Cinnamon Rolls Part 2

I know you all have been patiently waiting, so here I am with part 2!  This week I am sharing the three tasty fillings hubs and I used in these cinnamon rolls.  To keep it traditional – cinnamon sugar, to change it up just a little – cinnamon and brown sugar, and to really branch out – Nutella!  Mmm, all of them were so good. 🙂

For a quick recap, last week I shared how to make the dough for these delicious cinnamon rolls.  If you haven’t yet, go check out part 1 and I will meet you back here in a few minutes!

This is where we left off last time.  Our dough had just finished rising and we were about to roll it out.

In order to roll out the dough, we need to punch it down.  This part is fun.  Make a fist and give the dough a good punch!  This releases gases that were formed by the yeast while rising.

Now turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter top, break your rolling pin out, and roll the dough into a rectangle about 12-15 inches deep and 1/4 inch thick.  You can make your own dimensions if you want, just remember that the deeper the short side of the rectangle is, the bigger your cinnamon rolls will be.  We ended up cutting some of ours in half before rolling, so you always have that option as a backup too. 🙂

We chose to make 3 different fillings.  You can make one of these or all of these, it’s completely up to you!  Here’s the breakdown –

1. Traditional – Cinnamon + Granulated Sugar + Melted Butter
2. Somewhat Traditional – Cinnamon + Brown Sugar + Melted Butter
3. Not-So-Traditional – NUTELLA.

We’ll start off with the how-to for options 1 and 2 since they are so similar.

To prep the ingredients, first combine the cinnamon and sugar in a bowl and stir.  The ratio for options 1 & 2 is the same – 2 tablespoons cinnamon to 1 cup sugar.

Regular…

Brown Sugar…

The last ingredient is butter.  Start out by melting about 1/4 cup of butter in the microwave.  If needed, you can always melt more.

Now that the filling ingredients are prepped,  we can assemble the cinnamon rolls.  Brush the dough with melted butter and then sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture on top.  I’ve learned that the more generous you are with the filling, the more delicious your cinnamon rolls will be. 😉 Now don’t go too crazy, but be sure to get a good layer of butter and sugar.

Option 3, Nutella, is even easier than options 1 & 2.  Give your container of Nutella a stir incase it has settled and then simply spread a layer across the dough.  That easy!

This next part really isn’t that difficult, you just have to be gentle with the dough.  Gently roll the dough up so that you have a long log-shaped cinnamon roll.  If needed, you can use a small amount of water to wet the edge of the dough and seal it together.

The best way to cut the rolls without smashing them is to use either thread or unflavored floss.  Slide the thread under the dough and pull the ends up and around until they slice through the cinnamon roll.  Aim for about 1 inch slices.

Place the rolls into a greased baking pan, leaving a little space between each one so they can rise.

Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in size.  This should be about 30-45 minutes.  Once risen, bake at 350° for 25 minutes!

Here is regular…

Brown Sugar…

And, of course, Nutella is a stand out.

Mmm, gorgeous.

You can’t forget the icing!  I’ve included a super simple recipe below, so be sure to check it out.

Just look at that Nutella.

Thank you all so much for stopping by The Little Blue Mixer today!  I hope you all have a fantastic weekend and a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Enjoy 🙂

Cinnamon Roll Filling & Icing Recipes!

• Difficulty: Easy
• Print

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1. Traditional – Cinnamon-Sugar Filling

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons cinnamon
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions

1. Combine cinnamon and sugar in small bowl and stir
2. Melt butter in microwave
3. Brush butter on top of rolled out dough and generously sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar mixture

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2. Somewhat Traditional – Brown Sugar-Cinnamon Filling

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons cinnamon
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions

1. Combine cinnamon and sugar in small bowl and stir
2. Melt butter in microwave
3. Brush butter on top of rolled out dough and generously sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar mixture

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3. Not-So-Traditional – NUTELLA Filling

Ingredients

• Nutella

Directions

1. Stir container of Nutella if settled
2. Spread layer of Nutella on top of rolled out dough

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Powdered Sugar Icing

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• milk

Directions

1. Stir together powdered sugar and vanilla
2. Stir in milk until desired spreading consistency is reached

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The Little Blue Mixer

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And just so you don’t miss it, here is the dough recipe from Part 1!

Basic Cinnamon Roll Sweet Dough

• Difficulty: Medium
• Print

This delicious sweet dough is perfect for any type of cinnamon roll or King cake!

Ingredients

• 1 cup milk
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup lukewarm water
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 4 – 5 cups all purpose flour

Directions

1. Scald milk and set to the side until lukewarm.
2. Pour yeast into lukewarm water and soften (follow directions on yeast packet).
3. In mixing bowl, cream butter, sugar, and salt together.
4. Add eggs, lemon juice, milk, and yeast to creamed butter and mix until combined.  Scrape sides of bowl as needed.
5. Slowly mix in flour – dough should be slightly softer than loaf bread.
6. Pour dough out onto lightly floured counter top and knead well. Place dough in a greased bowl and brush the top of the dough with oil. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size (about an hour).
7. When doubled in size, punch dough down and turn out onto lightly floured countertop. Gently roll into a 1/4″ thick rectangle.
8. Add the toppings of your choice!
9. Starting on the long side of the rectangle, gently roll dough into a log.  If needed, use a little water to seal the edges.
10. Using a thread or unflavored floss, cut dough into 1″ thick slices.  Place in a greased pan, leaving about 1/2″ between rolls.
11. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in size (about 45 minutes).
12. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes.
13. Remove from oven and let cool in pan.
14. Enjoy!

The Little Blue Mixer

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I’ll be sharing this post over at Fiesta Friday!