Homemade Cinnamon Rolls and Icing

Ingredients

• Rolls: 1 cup warm milk (110–115°F)
• Rolls: 2 1/4 tsp instant yeast
• Rolls: 1 large egg, room temp
• Rolls: 2 tbsp melted butter, divided
• Rolls: 4 tbsp granulated sugar
• Rolls: 1/2 tsp salt
• Rolls: 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus 2–4 tbsp for dusting
• Filling: 6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened, plus more to grease the pan
• Filling: 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• Filling: 1 1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon
• Icing: 4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• Icing: 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• Icing: 1 cup powdered sugar
• Icing: 1/2 tbsp vanilla

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, add 1 cup warm milk and sprinkle in the yeast.
2. Whisk in 1 egg, 4 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp melted butter, and 1/2 tsp salt.
3. Add 3 cups flour and stir in with a firm spatula or wooden spoon. Add more flour 1 tbsp at a time until dough is no longer sticking to your fingertips or the walls of the bowl.
4. Knead dough by hand for 3 mins. Cover in plastic wrap and let rise in a warm microwave for 1 hour. (Wet a bathcloth, squeeze out extra water, and warm the bathcloth in the microwave for 1 min. Place the bowl in the microwave for 1 hr.)
5. Dust a clean surface with flour and turn the dough onto the surface. Sprinkle dough lightly with flour and roll into an even 17x10 rectangle, squaring off the sides.
6. Dot the surface of the dough with 6 tbsp softened butter and spread it out evenly.
7. In a small bowl, stir together 1/4 cup sugar and 1 1/2 tbsp cinnamon and sprinkle all of it evenly over the buttered dough. Roll the dough up starting with one of the longer sides, working in a typewriter motion and keeping a tight roll. Once rolled up, push the ends in slightly to make them more uniform, then slice into 12 equal-sized rolls.
8. Butter the sides and bottom of the pan with 1 tbsp butter and arrange the cinnamon rolls, evenly spaced, cut-side down. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm microwave for 30 mins until puffed.
9. Brush tops with 1 tbsp melted butter and bake at 350°F for 20–24 mins or until tops are lightly golden. Let cool in the pan for 15 mins, then frost with the cream cheese glaze.
10. Make the icing: In a medium bowl with a hand mixer, cream together 4 tbsp softened butter and 4 oz cream cheese. Beat in 1/2 tbsp vanilla, then add 1 cup powdered sugar and continue to mix on high speed until fluffy (3–4 mins).