I'll Have Another Cinnamon Roll Please

In the "olden days" I made a lot of cinnamon rolls for my family and I rarely had to look at the recipe

 because I made them so often. So why did I feel a panic attack coming on when the 8 year old

Monkey Boy looked at me with those big brown eyes and said he'd rather have "homemade"

cinnamon rolls than the ones I was planning to buy at the bakery. Yikes! Where's my rolling pin?!!!

Of course, I made him some!

They weren't as fantastic as the ones his mom makes, but they were pretty darn good!

These are the quick and easy kind...made in less than an hour!

It makes about two dozen rolls. 

QUICK CINNAMON ROLLS

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups warm water
3/4 cups sugar
3/4 cups oil
4 tablespoons quick rising yeast
2 teaspoons salt
7 1/2 cups flour
3 eggs

4-5 tablespoons of cinnamon

1 1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup softened butter

Lightly stir warm water, sugar, oil, and yeast together in a small bowl and let rest for 15 minutes. 

In a large mixing bowl, add yeast mixture to salt, flour, and eggs. Mix all ingredients and knead by 

machine (or you can do it by hand) for 6 minutes until smooth and elastic. Add a little more flour if 

dough is too moist and doesn't pull away from the sides of the bowl. Remove dough from bowl and

place on a lightly floured surface. Using a rolling pin, roll dough into two large rectangles. Spread 

both dough rectangles with softened butter and sprinkle with cinnamon and brown sugar. From the 

long side of the rectangle, start tightly rolling up dough to enclose the cinnamon and brown sugar. 

Pinch long edge closed. With a serrated knife, cut into one inch wide slices and place on lightly 

greased baking sheet about an inch apart. Bake at 375° for 10-15 minutes or until cinnamon roll 

edges are a light golden brown. Frost if desired. *Optional: add raisins or chocolate chips over the 

dough before rolling up.

Creamy glaze: 

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar 

2 tablespoons softened butter 

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 

1-2 tablespoons hot water 

Mix together and frost rolls while warm.

OR

Cream Cheese frosting:
Beat together:
8 ounces cream cheese
1 cup softened butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
Add:
4-5 cups powdered sugar
Mix and frost rolls while warm.

Now that the five Monkey Boys and their REALLY BIG BROWN EYES have gone home, 

it's time for me to start sewing, quilting, AND cut back on my sugar...no more cinnamon rolls! 

I think I'll bake some of those yummy muffins by Madame Samm at Muffin to Lose. 

She says they will curb my sugar cravings and help me lose weight. 

Sounds good to me!