Today we wake up to the sun hidden by these low-hanging clouds as the rain silently falls, washing everything clean around us. Along with the sounds of soft rain, the air is filled with birds coming out to play. Sitting on this huge ocean with the water beneath us and the heavens above… I cannot help but feel blessed. Its the perfect day for our favourite homemade cinnamon rolls.
We made the decision last night that the ingredients we have held on to for so long will finally be put to use. So today we get up extra excited, baking days sometimes turn into a huge mess with such little space on this 34-foot sailboat… Today however I was delighted to clean the mess because just a foot away the oven was baking the most delicious, gooey cinnamon buns. A hot cup of cappuccino and this day turns spectacular…all thoughts of the bad out of mind my heart is full and nothing can cloud this moment.
OR could it…
Well, I had to say it didn’t I, but nothing is that simple on a boat especially after my wonderful husband breaks the stove, luckily not before we had a perfect bake.
“Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first.”
– Ernestine Ulmer
Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Dough
- 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter Melted
- 2 cups Full Cream Milk Warm to the touch
- 1/2 cups Granulated Sugar
- 10 gr Dry Yeast
- 5 cups Flour Divided
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 2 tsp Salt
Filling
- 3/4 cup Butter Softened
- 3/4 cup Light Brown Sugar
- 2 tbsp Ground Cinnamon
Frosting
- 55 gr Cream Cheese Softened
- 2 tbsp Butter Melted
- 2 tbsp Full Cream Milk
- 1 rsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 cup Icing Sugar
Instructions
Preparation
- Generously butter two cake pans.
- In a large bowl, whisk together warm milk, melted butter, and granulated sugar. Your mixture should be warm, registering between 100-110˚F (37-43˚C). If it is hotter, allow time for cooling before continuing.
- Sprinkle the yeast evenly over the warm mixture and allow to set for 1 minute.
- Add 4 cups (500g) of all-purpose flour to the milk mixture and mix with a wooden spoon until combined, do not over stir.
- Cover the bowl with a damp towel or plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise for 1 hour.
- After1 hour, the dough should have nearly doubled in size.
- Remove damp towel and add an additional ¾ cup (95g) of flour, the baking powder, and salt. Stir well, then turn out onto a well-floured surface.
- Kneadthe dough lightly, adding additional flour as necessary, until the dough justloses its stickiness and does not stick to the surface.
- Roll the dough out into a large rectangle, about ½-inch (1 cm) thick.
- Spreadthe softened butter evenly over the dough.
- Sprinkleevenly with brown sugar and a generous sprinkling of cinnamon.
- Press the mixture into the butter.
- Roll up the dough, from the long edge, forming a long roll, and pinch the seam closed. Place seam-side down. Trim off any unevenness on either end.
- Cut the roll in half, then divide each half into 7 evenly sized pieces. About 1½ inches (8cm) thick each.
- Place 7 cinnamon rolls in each cake pan, one in the center, six around the sides.Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm place to rise for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350˚F (180˚C).
- Prepare the frosting in a medium-size mixing bowl, whisk together cream cheese, butter, whole milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar, until smooth.
- Remove plastic wrap. Bake the cinnamon rolls in a preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown.
- While still warm, drizzle evenly with frosting.
- Now you can slide a plate on over and enjoy..
Hoping we can hang our oven door back on the hinge so that our stove remains gimbaled. With the door almost broken off, we are hoping we might be able to do another fix-up job and get a few more meals out of her.
Thank you Lord, it’s amazing the small things you do to remind us of the Big God that You are, You truly are worthy of all of my praise.
