This recipe produced the best cinnamon rolls I have ever tasted. And when the title says light and fluffy, it means light and fluffy. A lot like the fabulous cinnamon rolls you can buy at Cinnabon at super exorbitant prices. And Cinnabon cinnamon rolls don’t come with rum raisin frosting either. They certainly should, but alas they do not!

The recipe for the bread dough I found on thewoksoflife.com site. (Great site BTW.) I changed the preparation instructions quite a bit, but then I’ve baked a lot of bread products in my time, so I do know a thing or two about dough containing yeast. However, the filling and the yummy frosting are all on me. You’re welcome.

Anyway, for us, Christmas morning would not be the same without cinnamon rolls. But this Christmas we were both ill, so I made these rolls for a New Year’s day breakfast treat. But I can tell you right now, I am not going to wait until next Christmas to serve these little darlings again. I’ve decided life is just too short to not eat cinnamon rolls more often. (And the older I get the shorter life becomes.) (Funny how that works.)

Well, that’s it for today. I have been having nothing but trouble with my site. And not because the site is the problem. It is the user who is so technically challenged that I’m sure it took every ounce of strength from the nice person who was assisting me with my system problems to keep from asking me if I still used a rotary phone? Or did my TV still have those little antenna things attached? Because seriously, that’s about when I stopped understanding anything mechanical. I am so ill equipped for today’s technical world, that I’m reasonably certain the engine in our Prius is smarter than I am. But my innate lack of mechanical aptitude doesn’t seem to stop me from plunging ahead. It just means that I will always need assistance from an expert for simple fixes that a normal person could handle instinctively. Oh well, I have other qualities. (I keep telling myself this so I won’t stop daring myself to take on new challenges and adventures.) You know, we are all different. And that’s what makes life so much fun.

So, keep on trying new things. And like I used to tell my kids, so what if you fail or find that whatever you tried didn’t really appeal. You had a new experience. And bottom line, we only live once. So, keep going for it.

And of course, peace and love to all.

And sorry for no picture. I planned to take one after the rolls were frosted, but somehow, that just never happened. But next time I make these lovely rolls, I’ll edit this post and add a picture. (If I remember to do so, that is!)

For the rolls:

2/3 c. heavy cream

1 c. whole milk

1 lg. egg

⅓ c. granulated sugar

½ c. cake flour, fluffed 

3½ c. bread flour, fluffed, plus more as needed 

1 T. active dry yeast

1½ tsp. kosher salt

veggie oil

¼ c. (½ stick) soft butter

¾ c. brown sugar, packed 

4 tsp. ground cinnamon

Mix the heavy cream, milk, and egg in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Add the granulated sugar, cake flour, bread flour, active dry yeast, and salt. (There is no need to activate the yeast beforehand.)

Turn on the mixer to the lowest setting, and let it go for 10-15 minutes. If you’re in a humid climate and the dough is too sticky, add a little more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time until it comes together. (I needed 4 additional tablespoons of flour.) The dough should be sticking to the bottom of the bowl, but not the sides.  

Pour a bit of oil in the bowl, and using a stiff rubber spatula and your hands, roll the dough into a well-greased ball. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot for 1-2 hours, or until the dough has doubled in size. (Mine took 2 hours.)

In the meantime, butter a 10×16-inch baking dish or 2 9-inch square or round pans on all sides.  

After the dough has doubled in size, punch it down several times to get rid of any air bubbles.

Roll the dough out on a floured surface into a 12×24 inch rectangle. Using a small offset spatula or butter knife, spread the butter all over the dough. Next sprinkle on the brown sugar and cinnamon. Roll up tightly, beginning at one of the wide ends and cut it into 12 equal rounds.  

Arrange the rolls in the buttered baking pan(s). Cover and allow them to rise again for about 30-40 minutes.

Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until the buns on the sides are a very light golden brown. Do not overbake. 

Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before frosting. Serve warm!

Hint: I usually prepare these cinnamon rolls for the next morning, so I don’t frost them until after they have been gently heated in my microwave. Then I let everyone slather on as much frosting as they want.

RUM RAISIN CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

2 T. dark rum

½ c. golden raisins

½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temp.
4 oz. (½ pkg.) cream cheese, room temp.
2-3 tsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla paste or extract
2½ c. powdered sugar, or more as needed

Bring the rum and raisins to a low simmer in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

In a large bowl, cream the butter, cream cheese, milk, and vanilla. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar until the frosting reaches your desired consistency. Add the raisins and any remaining liquid. Add additional powdered sugar or milk as needed.