Blue Ribbon Cinnamon Rolls

Happy Sunday friends! Ok why blue ribbon cinnamon rolls, I don't know just because they are really good and I think they deserve a blue ribbon if I held a cinnamon roll contest and mine was the only entry. So there, blue ribbon cinnamon rolls!  

This recipe you will find has a secret ingredient, orange zest in the cinnamon filling part. The orange zest adds a brightness to the cinnamon rolls and cuts down on the sweetness of the cinnamon filling.

On to the recipe!

First, gather together your ingredients.

1 package active yeast, 3/4 cup milk, warmed (110°F), 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 4 eggs, 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into chunks.

For the filling:

1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cubed, 2/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, finely grated zest of 1 large orange, 1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 tsp. water

For the cream cheese frosting:

1/2 lb. cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and 1 cup powdered sugar.

To make the dough, in your mixing bowl put in the warmed milk and dissolve the package of yeast into the milk. Let the two ingredients sit for 10 minutes to allow the yeast to bubble up and become foamy.

After the yeast is foamy, add the sugar, the eggs, the flour and salt. 

Using the dough hook on your mixer, gently mix all the ingredients together so they all come to together slightly.

 Add in the cubed butter. Turn the mixer on for 7 minutes to allow the mixer to knead the dough. After the dough is kneaded, in a lightly oiled bowl, add the dough to the bowl and let the dough rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. 

After the dough has risen, punch it down. 

On a floured surface, knead the bowl a few times and then divide the dough into two sections. Roll out one section of the dough into a rectangle. 

Brush the dough with melted butter and sprinkle half of the cinnamon filling onto the melted butter. 

Then zest an orange over the cinnamon filling. 

Roll the dough up long wise and roll it up tightly and cut the dough into 8 pieces. 

In your greased 9X13 pan, add the 8 pieces of dough. Repeat the steps with the second section of dough and add those 8 pieces to the pan. 

Cover the cinnamon rolls with a piece of plastic wrap and place them in the oven overnight. 

The next morning, preheat your oven to 400F degrees. Lightly beat one egg and add 1 teaspoon of water. Brush the egg and water mixture over the tops of the cinnamon rolls before you pop them in the oven. Once you complete this, put the cinnamon rolls into the oven and let them bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. 

While the cinnamon rolls are cooking, make the cream cheese spread. In your mixing bowl, cream the cream cheese first for a few minutes. Add in the butter and vanilla into the mixing bowl. Finally, add in the powdered sugar. When the cinnamon rolls are baked, pull them out of the oven and spread the ooey-gooey cream cheese spread over the cinnamon rolls. 

recipe from here

Then serve, eat and enjoy!