Cinnamon Rolls

Cinnamon Rolls is a recipe appearing in The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl.

Official description
This is without a doubt one of my most treasured recipes - something I've been enjoying my entire life, thanks to my mom, who became legendary in our hometown for delivering these disturbingly delicious cinnamon rolls to folks at Christmastime. I became spoiled on these heavenly treats at a very early age, and as a result, no cinnamon roll anywhere has ever measured up.

I find that, generally speaking, cinnamon rolls - especially those bought in bakeries or stores - are way too bready, with way too little gooey topping. These rolls of my mother's are the perfect antidote: they're almost equal parts bread and icing, which is poured liberally over the warm, just-baked rolls. The rolls are perfect eaten immediately or later in the day, after they've been allowed to cool and settle into their almost obscene gooeyness.

If you begin making these for your friends and family during the holidays, I promise you this: you'll become famous. And, on a less positive note, people will forget everything else you've ever accomplished in your life. From that moment on, you'll be known - and loved - only for your cinnamon rolls.

But don't worry. You'll get used to it!

The dough is very easy to make; you simply scald milk, add oil, sugar, yeast, and dry ingredients in alternating batches, then allow the dough to rise until you're ready to make the rolls. I've been known to make the dough a couple of days in advance and allow it to stay covered in the fridge. Of course, I sometimes forget to punch it down, which makes for an interesting sight in the morning when I open the fridge to retrieve the orange juice. But that's a story for another time.

I often use seven disposable aluminum pie plates so that I can deliver them to friends, but you may also use glass or ceramic pie plates, rectangular baking dishes, or rimmed baking sheets.

Recipe
Dough
 * 1 quart whole milk
 * 1 cup vegetable oil
 * 1 cup sugar
 * 2 packages (4 1/2 teaspoons) active dry yeast
 * 9 cups all-purpose flour
 * 1 heaping teaspoon baking powder
 * 1 scant teaspoon baking powder
 * 1 tablespoon salt

Filling
 * 2 cups melted butter, plus more as needed
 * 1/4 cup ground cinnamon for sprinkling
 * 2 cups sugar, plus more as needed

Maple icing
 * 2 pounds powdered sugar
 * 1/2 cup whole milk
 * 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, melted
 * 1/4 cup strongly brewed coffee
 * Dash of salt
 * 1 tablespoon maple flavoring, or maple extract

For the dough, heat the milk, vegetable oil, and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat; do not allow the mixture to boil. Set aside and cool to lukewarm.

Sprinkle the yeast on top and let it sit on the milk for 1 minute.

Add 8 cups of the flour. Stir until just combined, cover with a clean kitchen towel, and set aside in a relatively warm place for 1 hour.

Remove the towel and add the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and the remaining 1 cup of 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.

To assemble the rolls, remove half the dough from the pan. On a floured baking durface, roll the dough into a large rectangle, about 30 x 10 inches.

To make the filling, pour 1 cup of the melted butter over the surface of the fough. Use your fingers to spread the butter evenly.

Generously sprinkle half of the ground cinnamon and 1 cup of the sugar over the butter. Don't be afraid to drizzle on more butter or sugar! Because the way I see it, if a little butter and sugar is good, more is better. That's my motto in pretty much all areas of my life.

Now, beginning at the end farthest away from you, roll the rectangle tightly toward 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. When you're finished, you'll wind up with one long buttery, cinnamony, sugary, gooey log.

Transfer to a cutting board and with a sharp knife, make 1 1/2 inch slices. One log will produce 20 to 25 rolls.

Pour a couple of tablespoons of melted butter into the desired pie pans or baking dishes and swirl to coat.

Place the sliced rolls in the pans, being careful not to overcrowd.

Repeat the rolling/sugar/butter process with the other half of the dough and more pans. Preheat the oven to 350*F. Cover 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 13 to 17 minutes, until golden brown. Don't allow the rolls to become overly brown. While the rolls are baking, make the maple icing!

In a large bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, butter, coffee, and salt.

Splash in the maple flavoring.

Whisk until very smooth. Taste and add in more maple, sugar, butter, and other ingredients as needed until the icing reaches the desired consistency. The icing should be thick but still pourable.

When the rolls come out of the oven, notice the gooey filling inside. Mmmm. At this point, your kitchen is by far the best-smelling place on earth. You could sell tickets. [sic]

While the rolls are still warm, generously 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. They only get better wuth time... not that they last more than a few seconds! Make them for a friend today! It'll seal the relationship for life. I promise.