Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls

 Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls

Yield: 12 large cinnamon rolls
These are to die for! 

Ingredients: 
1/2 cup boiling water
1 cup milk

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg, beaten

4 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour

1 box (3.4 ounces) instant (no-cook) vanilla pudding mix

2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast or instant active dry yeast
Filling:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar

4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 cup chopped walnuts, optional

1/4 cup raisins, optional
Frosting:
4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 tablespoons pure maple syrup

~1-2 teaspoons milk

Instructions: 

**See additional notes below for making this dough in a bread  machine**

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the hot water with the cup of (cold) milk to make a warm milk-water mixture. Add the butter, sugar, salt, egg, and a cup of the flour. Stir to mix.

2. Without stirring between, add 2 more cups of flour, the vanilla pudding mix, and the dry yeast. Then stir to make a sticky dough. Add more flour as needed (about a cup more, or as much as it takes to make a smooth dough) and stir until too thick to stir. 

3. Use clean hands to knead dough for 10-15 minutes, until smooth and elastic. With buttery hands, grease the top of the dough and cover the bowl of dough with a clean towel. Place in a warm location* and let rise until double, about an hour.

4. Gently punch down dough ad knead for a minute or two, to remove excess air bubbles. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a rectangle about 12 inches by 17 inches.

5. Combine the first three filling ingredients and mix well. Heat in microwave 10 seconds to make spreadable. (It's okay if it's fairly thick.) Spread over rolled dough, covering as much of the surface as possible. Sprinkle nuts and raisins over dough if using.

6. Starting with the widest end, roll dough into a tight log. Pinch edges to seal. With a thin sharp knife (I use a serrated knife), cut log into 12 equal slices. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9x13-inch glass baking dish. Cover with a clean towel and place in a warm location to rise until nearly double in size, about 30-45 minutes.

7. Bake rolls in a preheated 350 degree oven for 25-35 minutes. After about 20 minutes of baking, check on rolls and cover loosely with foil if they are getting too dark. Rolls can stay in the dish after baking; set the dish on a wire rack and cover with a clean towel to let it cool.

8. To make the frosting, cream the butter and cream cheese. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and maple syrup and beat. Add enough milk to make a spreadable consistency, about 1-2 teaspoons.