  Take half the dough and form a rough rectangle.  Roll the dough thinly into a large rectangle.

7.  Drizzle 1/2 to 1 cup of melted butter over the dough.  Sprinkle with 1 cup of sugar, and a generous sprinkling of cinnamon.

8.  Starting with the longest side, begin rolling the dough up toward you, jellyroll-style.  Pinch the seams to seal it.

9.  Drizzle about 1 Tablespoon of melted butter into each pan that you're using.  I used a 9x13" pan and then 4-5 7" round disposable cake pans (these are great for freezing and gifting to friends).

10.  Use a sharp knife or dental floss to cut the dough into 1" slices.  Place cut rolls into greased pans, leaving some space for the rolls to rise.

11.  Repeat these steps with the remaining half of the dough.

12.  Let the rolls rise for 20-30 minutes, while you preheat the oven to 350.

13.  Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes, until lightly golden brown.

14.  While the rolls are baking, make the frosting by beating together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla.  Add more powdered sugar or milk to reach your desired consistency, it should be thick but pourable.

15.  After the rolls have been out of the oven for about 5 minutes, drizzle the icing over them.

Store rolls covered, at room temperature.  If you're freezing them, cover them tightly with foil first and then a layer of plastic wrap.  Thaw at room temperature before serving; you could also warm them in the oven for a few minutes after they're thawed.

Source:  The Pioneer Woman via Melissa's Cuisine (yes, this recipe was previously posted here!)

Cinnamon Roll Breakfast Sandwich

Bacon, eggs, and cheese sandwiched between two cinnamon rolls.  Your favorite breakfast foods in one delicious sandwich!

Mike and I have a tradition of having breakfast sandwiches on Sunday mornings.  Since Mike starts work insanely early during the week, and I don't have time for much more than a quick bowl of cereal or a smoothie, it's nice to take the time to make a special breakfast.  In fact, in recent months, Mike has taken responsibility for making our Sunday morning breakfast.  I get to play with Summer and he whips up breakfast.  It's a winning situation for everyone!

Typically, our breakfast sandwiches are pretty simple: eggs and cheese on a toasted English muffin.  We have a neat egg cooker that makes it super easy to make eggs for the sandwich.  If you don't have one, you could cook the egg in a ramekin or make an egg like an omelet and fold it up to fit on the sandwich.  Anyway, for a few weeks I had an idea rolling around in my head to use cinnamon rolls in place of English muffins.

On Easter Sunday, I decided it was time for my idea to become reality.  I flattened a few Pillsbury cinnamon rolls before baking them.  Then Mike cooked the eggs while I crisped the bacon.  I topped our eggs with a slice of Sargento ultra thin cheese (courtesy of Influenster!).  At the last minute I decided to drizzle a bit of icing over the cinnamon rolls.This was, without contest, the best breakfast sandwich I have ever had!

In fact, just this past Sunday, Mike went to make our breakfast sandwiches and decided that we needed to have cinnamon rolls again instead of English muffins.  He said, isn't that our new thing?  Yes. Yes, I think it is!

Cinnamon Roll Breakfast Sandwich

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 tube (8 rolls) Pillsbury cinnamon rolls with icing
4 eggs
4 Tablespoons milk, divided
4 slices Sargento ultra thin cheese
8 slices bacon, cooked

1.  Flatten cinnamon rolls slightly between your palms.  Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake according to instructions on the tube.

2.  Mix each egg with 1 Tablespoon of milk and cook.  We use this Nordic Ware Microwave Eggs 'n Muffin Breakfast Pan and cook for 1 minute.  You can also cook eggs individually in a ramekin or all together in a pan and then cut into 4 pieces.

3.  Place cooked egg on top of a cinnamon roll.

4.  Top with cheese, two slices of bacon, and another cinnamon roll.

5.  Drizzle with icing and serve immediately.

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Light and Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls

These sweet cinnamon rolls are light and fluffy; they are the perfect breakfast.  Everyone will want your recipe for them!

