Cinnamon Rolls (from Tammy Hulse)

 Cinnamon Rolls

From the kitchen of Tammy Hulse 

1 cup softened butter 

2 ½ cups warm water 

¾ cup sugar 

2 TB yeast 

2 ½ tsp salt 

4 eggs 

8 – 8 ½ cups flour 

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add sugar, salt, margarine and eggs. Mix in flour,  blending well. Knead in mixer for 5 minutes. Put in a large bowl and place in fridge  overnight. Generously grease cookie sheet. On lightly floured surface, roll out ½ dough  to 20x12 inch rectangle. Spread with ¼ cup softened butter. In small bowl, combine ½  cup sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon; blend well. Sprinkle over dough. Starting with 20-inch  side, roll up jelly roll fashion; pinch edges firmly to seal seams. Cut into 1 inch slices.  Place cut side down in prepared pan. Cover, let rise in warm place until double. Bake  at 350 F for 20 minutes in warm place until double. Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes.  

Brown Sugar Glaze (for Cinnamon Rolls) 

1/3 cup butter 

¼ cup milk 

1 cup brown sugar 

3 cups powdered sugar 

5 oz canned milk 

Boil first 3 ingredients together for 3 minutes. Add powdered sugar and canned milk.  Spread icing on cinnamon rolls while hot. Sprinkle top with crushed walnuts if desired.

Alternative method:

Mix up the roll dough on Christmas Eve morning.  Place dough in large bowl with a lid and put in the garage.  (The garage is usually cold enough this time of year to be an extension of my fridge :) 

On Christmas Eve, roll out the cinnamon rolls and put on baking trays.  Cover with plastic wrap and towels and put back in garage.  This will keep it cold enough overnight so they will not rise too much. 

When the children wake up on Christmas morning, bring the rolls in from the garage and allow to warm up and rise for a couple of hours.  They are ready to bake after we enjoy our Christmas gift opening in the morning.   While the rolls are baking, I make the brown sugar glaze and pour it over the hot cinnamon rolls just as they are coming out of the oven.  This is a family favorite!