Holiday Tradition of Cinnamon Rolls Delivers Sweet Winter Mornings

Loyal to holiday tradition, I step into the predawn silence of our kitchen to literally get rolling. The ambiance of lit Christmas trees sets the mood as I work around the kitchen island where I have prearranged supplies for making cinnamon rolls.

I softly start my holiday music playlist and savor the early morning stillness, broken by the tick of a warming oven and the hum of the furnace. This peaceful ritual is part of a home-baked holiday tradition started by my grandmother and mother. My daughter embraces the holiday legacy, too.

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Within a few hours, the scent of fresh-baked cinnamon rolls permeates the house, something akin to the loving aroma of a Thanksgiving meal. The household stirs, ready for the sweet, warm richness we enjoy and associate with the holidays and my birthday. The kids will place a candle in a roll for me, possibly that morning if the day is Christmas Eve.

As a child, I remember dough for cinnamon rolls, often called sweet rolls, rising in every warm spot of the house. I still envision Mom at the counter, moving with a methodical rhythm as she rolled the dough. She then sprinkled brown sugar and cinnamon in a perfectly even layer, free from the over-applied globs I struggled with as a beginner.

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The frosting makes or breaks the appeal. Working swiftly, we apply thick frosting to rolls fresh from the oven to melt the sugary coating to a transparent sheen that reveals the cinnamon-sugar swirl yet also rests generously atop each roll.

Dozens of foil pans lined with fresh rolls left the farmhouse of my childhood. Mom topped the packages with a bow for neighbors, business friends and relatives, and occasionally we still do.

As a kid, I preferred mine at the dining room table on Christmas morning with a glass of Prairie Farms chocolate milk, an indulgence Mom purchased only around the holidays. I would slowly unwind the roll, consuming it from tail to core every morning they were available. I’ve eaten far more cinnamon rolls than my age in years.

Today, I use eggs from our kids’ chickens in every batch, and I make sure my parents, brother’s family and the grandma who started it all receive a taste of this tradition for Christmas morning. This year, we’ll make a batch with my nieces and nephew to show the effort behind this home-baked tradition. Because while the farm has changed over the years, some time-tested rituals still capture the heart of our holidays. Below is our family’s cinnamon roll recipe for you to enjoy as well!

About the Author: Joanie Stiers farms, writes and bakes in Knox County, where her family celebrates the morning of her December birthday with a candle in a homemade cinnamon roll.

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Joanie’s Cinnamon Rolls

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Rise Time: 4-5 hours
Cook Time: 12-15 minutes
Makes: About 2 dozen rolls

Ingredients

2 packages dry yeast
1 cup milk
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, room temperature
2 teaspoons salt
7 cups flour
4 egg yolks
½ cup (1 stick) melted butter
1 ¼ cups light brown sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon

For the Frosting:

3 tablespoons butter, room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ cup milk

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, whisk yeast together with 1 cup lukewarm water until dissolved. Let stand 10 minutes.
2. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring milk to a simmer. Remove from heat. Add the sugar, room temperature butter and salt, and whisk until butter is melted. Let stand for 10 minutes.
3. Add 1 cup flour to the bowl with the yeast and stir to combine. (You can also use a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment.) Add egg yolks and milk mixture and stir or mix again to combine. Stir or mix in remaining 6 cups flour, adding 1 to 2 cups at a time for easier incorporation. Use your hands to knead in the final cup. Cover bowl with a towel and let dough rise until doubled in size, about 3 to 4 hours.
4. Lightly flour a clean surface to roll out dough. Divide dough in half. Roll out each half into a rectangle shape about ¼ inch thick with the long side facing you. Brush melted butter over the dough, then spread brown sugar over the butter. Sprinkle cinnamon over the brown sugar layer.
5. Starting at the long side, roll each dough rectangle into a log as you would a jelly roll, gently pulling the dough toward you as you roll it.
6. Grease up to 3 9-by-13-inch metal pans with cooking oil. Cut each dough log into 12 rolls about 1 ½ inches thick and place on prepared pans. Avoid overcrowding, as rolls will rise (about 8 rolls per 9-by-13 pan is recommended). Let rolls rise again for about 1 hour.
7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake up to 2 pans of rolls at a time for 12 to 15 minutes, or until tops are golden brown.
8. While rolls bake, prepare the frosting. Use a hand or stand mixer to cream together the butter and sugar. Add vanilla and mix again. Mix in milk 1 tablespoon at a time until spreadable but still thick.
9. Allow rolls to cool for 3 minutes, then frost while still warm so the frosting melts slightly and glazes over the rolls. Serve immediately or allow to cool and warm individual rolls for 10 to 15 seconds in the microwave just before serving. Leftovers freeze well.

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