I remember the first time I smell a Cinnabon. I had just moved to San Diego with my husband and we were in the shopping mall at El Cajon, California and I rounded the corner to what surely must be one of the sweetest smells in the whole entire world. When you pass a Cinnabon store, it is very hard to resist eating at least one. Unfortunately, I have not seen a Cinnabon since moving to North Carolina. But, I did find this recipe online so I can create my own at home.
For this recipe, you will need granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, active dry yeast, milk, butter (or margarine), salt, powdered sugar, eggs, all purpose flour, walnuts or pecans (optional), vanilla extract, and maple extract.
Mix 1 1/2 cups of sugar and 3 tablespoons of ground cinnamon and sit aside. In a separate bowl, combine two .25 ounces of active dry yeast with 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar and 1 cup of warm water. In a larger bowl, combine 1 cup of warm milk, 2/3 cups of granulated sugar, 2/3 cups of melted butter, 2 teaspoons of salt, and 2 lightly beaten eggs. Add the yeast mixture along with 4 cups of flour to the milk/egg mixture. Beat until smooth then add enough flour to stiffen the dough slightly. Knead the dough on a floured surface for 8 minutes then place it in a large greased bowl and let it rise for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. It should double in size.
Once it has risen, punch the dough and let it rest for five more minutes. Roll it out into a 15’ x 20” rectangle on a floured surface. Brush 1/2 cup of melted butter over the dough and sprinkle it with the sugar/cinnamon mixture you made earlier. If you want pecans or walnuts, sprinkle those on now as well.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll the dough up tightly and pinch the ends together. Cut the roll into 12 to 15 slices. Take a 13” x 9” x 2” baking pan and coat the bottom with 1/2 cup of melted butter. Sprinkle 1/3 cup of granulated sugar on the bottom of the pan. Place the cinnamon roll slices together closely on the pan. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and place it in a warm place so it can continue to rise another 45 minutes.
Bake the rolls for 25 – 30 minutes or until brown. Mix 4 cups of powdered sugar, 2/3 cups of melted butter, 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon of maple extract, and 6 tablespoons of hot water to make the glaze. When the rolls are done, let them cool for a bit then pour the glaze over them.
