Monday, June 23, 2008

Cinnamon Rolls

This recipe used to be on Susan Meier's website, but the last time I was over there, she had revamped things and the recipe was gone. So, since I have spent the past couple of hours making Susan's Mother's most awesome Cinnamon Rolls, I'm going to share the recipe. If you try it and love it, be sure you thank Susan for sharing it in the first place. I'll be posting the recipe just as she did.

Cinnamon Rolls

If you've read more than two of [Susan's] books, you've probably noticed that [she] love[s] to throw in a scene with cinnamon rolls for breakfast! That's because [her] mother makes the best, mother-watering cinnamon rolls on the planet! Believe it or not, people wait for her rolls to arrive at picnics and for bake sales. [She's] seen small fights break out over these tasty treats.

But they're best served warm, with the maple icing sliding through the layers of sweet cinnamon coated dough...
If you bake, here's the recipe. Icing, too. You'll note that some of these measurements aren't carved in stone. That's because you may prefer a different amount of cinnamon and sugar or may need more or less flour depending upon humidity. You good bakers know all this though!

[SUSAN MEIER'S] MOTHER'S CINNAMON ROLLS
1 qt. milk
3 level tbsp. of yeast (or one 3-package strip)
4 egg yolks
1 lb. oleo
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp. salt

10-12 cups of flour. This amount varies. You add flour until dough is very soft. (Remember dough loses stickiness when it rises.)

Cinnamon and sugar blended for shaking onto rolled dough. (This should be a ratio of cinnamon and sugar that suits your taste!)

DIRECTIONS:

Heat milk until it's hot to the touch, but not so hot you can't keep your finger in it (though I'm not sure why you would want to) and add yeast.

After yeast has grown "fuzzy" and milk is cool, add egg yolks, oleo, and sugar.

Mix.

Begin to add flour until dough is very soft--remember you must be able to roll it, but it should be very soft.

Knead well.

Set aside. Let rise until double in bulk. Knead again. Let rise.

Take about 1/3 of the dough, roll out on flat surface (some people can do this with their fingers, others will need a rolling pin), then sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Use your fingers to spread the sugar and cinnamon evenly. Remember: This is to your taste. If you like more cinnamon feel free to add!

Roll into a jelly roll.

Cut into 1" segments.

Place segments on greased cookie sheets, leaving at least one inch of space between rolls.

Continue until all dough is used.

Let rise on cookie sheet until a little more than double in size. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes.

ICING:

1 lb. powdered sugar

4 tbsp. non-dairy creamer of your choice ([her] mother uses Coffeemate...but it's your choice...and shhh...don't tell the other manufacturers [they] have a favorite!)

1 stick oleo

1 tbsp. maple flavoring

Enough water to make spreading consistency you desire.

Blend powdered sugar and non-dairy creamer in mixing bowl. Blend in oleo with hand mixer. Once sugar and oleo are creamed, add maple flavoring. This may be "spreadable" as is. If not, add water to the icing in increments of one teaspoon until you have the spreading consistency you need.

Then spread this wonderful icing on your rolls. If you spread on when the rolls are warm, icing will melt between the layers. Some people (like [Susan]) love this. Other wait until the rolls are cool for a less sticky roll. Especially if you plan to serve them to company!

Enjoy!

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Now it's time to add my own notes to the recipe. I use real butter in all my recipes. I always have, it's just my personal preference. When making the icing, I never have any non-dairy creamer on hand, so I use evaporated milk to thin the icing instead of water. It doesn't take much. And I always make extra icing. For me, this is not enough for all those yummy rolls!!!

Lastly, this makes a LOT of cinnamon rolls, so I bake them in round aluminum cake pans, then slip them in gallon zipper top bags and freeze them, after they've cooled. I also put some (sorry I don't measure this, I just plop some in) icing in a zipper top sandwich bag and put it in the gallon bag too. When we want cinnamon rolls for breakfast, I pull a bag out of the freezer, take out the pan and pop it in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes. While the rolls are warming, I put the bag of icing in a glass of hot water. When the rolls are warm, I cut the corner out of the bag of icing and squeeze over the warm cinnamon rolls. Talk about quick and easy!


5 comments:

Hope Chastain said...

Those sound delicious! Thanks for sharing the recipe. I think I'd use butter, too, and real dairy for the icing. I love things I can freeze for future use, so thanks for the tips!

:-)

Tricia Fields said...

You're welcome, Hope. And I'm with you, if I can put it in the freezer, and save myself time in the future, I'm all for it!

Susan said...

Hey, it's me! Susan Meier.

I just got done telling Trish in an email that I lost 15 pounds when I left my mother's house. LOL.

My mother is a wonderful cook.

When she brings these cinnamon rolls to family gatherings, they fight over who will take home the leftovers.

They are so delicious with coffee in the morning. Yum!

susan

Tricia Fields said...

Hey Susan!! I don't claim to be a good cook, but I'm certainly good at ferreting out good cook's recipes. *grin* And since I could stand to lose 15 (or more) pounds before conference, maybe the answer is to quit cooking. Nah...

Anonymous said...

Try using real Cinnamon in your recipe. The Cinnamon that we buy in the USA is actually Cassia.

Cassia has a chemical called coumarin which could be toxic.

Please click the link under my name to learn how to identify real Cinnamon from Cassia.