Cinnamon Rolls....just like Mrs. Powell's

This has been a really great weekend. Friday night, Laine and I carved pumpkins and watched Baby Mama--pretty funny movie. You can kind of tell what our pumpkins are supposed to be, but it's hard since we couldn't figure out how to turn the flash off on my camera. Mine is "Freaky Frank" and hers is a crystal ball and witch. They look pretty cool lit up!

Saturday, Gram and Granddad came down for Auntie Carolyn's surprise 70th birthday party. It was so great to spend the day with them and to be with family that I don't get to see very often! We took a "cousins picture" at the end of the party, and it was so great to be with them, because I don't get to see these cousins nearly as often as the cousins on my other side. It also made me miss my other cousins more too....next weekend I get to see you all!

And this morning...I can't even describe how good the cinnamon rolls are that we just ate (as in, I am so excited about them that I started this post as soon as I finished mine).

Norris has been hunting since Wed. night so I thought he might like something homemade after standing in a field for so many hours (although he didn't go without home cooked meals from his mom!)

These cinnamon rolls can be made in much less time than any other recipe I found. That's why I chose to make them. They are incredible, especially warm. They are easy to make. I made ours with raisins, and I would definitely recommend that! Bake them for no more than 20 minutes (exactly 19 minutes is how long I baked them, and they are just a little gooey, which is perfect in my mind!....they cancel out the WW oatmeal cookies from the other day, but are so worth the indulgence.)

Ninety Minute Cinnamon Rolls

adapted from allrecipes.com

12 servings

INGREDIENTS:

Rolls:

3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup margarine, softened
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (divided)
1 (.25 ounce) package instant
yeast
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup water
1 egg

Filling:
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
6T margarine, softened
1/2 cup raisins (leave them out if you want)

DIRECTIONS:

1.Heat the milk in a small saucepan until it bubbles, then remove from heat. Mix in margarine; stir until melted. Let cool until lukewarm.

2.In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 1/4 cup flour, yeast, sugar and salt; mix well. Add water, egg and the milk mixture; beat well. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the dough has just pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 5 minutes. **You will have to add a little more flour as you knead it, as it is super sticky straight from the bowl. Don't add too much--you don't want tough rolls! Just enough to make the dough smooth.

3.Cover the dough with a warm damp cloth and let rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, cinnamon, and softened margarine.

4.Roll out dough into a 12x9 inch rectangle. Spread dough with margarine/sugar mixture. Sprinkle with raisins if desired. Roll up dough and pinch seam to seal. Cut into 12 equal size rolls and place cut side up into a 9x13 pan (I had to use a 9x13 and a small dish...only 8 fit in the 9x13 with room to spread). Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

5.Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until browned. Ice with Confectioner's Icing (or buttercream, or whatever you want) and serve warm.

Confectioner's Icing

2 c powdered sugar

1 1/2 t vanilla

4 to 6 T skim milk

In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar and vanilla. Add enough milk to make a smooth, creamy glaze that you can drizzle. Spread over warm rolls. If you want a thicker glaze, spread it over the rolls after they have cooled.