DIY Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls

One Christmas morning when I was little, my mom surprised my siblings and I by making cinnamon rolls for breakfast. Since then, I have made a special effort to make cinnamon rolls every winter break. This is my favorite cinnamon roll recipe, mostly because it tastes exactly like Cinnabon!

Adapted from Jo Cooks (http://www.jocooks.com/bakery/breads/cinnabons-cinnamon-rolls/)

DIY Cinnabon Rolls

Dough

1 (2¼ tsp or ¼ ounce) package active dry yeast

1 cup warm milk

½ cup granulated sugar

⅓ cup margarine (I used softened butter)

1 tsp salt

2 eggs

4 cups flour

Filling

1 cup packed brown sugar

3 tbsp cinnamon

⅓ cup margarine, softened

Cream Cheese Icing

6 tbsp margarine (I used butter)

1½ cups powdered sugar

¼ cup cream cheese

½ tsp vanilla

⅛ tsp salt

To make rolls, first dissolve the yeast in the warm milk in a large bowl. Add sugar, butter, salt, eggs, and flour to the bowl of a mixer and mix well.

Pour the milk/yeast mixture in the bowl and mix well until well incorporated. Place dough into an oiled bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place about 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.

Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface, until it is approx 16 inches long by 12 inches wide. It should be approx ¼ inch thick.

To make filling, combine the butter or margarine, brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Spread the mixture evenly over the surface of the dough. Alternatively you can spread the butter first on the dough and then the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture. Working carefully, from the long edge, roll the dough down to the bottom edge. The roll should be about 18 inches in length.

Cut the roll into 1½ inch slices. Place the cut rolls in the prepared pan. Cover them with a damp towel. Let them rise again for another 30 minutes until they double in size.

Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until light golden brown. While the rolls are baking make the icing by mixing all ingredients and beat well with an electric mixer until fluffy. When the rolls are done, spread generously with icing.

-Leah Sprague