I’m always on the lookout for new recipes to try.  A few months back, I came across a recipe for Cinnamon Rolls which I saved for a special occasion.  I’m gluten-free and the recipe wasn’t so the recipe was tucked away for the day when inspiration struck.  That day was last Friday.  It was a glorious fall day and I walked to the grocery store and while I was there, decided to pick up ingredients to make the cinnamon rolls.  I was pretty sure I had everything I needed already but since I was in the mood to make them, I wanted to make sure I wasn’t left without a key ingredient (namely… cinnamon!).  Goodies in hand, I headed back home and whipped up a batch for my honeyman.  Oddly enough, no sooner had they come out of the oven, than the door opens and honeyman walks in with his daughter and they are shocked by the surprise of the tasty treat.  It seems they were talking about cinnamon rolls on the way home and saying how they haven’t had any in a long time.  Wonder if their conversation happened around the time I started picking out ingredients at the grocery store.  Their mouths were full so I never got a chance to find out!  This recipe is courtesy of Mary Wigmore Reynolds.

Cinnamon Rolls

Dough:
4½ – 5 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour, divided, plus more for rolling out
1 package active dry yeast
1 cup milk
1/3 cup unsalted butter
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
vegetable oil for your bowl and cake pan

Filling:
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces

For the dough:
In the bowl of the electric mixer with paddle attachment, mix 2 cups flour with the yeast. In a small saucepan over medium heat stirring constantly warm the milk, butter, sugar and salt until butter is just melted. With the mixer on low, slowly add the milk mixture into the flour and yeast mixture. Add the eggs one at a time. Beat on high for 3 minutes. Replace the paddle with a dough hook and knead in 2½ cups flour for about 4 minutes. You don’t want dough to be too sticky so add more flour if necessary until it’s smooth.

Shape the dough into a ball. Place the dough in a greased bowl and turn it over once. Cover with a clean cloth and let it rise! This usually takes about an hour to an hour and half. Then punch it down (be nice!) and place on a lightly floured surface, cover with a clean cloth and let it rest for 10 minutes.

NOW FOR THE FILLING!
Combine brown sugar, flour and cinnamon in a mixing bowl. Cut in cold butter and mix until crumbly. Set aside.

To finish:
Roll the dough into a 12″ square. Evenly sprinkle over filling. Roll dough into a log and pinch the edges to seal. Slice log into 12-14 rolls. Arrange in a greased round cake pan. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let the rolls rise for an hour or so until nearly doubled in size (or refrigerate for up to a day but let it sit out for 20-30 minutes before baking).

Bake at 375°F for 30 minutes or until light brown. Cool for 10 minutes then invert onto a large round serving dish! Eat them all!