Nothin' Says Lovin' Like.....

Go ahead, you can sing it - we all know that little ditty!







Yeah, I know, that oven door needs cleaned - but hey, the stove is older than I am (ouch).

If you didn't get a pan of these for Christmas, I apologize for the US post office. I'm sure the delectable aroma of Cinnamon Rolls melted the sticky right off the packages so of COURSE they (the noble postmen/women) had to do SOMETHING with these morsals of comfort and joy... and just so you don't feel entirely left out, I'll give you the recipe - next best thing to being in the kitchen with me and the boys!

Just in case you can't imagine warm-from-the-oven cinnamon rolls all smothered in Maple Cream Frosting....take a good wiff of this Scratch n' Sniff image...

Maple Cinnamon Rolls

In a large pot, scald:
1qt. whole milk
1 c. veg. oil
1 c. sugar
Let cool to just warm, about 45 min. Sprinkle in:
2 pkgs. dry yeast
Let set a minute, then stir in. Add:
8 c. flour
This will be a soft dough. Cover pot with towel or plastic wrap, let rise about 1 hour. Stir in:
1 c. flour
1 heaping tsp. baking powder
1 scant tsp. baking soda
At this point, the dough can be refrigerated and made up later - may need to punch dough down if it grows out of the pan. OR, make rolls now!
Divide dough in half. Roll out each half into rectangle, about 12" by 24". Spread each portion with about 3/4 c. melted BUTTER (do not substitute, you NEED fat in your diet) and sprinkle each with about 1 c. sugar (white or brown, you choose), and lavish with cinnamon (hey, I can't do ALL the measurin' for you!)
Roll up from long side; cut into 1" slices. Place 7 slices per pan into round pans which have each been spread with at least 1 T. melted butter on the bottoms .
(warning: this makes about 6 or 7 -yes, SEVEN - pans, which is what makes it a perfect "sharing" recipe)
Let rise about 30 min. Bake at 400 degrees, 18-20 min. or so. Cool in pans on racks while you beat up the frosting, but be sure to spread the rolls with the goop (I mean YUMMY stuff) while still warm. Designate one pan for "testing" and eat at least two rolls while still warm. If you do this before lunch, you won't have to eat the rest of the day...and have a fan handy so you can revive yourself from the faint you will experience at the exquisite yummyness you will experience after eating just ONE!

Maple Cream Frosting
Beat together:

1 two lb. bag powdered sugar

2 tsp. maple flavoring
1/2 c. milk
1/4 c. melted butter
pinch salt

Drizzle over warm rolls. Lick bowl.

Open your windows so the neighbors will all be envious as the cinnamony-maply scent wafts out on the breeze - or maybe not. These rolls have been known to cause rural riots... If you just can't get your tummy around all seven pans (unlikely, I'll admit - at least at this house), kindly share with anyone whom you wish to influence or otherwise impress.

If you can only handle 3 pans of cinnamon rolls, do half the dough into basic dinner rolls. Classic Cloverleaf Rolls are fun - butter (yep, butter) muffin pans, then put three walnut-sized balls of the dough into each cup, let rise at least 30 min.
Bake at 400 degrees about 15 min. Butter (I support the dairy industry, doncha know) the tops while hot. Gobble at least two before serving to the gang. Sorry I don't have any photos of these gems, they were eaten before I could get the camera lens cap off...