Grandma's Cinnamon Buns

These are the essentially the same as Mom's Cinnamon Rolls (after all, both recipes originated from the same person) but with one big and delicious difference.  When Grandma makes cinnamon rolls, she likes to add a thick, caramelly sauce to the bottom of the pan.  So each roll has a sticky bottom... and it really is to die for!  Grandma also likes to use lots of brown sugar inside the rolls. For me, this recipe is the dessert version of cinnamon rolls. They are incredibly rich and delicious.  I'd be curious to hear which you like better so let me know once you try both!

Grandma's Cinnamon Buns

Author: Brittany

Ingredients

• Cinnamon Buns:


• 1/2 recipe of sweet roll dough (see below)


• 1 cup brown sugar


• 1/2 cup sugar


• 1/4 cup butter


• 2 Tb cinnamon


• 1 cup brown sugar


• 1/3 cup cream


• Glaze:


• 2-3 Tb softened butter


• 2 Tb milk


• powdered sugar


• Whisk together using only enough powdered sugar to make it quite thin.


• Grandma’s Sweet Roll Dough recipe:


• 2 rounded Tb yeast


• 1 1/2 cups warm water


• 1 cup warm milk


• 2/3 cup sugar


• 1/4 cup shortening


• 2 tsp salt


• 4 eggs


• 7-8 cups flour

Instructions

1. Beat all ingredients except flour until smooth. (I use a Kitchen Aid with paddle attachment.)


2. Add flour until it cleans off edge of bowl. (Switch to a dough hook for this part.) Knead for 5 minutes (or 10 minutes by hand).


3. Let it rise until double (about 2 hours, depending on the temperature of your kitchen).


4. Punch dough down and allow to rise again.


5. This time it will rise much faster so keep an eye on it!


6. Punch dough down again and divide into 2 parts.


7. Roll out dough into a long rectangle about 1/2 inch thick.


8. Spread butter 1 inch from edge.


9. Sprinkle with brown and white sugar and cinnamon.


10. Roll up lengthwise.


11. Slice using dental floss or very sharp knife - each roll about 1 3/4 inches thick.


12. Heat 1 cup brown sugar and cream over low heat until melted.


13. Pour into the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan.


14. Place rolls over top of sauce.


15. Raise until doubled in size.


16. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes or until golden brown.


17. Drizzle glaze over warm buns.

3.2.1311

 

Easy {and Amazing} Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread

One of my best friends made these  Cinnamon Pull Aparts years ago when we did a friend breakfast together.  They were so good.  She gave me the recipe, and I made it a few times... then I forgot about it.  You know how that happens sometimes? A few weeks ago, I randomly got a serious craving for this yummy Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread.  So I asked for the recipe again and rediscovered the goodness!  I made them as part of our Father's Day breakfast, and they were a hit all around.  And so easy.  I just love easy!  Thanks Shelby!

PS My sisters and I will all be together in two weeks.  Can't wait!  And there should be some good cooking going on around here.  So stay posted...

Easy {and Amazing} Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread

Author: Mindy

*You can prepare the night before and keep in the fridge all night.  Pull the rolls out one hour before you want to cook to allow to raise. Recipe Source: Shelby Hales

Ingredients

• 22-25 frozen rolls (Such as Rhodes)


• 1 4.6oz box cook and serve vanilla pudding (not instant)


• 1/2 cup brown sugar


• 1 Tablespoon cinnamon


• 1/4 cup butter, melted

Instructions

1. Place rolls in a greased bundt pan.


2. In a separate bowl, combine pudding, brown sugar, and cinnamon.


3. Sprinkle mixture over the rolls (If you have time, I like to partially thaw the rolls first -to make them sticky- and roll each one in the mixture to more evenly distribute the yumminess).


4. Then drizzle melted butter over the top.


5. Allow to raise for 1.5-2 hours* and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.


6. Allow to cool, then turn upside down on a plate.

3.2.2802

Heart Shaped Cinnamon Rolls for Valentine's Day

We've been getting excited for Valentine's Day around my house.  And since we've been eating mostly really healthy since the New Year, my family was extra thrilled when they came home to heart shaped orange rolls one afternoon.  I cheated and used a can of pillsbury orange rolls from the store, but I think I might make the real thing Valentine's morning or for Family Home Evening next week.  Some of the rolls end up looking just like hearts and others end up more rounded on the bottom than pointed, but they still look enough like hearts that I think they are adorable!

Heart Shaped Cinnamon Rolls
Submitted by Mindy ~ The Sisters Cafe

Prepare Cinnamon Rolls as directed or use prepackaged can of cinnamon rolls.

When it is time to roll out the cinnamon rolls, roll the dough from each side toward the middle.  Then slice with dental floss, as usual.  Unroll the dough slightly  from the middle and pinch the bottom to form the point of the heart.  Arrange in the pan as shown.  Bake as directed.  Enjoy!

 

How To: Shape Crescent Rolls

 

I have received many questions regarding how to create the crescent roll shape via  email and  in the comments section of my roll recipe "Amazing Buttermilk Rolls" so I thought I would take you through it step by step:)

First let me tell you that my favorite roll dough by far, is the Amazing Buttermilk recipe.  Not only does it create the perfect roll in my opinion, but the best part is you can make the dough ahead of time.   I love that the dough can be in the fridge for up to a week!  I can use it whenever I want to quickly make bread sticks, pretzel rolls, cinnamon rolls or any dinner roll, including these pretty crescent rolls.  Pretty great. huh?!

