Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

Kayleigh here. I will make no secret of it- I occasionally get a massive craving for a big, gooey cinnamon bun. Cinnamon raisin toast or cinnamon oatmeal with cream cheese just don't quite do it at these times. I need a real deal spicy, icing- covered sugar bomb.

This recipe came into being when I was trying to figure out a way of making one of those decadent giant cinnamon rolls you would get at a diner. Making a whole dozen would just make me feel guilty by the end, so I whittled the ingredients down to make just four of the monsters. Next time you feel like really treating yourself on the weekend, try this recipe out. Make it the night before, then reheat it and add frosting in the morning- it will still taste just as good the next day.

Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

Ingredients:

For the rolls:
1 Medium Russet or Golden Potato (slightly larger than your fist)
2 TB Butter
1 Egg
1/4 Cup Sugar
1 ½ ts Baking Powder
¼ ts Baking Soda
½ ts Xanthan or Guar Gum
1 ts Apple Cider Vinegar
2-3 drops Almond Extract
1 Pinch Salt
1/3 Cups Warm Water
½ Cups White Rice Flour
½ Cups Sweet Rice Flour
½ Cups Tapioca Starch
1 ½ ts Instant Yeast

For the Filling:
3 TB Butter, room temperature
1 ts Maple Syrup
1/3 Cups Brown Sugar (lightly packed)
2-3 ts Cinnamon

For the Icing:
½ Package Cream Cheese ( 4 oz) at room temperature
½ Cups Powdered Sugar
¼ ts Vanilla Extract
Splash of Milk


Directions:

1) Well in advanced, peel the potato and cut it into rough 1 inch cubes. Boil them in water until very soft, then drain and mash with a fork. Add the butter to let it melt in.
2) If you have the time, then just leave the mashed potato out until it reaches room temperature- you can put the butter and cream cheese next to it to start warming them up. If you're shorter on time, throw it in the fridge until they're simply warm, or place their bowl on ice for 10 or so minutes.
3) To the mashed potatoes, add the ingredients from egg through salt and combine well (no lumpy potatoes!). Add the water to the mixture, then the flours one at a time. Add the yeast last, to make sure it doesn't start losing potency before you're done forming the rolls.
4) Set the dough aside, and combine all the filling ingredients in a smaller bowl. Grease an 8x8 inch baking pan and set aside.
5) Lay out two strips of plastic wrap, then coat one side of each with cooking spray or melted butter. Sandwich one of the dough balls in between the buttered sides, then use a rolling pin to flatten it into a roughly 10 x 12 inch rectangle.
6) Remove the top layer of plastic wrap, then cover the dough evenly with the cinnamon sugar filling. Roll it up carefully and evenly, then using a wet knife cut the log into four equal rolls. Place these in the baking pan.
7) Set the rolls aside for roughly one hour, or until the bottoms of them have spread to cover the whole pan. Sprinkle the outsides with extra cinnamon if desired. Then, in a 400 degree preheated oven, bake them for 20 minutes or until the tops are brown.
8) Optional- Five minutes before the rolls are done, you can take them out and brush them with additional melted butter. Or, as my parents like to do it, drizzle some maple syrup on top and sprinkle chopped walnuts- the baked maple syrup will help them stick.
9) While you wait for them to cool, combine all the ingredients for the icing. Spread it on slightly warm rolls just before serving.

Alternate rolling method:
When I made this last batch, I really did not feel like dealing with the plastic wrap and rolling pin method, so to save on time I tried rolling them by hand- they don't roll out as thinly or evenly, but that doesn't change the taste! And I'm sure that kids would love doing it, if you divide the dough into eight and gave them kid-friendly portions.

So, to start, wash and dry your hands thoroughly, then spray one with a thin coating of cooking spray. Pick up one quarter of the dough and stretch it out across your greased hand- I got mine to about 2 1/2 inches wide and 8 inches long.

Spread the filling onto the face up side, then roll it from your fingertips downwards into the right shape. When you are ready to move onto the next roll, be sure to wash and dry your hands thoroughly and recoat one in oil to prevent sticking.

Jason here. I realize now, I have missed many breakfast items since I have had to cut all gluten from my diet. There were pop tarts, various cereals (captain crunch I’m looking at you), toaster strudels, and cinnamon rolls. Well luckily for my Kayleigh has been amazing and always trying to fill that gap, including these tasty cinnamon rolls.

The taste is definitely what I remember with a sweet cream cheese icing, and a different kind of maple and cinnamon sweet bun. The only missing factor was the stretchiness which gluten tends to add. I was very happy that we got to use one of Kayleigh’s Christmas gifts which was Ceylon Cinnamon. Ceylon has a lighter taste, without the bite of standard cassia cinnamon. The reduced sharpness lends itself to a sweeter taste for me, which makes it perfect for dessert recipes like ice cream and these cinnamon buns. If you haven’t tried Ceylon Cinnamon (true cinnamon), we highly recommend you pick some up.