Cinnamon Rolls

I love to cook, but I love to bake. When the fall weather sets in, I find myself baking more. I love to bake cookies of all sorts, cakes, cheesecakes, bundt cakes, birthday cakes...the decorating is the fun part there, dinner rolls, cinnamon rolls, you name it, I love to bake it!

It all started with baking peanut butter cookies when I was 11 or so, and my mom would take them into the Dental Office where she worked, and everyone raved about them. So my mom would ask me to bake them every couple of months or so, and it just became fun and enjoyable, especially when they came out of the oven!

During the month of December I do a ton of baking. This year I am going to host another cookie exchange in my ward, baking 12 dozen cookies (yes, that's 144 cookies!) and wrap up each dozen to give to the other 11 women who come with their 12 dozen. Then you get home and divide all the different kinds of cookies to give away to neighbors or to the sisters you visit teach, and save some for your own family!

We had cinnamon rolls for breakfast while we watched Conference last weekend. I got this recipe from Janeen Donat, and I think its the best recipe of all the different kinds I've baked! If you can't tell what part Bryanna like's best...well, it's the icing! Heck, that kid loves sugar!


CINNAMON ROLLS

Ingredients:
2 packages of yeast (or 4 ½ tsp.)
1 tsp. sugar
1 cup warm (not hot) water
1 can evaporated milk at room temperature
2/3 cup melted butter
3/4 cup sugar
4 tsp. salt
6-8 cups of flour
butter
raisins (optional)
cinnamon-sugar mix
brown sugar

Directions:
Mix the first 3 ingredients. Add the next 5 ingredients to make dough. Let it stand for 10-15 minutes. Turn the dough onto floured surface and knead vigorously by hand or use a dough hook, until smooth and elastic. Slap the dough on the counter several times to remove air bubbles. Place in a large greased bowl, grease the top, and place in a warm (not hot) oven for an hour. Roll out the dough in the shape of a rectangle on a floured surface. Spread liberally with butter. Sprinkle with raisins (optional), and lots of cinnamon-sugar mix and a little brown sugar. Roll up & slice into 1 ½ inch slices. Heath oven to 400 degrees and then down to 350 degrees and bake for 15-20 minutes. When rolls are done, frost immediately with cream cheese frosting.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Ingredients:
1 package powdered sugar
milk
½ cup butter, melted
8 oz package of cream cheese, softened

Directions:
With an electric mixer, combine all of the powdered sugar and butter and enough milk to make a stiff frosting. Add softened cream cheese and mix on high for 1 minute. Then add more milk for preferred consistency.