I just can't follow a recipe. When I make a new one, I always find some way that I think it will be just a little bit better. Last week I tried Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Rolls. While they were good, there were a couple of think I thought I could do to make them better. Since I was home today with nothing to do other than feed and change two little baby boys, I decided to give them another try.
One thing I realized while I was making them today, I didn't follow the recipe correctly the first time. I halved the recipe, which was a good thing because it make so much. I put too much yeast in the first batch and did not put the correct amount of salt. It called for a Tablespoon and not a Teaspoon. No wonder I thought it needed more salt! Just might be why I wanted to make them a little better. I do think they needed to be cooked at a lower temperature to make them gooier and also used brown sugar instead of white sugar in the filling. Here is the tweaked and halved version:
2 C. Milk
½ C. Vegetable Oil
½ C. Sugar
1 pkg. Active Dry Yeast, 0.25 Ounce Packets
4 C. (Plus ½ C. Extra, Separated) All-purpose Flour
1/2 teaspoon (heaping) Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon (scant) Baking Soda
1/2 Tablespoon (heaping) Salt
Softened Butter
1 C. Brown Sugar
Generous Sprinkling of Cinnamon
FROSTING:
1 lb. bag Powdered Sugar
1 t. Vanilla
1/4 C. Milk
1/4 cup Melted Butter
1/8 C. Brewed Coffee
Dash Salt
Preparation Instructions
For the dough, heat the milk, vegetable oil, and sugar in the microwave for about 2 minutes, until lukewarm. Sprinkle the yeast on top and let it sit for 1 minute.
Add 4 cups of the flour. Stir until just combined, then cover with a clean kitchen towel, and set aside in a relatively warm place for 1 hour. After 1 hour, remove the towel and add the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and the remaining 1/2 cup flour. Stir thoroughly to combine. Use the dough right away, or place in a mixing bowl and refrigerate for up to 3 days, punching down the dough if it rises to the top of the bowl.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
On a floured baking surface, roll the dough into a large rectangle, about 30 x 10 inches. The dough should be rolled very thin.
To make the filling, spread about ½ C. softened butter over the surface of the dough. Use your fingers to spread the butter evenly. Generously sprinkle ground cinnamon and 1 cup of brown sugar over the butter.
Now, beginning at the end farthest from you, roll the rectangle tightly towards you. Use both hands and work slowly, being careful to keep the roll tight. Don’t worry if the filling oozes as you work; that just means the rolls are going to be divine. When you reach the end, pinch the seam together and flip the roll so that the seam is face down. When you’re finished, you’ll wind up with one long buttery, cinnamony, sugary, gooey log.
With a sharp knife, make 1/2-inch slices. Pour a couple of teaspoons of melted butter into disposable foil cake pans and swirl to coat. Place the sliced rolls in the pans, being careful not to overcrowd. Will make about 4 pans. (Each pan will hold 7 to 9 rolls.)
Cover all the pans with a kitchen towel and set aside to rise on the countertop for at least 20 minutes before baking. Remove the towel and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden brown. Don’t allow the rolls to become overly brown.
While the rolls are baking, make the icing: In a large bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, butter, coffee, and salt. The icing should be somewhat thick but still very pourable.
Remove pans from the oven. Immediately drizzle icing over the top. Be sure to get it all around the edges and over the top. As they sit, the rolls will absorb some of the icing’s moisture and flavor.
