I have a major weakness for cinnamon rolls, and I have been wanting to try out a homemade recipe for a long time. Although they always remind me of the holiday season, and I am hanging on to every last bit of summer we have, I personally believe they are perfect any time of the year 😉 They make your kitchen smell absolutely amazing, and taste just as good! These have a surprising ingredient (potatoes), but they make the dough extremely soft and irresistible!
Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 lb Yukon gold potatoes peeled and cut into inch cubes
- 2 cups water
- 1 Tbsp salt
- ½ cup butter
- 3 large eggs
- 5 ½ cups all purpose flour divided
- ½ cup warm water
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 ½ Tbsp active dry yeast
Filling
- ½ cup butter softened
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp ground cinnamon
- 3 Tbsp all purpose flour
Cream Cheese Icing
- 2 oz cream cheese softened
- ½ cup butter softened
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 ½ Tbsp milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, combine potatoes, water, and salt. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, simmer uncovered until the potatoes are tender (about 15 minutes). Remove from heat.
- Mash the potatoes in the water until the potatoes are coarsely mashed. There should be about 2 ¼ cups of the water/mashed potato mixture. If there is more than that, you can drain off some of the mixture. Add the butter and mash until the potatoes are smooth.
- Whisk in 1 cup of flour and the eggs until smooth. If there are a few lumps, that is alright, just make sure they aren't big. Set this mixture aside and let sit until it is room temperature.
- In a stand mixer with the dough hook attached, combine the warm water, sugar, and yeast. Make sure to read the packaging on the yeast to see what temperature your water should be warmed to. Let the mixture stand until it becomes foamy, about 10 minutes.
- Add the potato mixture and begin adding flour slowly while mixing. Continue mixing until dough clears the bottom and sides of the bowl. If you need to add more flour, you can do that. Consistency should be soft an elastic.
- Once the dough is to the desired consistency, place it in a greased bowl and cover with greased plastic wrap. Let this rise until it is doubled in size, about 1-2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- On a floured countertop, roll out the dough and shape into a 20 X 12 inch rectangle.
- Spread the softened butter onto the dough with an offset spatula so that it is evenly spread on top of the dough.
- Combine the rest of the filling ingredients until totally mixed. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the butter. Pat lightly.
- Roll up the dough by starting at one long end. Once you reach the other end, pinch at the seal so that the filling doesn't seep out.
- Using a serrated knife, cut the roll into 1-inch sections. You can also you flavorless dental floss to cut the roll.
- Place the rolls on a greased baking sheet about 1-2 inches apart from one another. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise for another hour.
- Bake the rolls for 19 minutes, or until the centers are no longer doughy. Make sure not to overcook, though. Remove and let cool before icing.
- Prepare the icing while the rolls are cooling. Add both the cream cheese and softened butter to a bowl. Mix until creamy. Add the salt, milk, and vanilla extract, and mix until combined. Slowly add the powdered sugar and continue to mix. You can add more milk if it is too thick,
- Spread the icing evenly over top the rolls and enjoy!
Notes
You can easily prepare these the night before and bake the following morning. To do this, prepare recipe as instructed, up until the rolls are on the baking sheet. Once on the baking sheet, you can allow to rise, and then place in the refrigerator overnight. You can then remove in the morning and bake as instructed!
