Shakin & Bakin Foodie Blog

A friend of mine named Darlene is a long time rep with the Direct Sales company called Watkins. If you are not familiar with Watkins, you need to visit her web site and check out the company and all of their high quality products.

I am a huge fan of Watkins vanilla extract, black pepper and their soup bases along with various other products that Watkins sells.

Darlene has agreed to share a Watkins (tm) recipe today to make homemade cinnamon rolls. This recipe will make approximately 15 servings.

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

4 -1/4 to 4-3/4 cups/1 to 1.25 liters all-purpose flour
1 package quick-rising active dry yeast
1-1/4 cups/325 mL milk
1 tsp/5 mL Watkins Vanilla
1/4 cup/60 mL sugar
1/4 cup/60 mL butter
1 tsp/5 mL salt
1 tsp/5 mL Watkins Cinnamon
2 eggs
6 tbsp/90 mL butter, softened
1/2 cup/125 mL brown sugar
4 tsp/20 mL Watkins Cinnamon
1 cup/250 mL powdered sugar
1 tsp/5 mL Watkins Vanilla
4 to 5 tsp/20 to 25 mL milk

Combine 1-1/2 cups/375 mL of the flour and yeast in large mixing bowl. Heat the 1-1/4 cups/325 mL milk, vanilla, sugar, butter, salt, and cinnamon just until mixture is warm (120-130°F/50-55°C), stirring constantly. Add to flour mixture along with eggs. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds; scraping sides of bowl constantly. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Using a spoon, stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can (dough will be soft).

Knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately soft dough (3 to 5 minutes total). Shape dough into a ball; place in a lightly greased bowl, turning once. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in size (about 1 to 1-1/2 hours). (The dough is ready for shaping when you can lightly press two fingers 1/2-inch/1-cm into dough and an indentation remains.) Punch down dough and divide in half. Place each half on lightly floured surface and smooth into a ball. Cover and let rest 10 minutes. On lightly floured surface, roll half the dough into a 12 x 8-inch/30 x 20-cm rectangle.

Spread with 3 tbsp/45 mL of the butter. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle half over rectangle. Roll up from short side. Seal edges (brushing with water makes rolls easier to seal). Repeat with remaining dough. Slice one roll into 8 pieces and the other roll into 7 pieces. Arrange slices, evenly, cut-side up, in greased 13 x 9-inch/33 x 23-cm baking dish. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled (about 30 minutes). Bake at 350°F/180°C for 25 to 40 minutes or until light brown. Invert at once onto wire rack, invert again. Cool slightly. Drizzle rolls with a glaze made by combining the powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk.

Serve rolls warm or store in an air-tight container.