2 hour Cinnamon Rolls

Over the weekend, Ethan and I got out of the city to celebrate a friend's birthday in the woods by the Skykomish River. We went to a ranch with a hot tub, a half-working fireplace, and we filled it with a whole a lot of games and good food. I had the pleasure of making brunch the first morning. 

I've always wanted to make cinnamon rolls, but I was crunched for time. We left late on Friday afternoon. I packed almost a full day of work in and I knew I needed prep the rolls before heading out. So I typed in "easy cinnamon rolls" into google and found the Minimalist Baker. 

Her recipe is 100% vegan and uses only 7 ingredients. But I like butter and I like extra spice. So I made a variation. This is how I usually cook, and like I have said before, I encourage you to do the same. Cooking is all about taking your own tastes and making dishes something a part of your own pallet. 

This plan turned out to be a great way to prep for a great brunch by the river with friends. I let the rolls rise and bake for a while at home and finished them at the cabin. We served them with a sweet n' tangy brown sugar orange glaze, stuffed them with walnuts and raisins, and then proceeded to eat the whole pan. 

INGREDIENTS

Cinnamon Rolls

• 1 packet instant yeast
• 1 cup almond milk (do not use cow milk)
• 1/2 cup butter, divided 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups flour
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon white sugar

Brown Sugar Orange Glaze

• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1/2 tablespoon orange extract

DIRECTIONS

Cinnamon Rolls

One: Heat the milk in a saucepan over medium heat with 3 tablespoons butter. Let the butter melt but do not let milk boil. Add a two dashes of cinnamon. Cool to 110 degrees F (or just wait 10 minutes)

Two: Put the milk mixture into a bowl and add the yeast. Let it activate. This takes 10 minutes.

Three: Add 1 tablespoon sugar and salt, stir. 

Four: Add 1/2 cup of flour at a time, stirring slowly. It will be sticky, but that's a good thing!

Five: On a floured surface knead the dough for a few minutes and shape it into a ball. 

Six: Cover the inside of a large bowl with vegetable oil and place the dough inside. Cover with a towel and let it rise for an hour. It should double in size. Dough rises best next to something warm. 

Seven: Roll the dough into a thin rectangle. A good nalgene water bottle can act as a rolling pin if you don't have one! Brush the dough with the rest of the butter, melted. Top it with 1/4 cup brown sugar, a handful of nuts and raisins, and 2 heaping tablespoons cinnamon. Roll tightly and cut using a serrated knife or unflavored floss. Top with melted butter. Place in an 8x8 greased, square pan. 

Eight: While your oven heats to 350 degrees F, place your pan on top of the stove to let the rolls rise a little more. Once heated fully, bake for 25-30 minutes. Serve heated and with the glaze. More directions listed below!

Brown Sugar Orange Glaze

• Combine the sugars, the butter, and the milk and heat until boiling. Take off stove immediately and add the vanilla and orange. Pour over the rolls and enjoy!

Here's to good friends and even better adventure.
Eat well! Be well! And subscribe by email below :)

Cheers!