The World’s Best Cinnamon Rolls

Cinnamon Roll Dough

• One 12 ounce can evaporated milk
• ½ cup warm water
• 3/4 cup cold water
• ½ cup butter
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ¼ Tablespoon instant yeast
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 7-8 cups bread flour

Cinnamon Sugar Filling

• 8-12 Tablespoons butter
• 1 lb brown sugar
• 2 Tablespoons cinnamon, or more depending on taste preference

Cream Cheese Frosting for Cinnamon Rolls (enough for about 3 trays of cinnamon rolls)

• 8 ounce block cream cheese, softened
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ¼ cup of milk
• 1 pound (½ a small bag) powdered sugar

Mix the heaping Tablespoon yeast with ½ cup of warm water (100-110 degrees F) in orderto activate the yeast.  Whisk to combine and let sit in a small bowl until frothy.  Heat evaporated milk in a small saucepan gently until just smoking. Add the ½ cup butter, 1 ½ tsp salt, and ½ cup sugar to the saucepan.  Melt the butter and dissolve the other ingredients in the saucepan. Add ¾ cup cold water, vanilla, and slightly beaten eggs to cool the mixture.  Be careful to make sure the mixture is not too hot when adding the eggs.  You can remove some of the mixture from the saucepan and place it in a small bowl and then temper the eggs to make sure small bits of egg do not cook in the saucepan.

Place the prepared milk, butter, sugar, egg mixture into the bowl of a heavy duty mixer.  When this mixture has cooled to about 110-115 degrees, it is safe to add the yeast that has been activated in the warm water.  Add 4 cups of flour and mix with the whisk attachment for 3 minutes to blend and add air to the forming dough. Gradually add about 3 more cups of flour. Kneed for seven minutes on medium speed. Check the texture of the dough.  It should pull away from the sides of the mixing bowl, but still be sticky when ready.  If the dough seems to moist add the last cup of flour and continue to kneed.

Place the dough in a covered bowl and allow it to rise. The dough should double in one to two hours. Punch the dough down, and divide into two pieces. Roll each piece into a ½ inch thick rectangle, measuring approximately 24 inches wide and 18 inches deep. Now coat each rectangle with about 4-6 T softened butter. Cover the butter completely with brown sugar, about half a pound of brown sugar per sheet of dough. Now sprinkle a generous amount of cinnamon over the brown sugar.  Roll the dough tightly length wise and pinch the ends together.  Use dental floss to cut the rolls.  First remove the ends and cut the remaining rolled dough into 12 pieces. Repeat with the other half of the dough.  Place 12 rolls on a 9 inch by 13 inch pan that is covered with parchment paper and cooking spray.

(At this point you can refrigerate or freeze the cinnamon rolls – just make sure you leave yourself plenty of time to set them out and let the rolls come to room temperature before baking, otherwise they will not puff in the oven.)

Allow the cinnamon rolls in the 9 inch by 13 inch containers to rise until doubled. Bake at 365º for 20-25 minutes, or until when tested with a digital thermometer, the internal temperature of the dough reaches 190 degrees Fahrenheit.  There should be touches of dark golden brown on the edges, otherwise the cinnamon rolls will be soggy in the middle.  Let cool for about 10 minutes and then spread generously with cream cheese frosting.

For cream cheese frosting, whip together butter and cream cheese.  Add the milk and vanilla and continue to mix on high speed.  Add the powdered sugar and blend well.  If the frosting seems to thick add additional milk, one Tablespoon at a time.