Snowy day? Try cinnamon rolls!

When I was growing up, my mom sometimes made these cinnamon rolls from scratch on Saturday mornings.  The smell would fill the house.  You should make them, too!  Allow yourself about 4 hours to get this done (you don't have to spend the entire 4 hours fooling with this.  You just have to allow time for it to rise a couple of times).

Here's mom's recipe:

Dough:

2 packages of active dry yeast

1/2 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees)

1/2 cup lukewarm milk (scalded and then cooled)

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp salt

2 eggs

1/2 cup shortening or butter or margarine, softened

4 1/2 to 5 cups of all-purpose flour

2 tsp cinnamon

Dissolve yeast in warm water.  This makes the yeast active.  If the water is too hot, it'll kill the yeast.  Add some sugar or honey to the yeast and water.  If you add honey, it will make the yeast foam after a few minutes.  This indicates that the yeast is active.  Stir in the cooled milk, sugar, salt, eggs, shortening/butter and 2 1/2 cups of the flour.  Beat until smooth.  Mix enough of the remaining flour in to make the dough easy to handle.  Turn the dough onto lightly floured board or counter.  Kneed until smooth and elastic (about 5 minutes).  Place in greased bowl, turn greased side up (at this point, the dough can be refrigerated 3 to 4 days).  Cover and let rise in a warm place until it doubles its' size (about 1- 1 1/2 hours.  Dough is ready if impression remains when touched.

Punch down dough.  Roll dough into a rectangle about 15 x 9 inches on the counter.  Spread melted butter on the rolled dough.  Mix about a cup of sugar with 2 tsp of cinnamon.  Sprinkle over the butter.  You can add raisins if you'd like at this point.  Then roll up the beginning at the wide side.  Pinch the edge of the dough into a roll to seal it well.  Stretch the roll to make it even.  Cut the roll into 15 slices.  Place slightly apart in a greased baking pan 13 x 9 inches or in greased muffin cups.  Let it rise until doubled.  Then bake 25-39 minutes in a 375 degree oven.

Glaze:

Mix 1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar, 1 Tbls milk and 1/2 tsp vanilla until smooth.  Pour over hot rolls.

rolled out

ready to rise for the second time
***Pictures of the finished product to come... Stay tuned!