Cinnamon Buns to End All Others

So usually wif has many baked goods lying around the house – reminding her to blog about the sugar adventures that rule her life.  But yesterday wif made something CRAZY delicious and they got all eated up!!  So there were no remnants to encourage the blogging – imagine the horror?!  Anyways – here is the tale of the most delightful cinnamon buns in recent history:

Cinnamon Buns

Recipe from: Allrecipes.com Makes: 12 buns!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups all-purpose flour *half bread flour and half AP flour works beautifully. *
• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 3 tablespoons softened butter
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon *Or 3 tsp. if you like it spicyyyy.*
• 1/3 cup white sugar * Part brown part white makes it magical. *
• 1/3 cup raisins (optional)
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts (optional) * Pecans sub VERY well. *
• Optional Frosting:
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract * Or 1 tsp. *
• 1 1/2 tablespoons milk * Just add milk slowly until it’s the right spreadable/delectable consistancy.*

Directions

1. In saucepan, heat 1/2 cup milk, water, and 2 tablespoons butter until very warm. Place milk mixture, salt, flour, yeast, sugar, and eggs in the pan of the bread machine in the order suggested by the manufacturer. * Milk mixture, eggs, & salt, then flour, & sugar and finally yeast in a little well on top of the dry ingredients – safe and sound from those *activating* liquids and salt. * Select the Dough cycle. Press Start.
2. Once Dough cycle is complete, remove the dough from the bread machine and punch down. On a floured surface, roll into a large rectangle. Smear with the softened butter. Combine the cinnamon and 1/3 cup sugar. Sprinkle over the rectangle. Generously sprinkle the raisins and/or chopped nuts over the top. (Section it as pictured if you want 4 varieties – traditional, raisin, pecan and raisin-pecan.
   
   

   Deliver the cinnamon sugar with the speed and agility of an Olympic speed skater...

3. Roll the dough up into a log starting at the long side.*Pinch that baby so it seals right up.* Cut into 12 slices. *Use dental floss to make this a slice of buns (or something).  Just loop it around the roll and knot away.Place the rolls cut side down into a 9×13-inch greased baking pan. Cover, and let rise in a warm place until almost doubled, about 30 minutes.
4. Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Combine the confectioners’ sugar, 1.5 tablespoons melted butter, vanilla extract, and 1.5 tablespoons milk into a thick frosting; set aside.
5. Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove and allow to cool 10 minutes. Spread frosting over baked rolls and enjoy.

*If you eat them fast enough – there won’t be any evidence of the baked result… as is the case here – OOPS!  I guess that’s what happens when wif bakes one her favveesss. *

Now all I need is Christmas morning to complete the experience;)