 Did you watch the Super Bowl last night?  As I admitted the other day, I was really in it for the snacks and the commercials.  The food was amazing; we enjoyed chili, pizza sliders, buffalo chicken dip, pickle dip, strawberry cheesecake, and puppy chow.  And the commercials?  There were a few good ones but that puppy commercial was the most adorable thing I've ever seen!  Anyone else want to go out and adopt a puppy?

Now the game itself.... that was absolutely brutal to watch.  I feel bad for the Broncos, they got swept off the field.   But the Seahawks played well and they deserved to win.  Hey, they're the only team that really showed up to the game last night, right?

Anyway, these fluffy yeasted cinnamon rolls are the perfect post-game-day breakfast.  Perfect for Seahawks fans to celebrate their victory, and perfect for Broncos fans to drown their sorrows in an indulgent breakfast.  Because sometimes food does make things better!

I set out on a mission to find the best soft yeasty cinnamon rolls after going out for brunch with some of my friends.  We went to a local restaurant and had some of the best cinnamon rolls I've ever tasted.  They were light and fluffy and squished down when I cut into it with a fork.  If you ask me, that's the sign of a perfect cinnamon roll.  I've made my fair share of cinnamon rolls, like these, these, and these.  Each of those are delicious, but they are sturdier rolls and just not what I have been looking for.

This recipe was the first I tried, and was right on target.  Not quite a bulls eye, but certainly close!  They were too delicious not to share with you!  The dough was some of the easiest dough I have ever worked with.  It was incredibly smooth and fuss-free.  The dough is kneaded for an extended period of time, making the dough smooth and resulting in the light and fluffy rolls.  Instead of being baked in a 9x13" cake pan, the cinnamon rolls are baked on a cookie sheet.  The extra space allows the rolls to really rise and spread out.  Additionally, the rolls are placed in a cold oven and then baked.  Placing the rolls in a hot oven stops the yeast from working, but allowing the rolls to heat up with the oven gives the yeast a few extra minutes to work.  The extended kneading, extra space to rise, and cold oven all work together to create these light and fluffy cinnamon rolls. These rolls are time consuming to make, but I certainly think that the hard works pays off in the end!

Light and Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls

Makes 18 rolls

Ingredients:
For the dough:
2 teaspoons yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 cup butter
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs
6-7 cups flour

For the filling:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 Tablespoons cinnamon
3/4 cup butter, melted

For the icing:
2 cups powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
2-3 Tablespoons water

1.  Sprinkle yeast over warm water and set aside.

2.  In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy.

3.  Switch to the dough hook and mix in the yeast mixture, milk, salt, vanilla, eggs, and 5 cups of flour.

4.  Continue mixing and add in additional flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until the dough forms a ball.

5.  Knead the dough for 15 minutes.

6.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in a warm area to rise until double, about 1-1/2 hours.

7.  While the dough is rising, prepare the filling.  In a small bowl, stir together the sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon.

8.  Roll dough into a 12x18" rectangle.

9.  Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with the filling.

10.  Roll the dough up length-wise.

11.  Cut the dough into 1" slices using a sharp knife or dental floss.

12.  Place rolls at least 2" apart on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.

13.  Cover the rolls with plastic wrap and place in a warm area to rise again, about 45 minutes.

14.  Place rolls in a cold oven. **Do not preheat!

15.  Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown.  (Check the rolls at 15 minutes, the time to bake may differ depending on how quickly your oven heats up.)

16.  While the rolls are baking, prepare the icing.  In a small bowl, stir together the powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla.  Add the water in until you reach your desired consistency.

17.  Cool rolls for about 5 minutes before drizzling the icing on top.

Store cooled cinnamon rolls in an airtight container.  Baked rolls may also be frozen in a freezer bag and then brought to room temperature before serving.

Source: Food.com

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls

This sweet roll is filled with peanut butter and chocolate chips. A delicious way to start your morning!

Holidays tend to revolve around food at my house!  We typically sleep in and then eat a leisurely breakfast. Then we move on to our morning activities: watching the parade on Thanksgiving or opening gifts on Christmas. We'll often munch on some appetizers before having a late lunch. Dinner is often leftovers from lunch or some more appetizers or even another slice of dessert!

