Merry Christmas And Homemade Buttermilk Cinnamon Rolls

Icing a batch of Buttermilk Cinnamon Rolls.

My husband Joe wore his Santa hat and helped me make cinnamon roll deliveries bright and early this morning to family and friends.

It wouldn't be Christmas at our house without homemade Buttermilk Cinnamon Rolls. I've made them every year for our family since as long as I can remember and they are so good.

The addition of buttermilk makes the dough very tender.

Making them isn't hard but the dough of course has to rise which means I have to rise early to make them. It's worth it though because it's a tradition and it makes my family happy.

So a little before 4 a.m. this morning I got myself up and going and by 8 a.m. I had two batches (48 giant rolls) out of the oven and glazed with a cream cheese icing.

Some of the cinnamon rolls stayed home and the rest my husband and I delivered to family and friends.

Here's the recipe:

Buttermilk Cinnamon Rolls
(makes 24 giant cinnamon rolls)
Dough:
2 tablespoons active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 1/3 cups canola oil
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoons salt
4 cups buttermilk, scalded and cooled
12 to 14 cups flour

Dissolve the yeast in the water and set aside. In a large bowl, mix together the oil, sugar, eggs and salt. Add the buttermilk and yeast mixture. Finally, add the flour, a cup at a time until a soft dough forms. Knead the dough on a floured surface for 5 to 7 minutes or until the dough becomes smooth. Place the dough in a large clean bowl and cover with a towel or plastic wrap.  Let the dough rise until is is double in bulk, about 1 hour.

My two batches of dough rising this morning.

Punch the dough down and divide it in half. Let the dough rest for a few minutes before rolling each half into a 12 x 17 inch rectangle.

Divide the dough in half.

Roll the dough into a 12 x 17-inch rectangle. I used a rolling pin but I also used my hands to pat it out and help shape it into a rectangle.

Filling:
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Optional: 1 1/2 cups raisins for the whole batch or 3/4 of a cup for half the batch

In a bowl, combine the sugars, cinnamon and raisins if desired.
Spread half of the butter evenly on each rectangle of dough and sprinkle with the sugar mixture covering the dough evenly and leaving a 1/2 inch line of uncovered dough at the top.

Spread half of the butter evenly on the dough top with half of the filling mixture.

I always make half of the rolls with raisins and half without.

Roll the rectangle up tightly into a cylinder starting at the bottom. Pinch the edge to seal the cylinder closed.

Pinch the edge of the cylinder to seal it closed.

Slice the cylinder into 12 rolls and place them evenly spaced on a greased or parchment lined baking sheet.

I use a serrated knife to cut the cylinder into 12 rolls. I do this by cutting the dough in half and then into quarters. Finally, I cut each quarter into thirds.

Space the 12 slices evenly apart on a lightly greased sheetpan. I also like to line the bottom with a sheet of lightly greased parchment paper.

Repeat with the other rectangle of dough.

Cover the rolls loosely with plastic wrap and let them rise until the spaces between the rolls begin to fill in, about 30 to 40 minutes.

Bake both sheetpans of rolls at the same time in a 375 degree oven for 16 to 20 minutes, switching the pans between the top and bottom racks midway through to ensure even baking.

Let the rolls cool slightly before icing.

Icing:
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Whip the cream cheese until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and whip again. Finally add the milk and vanilla.

With a table knife or offset spatula, evenly ice the tops of the rolls before serving.