I want you to know though, that you can make this shape of rolls with any basic roll dough.
We have lots of really good ones to choose from in our Rolls section of the recipe index.

Ok lets get started:)

Step 1:

If using the Buttermilk roll recipe (it is a very large recipe) , take 1/4 of the dough and roll into a 12-14 inch circle.

 

I like to use a roulpat so that I don't have to add more flour or make a mess on my counter, but if you don't have one, then definitely sprinkle your counter top with flour.  You do not want your dough to stick!

Step 2:

Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut the dough into equal slices like you would slice a pizza.
I usually do 12 sections. I start with cutting into 4 quadrants and then each of those 4 sections into 3.  Now don't worry if you triangles aren't all perfect.  That is something special about home cooking--it is not all perfect and rigid.

 

Step 3:

Take each triangle and stretch the two corners a bit and start rolling.

Be sure to roll it fairly tightly all the way to the end.

 



 

Step 4:

Lay the rolls on a greased or silpat lined cookie sheet with the tips on the bottom (that keeps them from unrolling while they cook).  I like to gently bed the ends a little to create a nice crescent moon shape.

Now continue with your recipe--letting them raise and bake.  ENJOY!

By the way, I am back to posting my menu on my other blog Melandboys.  I am now doing 2 week menus--using this planner.

Pretzel Rolls

Happy New Year friends!  I hope your holidays were wonderful! We had a very relaxing Christmas season, in fact we are still on holiday.  My boys don't go back to school until January 9th, crazy, huh?  We aren't complaining though:)

Do you have leftover ham from your New Years Day dinner?  In  my family we traditionally have ham, and just like always we have lots of yummy leftovers for sandwiches.  Unfortunately, I guess did not make enough rolls this year, because we did not have any leftovers of those.   That is when I thought of a wonderful pretzel roll recipe that was perfect for sandwiches.  I had made them  way back in September.  I had even took pictures, but forgot to post.  So I whipped up another batch yesterday and thought it was high time to share!  Do you ever see pretzel rolls at your local Costco?  I do and we love them, but they were expensive!  $6 for a dozen is an awful price for rolls when you have a family of hungry boys who can eat them all in one meal:)  I decided I could make them myself  After doing some research, and trying a few recipes, I settled on this one.  They were wonderful and honestly my family thought they were better than Costcos.  Wooo hoo!!

FYI: these are a dense and heavy roll.  I am thinking that if you let them raise longer they would be  lighter.  The pretzel rolls are Costco that I was trying to copycat are also heavy and dense.



 

Pretzel Rolls
submitted by Melanie~www.thesisterscafe.com

The Dough

2 1/2 cups milk, slightly warmed

1 cup water, slightly warmed

1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons canola oil

2 T. sugar

2 T. active dry yeast

6 - 7 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour (I ended up using 9 c. total)

Coarse sea salt for sprinkling

The "Bath"

7 cups water

1 tablespoon salt

4 tablespoons baking soda

I used my Bosch  for this recipe.  If you have a smaller mixer you may want to cut the recipe in half.  9 c. of flour may be too big of a batch for a smaller mixer, plus it made almost 30 rolls.  That is a lot of rolls!  You can freeze them for another day though.  First place all the liquid, salt, oil, sugar and yeast into the bowl.  Stir and then I added 7 c. of flour.  Mix on low until the flour is combined.  You want the dough to pull away from the sides of the bowl.  Slowly  added 2 more cups of flour.  Be careful you do not want your dough too stiff.  With the dough hook on your mixer,  let the dough knead for a few minutes--making a nice smooth dough. Remove the bowl from mixer and cover with a cloth and let rise in a warm place for approx. 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.  I like to use my oven--before you put the bowl in the oven, turn it on for a few minutes and then TURN IT OFF.

Punch down dough and dump the dough onto a baking mat or greased counter top.  Pull the dough together and divide into rolls.  I usually end up with about 24-30 good sized rolls--a little larger than golf ball sized.   Form balls by pulling the dough under. Place on a well-greased surface. Let the dough balls rise for 15 minutes.

Here's a little secret...  To get the perfect pretzel look with the white slits in the top of your rolls DO NOT SLICE YOUR ROLLS UNTIL AFTER THE BATH.  The part of the dough that touches the water will turn dark brown.  If you slice your rolls after the bath, that tender dough underneath will stay white while baking.  Don't worry about wrinkly dough or ruining the rolls.  Once they're in the over all those wrinkle will disappear as they bake.

