Cinnamon Rolls with Walnuts Very First Cinnamon Rolls Success

I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars make me dream 

- Vincent van Gogh

Today is my blog's 3 month birthday. How time flies when I am having fun. When I started this blog, I have  very simple aspirations: to be entertained, to learn to write and to learn photography. In the last three months, I learned so much and I am thankful. I also found a hobby which I feel that I am going to stick with for a while. I have been aimlessly looking for a fun thing to do, and I think blogging is IT. Most, I am learning to cook. I became a little adventurous in the kitchen. I am also becoming obedient with regards to following recipe books.

Just like this cinnamon rolls today. ( Ooops! Did not follow the gooey syrupy filling).

Today, I borrowed a recipe book from the library called, Breakfast Heaven. it has tons of breakfast recipes that are very easy to follow. Before we went to sleep, I had my son scan through the pages and had him decide which one among the hundreds of these breakfast foods he wants me to make, and he chose this. I was worried because I had attempted several cinnamon rolls before and non of them were successful. But I can give it another shot.

Good thing I tried again because today, I am going to share to you my first successful cinnamon rolls. It was easy to make but as any bread recipe, you have to wait for the dough to rise for total of two hours and 45 minutes; other than that, this is recipe is a "babe".

Rather than making a syrup out of the filling, I decided to make the traditional cinnamon roll toppings made of melted powdered sugar. Which I think works out great because I do not want a gooey and syrup- y cinnamon rolls. The walnuts in the filling are optional, so it is up to you if you want to add walnuts, but I do not think that adding the nuts makes any difference at all. If you think walnuts are expensive or you are allergic to nuts, you will not miss anything as far as the taste goes. So, go ahead and make this...

Cinnamon Rolls Recipe 

Ingredients:

1. 4 cups all purpose flour
2. 1/2 cup sugar
3. 1 tsp salt
4. 1 package fast rise yeast
5. 1 tsp ground cinnamon
6. 1 cup milk
7. 1/2 cup butter
8. 2 eggs lightly beaten
9. 2 tsp vanilla extract
10. GLAZE:
11. 2 cups powdered sugar
12. 4 tbsp hot water
13. FILLING:
14. 2 tbsp melted butter
15. 1/4 cup brown sugar
16. cinnamon ( it is up to you how much)
17. walnut (optional)

Directions:

First Steps:

Prepare all the ingredients.

Prepare a medium bowl brushed with butter or cooking oil.

TIP:

Preheat oven int its lowest setting, for my oven it is 125 F , then turn it off . I use this as the warm place where I can keep rise my dough for two hours. I call it "kinda hot" place for my dough to rise.

Mix ingredients 1 to 5 using a wire whisk in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly. Form a hole in the middle.Set aside

Beat egg in a small bowl. Set aside.

Get a sauce pan and place in the milk and butter in a low heat. Let the butter melt. Make sure that this mixture is warm but not too hot because it will kill the yeast when you add this tot he flour mixture. Add in beaten egg, vanilla extract then remove from heat and pour into the well in the flour mixture.

Mix the dough. Remove the dough from the bowl and place into a floured surface. Knead until smooth then put it in the bowl you prepared which brushed  with oil. Cover and put into a warm place or in the oven that was " kinda" hot. Let the dough rise for 2 hours.

After 2 hours, punch the dough and lay it in the floured surface.Roll into rectangle. When it is flat, add in the melted butter and spread throughout  the dough, then the brown sugar and cinnamon and walnut.

Roll into a log and cut into 2 inch thick. 

Arrange in the rectangular baking pan. Cover it .And put it back into the "kinda" hot oven for 45 minutes

When done, preheat oven to 375 F then bake the bread for 25 minutes or when you tap bread it will sound hollow.

Add the topping on top.

Direction for the Glaze

Simply mix sugar and warm water