From our Family to Yours

This was originally posted at The Women’s Colony—I’ve had a couple of email requests for this, so here it is again. This is what SB and I will be doing Friday night.

I learned many years ago that it is much easier to make a lot of one thing as a holiday treat rather than to make several things. If you only make one thing though, you want it to be on the spectacular side.

I totally borrowed stole this Christmas specialty from a woman I used to babysit for as a teenager. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, is it not?

Every year my youngest daughter and I make and freeze about 16 batches of cinnamon rolls. We have it down to such a system that it is really not that much work—especially in light of how happy it makes people. Some people eat the rolls on Christmas morning and some people save them for Rose Bowl viewing on New Year’s day—but everybody eats them!

If you decide to take this on I do have to caution you—be careful who you put on the list. It is not a list anyone wants to be dropped from—I know that because several recipients have told me so in no uncertain terms! In fact, when my kids were elementary school, the word passed from teacher to teacher that if you got one of my kids you got the cinnamon rolls.

Keys to making this successful are: a drop cloth of some sort, an assembly line system, lots of butter, foil tins from a store like Smart & Final and some Christmas music.

And, no, this is not low-calorie. Sometimes you have to live a little.

The recipes I use are from the book '>'>Bread Machine Magic. The time consuming part is making the 7 or 8 batches of dough necessary to make 14 or 16 tins of rolls. It’s not labor-intensive, but you do have to spend the day at home to keep feeding the bread machine. I do the dough one day—while I’m decorating, cleaning, whatever—and then assemble the rolls in a couple of hours the next day.

Basic Sweet Dough (makes 2 pans of rolls)

3/8 cup milk

3/8 cup water

1 egg

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup sugar

4 tablespoons butter

1+1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Use the dough setting (my machine takes 1+1/2 hours) then wrap the dough in plastic wrap and store it in the fridge overnight.

Jim’s Cinnamon Rolls

Sweet Dough (above)

Glaze (per pan)

5 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

Filling (per pan)

1 tablespoon melted butter

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 cup raisins (optional)

Pour the melted butter for the glaze into a 9 inch round pan and sprinkle with brown sugar.

For the filling, brush the melted butter on the dough. In a small bowl, combine the granulated sugar, cinnamon, brown sugar and raisins; sprinkle over dough. Starting with long edge, roll up dough; pinch seams to seal. With a sharp knife slice the roll in half, then in half again, and one more time to make eight rolls.

Cover and let rise in warm oven for 30 to 45 minutes.

This is the point where I cover and freeze the rolls and then wrap them with directions to take out of the freezer on Christmas Eve, let sit overnight and then bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes until golden brown and finally, invert onto a serving dish and serve immediately.

Comments

[Melinda]

Hi Jenn, thanks again for answering my questions about this. I've stolen your idea and am working on modifying it for use without a bread machine.

[Jenrantsraves]

Looks and sounds delicious! I can see why people are wanting to be on the list. One of my ex employers made peanut brittle to give out, and I'm a little bummed I won't be getting any this year.

[Owlfan]

Thanks for the memories - my grandma used to make cinnamon rolls for various people for Christmas. We always called them "sticky buns". She made the dough all by hand - I don't think she even had a stand mixer - she probably made 15-20 pans worth. I used to help her once I got to be a teen and have made them myself occasionally. I should do it again this year!

[Jen on the Edge]

I wish I lived in your town so that I could beg my way onto your list.

[kcinnova]

I would love to be on your list if I lived there!

[Susan Walker/BabyFavorite]

This is a fantastic gift idea!! I love it because folks can enjoy them on Christmas morning.

However, for those of us who (no longer) have bread machines, is there a different way to do this?

[anonymous]

I remember seeing this on TWC and thinking "what an awesome idea!" Thanks for reposting and making me think "what an awesome idea!" again! I'd love to start this but it won't happen this year. I'll be lucky to get much of anything made. My two year old loves to "help" in the kitchen....oy.

[Wenderina]

Don't you think you should raffle one pan off to your loyal commenting public? Pick me! Pick me!

[green girl in wisconsin]

Okay, if I make these, my husband will totally give me anything I want. And I really really want a plane ticket....this might be the ticket!

[Mama Hen Em]

I'm totally stealing - I mean borrowing- this from you. I love LOVE this idea!! Currently I made about 10 different types of candy, but it takes FOREVER.

[Life As I Know It]

Every year I think I should make cinnamon rolls for Christmas breakfast, and every year I run out of time...you may have inspired me to plan ahead for them. But I also bake dozens and dozens of cookies that I give away...ah the holidays!

[reluctant blogger]

haha I can just imagine you with your production line going, buzzing about doing other jobs at the same time. You are amazing and those look fantastic.

[Fannie]

A wonderful idea for a gift - heartfelt, homemade and delicious!

[Busy Bee Suz]

Dang, I wish I was on your list!!
This is a very thoughtful gift.

[JCK]

Sounds SO yummy. Too funny on not being able to drop anyone from the list.

[CC]

yumm-o! Where's mine??

[magpie]

Oh! What a great sounding thing... Yum.

[magpie]

Question - do you roll out the whole ball for the two tins, or roll it out in two pieces? And how thin do you roll it?

[Lisa G.]

Great idea! I've been meaning to do cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning , made ahead and frozen, but was never sure which step to freeze them, and how to bake from freezer.

How did you delver them to kids' teachers without defrosting? Or is defrosting and refreezing okay?

(And where do we send your commissions for all the great ideas we ...um, borrow?)