Melissa's Cinnamon Rolls (With Cream Cheese Icing)

This is my favorite "from scratch" cinnamon roll recipe.   They come out soft, warm and delicious!  The cream cheese frosting is the perfect final touch.  Great on those chilly winter days, with coffe or a big lgass of milk.

Melissa’s Cinnamon Rolls (With Cream Cheese Icing)

Dough

1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F)

2 eggs, room temperature (soak them in a glass of hot tap water for 10 minutes)

1/3 cup butter melted

4 ½ cups all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

½ cup white sugar

2 ½ tsp (1 packet) Active Dry Yeast

Filling

1 cup brown sugar

2 ½ tablespoons ground cinnamon

1/3 cup butter softened

Icing

1 3-oz package cream cheese

¼ cup butter softened

1 ½ cups confectioners (powdered) sugar

½ tsp vanilla extract

1/8 tsp salt 

Directions:

1.      Dissolve yeast in warm milk, stirring with a wire whisk.   Mix in eggs, margarine, salt, sugar and blend well until sugar is dissolved.   

2.      Add flour, a little bit at a time, blending after each addition, until a dough forms.  Dough will be sticky.   Cover with plastic and let dough set for 10 minutes.   

3.      Place dough on a lightly floured surface.  Knead for one minute until smooth.  Dough still may be slightly sticky.   This is ok, because you don’t want a very dry or dense dough, it should be somewhat soft.   

4.      With a rolling pin, start rolling dough into a rectangle about 12 x 14 inches.   Sprinkle extra flour on rolling surface and over dough, if dough seems too sticky.  You can also help shape it with your hands.  

5.      Mke sure dough can be easily peeled away from rolling surface.  If not, gently peel dough away from rolling surface after shaping, sprinkle a light amount of flour on the rolling surface, and gently lay the dough back down, without pressing on it. This will help you roll it more easily later.

6.      In small bowl, mix the “filling” ingredients together.  Spread filling over the entire surface of the dough gently with the back of a spoon.  

7.      Roll the dough up into a log, starting at one 12-inch end going toward the other.   

Place dough roll crease-side-down on the rolling surface. 

8.      Holding log firmly, use a very sharp knife to cut the log into 1-inch slices.   This may be messy and a bit sloppy.   That is ok.   The best way is to hold the dough steady, while you saw gently through the first half of the slice, then just chop through the second half.  This makes it less messy. 

9.      Place slices on their (swirly side facing up) into lightly greased pan/pans, close enough to where they touch, but they don’t crowd each other.  Cover with plastic and let them rise for 30 minutes.

10.  While rolls are rising, mix all the icing ingredients together in a bowl.  Cover and place in the fridge until rolls are done.

11.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

12.  Bake cinnamon rolls for 20 minutes, or until tops are lightly browned.  Remove from oven and let stand for 5minutes.   Spread icing over evenly over the tops of the rolls while they are still hot.  Serve warm.