While the dough balls are rising, preheat the oven to 400 degrees and get the pretzel "bath" ready. In a large pot, bring water, salt, and baking soda to a rolling boil. Plunge three dough balls into the water and let them "poach" for 1 minute total. Using a slotted spoon, transfer them to a well-greased baking sheet. With a serrated knife, cut 2-3 lines across each roll and sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Don't be timid here.   They rolls will look better after baking if you make slits with some good deep slits!   You can egg wash the rolls before you bake them, but I usually don't.  You could also cover them in butter after they come out of the oven, if you want--I normally don't do that either, but I know it would be yummy:).  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until pretzels are a rich brown.  These are best eaten the same day they are made.  If you can't eat all those rolls, just cover them or pop them in a ziploc.  When you are ready to serve them again, simply put them back in a preheated 350'F oven and give them 2-3 minutes and they will be all toasty and perfect again! This works great for defrosted rolls if you store them in your freezer.

Recipe Source: Clawson Live

Cinnamon and Sugar Disappearing Rolls

I was a guest blogger today over at Rhodes.  If you've tried Rhodes before, you'll agree their products are awesome.  If you haven't... well, you're missing out.  In fact, I just picked up a bag of cinnamon rolls this morning.  I may love to cook, but Rhodes is as close as it gets to homemade without the messy kitchen.  The recipe I featured was Cinnamon and Sugar Disappearing Rolls.  These easy, buttery, cinnamon & sugar rolls are beautiful and absolutely delicious. And they are a favorite with kids! It's like doing a magic show at home. Imagine your kids' surprise when they help insert a marshmallow into the middle of a roll, then find that the marshmallow has "disappeared" when the baked rolls are cut open!  For the recipe head on over to the Rhodes blog HERE.

Parker House Rolls

Here is another excellent recipe that came from my friend Katie at our recipe exchange. These rolls are heavenly! They taste a little sweeter than a regular dinner roll and the small pat of butter baked in the middle of each roll doesn't hurt either!  Yum.  Make sure to seal each roll really good or it will pop open on you while baking.

Parker House Rolls

Author: Amy

Ingredients

• 3/4 c. warm water


• 3/4 c. scalded milk


• 1 T. active dry yeast


• 7 T. sugar


• 3/4 t. salt


• 1/4 c. oil


• 4-5 c. sifted all purpose flour

Instructions

1. Put 3/4 c. warm water in a measuring cup.


2. Add 1 T. sugar and yeast. Let the yeast sit for a moment until it begins to react.


3. Mix yeast mixture, milk, salt, oil and remaining sugar in a mixing bowl.


4. Add flour until consistency is right for kneading. (Dough should be slightly sticky.)


5. Knead for a few minutes.


6. Take dough out of the bowl, shape it into a ball and place it back in the bowl.


7. Let rise for approximately 3 hrs.


8. Roll dough out to 1/2-3/4 inches thick.


9. Cut into 3" circle. (I just used the top of a glass cup to do this. You could also use a round cookie cutter.)


10. Place a small pat of butter in the middle of the circle.


11. Fold circles in half to cover butter. Firmly seal closed.


12. Place rolls on a greased baking sheet.


13. Repeat process until all the dough has been shaped into rolls.


14. Let rise for an additional 30 minutes.


15. Bake at 425 degrees for 10-14 minutes or until golden.

3.2.2885

Sweet Potato Crescents

I love rolls.  And I love to try new roll recipes. Which drives my husband insane because he'll get  a new favorite and then never see it again because I have so many I want to try out!  However, this recipe I'll be making again and again.  I love that these rolls are light and also so moist.  Crescent rolls are my favorite too - they are just so pretty.  And the lovely pale yellow color doesn't hurt either.  Overall these delicious little rolls are wonderful!  I think they would be fantastic at Thanksgiving too since the sweet potato flavor is very mild and would compliment the flavors of  Thanksgiving dinner.  In fact I was planning on baking these rolls this year for the big feast but alas, my food assignment is homemade stuffing, not rolls, so they will just have to wait for next year.  Well, probably not that long! ;)

Sweet Potato Crescents
submitted by Brittany ~ The Sisters Cafe

2 packages (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (110-115 F)
1 can (15 3/4 ounces) cut sweet potatoes, drained and mashed
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp salt
5 - 5 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup butter, melted

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in water; let stand for 5 minutes. Beat in the sweet potatoes, sugar, shortening, egg, salt and 3 cups flour.  Add enough remaining flour to form a stiff dough.  Turn onto floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes.  (If using mixer with dough hook, let knead for 4-5 minutes)  Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top.  Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down; divide into thirds. Roll each portion into a 12 inch circle; cut each into 12 wedges.  Brush with butter.  Roll up from the wide end and place pointed end down, 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets.  Cover and let rise until doubled, about 40 minutes.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 13-15 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from the pans to wire racks.

recipe source: Taste of Home Magazine

Lehi Orange Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing

This is one of my Mom's recipes so you know it's got to be good! She actually has a different orange roll recipe of her own that I will post another time but likes to make this one every so often for a change. I can tell you they are wonderful! They are soft and fluffy with a mellow, sweet taste of orange.  The cream cheese icing is delicious - a perfect complement to the citrus flavor.  I actually make them with lemon juice, zest, or extract sometimes as well.  Any combination of orange and lemon is wonderful.  My husband is not a big cinnamon roll lover but he raves about these!  His favorite part is how the butter and sugar melt together to form a sticky sweet bottom to the rolls. Yum! I have to say my favorite thing, beside the fabulous taste, is  how pretty they look. These orange rolls are perfect to serve at summer brunches or baby showers.

