Ree Drummond, the Pioneer Woman, cooks for 4 homeschooled children, her cowboy husband "The Marlboro Man", their ranch hands, extended family and friends. She cooks large meals and brings food to friends and neighbors. I cook for...me. Me and sometimes Joe and Casey (he doesn't eat much!)
Ree's original Cinnamon roll recipes makes close to 70 rolls. So I quartered each ingredient and made about 20. If you're making for a large crowd, her recipe is here.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup Whole Milk
- 1/4 cup Vegetable Oil
- 1/4 cup Sugar
- 1/2 package Active Dry Yeast, 0.25 Ounce Packets
- 2 cups (Plus 1/4 Cup Extra, Separated) All-purpose Flour
- 1/4 teaspoon (heaping) Baking Powder
- 1/4 teaspoon (scant) Baking Soda
- 1/2 teaspoon (heaping) Salt
- Plenty Of Melted Butter
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- Generous Sprinkling Of Cinnamon
MAPLE FROSTING: (adapted using REAL maple syrup)
- 1 cup Powdered Sugar
- Maple Syrup to taste (about 1/4 cup)
- 2 Tbsp. Milk
- 1 tsp Melted Butter
- pinch Salt
Directions:
For the dough, heat the milk, vegetable oil, and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat to just below a boil. Set aside and cool to warm.Sprinkle the yeast on top and let it sit on the milk for 1 minute.
Add 2 cups of the flour. Stir until just combined, then cover with a clean kitchen towel, and set aside in a relatively warm place for 1 hour.
After 1 hour, remove the towel and add the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and the remaining 1/4 cup flour. Stir thoroughly to combine.
Use the dough right away, or place in a mixing bowl and refrigerate for up to 3 days, punching down the dough if it rises to the top of the bowl. (Note: dough is easier to work with if it’s been chilled for at least an hour or so beforehand.)
To assemble the rolls, on a floured baking surface, roll the dough into a large rectangle, the dough should be rolled very thin.
To make the filling, spread 1/4 cup of the melted butter over the surface of the dough. Spread the butter evenly. Generously sprinkle ground cinnamon and 1/4 cup of the sugar over the butter. Don’t be afraid to drizzle on more butter or more sugar! Gooey is the goal.
Now, beginning at the end farthest from you, roll the rectangle tightly towards you. Use both hands and work slowly, being careful to keep the roll tight. Don’t worry if the filling oozes as you work. When you reach the end, pinch the seam together and flip the roll so that the seam is face down.
With a sharp knife, make 1/2-inch slices, about 20 to 25 rolls. Pour a bit of melted butter into cake pans and swirl to coat. Place the sliced rolls in the pans.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cover all the pans with a kitchen towel and set aside to rise on the countertop for at least 20 minutes before baking. Remove the towel and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden brown. Don’t allow the rolls to become overly brown.
While the rolls are baking, make the maple icing: In a large bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, butter, and salt. Splash in the maple syrup. Whisk until very smooth. Taste and add in more maple, sugar, butter, or other ingredients as needed until the icing reaches the desired consistency. The icing should be somewhat thick but still very pourable.
Remove pans from the oven. Immediately drizzle icing over the top. Be sure to get it all around the edges and over the top.
