Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Whether you are fixing breakfast for a holiday or just because you want to; these cinnamon rolls are just plain fantastic! It does take some time, but taste so much better when they are homemade than store bought. With this recipe, you can be versatile and add raisins or use cream cheese frosting, or just use a plain powdered sugar glaze. Heat them up in the morning for breakfast or freeze some to bake later, they are great anytime. Here is my recipe:

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

4 to 4 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1 package active dry yeast
1 cup milk
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup margarine or butter
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup raisins, optional

Cinnamon mix for center of rolls
1/2 cup sugar
3 Tbsp margarine or butter
2 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine 2 cups flour with yeast. Heat and stir the milk, 1/3 cup sugar, and margarine or butter, add salt and cook until warm and margarine has almost melted (about 120-130 degrees). Add to flour/yeast mixture along with the 2 eggs. Beat with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, scraping bowl. Beat on high speed 3 minutes. Using a spoon stir in as much of the last 2 1/3 cups flour as you can.

Turn out onto lightly floured surface. Knead in enough of remaining flour (there should be 2 cups left to add if needed)to make a moderately soft dough that is smooth and elastic (3-5 minutes total of kneading). Shape into a ball. Place in a lightly greased bowl, turn once. Cover; let rise in a warm place until double (about an hour)

Punch dough down. Divide in half. Cover and let rest about 10 minutes.

Roll half the dough into a 12x8 inch rectangle. Melt the 3 Tbsp butter or margarine, brush half the margarine or butter onto the dough. Combine the 1/3 cup sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle half the mixture over the butter on the dough. Top with raisins if desired. Roll up the dough and seal the ends. Cut the dough with a piece of fishing line pulling through the dough the make a clean cut without smashing the rolls. Slice into 12 pieces. Repeat with remaining dough until you have 24 rolls. Place rolls into 2 greased cake pans. Cover, and let rise until nearly double (about 30 minutes) Bake in 375 oven for 20-25 minutes. Cool slightly, remove from pans. Drizzle with powdered sugar icing or cream cheese frosting (recipes following here)

Powdered Sugar Icing

1 cup sifted powdered sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
milk or orange juice

Mix powdered sugar, vanilla, and 1 Tbsp milk or juice. Stir in more milk and juice until desired consistency to drizzle over rolls.

Cream Cheese Frosting

2 - 3 oz packages of cream cheese
1/2 cup softened butter or margarine
2 tsp vanilla
4 1/2 - 4 3/4 cups powdered sugar

In a bowl, beat together cream cheese, butter or margarine and vanilla until light and fluffy. Gradually add 2 cups of powdered sugar, beating well. Gradually beat in enough of remaining powdered sugar to make frosting of spreading consistency. Frost onto cinnamon rolls