{Texas Sized Cinnamon Rolls}

OK... these probably aren't "Texas sized", but they were the largest cinnamon rolls I've made so far. My friend Lisa has 11 kids: 9 boys & 2 girls ~ surely she can make good rolls, right? I had her cinnamon rolls last week, and I truly thought she bought them from the store. Imagine my surprise to see her super large pan filled w/ this amazing treat. Yes, she made them! From scratch! (I sometimes make my cinnamon rolls from frozen bread). So, I told her the next time she made the rolls, to let me know.

Sure enough, Friday afternoon comes around and she's calling me on the phone! "Amy!! I'm making my rolls!" I said "OK, be there in 5 minutes!". So away I went, w/ a huge bowl in my hand, to learn all the secrets of cinnamon roll making (and I learned a lot!).

Cinnamon Rolls

makes 4 dozen

2 c milk + 1 stick butter

melt in the microwave, let cool a bit

Mix:

2 pkg yeast (that's under 1 tbsp x 2, so under 2 tbsp)

3 1/2 c flour

1/2 c sugar

salt (1/2 tsp - 2 tsp)... says recipe calls for 2 tsp but she likes sweeter rolls,

so she uses about 1/2 tsp

Mix milk & flour stuff

Add 1 egg & beat

Add about 3 cups more flour

Knead for 10 minutes & rise for 1 hour or double in size (punch)

Roll out into rectable, and sprinkle cinnamon, sugar, brown sugar, etc.

Do all that extra stuff you love, and let rise again, bake at 350 for about 14 minutes or until done.

Now, we did not use a mixer, we used our HANDS (and a whisk & wooden spoon)! Let me tell you, I am very grateful for my Kitchenaid mixer.... but I did learn that we can use our own hands for this, and it turns out just fine! I did also learn that when we roll it out, it should NOT stick to our rolling pin! Mine was always sticking.

Thanks Lisa for the great tuturial! My first batch (I had to bake them all in 3 pans) was undercooked (ugh), but my 2nd pan was a little overdone. One of these days I'll get it. Why does everyone else's rolls always turn out better than mine? After you pull them out of the oven, drizzle the frosting over it immediately.

Frosting

2 cups powdered sugar

3 tbsp milk

1/2 tsp vanilla (or almond extract)