One of my favorite breakfast foods is cinnamon rolls.  This isn't your traditional cinnamon roll though!  Oh no, this one is stuffed with peanut butter and chocolate chips!  I've made other stuffed cinnamon rolls before, like cookie dough, funfetti, and peach. This peanut butter and chocolate chip roll definitely ranks up there as one of my favorites!

P.S.  There is not any cinnamon in the roll, so the title is a bit misleading, but regardless of the filling, I still call these cinnamon rolls! :)

Peanut Butter Cinnamon Rolls

Makes 9 rolls

Ingredients:
3/4 cup milk
2-1/4 teaspoons yeast
1/3 cup sugar
3 Tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
3 cups flour

2/3 cup peanut butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup chocolate chips

1.  Measure milk into a glass measuring cup and microwave for about 30 seconds, until the milk is about 120 degrees.

2.  Add the yeast and sugar to the milk and allow it to sit for 5 minutes, until the mixture becomes frothy.

3.  In the bowl of your stand mixer using the paddle attachment, combine the butter, salt, and egg.

4.  Add the milk mixture and stir.

5.  Switch to the dough hook and add the flour to the mixing bowl.  Mix on low speed until the dough forms a ball.

6.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set it in a warm place to rise until doubled in size, about 1-1/2 hours.

7.  While the dough is rising, stir together the peanut butter and brown sugar.

8.  Once the dough has risen, turn it out onto a floured surface.  Roll it into a rectangle, about 12" by 9".

9.  Spread the peanut butter mixture over the dough.  It might be a little difficult to spread, just do the best you can!

10.  Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the peanut butter mixture.

11.  Roll the dough up tightly from the long end.  Slice into 9 equal slices.  I find it's easiest to use dental floss to cut the dough!

12.  Place the cinnamon rolls in a greased 9" pan.

13.  Allow the rolls to rise for 1 hour, until the rolls are expanded in the pan.**

14.  Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.

**If desired, you can stop at this point and refrigerate the rolls overnight.  Cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in the fridge.  When you're ready to bake them, allow the rolls to come to room temperature while the oven is preheating.  Then bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown.

Source: Crazy for Crust

Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake

I've spent the last two weeks talking about fruit, so today, why don't we talk about something to go with all that fruit.  Something like a Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake?  Sure sounds good to me!  After all, you can't just live on fruit alone--we need a little sugar, flour, and cinnamon in our lives!

The first time I made this coffee cake was when we stayed at my Aunt's house last Christmas.  I always bring along something that we can eat for breakfast on Saturday morning.  This Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake was a hit with everyone, but I didn't get a chance to photograph it before it was devoured.  Oh well, that gave me a good excuse to make it again!

This cake is more than just your average coffee.  It has a crust.  And not just any crust either, this crust is made out of cinnamon rolls.  So not only do you get a delicious coffee cake, you also get a cinnamon roll in each bite.  Breakfast can't get much better!

Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake

Serves 8-10

Ingredients:
1 (8 count) can cinnamon rolls, with frosting
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 Tablespoons flour
2 Tablespoons butter, melted

1.  Open the can of cinnamon rolls and separate the rolls.

2.  One at a time, press the cinnamon rolls between your palms to flatten.

3.  Place flattened rolls on the bottom and sides of a greased 10" pie plate to form the crust.  Pinch any gaps together to seal the crust.

4.  In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, vegetable oil, egg, milk, and vanilla.

5.  Add the baking powder, salt, and 1-1/2 cups of flour and stir until no lumps remain.

6.  Pour the batter over the prepared crust.

7.  In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, 2 Tablespoons flour, and melted butter.

8.  Sprinkle the topping over the coffee cake.

9.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out mostly clean. (Note: my cake took nearly 45 minutes to bake.  Be aware that ovens cook differently and keep an eye on your cake.)

10.  Allow the cake to cool slightly before drizzling with the icing that came with the cinnamon rolls.

Serve cake warm or at room temperature.  Cover leftovers with plastic wrap and store on the counter.

