overnight cinnamon rolls

I love making cinnamon rolls.  They take forever to make, but they are so delicious!  We have a tradition of making fresh cinnamon rolls for Liam's birthday and so far I've adjusted the recipe every year.  This year we finally have a winner!  I call these cinnamon "overnighters" because really, who wants to get up before sunrise to make them?  Not me, that's for sure.  Of course, by the time I remembered to start these it was 9pm birthday eve, so I stayed up past midnight baking...Realistically give yourself about 3 hours to make these the night before, and an hour and a half the next morning (including baking).

Note: I thought these cinnamon rolls were great, and Jeff agrees with me.  However, he is a bit cinnamon obsessed and seriously would have been overjoyed if I had gone nuts with the cinnamon and added an entire cup of it throughout the recipe.  So, if you too are cinnamon obsessed, go ahead and add a bit extra.

Also, sorry for the lack of photos during the process.   I didn't start these until evening and it had been a crazy day and my brain had flown out the window.  On the bright side, apparently you can make fantastic cinnamon rolls using very little brain power.  Perfect for the novice baker with some spare time on their hands.

Also, I am one of the very few people on the planet who really doesn't care for cream cheese frosting.  I used a simple icing instead.  It is quick and easy to make, and works well with the cinnamon rolls, but by all means, feel free to substitute in your beloved cream cheese frosting instead.

Seriously, this picture is making me crave these cinnamon rolls.

The bottom two pictures are of the cinnamon rolls just out of the fridge the morning after I made them.  You don't have to store the extras in the fridge, I just like mine cool.

ingredients:
dough:
4 C AP flour
1/3 C granulated sugar
2 1/4 tsp instant dry yeast (or 1 packet)
1/2 tsp salt
6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
3 large eggs
3/4 C milk

filling:
1/2 C unsalted butter (1 stick), melted
1 C brown sugar, packed
4 tbsp cinnamon (adjust amount to taste)

icing:
3 C confectioners sugar
3 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

directions:
1.  Use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.  Add to the bowl the flour, sugar, and salt.  Mix.  In a small microwave safe bowl heat the milk in the microwave until warm, but not hot (about 30-40 seconds) and stir in the yeast.  Let this sit for several minutes.  Add the milk mixture into the large bowl with the dry ingredients.  Then add the eggs and the butter (melt this in the microwave 30 seconds at a time until just melted).  With all the dough ingredients in the bowl, mix at medium speed for about a minute, until combined.
2.  Switch to a dough hook and knead the dough for 10 minutes (15 minutes by hand!).  Check on the dough halfway through.  If it needs more flour add up to 1/4 cup more a tablespoon at a time.  The dough should be a bit sticky, and be wary of over-flouring it.  As long as the dough doesn't stick to the sides of your bowl, leave it alone!
3.  Remove the dough hook and cover the dough with plastic wrap or a towel and leave in a warm place for 2 hours, or until doubled in size.
4.  Prep a pan for your rolls.  I use a 9x13 dish coated in PAM.  You can use a large jelly roll pan instead if you want your rolls to grow slightly larger, or not bake touching.  Set this aside.
5. When your dough has doubled in size test it by poking it with your finger.  It should feel light and fluffy like a pillow.  Reattach your dough hook and knead the dough for about a minute until the dough has condensed and pulled away from the bowl.
6.  Lightly flour a space on your kitchen counter and use a rolling pin to roll the dough out to 12x18 inches.  Pour the melted butter onto the dough and use a pastry brush to evenly spread it out, leaving a 3/4 inch stretch empty along one long side of the dough.  Then sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon evenly on the dough, also avoiding the 3/4 inch section of the side long side of the dough.  This is the section where you can eyeball the cinnamon and adjust it to your personal preference.
7.  Starting with the sugar coated long edge of dough start rolling it into a tight log.  Pinch the log closed at the edge and turn the edge so it is on the bottom.  Don't worry if your log is a bit ugly.
8.  Slice the log into 12 pieces using a bench scraper or sharp serrated knife.  The easiest way to make equally sized rolls is to cut the log in half.  Then cut both pieces in half.  Then cut the four pieces in thirds.  Place the rolls in the pan and cover with plastic wrap.  At this point you can either put the pan in the fridge overnight and go to bed, or let the rolls sit in a warm spot on the counter for 1 hour.  If you go the overnight route then let the rolls sit on in a warm spot for an hour in the morning before baking.
9.  When the hour is up bake the rolls at 350 degrees F for 22 to 25 minutes, or until cooked all the way through and tops are lightly golden, but not brown.  Take the rolls out and let them cool slightly before frosting.
10.  To make the frosting just combine the sugar and milk until smooth.  Add a bit more sugar or milk if needed to get your desired consistency, 1 teaspoon at a time.  Mix in the vanilla.  Pour over the cinnamon rolls evenly.  This recipe makes plenty of icing to cover well.  Feel free to half the recipe if you only want a light drizzle.  Eat at any time.

The rolls can be served warm or cool.  Makes 12 rolls.  You can store these on the counter or the fridge for up to a week, but I doubt they'll last that long!