Buttery Brioche Cinnamon Rolls

Today, the inevitable happened. Peyton decided to make a chew toy out of Emma's beloved baby doll Jellybell. Unfortunately, the pooch had mangled the poor baby's foot before Emma realized he had her. I heard her wails from upstairs where I was putting Lucy down for her nap. Emma was inconsolable as she cradled her doll and the tiny bits and pieces that remained of her half-eaten toes. Peyton cowered behind the couch, knowing that something very bad had just gone down.

I scolded the dog and then assured Emma that I would try to fix the doll as I carried the pieces into the office in search of the superglue. I tried to figure out how to reconstruct the foot, but it was pretty badly chewed up and practically a lost cause. A quick internet search proved that the doll was no longer available from Target, so replacing her was not an option. So, I played the part of plastic surgeon with my super glue as I tried to piece together Jellybell. Thirty minutes later, I was actually quite pleased with the progress. Her foot definitely looks amorphous but it is so much better than a giant gaping hole at her ankle. I called Emma in, excited to show her how I had "fixed" here doll. She walked in solemnly.

"What do you think of how I fixed Jellybell's foot?" I asked her.

She looked at the aberrant foot, wrinkled her nose, and declared: "It looks bad. Let's just keep socks on her feet."

So, I guess I glued the fingers of my right hand together for nothing.

I didn't think it looked too terrible after I was finished
considering how bad it looked before!

 

Unlike my daughter, I always try to be grateful when others show me kindness or assist me in some way. In fact, I often like to repay their kindness with baked goods. To me, there is no greater way of showing someone love and appreciation than a freshly baked meal or treat. I am always so grateful when someone does that for me, so I naturally try to reciprocate that feeling in others. Recently, one of my friends did a huge favor for me as part of a project I was conducting for our diocese. I promised her when she agreed to help that I would pay her in cinnamon rolls. She laughed it off, but I was being completely serious. Of course, life got in the way and it took me way too long to actually get those rolls to her, but I finally did, much to the envy of my own children who did not understand why I was giving away such tasty treats instead of letting them eat some! Luckily for them, I made an extra large batch so they could try them.

I have made cinnamon rolls a million times. I've done cinnabon copycats, the pioneer woman's recipe, and a half dozen others throughout the years and while they all have been really, really delicious, I never hesitate to try a new cinnamon roll recipe should I come across one. When I spied this recipe on Elise's blog Simply Recipes, I was immediately enticed to try them based on the fact that the dough is prepared brioche-style, meaning the softened butter is gradually kneaded into the dough after the flour. The entire dough is then beaten to submission and given an overnight chill to ensure a soft, smooth, buttery dough. I was intrigued that the dough, while firm, was quite easy to roll out, fill, and cut into the traditional cinnamon rolls shape straight from a long overnight chill. The whole process was seamless and rather effortless. The rolls then rise for an additional 90 minutes before being baked. While baking, a cream cheese and butter spread is whipped up to slather on the warm rolls before serving.

Oh my, these were wonderful! I'm so glad I made an extra batch other wise these might have never made it to my friend's home! You will love this gooey, sticky, buttery treat for breakfast or really any time of day. My girls could not stop sampling from the pan since I made the mistake of letting them try a bit as soon as they were cool enough to eat. Can't say I blame them.

Out of all the cinnamon roll recipes I have tried, I have to say I probably prefer this one. Try it and let me know if you love it!

Brioche Cinnamon Rolls
from Simply Recipes

For the dough:
1 cup whole milk
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
6 tablespoons room temperature unsalted butter, very soft

For the filling:
1/2 cup room temperature unsalted butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (or slightly less table salt)

For the frosting:
4 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temperature
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
1 to 4 tablespoons milk, whole or 2%
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of kosher salt

Warm the milk for 15 to 30 seconds in the microwave, until it's slightly warm to the touch but not steaming. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the warm milk, yeast, and sugar. Let the mixture stand until foamy, about five minutes.

Add the eggs, flour, and salt to the bowl and mix on medium speed until a sticky dough is formed. Beat in the butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, waiting until the butter is incorporated before adding the next batch. The butter needs to be very soft for this to work; if the butter isn't incorporating, knead each piece in your fingers until soft before adding it to the dough.

Once all the butter is incorporated, knead the dough for 10 minutes on medium speed (or knead by hand).

Shape the dough into a ball, place in a large, lightly oiled bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in the refrigerator overnight, at least 8 hours. It will slowly double in size.

Cut and shape the rolls: In the morning, remove the dough from the refrigerator. The dough will be quite stiff and firm, but should roll easily. Dust your work surface and a rolling pin lightly with flour, and roll the dough out into a rectangle approximately 12x16 inches in size.

Spread the dough with butter, leaving a 1-inch border on one of the shorter edges. Combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Sprinkle the mixture over the butter in an even layer.
Starting from the short edge (the one with butter all the way to the edge), roll the dough into a tight spiral. Pinch the spiral closed (the unbuttered edge should stick to the log of dough). Trim the ends if they are shaggy.

Cut the roll in half crosswise to make 2 pieces. Cut each piece in half again to make 4, and each piece again to make a total of 8 rolls. Place the rolls in a greased 9x13-inch baking dish.

Cover the rolls with plastic wrap, and let them rise in a warm place for 30 to 90 minutes. Rising time will depend on the temperature in your kitchen. When ready, the rolls should be puffed and pillowy. They should be touching each other with very little space between each roll.

While the rolls look half-risen, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Bake the rolls for 20 to 25 minutes until they are golden on top and puffy. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack for 5 minutes before frosting.

While the rolls bake, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat the cream cheese and butter together until creamy. Add half of the powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon of milk. Beat for 1 minute. Add the remaining sugar and vanilla, and beat for 1 additional minute. Add additional milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the frosting is as spreadable as you like.

Frost the cinnamon rolls generously while they're still a bit warm. Serve immediately.