Source: Crazy for Crust

Peach Cinnamon Rolls

We're still able to get fresh peaches at our farmer's market and I plan to make the most of the fresh summer fruit...especially because it feels like fall today.  One of my favorite things about where I live is the local farmer's market.  It's open on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and while I haven't been able to go as much as I'd like this year, it's still fun to go.  I enjoy seeing what all the different vendors have to offer.  There are booths full of fresh fruits and veggies, fresh baked goods, doggy bagels, donuts, coffee, flavored honey sticks, flowers, and (my favorite) fresh hot tamales!  Usually the center aisle is lined with various street performers, and it's fun to watch and listen to them while shopping.

You know how much I enjoy taking a loved recipe and adding a little something to make it special.  Last week, I offered to bring cinnamon rolls for our youth leader's retreat breakfast.  I made some regular cinnamon rolls, but I decided to add some fruity flair to others by putting diced peaches into the cinnamon rolls.  I loved the addition of the fruit and the cinnamon rolls were a hit with the other leaders.

The cinnamon rolls were fantastic on their own, but I decided to top a few with my dad's homemade peach jam to bring out the peach flavor.  It was delicious!

 

Peach Cinnamon Rolls

Makes 20 rolls

You will need:
Dough:
1 cup warm milk, 110 degrees
2-1/2 teaspoons yeast
1/2 cup sugar, divided
2 eggs
1/3 cup margarine, melted
4-1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt

Filling:
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2-1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/3 cup margarine, softened
2 large ripe peaches, peeled and diced

Icing:
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup margarine, softened
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt


Peach Jam, if desired


1.  Pour warm milk and 1 Tablespoon sugar into the bowl of your mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top of it.  Let it sit for 5-10 minutes, until frothy. 

2.  Stir in eggs and margarine until well mixed.

3.  Add in the flour, salt, and remaining sugar and knead for 5 minutes.

4.  Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let it rise for 1 hour, or until double. 

5.  When the dough has risen, punch it down and let it sit on a floured surface for 10 minutes.

6.  Roll dough out into a 16x21" rectangle and spread softened margarine on top of it.

7.  Combine brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over dough.  Sprinkle peaches over dough.

8.  Roll the dough up length-wise and cut rolls into approximately 1" slices.

9.  Place rolls in a greased 9x13" pan.  Cover and let them rise for 30 minutes. 

10.  Bake at 350 for 15 minutes--be careful not to over-bake!  (But also be sure they are baked all the way through, I've found the rolls in the center of my pan may still be doughy after 15 minutes.)

11.  While rolls are baking, combine icing ingredients.  Spread over warm rolls.

Store cinnamon rolls in an airtight container.

Cinnamon Roll Grilled Cheese

Cinnamon Roll Grilled Cheese

Serves 1 (easily adapted to serve more)

2 slices of bread
margarine or butter
1-1/2 ounces Neufchatel cheese, softened
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1. Butter each piece of bread on one side.

2.  In a small bowl, combine Neufchatel cheese, brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla.

3.  Spread the mixture on the unbuttered side of one piece of bread.  Top with the other piece of bread, butter side out. 

4.  Place sandwich on a hot griddle, butter side down.

5. When the bottom slice of bread is browned, carefully flip the sandwich and cook until the other side is browned.
6. Cut the sandwich in half before serving.

Source: Galley Kitchen Bake Up, Little Suzy

Cinnabon Copy Cat

Confession time:  I've never had a Cinnabon!  Have you?  I've heard incredible things about them, but I have to confess, I'm too cheap to buy one.  Plus, I honestly don't know where the nearest Cinnabon is...I'd probably have to drive to the airport.  After making this recipe, I don't need to try a Cinnabon, because these are are so delicious!

Anyway, cinnamon rolls are one of my absolute favorite things to make.  I love rolling up the dough and cutting pretty rolls out.  And yes, these rolls are pretty!  Seriously, I think this dough held up the best of any I've ever made (and I've made a lot!  See here.  And here.  And here.)  The result was a perfectly formed cinnamon roll.

