CANELA (CINNAMON) ROLLS

I love my cousin Pat! You can always call her for a great recipe. Here’s one she shared with a bunch of us cousins via email. The recipe she sent was a very rough recipe and didn’t really disclose the full measurements because she is a natural baker and can feel the dough for correctness. But me…I need clarity! I gave her a call and cleared up some of my questions and through trial and error I’ve got the accurate measurements.

 

One of my favorite eye-openers in this recipe is making the “canela” (cinnamon like tea) to use in the dough. It really carried the cinnamon flavor to a new level. I’ve never seen this in another recipe and it is really worth the extra step. 

 

Pat uses raisins in her recipe and my hubby likes them so they are in the recipe but feel free to omit or exchange them with another dried fruit or chocolate chips. 

There are a lot of steps but they are worth it - my dad said this recipe was award winning!

Place star anise and raisins in a small bowl. Cover with 1 ½ cups of hot canela. Let sit so raisins will rehydrate and plump up.

In a large mixing bowl (I use my standing mixing bowl) combine 1 ½ cups of hot canela and powdered milk. Mix this slurry until the powdered milk is dissolved.

In a separate medium mixing bowl add yeast, sour cream, egg, granulated sugar, salt and melted butter. Mix thoroughly.

Combine yeast mixture to the powdered milk slurry in the large mixing bowl. 

Add 2 cups of flour. Mix (if using stand mixer use hook) for 10 minutes occasionally pushing mixture on sides down. The end dough will be soft and wet. Add this raisins the raisins in this step.

Time to hand knead! Dump the dough onto a counter dusted with 1 cup of flour. Sprinkle 1 cup of flour on top of dough and begin kneading. The dough is very sticky. Keep kneading until it is soft and can be formed into a ball.

Place ball of dough in prepared proofing bowl, cover with plastic wrap and clean dish towel. Place in a draft free area let rise for 90 minutes. Will double in size.

Grease counter and begin to shape the ball of dough into a rectangle shape using only your hands. Be gentle so you don’t tear dough. Rectangle will measure about 24”x 12”.

Layer on the filling ingredients. First smear softened butter all over, then sprinkle on brown sugar, cinnamon and nuts.

Roll your dough - short end to short end for large rolls or long end to long end for smaller rolls. I forgot to take a picture so this one is for reference only ; )

Cut and place on cookie sheet lined with parchment or silpat. Almost touching.

To make glaze add powdered sugar and heavy cream together in a Ziploc bag. Squish until a thick gravy like texture is achieved.

Place pan of rise and rested rolls into oven for 25-30 minutes.

Remove and brush with butter.Cut a small corner from Ziploc glaze bag and swirl over cinnamon rolls. Let sit for 5-10 minutes if you are able – and enjoy!

Yields 12 large or 24 small

 

INGREDIENTS:

rolls:

4 cups of hot canela

1 star anise (optional)

1 cup raisins

½ cup powdered milk

1 tablespoon (2 envelopes) yeast

¼ cup sour cream

1 egg

¼ cup granulated sugar

½ teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter (melted) + more for brushing on after bake

4 cups all-purpose flour

filling:

3/4 cup butter (softened)

2 cups brown sugar

3 tablespoon cinnamon

1 cup chopped nuts

glaze:

2 cups powdered sugar

6 tablespoons heavy cream 

 

PREPARATION:

rolls:

• place star anise and raisins in a small bowl. Cover with 1 ½ cups of hot canela. Let sit so raisins will rehydrate and plump up.
• Prepare a large proofing bowl with butter. Set aside for later.
• In a large mixing bowl (I use my standing mixing bowl) combine 1 ½ cups of hot canela and powdered milk. Mix this slurry until the powdered milk is dissolved.
• In a separate medium mixing bowl add yeast, sour cream, egg, granulated sugar, salt and melted butter. Mix thoroughly.
• Combine yeast mixture to the powdered milk slurry in the large mixing bowl. 
• Add 2 cups of flour. Mix (if using stand mixer use hook) for 10 minutes occasionally pushing mixture on sides down. The end dough will be soft and wet. 
• If using raisins, dried fruit or chocolate chips, add at this time and mix until distributed through dough.
• Time to hand knead! Dump the dough onto a counter dusted with 1 cup of flour. Sprinkle 1 cup of flour on top of dough and begin kneading. The dough is very sticky. Keep kneading until it is soft and can be formed into a ball.
• Place ball of dough in prepared proofing bowl, cover with plastic wrap and clean dish towel. Place in a draft free area let rise for 90 minutes. Will double in size.
• Grease counter and begin to shape the ball of dough into a rectangle shape using only your hands. Be gentle so you don’t tear dough. Rectangle will measure about 24”x 12”.
• Layer on the filling ingredients. First smear softened butter all over, then sprinkle on brown sugar, cinnamon and nuts.
• If you want smaller rolls you will have the long end of the rectangle facing you and roll in a tight roll pushing the roll away from you. Cut into 1-inch rolls. This will make 24 small cinnamon rolls.
• For larger rolls place the short end of rectangle facing you and roll away from you. Cut into 1-inch rolls. This will yield 12 large cinnamon rolls.
• On a parchment paper or silpat lined cookie sheet place the rolls almost touching. 
• Cover with towel and let rest and rise for 60 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• To make glaze add powdered sugar and heavy cream together in a Ziploc bag. Squish until a thick gravy like texture is achieved.
• Place pan of rise and rested rolls into oven for 25-30 minutes.
• Remove and brush with butter.
• Cut a small corner from Ziploc glaze bag and swirl over cinnamon rolls.
• Let sit for 5-10 minutes if you are able – and enjoy!