No-Knead Cinnamon Rolls

These are the cinnamon rolls of my childhood. 

I feel like we ate them all the time (which probably means once a month or so). These are the cinnamon rolls I pit all others against. 

They aren't Cinnabons - those are the Mark Maguire of cinnamon rolls. Steroids must have been used. 

Though I don't doubt if you made these into 12 rolls instead of 24, you'd probably get pretty close. 

These are the rolls that are baking in the oven when you wake up on a Saturday morning. The rolls that you get when you go to grandma's house. The rolls that you keep sneaking from their container in the fridge - even if you know you'll get in trouble. 

The base dough is my Aunt Joyce's Crescent Roll dough. So if you'd like to make crescents, just make the dough and then turn it into crescents. Trust me. Aunt Joyce knows what she's doing. 

Start off with the dough: 

The weirdest start of a bread dough ever:

Cream together butter and sugar. You heard me. Do it. 
 

  
Then add in the salt and eggs. More mixing. 

Then the yeast, foamed in water. Add that in too.

Next, add in half the flour. Beat for 2 minutes. 

Add the other half of the flour.

Beat with a wooden spoon until a ball forms.

Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 2 hours. No kneading!!

Cut the dough in half. Roll out each half into a large rectangle. 

Pour on melted butter and vanilla. Spread out to the edges. 

Sprinkle on cinnamon sugar. 

Roll up.Tight.

Cut into 12 pieces. 

Plop the rolls into your grease pan and give them a good smoosh. 

Let rise for an hour. 

Bake for 20 minutes. Then cool for a little while. 

Mix up the frosting. 

Pile it on!

Snarf. Taste the flavors of home!

No-Knead Cinnamon Rolls
Makes 24 rolls (2 9" round pans)

Joyce's crescent rolls:
1/2 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp salt
2 eggs, room temperature
2 pkgs rapid rise yeast
3/4 c. warm water
4 c. flour

Sprinkle the yeast in the water. Let sit for a few minutes. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together. Add in eggs and salt. Beat together. Add in the yeast and water. Beat to combine. Add 2 c. flour, beat 2 minutes. Add 2 c. flour and mix in with a wooden spoon until combined. Form into a rough ball.

Do not knead. 

Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 2 hours.

To make them cinnamon rolls -
1/4 c. butter, melted
1/2 tsp vanilla
2/3 c. sugar
3 tbsp cinnamon
6 oz. cream cheese, softened
3 tbsp butter, softened
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
a few tbsp milk

 
Divide dough in half. Roll each half into a rectangle. Pour half the melted butter on each rectangle. Add a 1/4 tsp of vanilla to the melted butter. Use your fingers to spread the butter/vanilla over the entire rectangle. 

Mix the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle half the cinnamon sugar mix over each rectangle - making sure to get it on all the edges. 

Starting on the long edge, roll up the dough. Cut into 12 pieces. Place in a greased 9" cake pan. Let rise for another hour. 

Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove from pan. Let cool about 12-15 minutes.

Mix up the frosting - Beat the cream cheese, butter, and powdered sugar together. Add in the vanilla and milk by the tbsp until you get a consistency you like.

Top with the frosting and serve!