I found this fabulous recipe at Jamie's blog, Our Eating Habits.  I was assigned to her blog for the Secret Recipe Club, and as usual, I had a hard time deciding what recipe to make.  Quite a few of them caught my eye, so I narrowed the list down to 7 or 8 and had Mike choose.  I was thrilled that he choose the Cinnabons! 

This recipe surely did not disappoint.  I did modify it slightly, because the original recipe was made for a bread machine.  I have a bread machine, but I really enjoy making the dough myself, so I re-wrote the instructions to use a stand mixer.  I also did not have cream cheese in the house when I made these, so rather than a cream cheese frosting, I made a basic powdered sugar icing.  I like to pour a thin layer over my rolls hot out of the oven so it soaks in and makes them gooey.  Then after they've cooled, I add another layer of icing.  I hope you'll make these, and if you've ever had a Cinnabon, you'll have to tell me if they're close!

Cinnabon Copy Cat Cinnamon Rolls

Makes 20 rolls

You will need:
Dough:
1 cup warm milk, 110 degrees
2-1/2 teaspoons yeast
1/2 cup sugar, divided
2 eggs
1/3 cup margarine, melted
4-1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt

Filling:
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2-1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/3 cup margarine, softened

Icing:
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup margarine, softened
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

1.  Pour warm milk and 1 Tablespoon sugar into the bowl of your mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top of it.  Let it sit for 5-10 minutes, until frothy. 

2.  Stir in eggs and margarine until well mixed.

3.  Add in the flour, salt, and remaining sugar and knead for 5 minutes.

4.  Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let it rise for 1 hour, or until double. 

5.  When the dough has risen, punch it down and let it sit on a floured surface for 10 minutes.

6.  Roll dough out into a 16x21" rectangle and spread softened margarine on top of it.

7.  Combine brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over dough.

8.  Roll the dough up length-wise and cut rolls into approximately 1" slices.

9.  Place rolls in a greased 9x13" pan.  Cover and let them rise for 30 minutes. 

10.  Bake at 350 for 15 minutes--be careful not to over-bake!

11.  While rolls are baking, combine icing ingredients.  Spread over warm rolls.

Store cinnamon rolls in an airtight container.

Adapted from:  Our Eating Habits, who found it on Allrecipes

Cinnamon Roll French Toast Bake

One of my absolute favorite things to have for breakfast is cinnamon rolls.  Fresh from the oven, hot, and gooey.  In my book, it doesn't get much better than that!  When I saw this recipe, I knew I had to try it.  It combines 2 of my favorite things, cinnamon rolls and french toast, into one quick and easy breakfast casserole.  It reminds me of the French Monkey Bread I made last year. 

I think this would be the perfect breakfast for Christmas morning.  It comes together quickly and you can pop it in the oven while you're opening Christmas gifts.  I served it with Brown Sugar Baked Bacon. 

Cinnamon Roll French Toast Bake

Makes 1 9x13" pan, about 12 servings

You will need:
1/4 cup margarine, melted
2 cans of cinnamon rolls with icing
4 eggs
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons cinnamon

1.  Pour melted margarine into the bottom of a 9x13" pan.

2.  Open both cans of cinnamon rolls and set the icing aside.  Cut each cinnamon roll into 4 pieces.

3.  Place cinnamon roll pieces on top of margarine in the pan.

4.  In a small bowl, beat the eggs.

5.  Mix in the whipping cream, vanilla, and cinnamon.

6.  Pour egg mixture over the cinnamon roll pieces.

7.  Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown.

8.  Spread icing on top of the cinnamon rolls.  Serve warm.

Adapted from:  Mom's Crazy Cooking

Cookie Dough and Chocolate Stuffed Cinnamon Rolls

Do you ever get sick of making the same thing time after time?  Maybe you don't, but I do, and sometimes I like to experiment and try new and exciting ideas.  This was one of those times.  Don't get me wrong, I love cinnamon rolls, but I was wanting something different.  I'd already made funfetti cinnamon rolls and loved them so I thought why not take it another direction?  I decided to stuff my cinnamon rolls with ready to eat cookie dough or chocolate chips.  Both were delicious and a nice twist on the ordinary cinnamon roll!

