Gooey cinnamon rolls

My co-worker Raymond Wong made these incredible rolls and shared them with us at work. They were so delicious I wanted to try them myself. Here is his recipe!

What you need:
Dough:
(2) .25 oz. pkts. active dry yeast
1 tsp. granulated sugar
1 cup 110 degree water
1 cup warm milk
2/3 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup melted butter or margarine
2 tsp. salt
2 eggs – slightly beaten
5 cups all-purpose flour (you may use up to 8 to get the proper consistency)

Filling:
1/2 cup melted butter or margarine
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 Tbls. ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts or pecans – optional
1/2 cup raisins – optional (I heat them with a cup of brandy for 3 -5 min. so the raisins plump up! )

Gooey bottom:
1/2 cup melted butter OR margarine
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbls. ground cinnamon
1 to 3 Tbls. water
Parchment paper

Frosting:
1/2 lb of softened unsalted butter
1/2 lb of cream cheese
1/2 box of powdered sugar
1 tsp. of vanilla extract
Juice of half a lemon

What you do:
1. Grease your pans and line with parchment paper. Use two 13″ X 9″ X 2″ pans. I used disposable aluminum baking dishes you can find at any grocery store. Either two large ones (to fit a dozen rolls ) or 1 large (a dozen rolls and two small (to fit 6 rolls) ones

Preparing the rolls:

2. Mix together 1 1/2 cups sugar and the 3 tablespoons of cinnamon for your filling; set aside. (Pictured above)

3. In a small bowl, dissolve 2 packets active dry yeast and 1 tsp. sugar in a cup of warm water at 110 degrees; set aside and let it proof (pictured above)
4. Melt 2/3 cup of butter for your dough.
5. Warm up 1 cup of milk.

6. In your Kitchenaid mixer or by hand, mix together milk, 2/3 cup sugar, your melted butter, salt, and eggs until it looks like a crepe batter (pictured above).
7. Add yeast mixture and 4 cups of flour a little bit at a time to create a smooth thick batter.
8. Add another cup of flour (or however much you need until the dough begins to pull together.
9. Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface and knead for 8 minutes.

10. Grease a large bowl and place dough in it (pictured above), cover, and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in size (pictured below), about 1 – 1 1/2 hours. (I heated my oven slightly, turned it off and kept the oven light on to help the rising process.)

11. In the last 15 minutes of the dough rising prepare the yummy gooey bottom of the cinnamon roll.

Creating the gooey bottom:
1. In a small saucepan over low to medium heat, allow 2 tablespoons of sugar to dissolve in 3 tablespoons water.
2. Add butter until it melts. Then add cinnamon until it is a smooth thin syrup stirring.
3. Keep cooking and stirring until it reaches the consistency of a pancake syrup.
4. Coat the bottoms of your baking pans that have been lined with parchment with the gooey stuff.

Creating the Roll:

1. Punch down dough and let rest for 5 minutes (pictured above).
2. Roll dough out onto a floured surface into a 15″ X 20″ rectangle.

3. Cut the dough down the middle horizontally (pictured above) to create two separate batches for each pan.
4. Melt 1/4 to 1/2 cup of butter.

5. Brush 1/2 cup melted butter over both dough rectangles.
6. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar evenly over dough; sprinkle nuts evenly over dough, if desired.

7. This step is critical! Tightly roll up dough and pinch edges together to seal (pictured above); cut the roll (pictured below) into 12 slices for each dough using dental floss or thread (I used a serrated carving knife)

8. Place the rolls in the pans lined with parchment and gooey goodness.

9. Place cinnamon roll slices close together in the prepared pan (12 rolls per pan); cover pan and allow to rise in a warm place for 45 minutes.

10. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake rolls for 25 – 30 minutes, or until golden brown.

While the rolls are baking create the Cream Cheese Frosting:

1. In a mixer, add cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and lemon juice and whip ingredients together.
2. On low speed or turn off mixer completely, add in the powdered sugar a little bit at a time a not to have your house dusted in sugar and continue to mix until all the sugar has been added. 3. Whip for another 30 seconds on high when all ingredients are combined.
4. Remove the rolls from the oven and while they are still hot slather on some frosting. It will melt on the hot rolls.
5. Serve remaining frosting alongside the rolls so people may add more if they wish.
Enjoy!!

 

– Recipe contributed by Raymond Wong