Recipe: Hecka Good Cinnamon Rolls

When a family friend (bless her heart) refused to share her recipe for her mouth-watering cinnamon pull-apart bread, I set out on a quest for the perfect sweet roll recipe, blending a cinnamon roll taste with gooey caramel. This final recipe is the result of pure genius (completely original recipe) and rivals the one still being hoarded.

Hecka Good Cinnamon Rolls

by Alana Lee

Ingredients:

1 Recipe Rose’s Rolls

1 c. brown sugar
2 t. cinnamon
Dash allspice or nutmeg (optional)

3/4 c. butter, softened

1 Recipe Caramel Glaze (below)

1 Recipe Cream Cheese Frosting (below)

Optional Caramel Glaze
2 T. water
1/2 c. light corn syrup
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. white sugar
3/4 c. butter
1 t. vanilla

Cream Cheese Frosting (see this post)
8 oz. cream cheese, cold
1/2 c. butter, room temperature
2-3 c. powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla

Directions:

1. Make 1 recipe Rose’s Rolls, knead lightly 1-2 minutes, and let rise until doubled in bulk.

2. Mix brown sugar, cinnamon, and allspice or nutmeg (optional) in bowl. Set aside.

3. Caramel Glaze: (When dough is nearly doubled, begin making Caramel Glaze.) Cook all ingredients but butter and vanilla over low heat until it starts to bubble. Add butter and return to boil. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

4. Grease bottom of casserole dish or baking pans with cooking spray.

5. Drizzle caramel glaze* on bottom of greased casserole dish (I use two 9 x 13s with glaze drizzle covering about half of the bottom--one glaze recipe is good for 4-5 baking pans).

6. Back to the Rolls: Punch down dough and roll into long strip about 8-10” wide.

7. Spread softened butter over rolled out dough. Evenly sprinkle brown sugar-cinnamon mixture onto buttered dough. Smooth out mixture with hands.

8. Roll up prepared dough starting with long edge (should be skinny and long roll). Cut into 1" to 2" rolls using quilting thread (slide a length of hand-quilting thread under the roll and cross over ends, pulling tightly; this keeps the rolls round). I cut the long roll in half, and then in half again to make sure I get the right number of rolls for my desired pan.

9. Dip each roll in melted butter and place buttered-side up in the baking dish, on top of optional caramel glaze. If you cut rolls at 1", rolls can touch in the pan; if you cut rolls at 2", leave 1" between rolls. Drizzle any remaining melted butter over rolls.
   

10. Let rise until nearly doubled and bake at 375-380 degrees until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.

11. Optional: Invert pan. Top with warmed, leftover caramel glaze or cream cheese frosting.

Makes 24 small or 18 medium cinnamon rolls. 

Cook's Note: *Only make caramel glaze if you plan on eating the rolls warm. If you don't plan on eating the cinnamon rolls within a few hours, do NOT to put caramel glaze in the bottom of the pan as it tends to make the bottom of the rolls chewy. I usually store any leftover caramel glaze in a canning jar in the fridge for my next batch.

Two scrumptious rolls stuck together.

Dough ready to roll out.

A nice layer of butter.

Cinnamon-sugar mixture spread over butter.

The quilting-thread cutting method.

Cut into equal sections, and then into equal-sized rolls.

Use a butter knife or thread to mark cutting guides.

Pan of rolls before second rise.

Close up: rolls before second rise.

Pan of rolls after second rise; ready for oven.

Close up: rolls after second rise; ready for oven.

Pan of baked rolls, slightly golden.

Close up: baked rolls, slightly golden.

Process pictured below with optional caramel glaze. 

Recipe: Pizza Sauce

Real Italian Pizza Sauce
by Alana

Great for pizza or just dipping breadsticks. If you don't have all of the spices and herbs, the start up cost for this will be between $10-$20, but you will be thrilled with the result. It is my favorite pizza sauce. When I learn how to can, I'm going to can a few dozen jars of this Italian nectar.

Ingredients:
29 oz can tomato sauce
6 oz can tomato paste
1 ½ t. minced onion
1 t. minced garlic
1 bay leaf
¾ t. sea salt (or ½ t. reg salt)
1 ½ t. oregano
½ t. fennel seed
½ t. marjoram
½ t. basil
¼ t. thyme
¼ t. rosemary

Simmer in crock pot for 2-3 hours. Remove bay leaf. (You can also simmer it on the stove for 1-2 hours on low.)

Number Of Servings: This can make at least two large pizzas.

Recipe: Rose's Rolls AKA Best Rolls Ever!

This recipe is treasured by my family. My mother's great friend, Linda Zuro, was known as one of the best bakers in my church congregation growing up. We all wanted her to make our desserts and rolls for any gathering. She didn't use recipes to bake--it was all in her head. She could tell by the consistency of the dough if it was right. My mom watched her make rolls once, and, being a home economist, my talented mother created this similar recipe--which is why I call them Rose's Rolls. Linda passed away in a tragic car accident in the Spring of 2006, so we are all so glad to have this almost-momento of her fantastic baking. Without further ado.... 

Rose's Rolls

2 c. warm water
2 T. active dry yeast (or 2 pkgs.)
1/2 c. sugar
3 c. flour
1 egg
1/4 c. vegetable oil
2 t. salt
2 c. flour

Directions:

1. In a large bowl combine water and yeast. Let proof 2 minutes. Add sugar, 3 c. flour, egg and oil. Stir with spoon until well mixed. Add salt, stir.

2. Add 2 c. flour. Stir as much as you can and then begin kneading in bowl. Once most of flour is incorporated, transfer dough to counter and knead until fairly smooth. Only knead 1-2 minutes or it will toughen the dough—it will be very moist. Clean the bowl, spray it with Pam, and return dough to bowl. Turn once to coat dough. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes to 1 hour in “summer day” oven. 

3. Punch down and split dough into halves. Roll halves into rectangle (6x20 inch rectangle or about 1/2 inch thick). With a pizza cutter, cut the dough crosswise in 3/4 inch strips, roll each strip in flour, and tie in knot, tucking ends underneath. Place on greased cookie sheet, leaving 1/2 inch between each roll. Let raise until nearly doubled in size again (you will see air pockets through the dough’s surface). 

Bake for 10-13 minutes at 380-400 degrees.

Cook’s Note: These rolls have been affectionately nicknamed “Mormon Rolls.” 

Cut dough in 1" strips.

Tie dough in knot and tuck ends under.

Dough should be very sticky. Like for reals.

Knotted rolls ready to raise.

Knotted rolls raised and ready for oven.

Rolls should be just barely golden.

The rolls should be barely touching.

This is the perfect color for Rose's Rolls.

Brush tops of rolls with butter.