Cinnamon Rolls

This is one of those recipes I made once and immediately knew it'd be a staple in our house. There's not much to say about a phenomenal cinnamon roll recipe except wow, and.. are there more? The best part is, this recipe is so easy you can make them in about an hour from when you wake up. They also freeze really well, so if (like me) you're making cinnamon rolls for 2 - you can save the ones you don't want to bake right away. I currently have 2 freezer-safe dishes full of them so we can have cinnamon rolls on tap - what's better than that? (Hint: eating them is better)

NOTE: you'll need a surface you can roll dough directly on, a candy or instant kitchen thermometer, a rolling pin, and ideally a stand mixer. You can work with a hand mixer, but a stand mixer will be quite a bit easier.

Ingredients:

For dough:

4-5 cups all-purpose flour (plus more for the work surface)

4.5 tsp dry yeast (2 packets)

1 tsp salt

1 stick butter, melted

3/4 cup milk

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

For filling:

1/4 cup melted butter

1/2 to 1 cup brown sugar

cinnamon to taste (approx 2 TBS)

For icing:

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 TBS butter, melted

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

2-3 TBS hot water

Directions:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 1 3/4 cups flour, yeast, and salt

2. In a small saucepan, heat the butter, milk, water, and sugar (stirring constantly) to about 120 to 130 degrees (it's important to have the right temperature liquid so the yeast "blooms" properly or the dough won't rise)

3. Immediately pour liquid mixture into dry mixture, and using the flat beater attachment, beat on medium-low until smooth (be careful - the flour flies everywhere if you start too fast)

4. Add 1 egg and 1/2 cup flour and beat another 2 minutes

5. Add more flour in 1/2 cup increments until dough is soft and just a little sticky (about 1-2 cups)

6. Turn dough out onto floured surface and knead a few times until dough is no longer sticky

7. Cover and allow to rise for 20 minutes

8. Once the dough has risen, preheat oven to 375, and roll dough into a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick (mine is usually more like an oval)

9. Using a silicone brush or the back of a spoon, spread melted butter over top of rolled dough (depending on the size of your rolled dough, you may need more butter)

10. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon in small bowl and spread over buttered dough, leaving about a 1/2 inch border (again, depending on the size of your rolled dough, you may need more sugar/cinnamon - just make sure you mix it in the bowl before adding more so you can control the ratio and distribution)

11. Starting at one of the short ends, slowly roll the dough, keeping the roll as tight as possible. Pinch the seam and sides once completely rolled

12. Transfer rolled dough to cutting board (or cut right on your surface if you can) and slice into 1-inch rounds. (about 12-15 rolls)

13. Place sliced rolls onto greased baking sheet and bake about 15-20 mins

14. When rolls are out of the oven, allow to cool while you mix all ingredients for the icing - top with the icing and ENJOY!