Lehi Orange Rolls

1/3 cup warm water
2 Tb yeast
3 eggs
1 tsp orange extract
1 cup warm water
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
5 1/2 - 7 cups flour, divided
1  cup butter, softened, divided
1 1/3 cup sugar, divided
zest of 2 oranges

Dissolve yeast in 1/3 cup very warm water.  Add eggs and beat.  Add orange extract, 1 cup warm water, salt, 1/3 cup sugar, oil, and 4 1/2  cups flour. Beat.  Add 1/2 to 1 cup flour and knead for several minutes.  Place dough in greased bowl and cover with greased plastic wrap. Put in a warm place and let rise for 1 hour, or until doubled. 

Knead dough 5 or 6 times.  Divide in half.  Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.  Roll each half out into a narrow and long rectangle, about 1/2 inch thick.  Spread with softened butter, remaining sugar, and orange zest.  Roll up lengthwise  and pinch to seal edge of dough.  Cut rolls about 1 1/2 inches thick.  Place in a greased pan fairly close together and cover with greased plastic wrap.  Let rise for 1 hour in warm place.  Bake at 350 degree for 12 to 17 minutes. Don't overbake.  Let cool slightly, then ice with orange cream cheese icing.

Orange Cream Cheese Icing

1/2 package of cream cheese (4 oz.), at room temperature
1 Tb butter, softened
1/2 package of powdered sugar (about 3 cups)
2 Tb orange juice
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 - 1 tsp orange extract, to taste

Beat all ingredients together.  Add more orange juice, if necessary, for drizzle consistency.  Use over orange rolls.

Mouthwatering Sunday Rolls

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**First of all---Our new site is still a work in progress. We have a 'To-Do' list a mile long of items on the site that need attention.  We are sorry if it is hard to use right now--we promise it will get better!  If you have any questions in the meantime please email us at melandboys@gmail.com

This simple roll topping  is a family favorite at our house.  We call them Sunday rolls because we always have a family dinner on Sunday and I try to make things as simple as possible on our day of worship.  I like to prepare as much ahead of time as possible and love to use" short cut" items like frozen rolls that day.  My family LOVES these rolls and they could not be more simple to make!  I like to grab a couple of my sons to help me dip the frozen rolls right after church and then they sit on the counter and rise until dinner time that evening.  These really do melt in your mouth!  Seriously good stuff!!

Also, I have had several emails asking  for ideas about dealing with Picky Eaters--I have  one of those:) and have written about successful tips here.  You can also find the post in our Food For Thought tab up top.  I would love to hear about your experiences in this area too!

Mouthwatering Sunday Rolls

submitted by Melanie

Frozen roll dough balls (we love Rhodes brand, I found it at Walmart in TN)

Mayonnaise

Melted butter

Grated Parmesan cheese (the green can or fresh--we prefer fresh)

Garlic powder, and dried parsley

Grease or spray with cooking spray a pan for baking (cookie sheet, 9x13, or muffin tin)  Prepare 3 small bowls for dipping--once with mayonnaise, one with melted butter, and one with grated parmesan cheese.  Get out the desired amount frozen roll dough balls.  Dip the tops  in each bowl in this order : mayo, butter and cheese.  Put in greased baking pan of choice.  Sprinkle with garlic powder and dried parsley.  Cover, allow to raise and bake according to roll package directions.  ENJOY:)

Bunny Buns

Bunny Buns are my new favorite Easter tradition!  We are going on year one, but I can just tell that this is something that will be a family favorite for years to come.  Do any of you get The Friend magazine for your kiddos?  This month there was a "Kitchen Crafts" recipe called Bunny Buns.  My two year old was obsessed with the picture, so I decided I'd better try them out.  I made them (swapping shortening for butter), and they turned out pretty good.  The bread is yummy.  It reminds me of an orange roll, but the glaze wasn't my favorite.  I put it on a few of the buns, and it reminded me of the glaze you get on cheap glazed donuts.  So I tried a cream cheese glaze, which was just okay and didn't look very pretty.  So I'm on the lookout for a better recipe.  Do any of you have a good glaze for an orange roll?

These rolls were such a hit with my two year old that I rolled some Rhodes dough (frozen dinner rolls) into the shape of bunnies again last night with dinner (pictured above).  It worked awesome!  I think the idea would probably work with any dough.  I plan to make some dinner rolls again in the shape of Bunny Buns to go with Easter dinner every year, and I'll probably make the orange rolls as a treat leading up to Easter.  Such a fun idea!

PS Don't forget about Easter Morning Rolls (AKA Resurrection Rolls) for breakfast on Sunday!

Bunny Buns (orange roll version - recipe below)

 

Bunny Buns
Submitted by Mindy ~ The Sisters Cafe1 package active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 cup milk, warmed not quite to boiling
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening (I used 1/2 butter)
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup orange juice
2 Tablespoons grated orange peel
5 1/2 cups flour

Glaze: 2 cups powdered sugar, 1/4 cup hot water, 1 teaspoon butter (not my fav... anyone have a better one?)