You can easily make a full batch of each, cookie dough stuffed, or chocolate chip stuffed.  I made a full batch of cinnamon rolls and divided the fillings between each half.  Does that make sense?  If you need more clarification, I know the recipe is a little confusing, please let me know so I can help make it more clear!

You will need:

For the cinnamon rolls:
2 cups milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sugar
1 packet yeast (2-1/4 teaspoons)
4-1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 stick margarine
cinnamon
sugar
1 batch ready to eat cookie dough
2 cups chocolate chips

For the icing:
Cookie Dough Icing
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup cookie dough
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 Tablespoons milk

Chocolate topping
1 cup chocolate chips


1. Mix the milk, oil, and sugar in a large pot. Scald milk mixture and then let it cool to room temperature.

2. Sprinkle yeast over milk mixture and let it sit for a couple minutes.

3. Stir in 4 cups of flour to form a sticky dough. Cover pan and let the dough rise for 1 hour.

4. After dough has risen, stir in remaining 1/2 cup of flour, baking powder, and baking soda until well combined.

5. Divide dough in half. On a flour covered workplace (I use my counter), roll the dough out until it's about 1/8" thick and in a rectangular shape about 18 inches long and 12 inches wide.

6. Melt margarine in a glass measuring cup (or a small bowl). Pour half of the melted margarine over the dough. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon (the amount is up to you, I used less cinnamon so the other flavors would really shine through). Now top with either spoonfuls of cookie dough or chocolate chips.

7. Roll dough in a line toward you. Cut into 3/4 inch slices. (I use dental floss to cut my cinnamon rolls, but a sharp knife works well too.) Place in a greased pan.

8. Repeat this process with the other half of the dough.

9. Let the cinnamon rolls rise for 30 minutes. Then bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes.

10. While rolls are in the oven, mix together ingredients for icing.  If you're making cookie dough icing, melt the cookie dough in the microwave for about 30 seconds before blending with the powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk.  If you're using the chocolate, just melt it in the microwave and pour over rolls. 

11.  Let the rolls cool for about 5 minutes before icing. 

Cookie Dough Stuffed Cinnamon Rolls

Chocolate Chip Stuffed Cinnamon Rolls

Incredible Cinnamon Rolls

My mother-in-law and her friend used to buy cinnamon rolls from Costco; a few months ago, they went and were told that Costco no longer carried the cinnamon rolls.  They were incredibly disappointed, and I have to say I was too since we always benefited from the large pan of cinnamon rolls she'd buy!

Then, a few weeks ago she got a recipe from a friend for cinnamon rolls that were "just as good or better" than Costco's rolls.  She had never made anything with yeast before so she asked me to help her out.  It was a lot of fun, especially seeing her first experience using yeast, and I think she'll be trying more yeast recipes in the future!  My favorite cinnamon roll recipe is Pioneer Woman's, but I would rank these as a very, very close second!  (So close in fact, that I had a really hard time telling the difference between the two rolls and just couldn't choose a definite favorite!)

You will need:
For the dough:
2 packages yeast (or 4-1/2 teaspoons)
1 cup warm water, 100-110 degrees
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon salt
1/2 cup margarine
3 eggs, well beaten
6-7 cups flour


Filling:
4 Tablespoons margarine
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon


Sticky bottoms:
1-1/2 cups brown sugar
2 Tablespoons water
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup margarine


Frosting:
2 ounces cream cheese
1/4 cup margarine
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1.  In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 Tablespoon sugar in water. Let it stand until it becomes bubbly and foamy.

2.  Scald milk in a medium sauce pan.

3.  Add 1/2 cup sugar, salt, and margarine to milk.  Cool to lukewarm.

4.  Pour milk mixture into yeast mixture.  Stir in eggs.

5.  Add 2 cups of flour and mix well.  Add in enough remaining flour to make a stiff dough.  Knead until dough is no longer sticky, adding more flour as needed.

6.  Cover dough and let it rise until double, about 1-1/2 hours.

7.  While dough is rising, mix brown sugar, water, cinnamon, and margarine in a saucepan until margarine is melted.  Bring up to a slow boil and then remove from heat.

