The Easiest Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

I've been trying out a lot of new recipes lately - shortbread, butter tarts, even dog cookies - and I'm really enjoying it. I've never been much of a baker, but now each week when Saturday rolls around I'm thinking, "What can I make today?"

This week I tried my hand at cinnamon rolls. I think my inspiration was a cooking competition show, and even though they take a bit of time I knew I wanted to give it a try.

I was pleasantly surprised with how great they turned out - take that, Cinnabon! - and wanted to share them with you. Well, I'm sharing the recipe because the rolls didn't stick around very long at all.

Ingredients

Dough:
3/4 cup warm milk
2 1/4 teaspoons active yeast (or 1/4-ounce packaged yeast)
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg plus 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
1/4 cup butter, melted
3 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon salt

Filling:
2/3 cup dark brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon
1/4 cup butter, softened

Frosting:
4 oz cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons butter, softened
3/4 cup icing sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Add the warm milk to a bowl and sprinkle the yeast on top. The yeast should begin to foam in a minute or two. If it doesn't it could mean that either the milk was too hot, too cold, or the yeast is past its use-by date.

Once the yeast begins to foam, add in the sugar, egg, egg yolk, and butter. Mix until it's well combined. Stir in flour and salt until a dough begins to form.

If working by hand, knead the dough on a lightly-floured surface for 8 to 10 minutes. If using an electric mixer, knead on medium speed for about 8 minutes, checking it every 3 minutes or so.

Transfer the dough ball to a well-oiled bowl, then cover it with plastic wrap and a warm towel. Allow the dough to rise for 1 to 1½ hours, or until it has doubled in size.

Once dough has risen, transfer it to a well-floured surface and roll it out into a large rectangle. The dough should be about 1/4 inch thick. Spread the softened butter over the dough like you're buttering bread, leaving a 1/2 inch margin along the far edge.

In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle the mixture over the buttered dough. Tightly roll the dough up, sealing the edge with a bit of water. Place the roll seam-side down on your work surface and cut it into 1 inch slices.

Take a 9x13 inch baking pan and either grease it or line it with parchment paper. Place the cinnamon rolls in the pan making sure they are touching each other. (If there is space between them they will expand outwards when they rise; if they are touching they will expand upwards. Completely your preference.) Cover the pan with plastic wrap and a warm towel and let the rolls rise again for 30 minutes.

Before second rising:

After second rising:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the plastic wrap and towel and bake the cinnamon rolls for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on the edges. Allow them to cool before frosting.

To make the frosting:

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the cream cheese, butter, icing sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth and fluffy. Spread evenly over the cinnamon rolls. Don't worry about putting on too much!