Liz Edmunds Cinnamon Rolls

Dough:                                                                        

¼ Cup warm (105-115°) water                  

1 Tbsp. active dry yeast                            

1 cup warm (105-115°) milk                       

½ cup canola oil                                        

½ cup sugar
1 Tbsp. vanilla pudding (opt)

1 tsp. salt

5 to 5 ½ cups all-purpose flour, divided    

1 egg  

Filling:     
                                               
6 Tbsp. softened butter
½ sup granulated sugar
½ cup brown sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon


Cream Cheese Frosting
(recipe follows)

1. Measure the water into a glass measuring cup and micro wave 15 seconds.  With the water in the measuring cup; stir in yeast to dissolve and let stand 5 minutes. 

2.  Heat the milk in the microwave for 35 seconds and pour into a large mixer bowl.  Add the oil, sugar, pudding and salt.  Mix in 1 cup of the flour.  Add the egg and beat again.  Stir in the yeast mixture.  Adding 1 cup at a time, stir in 4 more cups of flour.  Add enough remaining flour to make a soft dough, light but not sticky.

3. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead gently until the dough is smooth and elastic.  Or let the mixer knead an additional 5 minutes. Cover and let rest.

4. Lightly oil a plastic or glass container with tight fitting lid, lid also oiled.  Let rise in a warm place until the dough has doubled, 1 to 1 ½ hours.  Grease a 12 X 18-inch sheet pan and set aside.  I use a silicone mat, which works great!

5. Punch down the dough.  Roll out the dough on a floured surface into a large rectangle, about 20 X 14 inches or larger.  Spread generously with the butter.  Mix the granulated sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and sprinkle the mixture over the dough.  Starting on one long side, roll up the dough into a tightly rolled log.

6. Mark the center of the roll with a knife mark and then make 9 evenly spaced mark on each side of center, marking off a total of 20 rolls.  Slice with a strand of heavy-duty thread of dental floss:  place the thread under the dough; crisscross it over the dough, and pull quickly to make a clean cut for each roll.  Place the rolls on the prepared pan.

7.  Cover the filled pan with a dishtowel and let rise again until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes.  Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375°.  When the rolls have risen, bake 10- 18 minutes, until just light browned.

8.  Make the frosting and frost the rolls in the pan while still warm. 

Freeze cooled rolls in resealable plastic freezer bags.

Cream Cheese Frosting

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

2 Tbsp. butter, softened

1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

1 tsp. milk

½ tsp. fresh lemon juice

Combine all the ingredients with an electric mixer until smooth.

Variation:  for orange rolls, omit the brown sugar and cinnamon in Step 5.  Mix ½ cup softened cutter, ½ sup sugar and grated peel of a large orange.  Spread the mixture on the dough before rolling up.  Then in the cream cheese frosting below, substitute orange juice for the lemon juice.