Of Grain and Grain | Tactile Explorations of Flour and Wood

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Cinnamon Rolls

Ashley Look

These cinnamon rolls don't exactly represent my dietary belief in "how to feed a senior" but you know... Life is for living!  Items like these gooey cinnamon rolls feed happiness and I think that's just as important as nutrition when it comes to living a good life.  We need to indulge more in simple pleasures.  That's been a real thing for me lately.  Simple pleasures...  I keep an eye out, trying to take note of when I happen upon one and I'm often surprised at their ubiquity.  Sometimes observing one turns into a slew many and I feel a wave of gratitude for this "time" and that doesn't quite fit the stereotype of the caregiver demise.

Caregiving can feel much like purgatory but I'm often taken aback at the moments I catch myself quite content with my baking, gardening, and crafting. I'm frequently bitter at all the moments this experience has stolen from me but its been long enough now that I've come to accept the terms.  There's no going back to the days of what was.  There's only forward. And in this march, I've grown deeper into my hobbies.  This journey is cultivating skills that only come with time and for that I am grateful.

Ingredients

For the rolls:

  • 3 cups flour + more for kneeding
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp active dry yeast
  • 1 1/2 cups warm water

The filling:

  • 1/2 stick of melted butter
  • 3/4 cup of brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp of cinnamon (or even more to taste preference)

The frosting:

  • 1/2 cup of softened cream cheese
  • 2 tbsp softened butter
  • 1/8 cup of powdered sugar (or more or less per taste)
  • 1 tsp of vanilla extract

Directions

  1. Combine all the ingredients for the rolls into a large bowl and mix to combine. Add a dusting of extra flour as necessary to absorb moisture and work into a manageble dough ball.
  2. Turn dough ball out onto a floured surface and kneed for about 10 minutes adding flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking.
  3. After the dough is well combined and you are done kneeding, lightly oil a large bowl and place the dough in it and give it a swirl so the dough has been lightly oiled. This will keep it from sticking to the bowl later.
  4. Cover the bowl and let rise for about 1 hour or until it's doubled in size.
  5. While the dough rises prep the frosting.
  6. Place all the frosting ingredients in a bowl and combine with a mixer till all ingredients are well incorporated (be careful not to over mix).
  7. In another small bowl combine the brown sugar and cinnamon for the filling and set aside.
  8. When the dough has doubled in size, dump it out onto a floured surface.
  9. Roll it out into a rectangular shape roughly 1/2 inch thick.
  10. Drizzle the melted butter on top and brush it to cover the top leaving an inch on all sides.
  11. Sprinkle the brown sugar/cinnamon mixture evenly over the buttered area.
  12. Starting with a long side, roll the dough up into a long dough snake (Dough snake? Is that a thing?).
  13. Cut the dough into 2 inch pieces, discarding the two end pieces that lack the filling.
  14. Place the rolls cut-sides up into a buttered pan, nestling them next to eachother but leaving room for them to rise more.
  15. Cover and let rest for about 30 minutes
  16. Meanwhile begin preheating the oven to 375 F degree.
  17. After 30 minutes and the rolls have swollen in size, place in the oven and bake for 30-35ish minutes until the tops turn golden brown and the inside tempurature reaches 160 degrees F.
  18. After baking scoop spoonfuls of the frosting on top while the rolls are hot.
  19. Wait a few minutes and let the frosting melt a little then spread it around the tops in sheer decadence.
  20. Next, give most of these away so you don't die from a binge eating bender... ;)