Cinnamon Rolls

I bought Joy The Baker's cookbook almost as soon as it came out. You know when you just feel like you just suck at life and someone has this knack of just making you feel like you're doing great? When I feel like I'm just doing a horrible job with this blog, I read one of her lighthearted, friendly and sweet updates, and I feel like I can do this again!

Normally these decadent things would trigger that switch in my brain that turns me into a crazed monkey smooshing cinnamon buns on my face. I've been trying very hard and just absurdly unsuccessfully to lose some weight lately. I'm back into my running routine of 4-5 times a week, but controlling my eating has been a whole other issue. Unfortunately I love love love my food.. I'm trying to get into enjoying smaller portions for food, so with these, Ralph and I shared one, and off the rest went to his work for the boys.

I miss them.. I want them back..

Cinnamon Rolls
From Joy The Baker's Cookbook

Roll:
1 packet dry instant yeast
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 tblsp muscovado sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
344 g cake flour plus more for kneading
3/4 tsp salt
114 g soft unsalted butter

Filling:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup caramel sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup sultanas
1 tblsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cloves
3 tblsp maple syrup
114 g melted unsalted butter

Icing:
2 cups icing sugar
1/4 cup buttermilk

1) In a large bowl, combine 1/4 cup lukewarm water, yeast and 1/2 tsp sugar.
2) Add the rest of the sugar, milk, muscovado sugar, vanilla, egg and egg yolk. Whisk thoroughly.
3) Add the flour and the salt, and knead with a dough hook attached to a mixer, until it comes together and for a couple of minutes after.
4) Add the butter, and knead some more until it's fully incorporated.
5) Take the dough out of the bowl onto a well-floured surface, and knead by hand until it absorbs about 1/2 cup sugar. Aim for the dough to still be a bit sticky when you're finished.
6) Put into a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp towel, and put in a warm place to rise for about 2 hours. Because it's winter here- it took much longer, so keep that in mind.
7) For the filling, mix everything except the butter.
8) When the dough has risen, knead it a bit more, adding a bit of flour until it's not sticky anymore.
9) Roll the dough out into a 25 x 50 cm rectangle. You will be rolling from the short side.
10) Brush the dough with half of the melted butter. Sprinkle the filling and even it out pressing it in lightly, but make sure to leave a couple of centimeter border at one of the short sides.
11) Roll the dough into a cylinder, ending on the border you left out so that you can seal it.
12) Put it down seam side down, and cut into 8 pieces.
13) Grease a 20 x 30 cm baking dish, and arrange the slices inside it.
14) Cover with plastic wrap, and put in a warm place to rise, again for about 2 hours (while you have supper).
15) Preheat oven to 180 C.
16) Bake rolls until they are brown and bubbling, which takes about 30 minutes.
17) Take out of the oven, and drizzle the rest of the melted butter on top.
18) Mix the icing ingredients, and drizzle over rolls.
19) Send them away before you eat them all!!