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Soft Gooey Cinnamon Rolls

Gooey Cinnamon Rolls

Servings 9 rolls

Ingredients

For the rolls:

  • 3/4 cup whole milk plus 3 tbs separated
  • 3 tbs. brown sugar
  • 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup softened butter
  • 3-4 cups all-purpose flour plus 2 tbs separated
  • 1 tsp. salt

For the filing:

  • 1/4 cup softened butter
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tbs white sugar
  • 1 tbs plus 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp salt

For the frosting:

  • 2 oz softened cream cheese
  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tbs. milk
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp. salt

Instructions

For the rolls:

  1. In a small saucepan over low-medium heat, cook together 3 tablespoons milk with 2 tablespoons of flour, whisking constantly, until a thick paste forms. Remove and cool completely. In a microwave safe bowl, heat together the remaining 3/4 cup whole milk with the brown sugar until it is about 110 degrees, or warm to the touch. Stir in the yeast, and set aside until puffy and bloomed.

  2. In the bowl of your stand mixer, mix together the egg and softened butter, and then stir in the bloomed yeast mixture. Then add in 3 cups flour and the salt, and stir until a shaggy dough forms. Add in the cooked flour paste and begin to knead the dough.
  3. Knead the dough with the dough hook for about 10 minutes or until the dough is soft and smooth. It should be still a little wet, and may stick to the bottom of your bowl slightly while kneading. Avoid adding too much flour, but you can add a bit more if it's just globbing entirely on the bottom of the bowl.
  4. Scrape the dough into a ball, and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise for about 30 minutes, or until it has almost doubled in size.

For the filling:

  1. Grease a 9x9 square pan or a round 9 inch cake pan and set aside. In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, sugar, cinnamon, and salt until combined. Roll out the risen dough into a large rectangle. It should be about 12-14 inches long. Spread the butter evenly over the entire dough, and sprinkle all of the sugar mixture on top. Use your rolling pin to gently press the mixture into the dough, and roll the dough into a tight log length-wise.
  2. Slice the ends of the log off, and then slice the log into 9 even rolls. The dough is soft to work with, so you may find the rolls get a little messy or unraveled, but you can re-roll them individually if needed. Place into your prepared baking pan, and cover with plastic wrap to let them rise for about 20 minutes, or until puffed.
  3. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Bake the risen rolls for about 25-30 minutes, or until they are light golden brown on top.

For the frosting:

  1. Beat together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and salt until a thick, smooth frosting is formed. Spread generously on top of the rolls once they have cooled for about 5 minutes. Enjoy the frosted rolls warm!