Grandmas Sweet Cinnamon Buns Recipes

GRAMMA'S OLD-FASHIONED CINNAMON SWEET ROLLS

Steps:

• In a liquid measuring cup, heat milk/water to "wrist-warm" (do NOT boil; just warm).
• Add yeast and 2 tablespoons of the sugar (you'll use the rest in the next step). Stir the yeast and sugar; let this "work" for about 5 or 10 minutes. You should have some bubbly, frothy stuff in the cup when you return. (If not--your yeast is no good, dump it out and get better yeast.).
• Pour yeast-milk into mixing bowl, and add remaining sugar, butter, eggs, salt and 1 cup of the flour. Using beater, mix this mess for about a minute.
• Switch to the paddle (flat beater) or a dough hook, and add remaining flour one cup-at-a-time. The dough will form a ball, and feel slightly sticky. You may not need the entire 5 1/2 cups (depends on humidity, too).
• Fill medium glass bowl with hottest tap water. If your oven can be adjusted to 100 degrees, set it to 100 degrees. Also, if your oven has a light, turn it on; place the hot water on the bottom of the oven. Close the door.
• Grease a large, glass bowl. Remove dough from mixing bowl to a floured table/counter-top; knead for 1 minute; form into a ball and place in greased bowl, turning to get grease on all sides. Cover bowl loosely with a sheet of plastic wrap.
• Turn off 100 degree oven, place bowl of dough into oven; close the door. Set the timer for 1 hour.
• Clean up the mess BUT leave floured counter-top AS IS.
• At the end of one hour the dough should've risen to about double the size. If not, let it go for another 15 minutes (set the timer--it's easy to forget---out of sight, out of mind!).
• Gather filling ingredients: 1/4 cup of melted butter; cinnamon; brown sugar; raisins and/or chopped nuts (optional).
• Punch down the down; remove from bowl; with a large butcher knife, cut dough into two equal parts. Set one aside (cover with plastic wrap).
• Grease two 13x9-inch pans with BUTTER (no substitutes are allowed -- this is GRAMMA's recipe). :-) humor me, okay?.
• On floured counter-top, lay dough and with a rolling pin, shape & roll into large rectangle, oh about 8 x 16 inches or a bit larger, keep thickness consistent throughout.
• Pour HALF of the melted butter over this, and spread with a pastry brush, right out to the edges. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon (like 1-2 tablespoons), then a handful of brown sugar, spreading it evenly with fingers; right to the edges!
• Sprinkle some raisins and chopped nuts -- if using. Keep these closer to the long side closest to you.
• HERE's THE HARD PART: Starting at the side closest to you, LOOSELY roll away from you. Loosely is the KEY word. Tuck in any runaway raisins or nuts.
• Use that big knife to divide the roll in half in the middle. Then cut each half into SIX equal portions, for a total of 12 rolls.
• Starting in the middle of the roll (nicest shaped rolls) and working to the sloppy outside roll piecs, set them along the outside edges of the buttered pan, spacing evenly in the pan. Put the two end rolls in the very center of the pan. Set the cut side DOWN (so the top looks flat-ish). Set this pan on the stove for now.
• Repeat with remaining dough; vary the ingredients -- if you skipped raisins or nuts, maybe add some to this pan of rolls.
• Check if the water in the oven is still warm, if not dump out and start with fresh hot water. Put plastic wrap on both pans (re-use the other piece), and pop in the warm oven. Set the timer for 45 minutes. Go do something productive---clean the counter-top before all that stuff gets hard! :-D.
• When the rolls have risen to the top of the pan (or a smidgen over), remove them from the oven, preheat oven to 350. When it's warm bake them for 20 minutes; tops will be golden brown.
• Cool on a rack; then frost with a cream cheese/butter cream frosting (slather it on thick like Gramma does for the grandkids!).
• You have JUST entered the Pearly Gates!

GRANDMA'S CINNAMON ROLLS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and 1/2 teaspoon sugar in 1/4 cup warm water. Let stand for 5 minutes. Add the remaining sugar and water, butter, egg, salt and 1-1/2 cups of flour; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. , Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. , Meanwhile, combine topping ingredients; pour into a greased 13x9-in. baking pan; set aside. Combine filling ingredients; set aside. , Punch dough down and turn onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 15x8-in. rectangle; spread filling over dough. Roll up from the long side. Seal seam. Slice into 15 rolls; place with cut side down over topping. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30-45 minutes. , Bake at 375° for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 3 minutes; invert pan onto a serving plate.

OOEY-GOOEY CINNAMON BUNS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, dissolve 1 teaspoon sugar and yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. Warm the milk in a small saucepan until it bubbles, then remove from heat. Mix in 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup butter and salt; stir until melted. Let cool until lukewarm.
• In a large bowl, combine the yeast mixture, milk mixture, eggs and 1 1/2 cup flour; stir well to combine. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
• Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
• While dough is rising, melt 3/4 cup butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in 3/4 cup brown sugar, whisking until smooth. Pour into greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Sprinkle bottom of pan with 1/2 cup pecans; set aside. Melt remaining butter; set aside. Combine remaining 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup pecans, and cinnamon; set aside.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, roll into an 18x14 inch rectangle. Brush with 2 tablespoons melted butter, leaving 1/2 inch border uncovered; sprinkle with brown sugar cinnamon mixture. Starting at long side, tightly roll up, pinching seam to seal. Brush with remaining 2 tablespoons butter. With serrated knife, cut into 15 pieces; place cut side down, in prepared pan. Cover and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in volume. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool in pan for 3 minutes, then invert onto serving platter. Scrape remaining filling from the pan onto the rolls.

GRANDMA DELSIE'S CINNAMON ROLLS

Steps:

• 1. Scald milk in a saucepan; add shortening, sugar, and salt. Cool to lukewarm.
• 2. Sprinkle yeast on warm water; stir to dissolve.
• 3. Add 1 1/2 cups of the measured flour to the milk mixture; beat well. If not using a mixer, beat with a wooden spoon.
• 4. Beat in eggs and yeast.
• 5. Gradually stir in enough remaining flour, a little at a time, to make a soft dough that leaves the sides of the bowl. Dough will be slightly sticky.
• 6. Turn onto lightly floured board cover and let rest for 5 minutes.
• 7. Knead, incorporating a little more flour as necessary, until smooth, satiny, and no longer sticky, about 8 to 10 minutes. Keep your hands dusted with flour to prevent sticking. Kneading is necessary to produce the great texture of these rolls.
• 8. Place in a lightly greased bowl, invert to grease top, cover, and let rise until doubled, for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Punch down and turn onto a board.
• 9. Divide in half. Lightly grease counter or board. Roll each half into a 14 x 6-inch rectangle.
• 10. For the filling, combine 1 cup of sugar, 1/2 cup of melted butter, and 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon.
• 11. Spread half of the mixture on each rectangle. Scatter 1/2 cup of raisins on each rectangle (optional).
• 12. Roll up the rectangle lengthwise as for jelly roll. Seal the edges and cut dough into 1-inch slices. Put cut side down in 2 well-greased square baking pans. Cover and let rise until doubled. Brush butter on the tops very lightly.
• 13. Bake 25-30 minutes in a preheated oven at 350 degrees. Makes 32 rolls, however, the exact number will depend on the size you cut them.
• 14. For the icing, mix 1 cup confectioners' sugar with milk or cream to enable spreading consistency. Add 1/2 tsp vanilla and a dash of salt.
• 15. Frost while rolls are still warm. Note 1: Though this dough can be made by hand mixing, I mixed the dough in my Kitchen Aid mixer. I let the Kitchen aid mixer knead the dough for 10 minutes on low and then I hand-kneaded the dough another 5 minutes before placing them in the bowl to rise. Note 2. I like to let my dough rise in the oven. I cover it with a lightweight cloth and put it in the oven. I put a shallow pan of hot water beneath the bowl of dough on a lower rack in the oven. Note 3: I cut the rolls between 1 1/2 inches and 2 inches because Grandma's cinnamon rolls were always big. These can be baked in a round, rectangle, or square pan.
• 16. Every time I bake these for my family, my first memory of these rolls come back to me. I was 4 years old and I was out on the tractor with Grandpa one chilly morning. We had just left the barn and were moving hay to the pasture for his cows. I caught a whiff of something in the air. I said," Grandpa what is that good smell?" He lifted his head and said, "Oh wee! Grandma's baking cinnamon rolls." I was sitting on top of this lap and he turned that tractor around so fast that I almost fell off. We got to the house and raced inside the kitchen door and I guess Grandma had been watching us from the window. She was standing there with her rolling pin, slapping it in her hand. She looked sternly at Grandpa and said, "If you're ever going to drive the tractor like that again while that child is with you, you're going to be seeing stars." Grandpa and I sat down and Grandma placed a glass of milk and one of her big cinnamon rolls in front of us. When Grandma had her back to us, I leaned in and whispered, "Grandpa, this is so yummy I think it's worth seeing the stars." Grandpa smiled back at me and winked. From then on when I was with Grandpa on the tractor I would say, "Go faster Grandpa." He would reply, "No siree, Grandpa don't want to see stars today." We would laugh and giggle.

GRANDMA DOUGLAS'S SCHNECKEN

Steps:

• 1. To make the dough, melt the 1/2 cup butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the milk and sugar and heat just to lukewarm (about 110°F), stirring to dissolve the sugar. Pour the warm milk mixture into a bowl. Stir in the yeast. Allow the mixture to sit for 10 minutes, then stir in the salt.
• 2. Beat the whole egg and egg yolk together and add to the yeast mixture. Stir in the flour 1 cup at a time until you have a sticky dough. Scrape the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead for about 5 minutes, until you have a nice smooth dough. Butter a large bowl. Place the dough in the prepared bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Put the bowl in a warm place and allow the dough to rise for 2 hours, until tripled in volume.
• 3. Meanwhile, brush a 9 × 13-inch baking pan with some melted butter (or spray it with vegetable oil spray). To prepare the sugar-pecan topping, melt the butter with the brown sugar and corn syrup in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring to combine. Remove from the heat and spread the mixture in the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle with the chopped pecans.
• 4. Punch down the dough and turn it out of the bowl onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead for a minute, then use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll the dough into a rectangle about 15 × 12 inches and 1/8 inch thick. To make the cinnamon-sugar filling, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and allow it to cool. Brush the butter thoroughly over the surface of the dough. In a bowl, mix together the sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly over the melted butter. Roll the rectangle up, like a jelly roll, along one long edge.
• 5. Slice the log of rolled dough into 1-inch-thick slices and arrange the slices, cut sides up, in the prepared pan. Cover the pan with a piece of plastic wrap (you can spray the plastic wrap first with vegetable oil spray to be sure it doesn't stick to the dough) and allow it to rise in a warm place for about 40 minutes.
• 6. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the schnecken until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time. Check them occasionally during the baking time, and if they seem to be browning too quickly, loosely cover them with a sheet of aluminum foil.
• 7. Remove the pan from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 5 to 10 minutes. Turn the schnecken out of the pan while still warm by inverting the pan over a large platter or baking sheet. Serve the schnecken warm.

GRANDMA'S SWEET CINNAMON BUNS

Steps:

• Combine flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl and mix well. Stir in vegetable oil. Add buttermilk and stir just until blended.
• Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Roll dough into a 15x8-inch rectangle.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9-inch round baking pan lightly.
• Spread butter over the dough. Combine granulated sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and mix well. Sprinkle over butter. Roll up rectangle, jelly roll fashion, starting from one long side. Pinch seam to seal.
• Cut the roll into 1 1/2-inch slices. Arrange the slices, cut side up, in prepared baking pan. Bake until lightly browned, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven. Pour milk over the top, if desired. Serve hot.