A Weekend Treat

Weekend mornings are for slowing down. On the weekend, our routine is different and our breakfasts are different. During the week, we are in a bit of a frenzy to get off to school and work on time. Breakfast must be something that will sustain but is not too time consuming to prepare. Then the weekend comes. Oh how we love the weekends!

One such special weekend treat is big sweet cinnamon rolls. My favorite recipe is made the day before which eliminates the need to get up at a far too early hour. (The leftovers, if you are lucky enough to have any, make a really special weekday treat after everyone else has gone off to school or work for the day!)


Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

1 cup milk
1/3 cup butter
2 tsp yeast
1/2 cup sugar
4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
3 eggs

filling:

3/4 cup brown sugar
1 Tbls cinnamon
1/2 cup raisins (optional) -I soak them in 1/4c orange juice


Heat the milk in a small saucepan until it bubbles, then remove from heat. Add the butter and stir until melted; let cool until lukewarm. In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in the milk mixture. Add the sugar, 3 cups of flour, salt and eggs; stir well to combine. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and supple, about 8 minutes.

Lightly oil a large mixing, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a 10 x 14 inch rectangle. Lightly brush the far edge with water. In a small bowl combine the cinnamon and brown sugar and sprinkle over the rectangles. Then sprinkle the raisins over the dough. Roll up the dough into a log and seal the seam. Cut the dough into 18 equal pieces; place the pieces in 2 greased 8 x 8 inch baking pans. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to rise overnight.

The next morning, preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Take the rolls out of the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Bake the rolls for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden.

I usually make one pan for breakfast and freeze the other. When they are frozen, I just thaw overnight on the counter and then bake as normal in them morning. You can make a glaze if you wish. I never do, though.