Christmas Morning Cinnamon Rolls

 My mom’s tradition of homemade cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning finally carried over to me.  Although finding a vegan cinnamon roll that didn’t turn out like a hockey puck wasn’t easy.  And I have a whole new appreciation for cinnamon rolls, not something you can just whip up.  We’ve found a method that works well so {mom} isn’t up at 3 am getting breakfast ready.

Yields 12 cinnamon rolls

~*~*~ special notes ~*~*~ The first set of instructions are for the NIGHT BEFORE. Measure out your milk first while gathering other ingredients so it can warm to room temperature. Vegan butter in the filling will need to be softened, set that on the counter as well. Prepare 2 round cake pans by generously rubbing with vegan butter or olive oil. You will want a food thermometer for this recipe.

• 2 cups almond milk
• 1/2 melted vegan butter
• 1/4 cup organic cane sugar
• 1 packet (2 1/4 tsp) active dry yeast
• 5 cups flour
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 tsp salt

THE NIGHT BEFORE

1. Whisk together milk, melted butter and organic sugar. Mixture should be 110o-110oF, may need to warm slightly on a stove top. The temperature is critical to the yeast activating properly, enter food thermometer, if it is too warm stir slowly off heat and allow to cool.
2. Add yeast into the milk mixture and whisk until dissolved.  Let sit 5-7 minutes.  Yeast should activate and be ‘foamy’.
3. While yeast mixture is sitting measure out 5 cups of flour into a large bowl.  Add salt.
4. Combine milk/yeast with flour. Mix with a wooden spoon until just combined.  Will be quite sticky.
5. Cover with plastic wrap or a towel and put in warm place.  In front of a fire place or in an oven that has been warmed, but is no longer on are two ideas that work well.  Allow dough to rise for 1 hour.
6. Dough should have doubled in size.  Add additional 1/2 cup of flour and mix into dough.  Turn out onto a well floured pastry mat or countertop.
7. Kneed the dough lightly mixing in as much flour as needed so dough is no longer sticky.
8. Roll out the dough into a large rectangle shape.  You’ll want an even rectangle to create even cinnamon rolls.  If your dough is round cut off the edges and repurpose them on the ends or sides to create a nice rectangle.  Dough should be approximately 1/2” thick.

• 3/4 cup softened vegan butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp (or more) ground cinnamon

1. Spread the softened butter evenly over the rolled out dough.  Sprinkle evenly with cinnamon and brown sugar - okay to add more of either as needed.
2. Starting at the shorter side of the rectangle roll dough up to form a log. Pinch the end of the dough to the log to form a “seal”.  Place seam side down on the pastry mat.
3. If your dough was not even you may need to cut off any unevenness on the ends of the log. Cut the log in half using a safe cutting tool like a butter knife or soft cheese knife (you don’t want to cut your pastry mat). 
4. Cut each half into 7 evenly sliced pieces, approximately 1 1/2” thick.
5. Place 7 cinnamon rolls into a cake pan, repeat for other half of log.
6. Cover with plastic and place in fridge over night.

THE DAY OF

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp almond milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350o
2. Remove rolls from fridge and allow to rise 60 minutes.  Again using a warm place like an oven that had been on warm or near a fireplace (watch for pets around the fireplace, they may smell this deliciousness and decide you put it out for them).
3. Rolls should appear to have increased in size and now be touching each other in the pan.
4. Bake rolls for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.
5. While rolls are baking prepare the frosting.  Whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla.
6. Remove rolls from oven and drizzle with frosting while they are still warm.

Served well with Christmas morning joy and unwrapping presents!