CINNAMON ROLLS

Last Sunday while I was taking a nap I dreamed that we had some cinnamon rolls and Nikki and I each ate two. We were going to save the others for Nate and Hannah, but I wanted to eat the others before they got there. Then I woke up really hungry. I've wanted cinnamon rolls all week, and yesterday I finally made some. These are not just ordinary cinnamon rolls. These are CINNAMON ROLLS!

This is what they looked like when I put them in the pan. The recipe said to let them rise for another 45 minutes, but I decided my pan wouldn't hold them if I did that and went ahead and cooked them. Notice the butter being squished up between them? Oh my goodness.

And here they are fresh out of the oven and smelling oh so good. I actually had to cook them for about an extra 20 minutes after this to get the middle cooked. I wonder if I had used two 9" cake pans if they would have cooked through easier?

And with the frosting, drum roll please.... the biggest and yummiest and most time-consuming cinnamon roll I have ever made.

A friend of mine when we were living in South Carolina gave me this recipe, and I've never made it before because of the intense amount of butter and sugar and work that go into them. But when you have a week-long desire for cinnamon rolls, you're a little more willing to try something extreme. I'll post the recipe and you'll see what I mean.

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3 Tbsp ground cinnamon

Mix together sugar and cinnamon and set aside.

• 2 packets active dry yeast
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 cup 110 degree water

Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water; set aside.

• 1 cup warm milk
• 2/3 cups sugar
• 2/3 cups melted butter
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• up to 8 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup melted butter

Mix together milk, sugar, butter, salt, and eggs; add yeast mixture and 4 cups of flour to mixture; beat until smooth; stir in enough flour to form a slightly stiff dough. Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface and knead for 8 minutes.

Place dough into a large greased bowl, cover, and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Punch down dough and let rest for 5 minutes. Roll dough out onto a floured surface into a 15" X 20" rectangle. Brush 1/2 cup melted butter over dough; sprinkle cinnamon sugar evenly over dough.

Tightly roll up dough and pinch edges together to seal; cut the roll into 12 - 15 slices using dental floss or thread.

• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1/3 cup sugar

Coat the bottom of a 13 X 9 pan with melted butter; sprinkle sugar evenly in the bottom of the pan. Place cinnamon roll slices close together in the prepared pan; cover pan and allow to rise in a warm place for 45 minutes. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 - 30 minutes, or until golden brown.

For the frosting (this is a maple icing, which is good, but I think I prefer just the regular white icing for cinnamon rolls):

• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 2/3 cup melted butter
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp maple extract
• up to 6 Tbsp hot water

Stir together powdered sugar, 2/3 cup melted butter, and extracts; stir in hot water 1 Tbsp at a time until the glaze reaches desired consistency. Spread over slightly cooled rolls.

Can you believe I did all that and used all that butter?! Oh, but they are good.