This month, we were challenged to make cinnamon rolls and could use any recipe that we wanted. In the far back corners of my brain, I recalled hearing that the best cinnamon rolls (characterized by a fluffy texture and weren't dry) contained mashed potatoes. Crazy, you say? Delish, I say!!
I scoured the Internet for mashed potato cinnamon roll recipes and found quite a few. The one I finally chose stood out because it contained a bit of a secret, unexpected ingredient: pumpkin pie spice.
This recipe, I kid you not, results in the best cinnamon rolls I have ever made... hands down. I'll be hard pressed to look beyond this recipe, t'boot. It makes A LOT of cinnamon rolls (a double batch of rather sizable rolls), so I wound up taking one pan to work.... and boy, were they a hit!!! The recipe doesn't provide icing information, so I just threw together a cream cheese icing and it worked beautifully.
Get a gander at how beautifully fluffy and moist the rolls turned out:
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| Yummmmmmmmy! |
Without further ado, the amazingly wonderfully perfectly tasty cinnamon roll recipe I chose to try ... and wound up falling head over heels for:
Soft Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
Author: Rachel Ballard
Serves: 15
Ingredients
The Dough:
The Filling:
- 1 cup lump free mashed potatoes
- 1 cup reserved potato water (or plain water is fine)
- ¾ cup (1½ sticks) butter or margarine, melted
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 cup hot water (just from the tap is fine, don't boil any)
- 2 envelopes yeast
- ½ cup WARM water
- 2 eggs
- 8½ cups all purpose flour
- ½ cup butter or margarine, softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (optional)
Instructions
- Combine the potatoes, potato water, butter, sugar, salt and hot water in a very large bowl.
- Mix well and set aside to cool to lukewarm.
- Combine the yeast and ½ cup warm water in a small bowl. Let rest 5 minutes.
- Add eggs, yeast, and 2 cups of the flour to the potato mixture.
- Using a dough hook and stand mixer (or mix by hand) blend well.
- Add flour, 1 cup at a time until a soft dough forms. This usually takes almost all 8 cups.
- Knead on a floured surface or with your dough hook until it's smooth and elastic about 4 to 6 minutes.
- Place in an oiled bowl and turn to coat all sides.
- Cover and rest one hour until doubled in size.
- Divide dough in half and roll one into a 12x18 inch rectangle.
- Mix the sugars, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice in a bowl.
- Spread half the butter on the dough and sprinkle on half the sugar mixture.
- Roll from the long side and cut slices about 2 inches thick.
- Place in a greased 9x13 pan.
- Repeat with other half of dough. (You can freeze rolls at this point if you want to)
- Cover and rise in a warm place 30-45 minutes until doubled
- Bake in 350 degree oven 25 to 35 minutes. Tent with foil if they get too dark.
- Cool 15 minutes and the drizzle with icing.
This month the Daring Bakers kept our creativity rolling with cinnamon bun inspired treats. Shelley from C Mom Cook dared us to create our own dough and fill it with any filling we wanted to craft tasty rolled treats, cinnamon not required!
