Cinnamon Rolls

These are wonderful!

We make these at Christmas and Easter, but I made them a couple weekends ago after running my first half-marathon in many years. (I kept forgetting to post this, it’s been in my drafts for ages.)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup water
1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 package instant vanilla pudding mix (1/4 cup)
1 cup warm milk
1 egg, room temperature
1 tablespoon white sugar
1/2 tsp salt
4 cups flour (I used 3 cups all-purpose flour and 1 cup white whole wheat flour which is lighter than normal whole wheat flour.)
1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons yeast)

**Combine all ingredients, knead till a dough ball
**Let rise for 45 minutes, knead and let rise again for 20 mins or so. (These days, I tend to let it rise the first time, then I knead it, roll it out, put on the butter and pecan topping, roll/slice etc. and let it rise for twenty minutes in the pan (but before baking).
**Or you can add all the above ingredients and place in a bread machine if you have one and set to “dough cycle” — I’ve never done this
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**Prepare pecan mixture (I always have lots left over so you can probably cut this in half):
1 cup brown sugar
4 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 cup chopped pecans

**take 1/2 the dough and roll out on a floured surface into a rectangle about 6 inches by 10 inches (1/2 inch thick or so).  Spread some softened butter and then sprinkle on some pecan mixture. (See the picture below.)  Roll the dough from the long side and slice into 3/4 inch slices.  Place in buttered
a 9X13 pan.
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**Preheat oven to 350 (170 Celsius)

**Bake for 15-20 minutes
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Frosting:

1/2 package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup cup butter, softened
1 cup powdered (confectioners’) sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoon milk

**Mix together and spread on top of cinnamon rolls.
Here are some pictures:

Rolled out, butter and pecan topping.

Roll into a tube and cut into 1 1/2 inch slices.  Place in pan as shown. Then I let it rise the second time for 20-30 minutes before baking.

Cream cheese frosting on top.