Orange & Spice Cinnamon Rolls

My favorite thing about the holidays is all the FOOD planning that surrounds it. Thanksgiving dinner is a BIG one, but what about the next morning? Or the day before? What can we make when all the relatives come to town without spoiling Thanksgiving dinner? That’s where I come in. I’m here to help.

Everyone has their “favorites” recipes. It’s those you keep in your arsenal for those days when you need a little comfort food to get you through your day. Or it’s what you use when you’re asked to bring something special to a get together. OR it’s that one thing you’re known to cook that your loved ones always are asking you to make. It’s a damn good recipe, and you know you’ve always got it in your back pocket.

Well folks, here’s one of mine; a perfect cinnamon roll spiced up for the holidays. I say this because the orange and the spice can be interchanged with different flavors, but will turn heads every time. The dough is soft and pillow-y, where you get that perfect pull-apart bite each time.

Orange & Spice Cinnamon Rolls

Yield 12 cinnamon rolls

Dough

Dry active yeast 2 ¼ tsp

Milk 1 cup

Sugar ½ cup

Butter, softened 1/3 cup (3 oz.)

Salt 1 tsp

Eggs 2

Flour 4 cups

Spice Filling

Brown sugar 1 cup

Cinnamon 2 T

Ginger 1 T

Allspice 1 tsp

Cloves ½ tsp

Butter, melted 1/3 cup (3 oz.)

Cream Cheese Icing

Butter, softened 6 T (3 oz.)

Powdered sugar, sifted 1 ½ cups

Cream cheese, room temp ¼ cups (2 oz.)

Orange zest 2 T

Vanilla Extract ½ tsp

Salt a pinch

Directions:

To make the dough, first microwave the milk for 30-45 seconds. Sprinkle over the dry yeast and a pinch of sugar and let it activate for 5 minutes. It should froth up.

Combine sugar, flour, and salt in a bowl and set aside.

Next, pour the yeast mixture in your mixing bowl and add half the flour. Mix on low with a paddle attachment. Add 1 egg.

Switch to the dough hook. Add remaining flour mixture and the second egg.

Dough should look dry. Once second egg is combined, start adding bits of the butter a little at a time until thoroughly combined.

Continue to knead with dough hook for 3 minutes then remove from mixer and place in a large greased bowl. Cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap and place somewhere warm with no drafts or breezes.

Let this proof for 45 minutes. Dough should double in size.

To get the filling ready, simply combine all spices, sugar, and melted butter together until it is crumbly and pasty.

Next, sprinkle some flour on your work surface and roll out the proofed dough to about 10”x18”.

Spread the filling over, leaving 1/2” from the sides clean.

Next, starting from the bottom, roll as tightly as you can until it is all rolled up.

The ABSOLUTE best way to cut pieces of dough is to use a flavorless piece of dental floss and tighten around the rolled dough. They come off much cleaner than if you were to use a perfectly sharp knife.

Cut off 1 1/2“ pieces, you should get around 12. Place them in 2 cake pans, or on a cookie sheet to proof again.

Proof for 30 minutes in a warm area, no drafts, covered. Rolls with puff up, and that’s when you know to bake.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 degrees C).

Bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown on the sides.

While the rolls are baking, make the glaze.

Place the softened cream cheese and the softened butter in a mixing bowl fitted with a paddle attachment. Paddle together until smooth. Add the sifted powdered sugar, scrape down sides, and continue to paddle. Next add the orange zest, vanilla, and the pinch of salt.

Continue to paddle on high until soft and fluffy.

Once rolls are out of oven, immediately brush on as much of the orange cream cheese glaze as you possibly can- there will be extra so you can put more on individual pieces.. you’re welcome.

Enjoy!

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