8.  Divide mixture between 2 9x13 pans.

9.  When dough has risen, punch it down and divide in half.

10.  Roll each half of dough into a 12x10" rectangle.

11.  Melt 4 Tablespoons margarine and brush over each dough rectangle.

12.  Mix brown sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle over each dough rectangle.

13.  Roll dough in a line toward you.  Slice into 1" slices and place in pan.

14.  Cover pans and let the rolls rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

15.  Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes.

16.  While rolls are cooling, beat together cream cheese, margarine, powdered sugar, and vanilla until creamy.

17.  Spread over cinnamon rolls.

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes


I love pancakes.  I am definitely a breakfast-for-dinner girl!  Growing up we would have breakfast for dinner at least 2 times a month.  And until I started working at 5am on Saturdays, we would always have a big breakfast on Saturdays, always pancakes or waffles.  I've never mixed up the recipe for pancakes too much, usually just adding in blueberries or chocolate chips, but when I saw this recipe, I knew I had to try them.  Let me tell you, they did not disappoint!  I thought they were perfect, and tasted so similar to cinnamon rolls, just more moist.

By the way, are you sick of cinnamon recipes yet?  I just noticed that my last 3 recipes have involved cinnamon!  Don't worry though, my next recipe doesn't have any cinnamon!

You will need:
One batch of your favorite pancake batter
1 stick margarine
1 cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons cinnamon

For icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

1.  In a microwave safe bowl, combine margarine, brown sugar, and cinnamon until smooth.

2.  Microwave in 10 second increments until margarine is soft and can be squeezed through a pastry bag.

3.  Transfer mixture into a pastry bag (or be like me and use a Ziploc bag with the tip cut off--easier clean-up!)

4.  Pour pancake batter onto hot griddle and pipe cinnamon mixture in a swirl over batter.

5.  When pancake is golden brown, flip and cook until the other side is done.  I found that the cinnamon mixture made the pancakes gooey-er than normal and so they didn't turn out quite perfectly looking.

6.  Mix together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla to form a thin icing.  Serve on top of pancakes in place of syrup.

Adapted from: It's a Keeper

PW's Cinnamon Rolls

This is the second recipe I made for the cookbook review over at It's a Keeper.  I also made Pioneer Woman's Mac & Cheese.

These cinnamon rolls are incredible!  Seriously, I could eat the whole pan and still want more!  Good thing this recipe makes 7 or 8 pans!  I made a ton these around Thanksgiving last year and they were a huge hit.  I plan to make more for Easter this year.  These rolls can be described as: tender, melt-in-your-mouth, sweet, delicious....

I don't make the maple frosting, as I'm not a fan of maple.  Usually I'll make a simple glaze of powdered sugar and milk, but sometimes I'll make a cream cheese frosting.  No matter what you top these rolls with, they're fabulous!

You will need:

• 1 quart Whole Milk
• 1 cup Vegetable Oil
• 1 cup Sugar
• 2 packages Active Dry Yeast, 0.25 Ounce Packets
• 8 cups (Plus 1 Cup Extra, Separated) All-purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon (heaping) Baking Powder
• 1 teaspoon (scant) Baking Soda
• 1 Tablespoon (heaping) Salt
• Plenty Of Melted Butter
• 2 cups Sugar
• Generous Sprinkling Of Cinnamon
• _____
• MAPLE FROSTING:
• 1 bag Powdered Sugar
• 2 teaspoons Maple Flavoring
• ½ cups Milk
• ¼ cups Melted Butter
• ¼ cups Brewed Coffee
• ⅛ teaspoons Salt

Preparation Instructions

Mix the milk, vegetable oil and sugar in a pan. Scald the mixture (heat until just before the boiling point). Turn off heat and leave to cool 45 minutes to 1 hour. When the mixture is lukewarm to warm, but NOT hot, sprinkle in both packages of Active Dry Yeast. Let this sit for a minute. Then add 8 cups of all-purpose flour. Stir mixture together. Cover and let rise for at least an hour.

