CHRISTMAS CINNAMON ROLLS

This Original Recipe comes from "The Girl Who Ate Everything" but its too good not to share!

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Heres a few good tips:

• Warm your milk up to a temperature that when you stick your finger in, you want to run to the bathroom. This might seem a little weird, but I've found that this is the perfect temperature to get your yeast going.

• You can use unflavored dental floss to cut your rolls perfectly without squishing the rolls.

• If you roll and cut your rolls cover loosely with wrap, then leave them overnight, they will be perfect to bake fresh in the morning.

• Put half of your icing on before the rolls have cooled down all the way so it can melt down into the roll. Use the other half once your cinnamon rolls have cooled all the way.

• If your home is cold, warm your oven to 200 degrees. Turn it off and wait 10 minutes before placing your towel covered rolls/dough inside the oven to rise.

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FULL RECIPE:

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup warm milk

• 2 eggs, room temperature

• 1/3 cup butter, melted

• 4 1/2 cups bread flour or regular flour (bread flour makes for a lighter cinnamon roll)

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 cup white sugar

• 1 pkg yeast (1/4 ounce, not instant yeast)

Filling:

• 1 cup brown sugar, packed

• 2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon (I use 2 Tbs)

• 1/3 cup butter, softened

Icing:

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened

• 1/2 cup butter, softened

• 3 cups confectioners' (powdered) sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ( I use 2 tsp)

• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Microwave milk for 45-60 seconds in the microwave. Dissolve yeast in warm milk in a large bowl. Add sugar, butter, salt, eggs, and flour. Mix well. Knead dough into a large ball, using your hands dusted lightly with flour. Put in a bowl sprayed with cooking spray and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place about 1 hour or until dough has doubled in size.In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon. Spray surface with cooking spray or sprinkle flour on it. Roll dough into a 16x21 inch rectangle ( this doesn't have to be perfect) about 1/4 inch thick. Spread dough with 1/3 cup softened butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Roll up dough starting with the longer side and cut into 12 large rolls (or 18 smaller rolls). Place rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 inch glass baking dish (or you may need 2 dishes if you make smaller ones). Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30-60 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 18-20 minutes. While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and salt.