1. Wash hands with soap and water.2. Sprinkle yeast in the warm water and set aside.

3. In another bowl, blend milk, sugar, shortening, and salt. Cool until lukewarm, then add eggs, water with yeast, orange juice, and orange peel.

4. Stir in flour a few cups at a time to make a soft dough. Let stand for 10 minutes.

5. Knead dough 5–10 minutes on a lightly floured surface until dough is smooth and elastic (I used my Bosch for 5 minutes). Place it in a lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease surface. Cover bowl with a clean towel and put it in a warm place. Let dough rise for 2 hours, or until double in size. Punch dough down and let stand for 10 minutes.

6. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a rectangle 1/2 inch thick. Cut dough into strips 1/2 inch wide and 14 inches long. Roll between hands into rounded snake shapes. Cut one strip into pieces 1/2 inch long, and roll into balls.

7. Place one long piece of dough on a greased cookie sheet. Place one end of the strip over the other to make a loop; bring the end that is underneath up and cross it over the other end. Place a ball of dough on top of the bottom loop.

8. Cover bunnies and let rise in a warm place for 45–60 minutes, until nearly double in size. Bake at 375ºF (190ºC) for 12–15 minutes.

9. For the glaze, stir powdered sugar, water, and butter together. Frost bunnies with the glaze while they are still warm.

Lion House Rolls

If you are familiar with Salt Lake City, Utah, you may have heard of The Lion House Restaurant downtown. This restaurant is particularly known for their amazing rolls. Pretty much, Lion House Rolls are The Standard of rolls, and they deserve that reputation. They are fluffly, moist, and perfect. YUM!
If you are making rolls to go with your Christmas dinner next week, these would be a great option!

Lion House Dinner Rolls

Submitted by Erin ~  The Sisters Cafe

Printable recipe here

2 c. warm water

2/3 c. nonfat dry milk (instant or non-instant)

2 Tb yeast

¼ c. sugar

2 tsp salt

1/3 c. butter or shortening

1 egg

5 to 5 ½ c. all purpose or bread flour

Combine water and milk powder; stir until milk dissolves.  Add yeast, then sugar, salt, butter, egg and 2 cups flour.  Mix on low speed until ingredients are wet, then on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add 2 cups flour; mix on low speed until ingredients are wet, then on medium speed for 2 minutes.  (Dough will be getting stiff and remaining flour may need to be mixed in by hand.)  Add about ½ c. flour and mix again, by hand or mixer.  Dough should be soft, not overly sticky, and not stiff.  (A soft dough will produce a lighter roll. Add only enough flour to make a manageable dough.)  Place dough in a greased bowl; turn to coat.  Cover and let rise until double in size.  Turn dough over on floured surface so that it is floured on both sides.  Gently flatten to 1 inch thick, then roll into a 18x8 inch rectangle, ¼ inch thick.  Cut dough in half the long way, to make two 4 inch strips.  Cut dough every two inches to make 18 rectangles of dough, about 2 inches x 4 inches each. (Sometimes when I roll out the dough it turns out larger than 18x8, in which case I just add another column when cutting the rolls; the point is, you should cut the dough into rectangles roughly 2x4 inches.) Starting with the short (2 inch) end, roll the dough up and place on greased baking pans with the short end down.  Let rise until doubled in size, about 1 to 1 ½ hours. Bake at 375° for 15 to 18 minutes or until browned.  Brush with melted butter while hot.  Makes 1 to 1 ½ dozen rolls.  (Dough may be used for breadsticks as well – 375° for ~10 minutes.)
This is what they look like when they are rolled up and placed on a cookie sheet to rise. 

 

 From The Lion House cookbook.
 

Mom's Cinnamon Rolls

I love Mom's cinnamon rolls. Just LOVE them! I had forgotten how much until she came to visit me after I had my baby in March and made me lots of rolls for the freezer. How fun it was to pull out a pan of my mama's homemade cinnamon rolls... what a delicious kind of comfort. This dough recipe actually came from her mother (the same Grandma we feature often on the this blog!) but the way it's all put to together and baked is all Mom. She doesn't do very much butter or sugar - the emphasis is on the cinnamon. Often there were nuts and raisins rolled up inside but I'll be honest... my favorite has always been plain cinnamon rolls! (Grandma has her own way of making "sticky buns" which are delicious too.) Mom always used a powdered sugar glaze on top. I tried cream cheese frosting this last time and it was super good but a little too sweet. I'll stick with a light glaze from now on. Mom always placed the rolls close together in a 9x13 so they would all squish together and rise upward... I don't know why but that will always be my favorite way of baking them!
Mom's Cinnamon Rolls
submitted by Brittany at www.thesisterscafe.com

printable recipe here

One recipe of Sweet Roll Dough
1/2 cup softened butter, divided
granulated sugar
cinnamon

Glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 Tb soft butter (not melted)
1/4 tsp vanilla (this will make the icing a creamy color)
2 T. hot water
Combine all the ingredients and beat until smooth. Drizzle onto the buns with a spoon. The icing will thicken as it cools so ice the buns immediately.

