Breakfast Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

I remember going to the shopping mall with all of my brothers and sisters and eating cinnamon rolls cached with vanilla icing at a restaurant chain called Cinnabon. Fortunately for my heart and waistline, I outgrew this habit. Every now and then, however, I have a breakfast craving for cinnamon rolls like the ones from the mall. You can make this dish as decadent as you want depending on how much icing (if any) you decide to use to top the rolls.

Recommended Equipment:
Stand mixer

Ingredients:
For the buns
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tspn instant yeast
1 tspn salt
6 1/2 tbsp granulated sugar
5 1/2 tbsp shortening
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tspn lemon extract

For the cinnamon-sugar mix
6 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tspn ground cinnamon

For the glaze
3 cups confectioners sugar
3/4 tspn lemon extract
1/3 cup warm milk

Preparation:

1. In a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, cream the sugar, salt, and shortening together. Mix in the egg and lemon extract until smooth. Then mix in the flour, yeast, and milk until the dough forms a ball. Switch to the hook attachment and continue mixing the dough on medium for about 8 minutes. The dough should be tacky but not sticky. If it is too sticky add a little more flour.
2. Lightly oil a large bowl. Put the dough in the bowl and roll it around to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough sit at room temperature for about 2 hours or until the dough doubles in size.
   
3. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon to make the cinnamon-sugar mix.
   
4. Dust a flat surface with flour. Transfer the dough to the surface and roll it into a 14 inch x 12 inch rectangle that is about 2/3 inch in thickness. Sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar mixture evenly over the dough. Roll the dough up into a 14 inch log. With the seam side down on the counter, cut the log into 8 even pieces.
5. Grease a large baking pan and place the rolls on the pan about ½ inch apart from one another.
   
6. Cover the rolls with a clean towel or cloth and proof the rolls in a warm place for 1 and 1/2 hours.
   
7. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake the rolls in the middle of the oven.
8. Bake the cinnamon rolls for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown.
9. After the rolls have been removed from the oven, whisk together all of the ingredients of the glaze together in a medium sized mixing bowl. Drizzle the glaze over warm rolls and serve.
   

Germany [ print this recipe for Breakfast Cinnamon Rolls ]