Friday, August 22, 2025

What can I do now to make later easier?

Easter weekend was nuts. The amount of things we packed in between Good Friday and Easter is embarrassing. Not all our own doing, but still - plenty going on. Since I knew the weekend would be packed - and I knew I'd want to have something fun and fresh for Easter morning for breakfast - I made these cinnamon rolls a week ahead. Once I got to the point in the recipe after rolling them and putting them on a tray - I covered them and froze them. I left them in the freezer until the night before, loosened the plastic wrap, turned the oven light on and tossed them in the oven. The next morning they were puffy and amazing. I added the heavy whipping cream and baked them up. I am a cream cheese frosting girl, so icing isn't my jam on cinnamon rolls. It's never Bronwyn's jam... she would rather have naked cinnamon rolls - which seems... wrong, but we won't tell her that. I had some left over cream cheese frosting front a bundt cake that hade me make way too much, so I saved it and tossed it on top of these rolls and they were heavenly. I waited a little bit to put the frosting on since I didn't want it to totally melt in. I love this method of baking. Homemade amazing delicious cinnamon rolls but the work was done the week before so I didn't feel rushed or tired from it! This was 100% in my meal prep wheelhouse, what can I do now to make later easier? It doesn't avoid the work, it just separates it. Worth it!

Mini Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
1 1/3 cup milk
6 tbsp salted butter
1 tbsp yeast
1/3 cup warm water
3 tbsp + 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
2 eggs
4-5 cups flour
2 tsp salt
Filling
1/4 cup melted butter
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tbsp cinnamon
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream, warm
Icing
1/2 cup salted butter
3 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tsp vanilla extract

To start, warm the milk in the microwave for 1 minute. Melt the salted butter and combine with the warm milk. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the yeast, warm water and 1/2 tsp of sugar. Allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes. It should be bubbly and foamy.
Once the yeast is bubbly and foamy, pour the milk and butter into the mixer along with the remaining granulated sugar, 2 eggs, 2 cups of flour and the salt (added in that order). Use the dough hook to combine the ingredients.
Slowly add the remaining flour, starting with 2 more cups and adding more as needed. The dough will be very soft but you should be able to quickly tap the dough with your finger without the dough sticking to your finger. If it sticks, add a little more flour and test again.
Allow the dough to rise for 1 hour.
Flour your counter and gently transfer the dough to the floured surface. Flip the dough once so all sides are coated in flour.
Gently roll the dough out to a 15”x24” rectangle.
Brush the dough with the melted butter, leaving about 1/2 inch on each long side plain, without any butter.
Sprinkle the brown sugar on top of the melted butter and spread evenly.
Sprinkle the cinnamon on top of the brown sugar evenly. Gently use the rolling pin to press the cinnamon and sugar mixture into the butter and dough.
Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough in half horizontally (the long way) and then cut the dough into 1 inch strips.
Starting in the middle of the dough, roll each strip towards the end of the dough that was left plain. Brush a little bit of water onto the plain dough and then roll the remaining part tightly.
Place roll in a greased cookie sheet and continue rolling the rest of the dough. You should be able to fit 5 across and 6 down.
Cover and place in a warm spot while the oven preheats to 375°F.
Once preheated, pour the warmed heavy cream over the cinnamon rolls and then bake at 375°F for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.
While the rolls are baking, prepare the icing by creaming the butter until smooth.
Mixing the butter on low, add in one cup of powdered sugar and just enough heavy whipping cream to bring the powdered sugar and butter together.
Repeat this previous step until all of the powdered sugar has been added.
Add the vanilla extract and mix thoroughly.
Slowly add in more heavy cream to adjust the consistency to your liking.
Frost the warm cinnamon rolls and enjoy!

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