My Favorite Cinnamon Roll Recipe

I don't make cinnamon rolls very often, but I saw my neice Alison's blog and she had made some and shaped them like hearts for Valentine's Day! How cute!! So I just had to make some for Sunday morning breakfast, and of course I tried the heart shaped ones!! This is a recipe I found on Allrecipes.com, but instead of making them in a bread maker, since I don't have one, I tweaked it to just make in my kitchen aid mixer. When I do make cinnamon rolls this is the recipe I use. And I added a little cinnamon to the creamcheese frosting... after all they are Cinnamon rolls... :o)

Best Ever Cinnamon Rolls

Disolve in 1/4 cup warm water
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
in the bowl of your mixer.
Let this mixture sit for about 10 minutes until yeast starts to bubble.
Meanwhile, warm 1 cup of milk in a small saucepan, remove from heat and add 1/4 cup butter, a 1/2 teaspoon salt, and another Tablespoon of granulated sugar. Set aside and let the butter melt, you want this to be lukewarm before adding to the yeast (I set mine in a sink with a little cold water in it after the butter is mostly melted).
Next, add 1/2 of a (3/4 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix (about 1/4 cup) to the yeast mixture along with the milk mixture , 1 egg, and 2 cups bread flour. Mix to combine. Add 2 more cups as you mix on medium speed (this does the kneading for you! Yay!). After about 3 minutes of mixing you should have a soft but firm dough, place dough in a large bowl that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, turn dough ball so that the top is a little greasy from the spray. Cover with towel and let raise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about an hour.
Punch down dough and roll out into about a 10 by 17 inch rectangle.

Spread 1/4 cup softened butter over the dough. In a small bowl, combine together 1 cup brown sugar, 4 teaspoons cinnamon, and 3/4 cup chopped pecans. Sprinkle this mixture over your butter covered dough, go clear to the edges! Kind of press this down into the dough so it doesn't fall out when rolling into a log.

Roll up dough starting at one end on the long side to form a long log roll, slice roll into 16 1-inch thick pieces and place in a buttered 13x9 baking pan. Let raise until doubled (about 45 minutes)
While rolls are raising preheat oven to 350 degrees. Then bake rolls for 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown. Make cream cheese icing -see recipe below. Frost while still warm from the oven.

**to make heart shaped rolls, instead of rolling the dough from one side to make a log, roll from both sides to the middle,

 then cut into 16 pieces, and place on cookie sheet that has been lined with parchment paper or sprayed with non-stick cookig spray,and pinch the middle to form the point!

How cute are these?!!

Bake at 350 for 12 to 15 minutes until just turning golden brown.
While rolls bake make icing:
Combine:
1/2 (8 ounce package) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup softened butter
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons milk (more if needed)
Cream together the cream cheese and butter first to remove lumps, then add rest of the ingredients and whip together on high speed in mixer until fluffy and there are no lumps.
Frost Cinnamon rolls while still warm.

Enjoy with a large glass of milk ! mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm