Pour the warm milk in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast overtop. Set it in a warm place until bubbly, about 5 minutes.
Step 2
Add the eggs, butter and sugar. Mix until combined.
Step 3
Add in salt and just enough flour (you won’t use it all) and mix using the beater blade just until the ingredients are barely combined. Allow the mixture to rest for 5 minutes so the flour has time to soak up the liquids.
Step 4
Scrape the dough off the beater blade and remove it. Attach the dough hook.
Step 5
Knead the dough on medium speed for 5-7 minutes, adding in the remaining flour if needed to form a dough. The dough should be elastic and smooth and a little tacky.
Step 6
Spray a large bowl with cooking spray. Use a rubber spatula to remove the dough from the mixer bowl and place it in the greased large bowl. Cover the bowl with a towel or wax paper. Set the bowl in a warm place and allow the dough to rise until double. It normally takes about 30 minutes for the dough to rise. Do not allow the dough to rise too much or your cinnamon rolls will be airy.
Step 7
While the dough is rising, prepare the cinnamon filling. In a medium bowl, combine the soft butter, brown sugar and cinnamon, mixing until well combined. Set aside.
Step 8
Sprinkle a pastry mat generously with flour. Turn out the dough onto the pastry mat and sprinkle the top of the dough with additional flour.
Step 9
Flour a rolling pin and roll the dough to about a 24×15″ rectangle. (the size of the rectangle can vary…it does not have to be exact!)
Step 10
Use a rubber spatula to smooth the cinnamon filling over the whole dough rectangle.
Step 11
Starting on the long end, roll the dough up tightly jelly roll style. Cut into 12 slices and place in a greased 9×13 baking pan. Cover the pan and allow the rolls to rise for 20 minutes or until nearly double.
Step 12
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Step 13
Warm the heavy cream until warm to the touch.
Step 14
Once the rolls have risen, pour the heavy cream over the top of the rolls, allowing it to soak down in and around the rolls.
Step 15
Bake at 375 degrees for 20-27 minutes, until the rolls are lightly golden brown and the center rolls are cooked through. Check the rolls at 20 minutes. If they are getting too browned, cover loosely with foil for the remaining baking time.
Step 16
While the rolls are cooling, prepare the cream cheese frosting.
Step 17
In a large bowl, combine the softened cream cheese and butter using a hand mixer. Blend well. Add in your favorite extract and powdered sugar. Beat until combined.
Step 18
Spread the frosting over the cooled rolls.
Step 19
Store in an airtight container.
For smaller rolls, cut the dough into 15 slices and use a 10 15″ baking pan. The larger pan will also allow the rolls to rise more evenly.
To make in advance and freeze, make through step 15. Put pan in freezer for an hour, so the dough is frozen. Then place the rolls in a zippered bag and freeze. When you are ready to bake the rolls, put the rolls in a pan in the refrigerator to thaw overnight. The next morning, place the pan in the counter for about an hour to allow the rolls to rise. Pre-heat the oven to 375, then go back to step 18.
Alternative Filling: Once you have rolled out the dough, before adding the filling, spread 141 g of apple butter over the dough. Top that with the brown sugar and cinnamon, omitting the butter.
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