Behind The Label

Cinnamon rolls are a staple of comfort food, especially for me on Christmas morning, while watching the Home Alone movie. But, at most bakeries, they’re often topped or filled with ingredients like pecans, walnuts, or other nut allergens. For those navigating nut allergies, enjoying one safely can always be a challenge. So, baking them myself allows me to take full control over every ingredient from the dough to the glaze, allowing me the peace of mind that each bite is both delicious and safe. So here is my favorite comfort cinnamon roll recipe!!

Ingredients

Dough:

• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 1/4 teaspoons of active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 4 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 egg + 1 egg yolk
• 3 cups flour
• 3/4 teaspoon of salt

Filling:

• 4 tablespoons softened butter
• 2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 4 oz softened cream cheese
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons softened butter
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

For the dough:

1. Warm the milk by microwaving
2. Put warmed milk in the bowl of the stand mixer with a paddle attatchment and sprinkle the yeast and sugar on top, and let sit for 5 minutes until foamy
3. To the foamy mixture, add the melted butter, egg, and egg yolk. Now mix on medium speed until well combined for about 30 seconds
4. Remove the bowl from the mixer and stir in the flour and salt until a dough begins to form
5. Now, put the dough hook on the stand mixer and move the bowl back to the mixer. Mix the dough on medium speed until it comes together and feels soft and slightly sticky
6. Cover the dough with a warm towel and let the dough rise until doubled in size, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
7. Dust a surface with flour and use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into a 10 × 14-inch rectangle.

For filling:

1. Spread the softened butter over the dough, and in a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon.
2. Sprinkle the mixture over the butter and rub the brown sugar mixture into the butter
3. Tightly roll up the dough and cut a 1/2 inch off the ends of the dough, as the ends won’t have enough filling
4. Using a knife, cut the dough into nine 1-inch slices.
5. Line a round or square pan with parchment paper and place the rolls in the pan. Cover it with plastic wrap and a towel and let rise again until the rolls have puffed up, are doubled in size, and touching each other in the pan. About 45 minutes to 1 hour.
6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
7. Bake until golden brown on the edges, about 20 to 25 minutes

For frosting:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla and beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to medium-high speed until smooth and fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes.
2. Finally, spread the frosting over the warm rolls and serve
3. ENJOY!!!