Grandma's Sweet Roll Dough
2 rounded Tb yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 cup warm milk
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup shortening
2 tsp salt
4 eggs
7-8 cups flour

Beat all ingredients except flour until smooth. (I use a Kitchen Aid with paddle attachment.) Add flour until it cleans off edge of bowl. (Switch to a dough hook for this part.) Knead for 5 minutes (or 10 minutes by hand). Let it rise until double (about 2 hours, depending on the temperature of your kitchen). Punch dough down and allow to rise again. This time it will rise much faster so keep an eye on it! Punch dough down again and divide into 2 parts.

Roll one part into a rectangle. Spread half of butter (1/4 cup or 1/2 stick) on dough. Sprinkle with white sugar then cinnamon - making sure you go all the way to the edges. Mom never measured the sugar or cinnamon - I sprinkle on enough sugar to leave a light coat on dough - maybe about 1/2 cup? Here is a picture of how much cinnamon I like to use:

Roll up rectangle lengthwise and pinch edge to seal. Use a knife to gently mark the top how thick you want each cinnamon roll, that way they end up being more consistently sized and you can plan how many you want for your pan. (I will usually do 16 for each roll) Using plain dental floss, slip the floss under the roll, cross over and pull each end to slice off each piece: Repeat entire process with second half of dough.

Place rolls flat side down into two greased 9x13 inch pans; 3 across and 4 down (12 total for each). With the extra rolls you can either fill a 9x9 or a round pie pan.

Cover rolls with plastic wrap and allow to rise briefly - about 30 minutes or less - while oven is heating to 350. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Spoon glaze over cinnamon rolls after they have cooled.

Easter Morning Rolls

This recipe is a wonderful Easter tradition for our family. Erin posted the recipe last year, but I wanted to repost them in time for Easter this weekend.
If you wanted to make homemade roll dough instead of frozen, try one of these great recipes:

Lion House Rolls

Grandma's Dinner Rolls

Amazing Buttermilk Rolls

Hope you enjoy!

These rolls are our traditional Easter morning breakfast. Just like Christ's tomb on Easter Sunday, these rolls will be empty! Consequently, this is a fun and sweet way to explain to children why we celebrate Easter, and teach about Christs' resurrection. They are easy to make the night before, and are very yummy straight out of the oven. In fact, be very very sure to serve them immediately after baking them; they are very good fresh and some of the 'magic' is gone when they have been out of the oven for an hour. I have only ever used homemade roll dough to make these. Use a small amount of dough, and try to seal them the best you can so that the marshmallows don't leak out when baking. This is our mother's recipe - she actually used this recipe when she taught TLC (technological life careers - included sewing and cooking) in Middle School - and Mindy and I were her students when we were each in 7th grade! :)

Easter Breakfast Rolls
submitted by Erin ~ The Sisters Cafe

1 package frozen bread or roll dough, thawed (or homemade roll dough)

6 TB sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 bag large marshmallows
1/4 cup butter, melted

Combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside. Divide the dough into individual roll sized portions. Press each portion into a flat circle. Place
1 large marshmallow in the center of each roll. Pinch roll dough very firmly around the marshmallow. Roll each into a seamless, or nearly seamless, ball with your hands. Brush rolls with melted butter. Sprinkle sugar mixture over rolls. Cover rolls with plastic wrap and put in the fridge overnight. On Sunday morning, preheat oven to 350°. Take rolls out of fridge and bake for 15 minutes until rolls are golden brown. Be careful not to overbake. (These may also be baked without sitting overnight. After wrapping the marshmallow in them, let them rise for about an hour or so and then bake them as usual.)

Holiday Morning Cinnamon Sugar Buns

These buns are perfect for Christmas morning and go perfectly with our families traditional Christmas Eggs and some fresh fruit. I first saw them over at the wonderful Kitchen Cafe. I love that they are quick and easy and that you can make them up ahead of time. Then on Christmas morning they go directly from the freezer into the oven to bake while you see what Santa brought. Perfect! They are very tastey! We love them! I am going to make them today and pop them in my freezer! I am soo very excited for Christmas! That tree pan came from Demarle-my FAVORITE baking products ever! More on that later! Email me if you want more info now:)
Holiday Christmas Buns
submitted by Melanie Recipe From King Arthur Flour blog3 1/2 cups (14 3/4 ounces) all-purpose Flour + 1/2 cup (2 1/4 ounces) cornstarch
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons (7/8 ounce) sugar
2 to 2 1/4 cups heavy cream

Coating
7 tablespoons butter, melted, OR 2 5/8 ounces milk
Cinnamon and sugar for rolling

If you don't have any demarle nonstick baking pans, then lightly grease a 9" x 13" pan, line with parchment, and grease the parchment. Parchment isn't absolutely necessary, but it makes it easier to get the bubbly, sugary buns out of the pan once they are baked.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Add 2 cups of the cream all at once, then toss and stir the mixture till the dough comes together. If necessary, add additional cream to make the dough cohesive. Gather the dough in your hands and knead it a few times to make sure there are no dry spots.

Place the cinnamon sugar in a small, shallow bowl or pan; or in a plastic zip-top bag. Break off pieces of dough about the size of a ping pong ball, or about 1 1/8 ounces. Dip each piece in melted butter or milk, then roll or shake in the cinnamon-sugar to coat. Place the cinnamon-coated dough balls into the pan of your choice in a single layer; they'll be touching one another, which is just fine.

