Mini Cinnamon Rolls

My friend decided to have a pre-new years eve party last night. Of course I signed up to bring a dessert. I started to think of what I wanted to bring and I thought about the cardboard like mini cinnamon rolls that Costco sells. While I will eat them if they are in my face, I much prefer a gooey homemade one. So I decided to shrink down my cinnamon rolls. This recipe is easy and they were delicious. I have another recipe that I will probably post in the future but this one works and tastes great!

Bread has long time been my nemesis. I never could get it to rise right. My water was either too hot or too cold and it just never worked. I have finally won my battle and have turned out some delicious bread (not according to my 5 year old who refuses to eat anything but store bought nasty bread) Anyway I turn my tap on as hot as it will get and put my hot water in a bowl. I sprinkle the yeast on the water and then I sprinkle my sugar on top of the yeast to sink it. I don't know that it actually does anything but I like watching them sink...easily entertained I guess!

Just to take back what I said up top I do know that the sugar helps to feed the yeast. I just meant that you don't have to sink the yeast with the sugar. Let your yeast sit for about 10-15 min until it looks all frothy like this...Oh shoot I just realized I didn't take a picture of me mixing all the ingredients into the yeast and mixing...Whoopsy! So like I said dump in your slightly beaten eggs, oil- Side note mom I'm talking to you don't use olive oil it gives it a nasty flavor. She tries to pretend that olive oil makes it a little more healthy... and flour and mix. I use a kitchenaid and use the bread hook. But you can knead your dough by hand. Kneading brings out the elasticity in the dough and it takes about 10 minutes of kneading. I  find that works well when you are particularly annoyed with people in your household (not that I am admitting to getting annoyed haha!) but seriously kneading dough can help get some frustration out!

Form your dough into a ball and place it in a greased bowl and let rise 1 hour until it has doubled in size.

I divided my dough into smaller balls and rolled out each one. It made about 6 smaller balls which ended up to be way too much work. So I gave half my dough away to my sister who fried it up and made angel wings. (basically fried bread dough and then dusted with powder sugar)

Spread butter, brown sugar and cinnamon over your rolled out dough. Roll the dough up as tightly as you can

I find that the easiest way to cut out the rolls is with dental floss. Make sure you use a unflavored floss otherwise your cinnamon rolls will have a hint of mint to them! Cris-Cross the floss like this and pull tight in opposite directions.

Don't they look cute? I actually wish I had made them smaller because they almost double in size when you bake them. You can let them rise again for an hour which I normally do but I wanted to keep these small. Throw them in the oven and bake for 20 minutes

Frost and serve!! P.S. Don't judge the hole in the middle. They looked so good I had to try one and then I remembered I needed to take a picture...

 xoxo Janis!!

Mini Cinnamon rolls

(recipe by http://twistedflavor.blogspot.com)

3 cups water (hot about 110-115 degrees)

4 TBS Yeast

1 Cup Sugar

1 Cup Oil

3 slightly beaten eggs

8-11 cups of flour

Turn your tap water on to the hottest water or if you want to be all technical you can use a thermometer and make sure it is 110 degrees. Sprinkle yeast on water along with your sugar. Let sit about 10-min until nice and frothy. Add eggs and oil. Mix in your flour until the dough is not sticky enough to stick to your hands. Knead dough for 10 minutes and let rise for 1 hour. Roll out dough and spread butter and brown sugar mixture.

1 Cup Brown Sugar

1 Tbs Cinnamon

1 cube butter (don't judge)

Roll up the dough to form a snake. Cut out rolls using dental floss. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Frost and serve

Frosting

1 pkg Cream Cheese

1/2 cube butter

1 tbs vanilla (you know me)

3 Cups Powder Sugar

Cream all together and spread