Cinnamon Rolls

There is nothing more comforting on a cold winter morning than a still-warm pan of cinnamon rolls with extra icing melting between the layers.

4 to 4 1/2 cups plain (all-purpose) flour
1 packet of dried yeast
1 cup milk
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
- - -
3 tablespoons of melted butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
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optional loveliness
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped pecans

1. In your large mixing bowl combine 2 cups of the flour and the packet of yeast; set aside. In a small saucepan warm the milk, along with the 1/3 cup sugar and the 1/3 cup butter until the butter is almost melted. -(It is not a crime if the butter melts completely) Add this warmed milk mixture along with the eggs to the flour mixture and beat with an electric mixer until it is smooth. Stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can.

2. Turn the dough out onto a clean and floured work surface and knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic. Shape the dough into a ball, and put it in a lightly buttered bowl. Turn the dough once or twice to ensure that the dough is lightly buttered as well. Cover and let it rise in a warm spot until it has doubled in size.

Preheat your oven to 375 F or about 220 C.

3. Punch the dough down (when my boys were little somebody always begged to be the one to punch the dough) and turn the dough back out onto your lightly floured kitchen surface. Let it rest a few minutes. While it is resting, grease a baking pan.

4. Roll the dough out into a nice big rectangle on your kitchen work surface. Brush the melted butter onto it and then sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar over the buttered dough. I must confess that at this point, I have never measured the amount of sugar and cinnamon that I sprinkle on. I keep a jar of cinnamon sugar in the kitchen for cinnamon toast and I just sprinkle this on until I think there is plenty on there. Sprinkle raisins and chopped nuts on with the cinnamon and sugar if you want them.

5. Beginning at the long side of your dough, start to roll the dough. In the end you will have a large log of dough with swirls of cinnamon and sugar inside. Don't try to pick the log up or handle it too much. It will start to unroll and just make a mess. Slice the log into 12 equal pieces and place the slices onto your greased baking pan.

Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes or until the top of the rolls are golden in colour.

You can make some icing by putting in a cup of powdered or icing sugar in a bowl with just enough water to make it spreadable (you just need a few teaspoons). Drizzle this over the still warm rolls and enjoy them!