Cinnamon Rolls for Our Virtual Tea Party

It’s funny how after more than 20 years with my little family, there are still things I learn about them. One of these being we all four love cinnamon rolls.

With this new piece of information, I had to make a batch. I adapted KingArthurFlour’s recipe for a smaller batch and less sugar (something I habitually do).

Bringing this fluffy, cinnamon-y delight to our Virtual Tea Party, hosted this month by Del at CurlsnSkirls.

Have a cinnamon roll with milky Breakfast Tea served in my favourite mug from the National Gallery in London, depicting one of my favourite works, Surprised! by Henri Rousseau, sitting pretty on a coaster tatted by Nimble-fingered Older Daughter.

Dough

• 450g all purpose flour
• 50g sugar (recipe calls for 65g)
• 8g salt
• 7g instant yeast
• 170g milk
• 55g water
• 85g butter, cold
• 1 large egg

Filling

• 40g sugar (recipe calls for 50g)
• 2 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 30g butter, softened

Frosting

• 30g butter, softened
• 120g icing sugar (recipe calls for 225g)
• pinch salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2-3 Tbsp milk

To make the dough

1. Combine flour, sugar, salt and yeast in a large mixing bowl.
2. Heat the milk, water, and butter until warm. The butter doesn’t need to melt completely.
3. Add the liquid ingredients to the flour mixture, along with the eggs.
4. Knead the dough until it’s smooth, elastic, yet still quite soft. Cover and let it rest for 60 minutes.

To make the filling

1. Mix together the sugar and cinnamon. Set it aside.
2. Lightly grease or line a 9″ x 13″ pan or two 9″ round cake pans.
3. Pat/roll the dough into a 10″ x 15″ rectangle.
4. Spread with the softened butter. Sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar.
5. Starting with a long side, gently roll the dough into a log, pinching the edge to seal as well as you can.
6. Cut the log into 12 pieces (for larger rolls) or 15 pieces (for smaller rolls), and space them in the prepared pan(s).
7. Cover the pan(s) and let the rolls rise until they’re nearly doubled, about 45 to 60 minutes. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 180°C.
8. Bake the rolls for 20 to 25 minutes, until they’re golden brown. Remove them from the oven, and cool them for at least 20 minutes before frosting.

To make the frosting: 

1. Combine the frosting ingredients, using enough milk to make a soft, spreadable frosting.
2. Spread the frosting on the rolls (I make a thinner frosting and drizzle instead of spread).
3. Serve immediately. Store well-wrapped, at room temperature, for several days. Freeze for longer storage