After rising for at least an hour, add 1 more cup of flour, the baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir mixture together. (At this point, you could cover the dough and put it in the fridge until you need it – overnight or even a day or two, if necessary. Just keep your eye on it and if it starts to overflow out of the pan, just punch it down).

When ready to prepare rolls: Sprinkle rolling surface generously with flour. Take half the dough and form a rough rectangle. Then roll the dough thin, maintaining a general rectangular shape. Drizzle 1/2 to 1 cup melted butter over the dough. Now sprinkle 1 cup of sugar over the butter followed by a generous sprinkling of cinnamon.

Now, starting at the opposite end, begin rolling the dough in a neat line toward you. Keep the roll relatively tight as you go. Next, pinch the seam of the roll to seal it.

Spread 1 tablespoon of melted butter in a seven inch round foil cake or pie pan. Then begin cutting the rolls approximately ¾ to 1 inch thick and laying them in the buttered pans.

Repeat this process with the other half of the dough. Let the rolls rise for 20 to 30 minutes, then bake at 400 degrees (see note below) until light golden brown, about 15 to 18 minutes.

For the frosting, mix together all ingredients listed and stir well until smooth. It should be thick but pourable. Taste and adjust as needed. Generously drizzle over the warm rolls. Go crazy and don’t skimp on the frosting.


*For the sake of the cookbook review, this recipe is from PW's cookbook/website.  I did not write it out and all the instructions are courtesy of the Pioneer Woman.

Source: The Pioneer Woman

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Funfetti Cinnamon Rolls

I know I've mentioned it before, but it's worth mentioning again:  I love cinnamon rolls!  When I saw this recipe on one of my favorite blogs, I knew I just had to make it!  I decided it would be the perfect addition to the snacks I was making for my party last week.  It was, and it also inspired my Funfetti Bark (recipe coming soon!)

I made these a lot smaller than a normal cinnamon roll because I intended them as a snack, not a meal.  They were the perfect size, about 3 bites, and a huge hit!  The cake batter dissolved into the cinnamon roll dough, infusing the rolls with the delicious flavor of cake.  I used Pioneer Woman's cinnamon roll recipe (my go-to for cinnamon rolls) as a base for these snacks and the addition of cake batter made these fabulous!

Funfetti Cinnamon Rolls
You will need:

For the cinnamon rolls:
2 cups milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sugar
1 packet yeast (2-1/4 teaspoons)
4-1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup yellow cake mix
1/2 stick margarine
cinnamon
sugar
sprinkles

For the icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup yellow cake mix
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 Tablespoons milk

1.  Mix the milk, oil, and sugar in a large pot.  Scald milk mixture and then let it cool to room temperature.

2.  Sprinkle yeast over milk mixture and let it sit for a couple minutes.

3.  Stir in 4 cups of flour to form a sticky dough.  Cover pan and let the dough rise for 1 hour.

4.  After dough has risen, stir in remaining 1/2 cup of flour, baking powder, and baking soda until well combined.

5.  Divide dough in half.  On a flour covered workplace (I use my counter), roll the dough out until it's about 1/8" thick and in a rectangular shape.  Because I made mine into mini cinnamon rolls, I rolled my dough about 30 inches long and 6 inches wide.  If you want larger cinnamon rolls, make a smaller rectangle, probably 18 inches long and 12 inches wide.

6.  Melt margarine in a glass measuring cup (or a small bowl).  Pour half of the melted margarine over the dough.  Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon (the amount is up to you, I used less cinnamon so the cake flavor would really shine through).  Then sprinkle with 1/2 cup yellow cake mix and sprinkles.

7.  Roll dough in a line toward you.  Cut into 3/4 inch slices.  (I use dental floss to cut my cinnamon rolls, but a sharp knife works well too.)  Place in a greased pan.

8.  Repeat this process with the other half of the dough.

9.  Let the cinnamon rolls rise for 30 minutes.  Then bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes.

10.  While rolls are in the oven, mix together ingredients for icing.  When the rolls are cool, pour over rolls and top with sprinkles.

Source:  How Sweet It Is