Cover the pan with plastic, and place in the freezer overnight, or for up to a week or so. If freezing longer than overnight wrap the entire pan in plastic wrap, then in foil. Next day, remove the pan from the freezer, and let the buns rest at room temperature while you preheat your oven to 350°F. The buns don't need to thaw.

If you're baking the buns immediately (not frozen), bake them for 45 to 50 minutes, till the buns in the center are cooked through. You can asses this by taking a toothpick and actually digging into the center bun to take a look; it should look totally baked, not doughy. If the buns have been frozen, bake them for 65 to 70 minutes, testing for doneness as instructed above. Tent them with aluminum foil after 45 minutes of baking.

Remove from the oven, and serve immediately. Dust with confectioners' sugar, if desired, right before serving 

30 Minute Dinner Rolls

Is it possible to have homemade rolls on the table in 30 minutes start to finish? I read about this recipe on Real Mom Kitchen blog and just had to give it a try! We had them for sunday dinner yesterday and true to their name they were on the table in 30 minutes. (OK OK they took a little more than 30 minutes for me--more like 45 minutes total---but still pretty fast)My boys LOVED them. They were a bit dense, but very soft with a nice smooth texture. I have to admit that I still like my favorite roll recipe the best ( buttermilk roll recipe found here which you can make the dough ahead of time and keep it in the fridge for up to a week until your ready to roll them out), BUT these were VERY good considering they are fast if you haven't planned ahead. Next time I may try letting them rise for 20 minutes instead of 10, and see if they are a little lighter. So if you are short on time but want a warm, soft homemade roll--give these a try. I was very impressed!! Thanks Laura for sharing a great recipe!

Now I am off to explore the Tennesse Aquarium with my boys! Hope you all have a fun Labor Day!

30-Minute Rolls (from Real Mom Kitchen)

submitted by Melanie

1 1/8 cups plus 2 tsp. warm water

1/3 cup oil

2 Tb yeast

1/4 cup sugar or honey

½ tsp. Salt

1 egg

3 ½ cups flour

Mix 1st 4 ingredients and let rest for 15 minutes. Add salt and eggs - gradually add flour. Shape into dinner rolls, or use in your favorite recipe that calls for dough. After shaped, let rest for 10 minutes. For rolls, Bake 10 minutes @400 degrees ‘till golden brown.

Grandma’s Rolls

These rolls are from my maternal grandmother, Ruth Rice, who happens to be a fantastic cook! Grandma has always baked her own breads, canned and bottled her own fruits, veggies, jams, pickles, etc (grown in her enormous garden), made all kinds of wondrous candy and even raised her own chickens! She takes the concept of work ethic to a whole new level - and I have only touched on her food related accomplishments! I love going to Canada to visit her and my grandpa because I get to stuff myself with all that delicious comfort food while spending time with them! :) She is a wonderful woman with a big heart and a no nonsense attitude (a combination I adore). This is her famous roll recipe that I am about to share with you. She uses it for dinner rolls and sweet rolls... and they are always a hit. FYI I tried them with butter instead of shortening and they were still really good but just weren't the same...

Grandma’s Dinner Rolls

submitted by Brittany

2 rounded Tb yeast
1 ½ cups warm water
1 cup warm milk
½ cup sugar (2/3 c for sweet rolls)
6 Tb shortening
2 tsp salt
4 eggs
7-8 cups flour

Beat first 7 ingredients until smooth. In an electric mixer with a dough hook, add flour one cup at a time until dough forms a ball, cleaning off edge of bowl. Knead 5 minutes (or 10 minutes by hand). Let rise until double. Punch down dough and let rise until double again. (To make this easier, I leave the dough in the mixing bowl with dough hook, covered with a damp towel. When it has risen double, I turn on the machine briefly to gently punch down the dough. Then I cover again with the towel and allow to rise again.) Punch down again and divide into 3 parts. Roll out each part and form into rolls. *I prefer butterhorn rolls: roll each segment of dough into a circle. With a pizza cutter, cut into fourths then each fourth into thirds - making 12 pie shapes. Roll each one up starting at the wide end. Place on cookie sheet and let rise briefly. Watch carefully as rolls will rise very quickly now after 2 risings. Bake at 350 degrees for 17-20 minutes, until lightly browned.

**DO NOT overbake. They should be a light golden color. Disregard the picture and how brown they look. I overbaked them on accident!! Also I added ground flax seed (always do with bread) so that is what the little flecks are.

