P.W. Cinnamon Rolls

I can't think of many things that top a delicious cinnamon roll (except maybe a vat of chocolate.... I'm a little partial to the brown stuff :).  When I read all the delicious reviews of the Pioneer Woman's cinnamon rolls, I knew they must be made in my kitchen.  ASAP.  First of all, I can't believe a passerby within smelling range of my house didn't come in and attack me for these rolls while they were baking.  They smelled fabulous!  One thing that sets these rolls apart from others is the icing.  Holy-yummo.  It's made using maple and coffee (sounds strange) but the finished product doesn't taste particularly like either... it tastes just plain delicious with a little something  special in the background.

Now, for my 100% honest opinion.

These rolls were completely yummy.  These rolls were also a complete pain in the fanny to make and took forever.  Like hours and hours.  You could almost make a day out of it.... which is totally fine if you have the extra time.  While these rolls were good, they were no better than the rolls I typically make using the Duggar roll recipe dough (which takes much less time and has many less steps).  What sets these rolls apart from others would be the icing.  Next time I make cinnamon rolls I'm using my usual Duggar dough with Pioneer Woman icing. 

With that said, go out and make some cinnamon rolls.  Don't be afraid to try Pioneer Woman's complete recipe, just make sure you have plenty of time.  They are wonderful.  If you are looking for a shortcut use the Duggar roll dough (or your favorite recipe) with the maple coffee frosting.  Man, I'm windy today!  Enjoy :)

PIONEER WOMAN CINNAMON ROLLS

1 quart Whole Milk

1 cup Vegetable Oil
1 cup Sugar
2 packages Active Dry Yeast, 0.25 Ounce Packets
8 cups (Plus 1 Cup Extra, Separated) All-purpose Flour
1 teaspoon (heaping) Baking Powder
1 teaspoon (scant) Baking Soda
1 Tablespoon (heaping) Salt
Plenty Of Melted Butter
2 cups Sugar
Generous Sprinkling Of Cinnamon

MAPLE FROSTING:

1 bag Powdered Sugar
2 teaspoons Maple Flavoring
½ cups Milk
¼ cups Melted Butter
¼ cups Brewed Coffee
⅛ teaspoons Salt

Mix the milk, vegetable oil and sugar in a pan. Scald the mixture (heat until just before the boiling point). Turn off heat and leave to cool 45 minutes to 1 hour. When the mixture is lukewarm to warm, but NOT hot, sprinkle in both packages of Active Dry Yeast. Let this sit for a minute. Then add 8 cups of all-purpose flour. Stir mixture together. Cover and let rise for at least an hour.


After rising for at least an hour, add 1 more cup of flour, the baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir mixture together. (At this point, you could cover the dough and put it in the fridge until you need it – overnight or even a day or two, if necessary. Just keep your eye on it and if it starts to overflow out of the pan, just punch it down).

When ready to prepare rolls: Sprinkle rolling surface generously with flour. Take half the dough and form a rough rectangle. Then roll the dough thin, maintaining a general rectangular shape. Drizzle 1/2 to 1 cup melted butter over the dough. Now sprinkle 1 cup of sugar over the butter followed by a generous sprinkling of cinnamon.

Now, starting at the opposite end, begin rolling the dough in a neat line toward you. Keep the roll relatively tight as you go. Next, pinch the seam of the roll to seal it.

Spread 1 tablespoon of melted butter in a seven inch round foil cake or pie pan. Then begin cutting the rolls approximately ¾ to 1 inch thick and laying them in the buttered pans.

Repeat this process with the other half of the dough. Let the rolls rise for 20 to 30 minutes, then bake at 375 degrees until light golden brown, about 15 to 18 minutes.

For the frosting, mix together all ingredients listed and stir well until smooth. It should be thick but pourable. Taste and adjust as needed. Generously drizzle over the warm rolls. Go crazy and don’t skimp on the