Cinnamon Rolls

CINNAMON ROLLS

DOUGH

3/4 cup water, plus 2 tablespoons
2 tablespoons butter, softened
*2 1/2 cups bread flour (1/2 cup white whole wheat, 2 cups bread flour)
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon bread machine yeast
CINNAMON FILLING
*1/3 cup sugar (1/4 cup)
2 teaspoons cinnamon (Penzeys Vietnamese)

2 tablespoons butter, softened
VANILLA GLAZE
*1 cup powdered sugar (2/3 cup)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1-2 tablespoons milk

Place all ingredients in bread machine pan, except the cinnamon filling and glaze. (I know, duh!).

Select Dough/Manual cycle.

Grease a 9x9x2 inch square pan. Prepare Cinnamon Filling.

Flatten dough with hands or rolling pin into 9" square (or best attempt) on lightly floured surface. Spread or dot with 2 tablespoons butter or margarine; sprinkle with Cinnamon Filling. Roll dough up tightly; pinch edge of dough into roll to seal. Cut roll into 1' slices. Place in pan. (Stop here and refrigerate if needed to bake later). Cover and let rise in warm place 1 to 1 1/4 hours or until double.

Heat oven to 350, bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Drizzle Vanilla Glaze over warm rolls. Serve warm.

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*Modified from Betty Crocker's Bread Machine Cookbook, page 79. I subsituted 1/2 cup of the bread flour with King Arthur White Whole Wheat. I probably don't use two tablespoons of butter, but just dot the dough with bits of butter instead. I also reduced the sugar in the filling to 1/4 cup, with enough left over to refill our cinnamon sugar shaker. I use Penzeys Vietnamese cinnamon. I've played with the glaze, too - reducing it to 2/3 cup powdered sugar and splashing in enough milk to get the right consistency. Nine rolls is the minimum amount you'll get, depending upon how long you make the roll and if you cut the slices a little less than 1" wide. You can also prepare the rolls the night before, refrigerating at the point you have sliced and put in the pan. In the morning, let them get a little close to room temperature and then proceed to let them rise until double. I put them in the oven, select the lowest setting and then turn it off when it is preheated. It is warm but not enough to begin baking. I also reduced the heat from 375 to 350, as these bake and brown pretty quickly. Unfortunately, I've discovered they do not freeze well, either at the prebaked or baked roll stage.

Here's a link where someone actually figured the calorie stats, along with comments and more variations. I think and hope my changes may make it a little bit healthier.