Easter Breakfast Rolls

These rolls are our traditional Easter morning breakfast. Just like Christ's tomb on Easter Sunday, these rolls will be empty! Consequently, this is a fun and sweet way to explain to children why we celebrate Easter, and teach about Christs' resurrection. They are easy to make the night before, and are very yummy straight out of the oven. In fact, be very very sure to serve them immediately after baking them; they are very good fresh and some of the 'magic' is gone when they have been out of the oven for an hour. I have only ever used homemade roll dough to make these. Use a small amount of dough, and try to seal them the best you can so that the marshmallows don't leak out when baking. This is our mother's recipe - she actually used this recipe when she taught TLC (technological life careers - included sewing and cooking) in Middle School - and Mindy and I were her students when we were each in 7th grade! :)

Easter Breakfast Rolls
submitted by Erin
1 package frozen bread or roll dough, thawed (or homemade roll dough)

6 TB sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 bag large marshmallows
1/4 cup butter, melted


Combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside. Divide the dough into individual roll sized portions. Press each portion into a flat circle. Place
1 large marshmallow in the center of each roll. Pinch roll dough very firmly around the marshmallow. Roll each into a seamless, or nearly seamless, ball with your hands. Brush rolls with melted butter. Sprinkle sugar mixture over rolls. Cover rolls with plastic wrap and put in the fridge overnight. On Sunday morning, preheat oven to 350°. Take rolls out of fridge and bake for 15 minutes until rolls are golden brown. Be careful not to overbake. (These may also be baked without sitting overnight. After wrapping the marshmallow in them, let them rise for about an hour or so and then bake them as usual.)

Cream Cheese Stuffed Cinna-Bun Pull-Aparts

I saw this recipe on The Picky Palate a long time ago and have been waiting for an opportunity to try it out. When Mindy came to visit 2 weeks ago, I decided to make these for a treat. We all really liked them! I usually don't try out new recipes for guests, so I was relieved that they were so popular. :) (I can let my guard down when my 'guest' is my sister, right?! :) ) Jed and Mindy both like them how they are, but I thought they had too much cream cheese in the center. When I said that to Jed, he definitely disagreed, so you can see what you think! Oh, and I made a mess of my oven floor because the sugary top dripped down. I guess you could set the bundt pan on a sheet of tin foil. Beware not to set it on a cookie sheet or something, because that will deflect heat from getting to the bottom of the pan and the rolls inside might not cook entirely. That's one thing with serving rolls this way - the tops brown WAY faster the the ones in the middle, so it's really important that you cover the top with tin foil partway through as the directions indicate. Anyway, hope you enjoy these! They are rich, delicious, and addicting!

Cream Cheese Stuffed Cinna-Bun Pull-Aparts
Submitted by Erin

20 Rhodes Bake and Serve Rolls, thawed
1 lb. light brown sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter
4 Tbsp. cinnamon sugar
8 oz. cream cheese (at room temperature)

In a bowl, combine cream cheese with ¼ cup brown sugar and combine well with spatula. Cover and place in refrigerator.
Lightly coat bottom of bundt pan with cooking spray.
Melt butter, then add remaining brown sugar and stir well. Bring to a light boil to caramelize then pour 1/3 of the butter/brown sugar mix across bottom of bundt pan.
Remove cream cheese mix from refrigerator. Take one roll at a time into your hands and pull outward on sides to increase size slightly. Place approximately 1 Tbsp. of the cream cheese mixture into middle of roll. Fold dough around the mixture, pinch closed, then roll into a tight ball.

Evenly place 8 balls across bottom of bundt pan. Sprinkle with 2 Tbsp. of sugar/cinnamon. Pour second 1/3 of the brown sugar/butter mixture over 8 buns. Repeat process with remaining 12 dough balls for second layer. First the dough balls, 2 Tbsp. sugar/cinnamon and finally the remaining butter/brown sugar mix.

Let rise for 30 minutes to 1 hour then bake for 45-60 minutes at 350°. You will need to lay a piece of foil over top of pan after about 40 minutes when the buns start looking browned.
Remove from oven then immediately turn over onto large plate. Remove bundt pan. Serve warm or room temperature.

Amazing Buttermilk Rolls

These rolls really are amazing! They are soft, smooth, puffy and if you spread one with butter it will just melt in your mouth ! The best part about the recipe is that the dough will keep in your fridge for about 7 days. So, you can easily have warm homemade rolls anytime your heart desires! This recipe makes the best rolls! ENJOY...ps I have also been known to use this dough for breadsticks and cinnamon rolls...but it is best for rolls!

Amazing Buttermilk Rolls

Author: Melanie

Ingredients

• 3 cups Buttermilk (room temperature)


• 3 cups flour


• 1 T. yeast dissolved in ¼ cup warm water (first let rise a few minutes)


• ½ cup sugar


• 3 eggs, beaten with a fork


• 2 tsp salt


• 5 cups flour (sometimes you need a cup more--it should not be too sticky)


• ½ cup oil


• 1 tsp baking soda

Instructions

1. Dissolve yeast in ¼ c. warm water and let proof a few minutes.


2. Mix the buttermilk, flour and yeast together thoroughly in a large mixing bowl.


3. Cover and let this stand at room temperature until double in size, about 2 hours.


4. Add sugar, eggs, salt, flour, oil, and baking soda.


5. Mix well and knead for 7-10 minutes.


6. Roll out what you want and place the rest in the refrigerator, lightly covered so air can still circulate. The next time you want some fresh baked rolls, take from the bowl what you want and again put the rest back in the refrigerator. It will keep for 7 days. (This is perfect for Sunday meals because you don’t have a lot of mess to clean up and it’s quick.)


7. Let rolls rise on baking sheets until double in size. Time depends on the room temperature, usually 1½ - 2 hours. Dough from the refrigerator will take longer because the dough is cold.


8. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes. Brush with melted butter if you like.

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