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Maple Cinnamon Rolls

Maple Cinnamon Rolls

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When I started working on this recipe for Maple Cinnamon Rolls I had visions of it being a special Christmas morning treat.  Then we enjoyed two pans of the cinnamon rolls and it was decided that they should be enjoyed any time of the year.  Don’t wait just for the holidays;  make them now!  Lenny even declared that this was hands down the best cinnamon rolls I have ever made as well as the best he has ever had.  Really this recipe is melt in your mouth goodness!

Maple Cinnamon Rolls

The cinnamon rolls are buttery, gooey and rich with flavors of candied orange peels and cinnamon.  Did I mention buttery?  From the rich brioche dough to the creamy maple frosting;  every bite is heavenly.  Frosting the cinnamon rolls while they are still warm is key as the buttery maple frosting oozes between each cinnamon rolls and melts along the layers of the rich brioche dough.

Maple Cinnamon Rolls

Be sure to save some of the frosting to serve alongside the Maple Cinnamon Rolls, it is like an added bonus of goodness!

Here is the how-to-make video:  Maple Cinnamon Rolls

Recipe:  Maple Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients:

For the dough:

2 packets active dry yeast

1/3 cup water

1/3 cup whole milk

3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons salt

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature but slightly firm, cut into 2-tablespoon chunks

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

For the filling:

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

6 tablespoons minced candied orange peel

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

For the frosting:

1 cup mascarpone

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

4 cups powdered sugar, sifted

6 tablespoons dark amber maple syrup

2 teaspoons vanilla

How To:

Dough:

Warm water and milk together in a saucepan until warm to touch. Place yeast, water, and milk in a bowl of stand mixer and using a spatula, stir until yeast is dissolved.

Add flour and salt and fit the mixer with the dough hook. Turn mixer on the lowest setting to avoid flour flying up. Turn mixer on and off in a few short pulses, just to dampen the flour. Increase mixer speed to medium-low and mix 2 minutes, just until flour is moistened. At this point, you will have a fairly shaggy mass. Scrape sides and bottom of the bowl with rubber spatula. Set mixer to low and add eggs one at a time, followed by sugar and vanilla bean paste.

Increase mixer speed to medium and beat for 3 minutes, until dough forms a ball. Reduce speed to low and add butter 2 tablespoons at a time, beating until each piece is almost incorporated before adding the next. You will have a dough that is almost batter-like in texture. Increase speed to medium-high and continue to beat until dough pulls away from sides of the bowl, about 10 minutes.

Lightly butter another mixing bowl and transfer dough to it. Cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature until nearly doubled in size, about 40 – 60 minutes, depending on how warm the kitchen is.

Deflate the dough by lifting up the edges and letting fall into the middle of the bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator. Repeat the same process every 30 minutes until dough stops rising. This should take about 2 hours. Leave the covered dough in the refrigerator to chill overnight.

The next morning, take the dough of refrigerator.

For the filling:

Melt 1/4 cup of butter in small pan. Using a pastry brush, butter two 9×9-inch baking pans. Set aside.

Divide the dough evenly in half, and set aside one half. Roll out one of the halves of dough onto lightly floured surface into a large rectangle about 2/3-inch thick and 14 x 12 inches wide/long.

Using a spoon, mash the remaining 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter until smooth. Spread half of the butter over rolled out dough using back of large spoon. Save rest of butter for remaining dough.

In a small bowl, combine sugars and cinnamon and mix with a fork. Add candied orange peel and stir. Sprinkle 1/2 of sugar mixture over top of dough. Save rest for remaining half of.

Starting at the longest side, roll tightly into a log. Using a long piece of unflavored dental floss, loop under the log of dough and pull up and criss-cross ends to cut into 1/2-inch thick circles. You can cut the rolls into larger circles if you want bigger rolls. Place into baking pan, barely touching. You may need to adjust a bit. Cover with plastic wrap and drape a couple flour towels over the top of the plastic wrap.

Repeat with the remaining dough, butter and sugar mixture.

Set aside in warm room and let rise until doubled, about 30 – 60 minutes. The time depends on how warm your kitchen is.

For the frosting:

In mixing bowl, beat mascarpone and butter until light and fluffy. Add sifted powdered sugar and mix well, then add maple syrup and vanilla. Mix until smooth. Place in the refrigerator for a few minutes if you like it to be a little firmer when spreading.

Once the rolls have risen, bake them for 20 – 30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven. Let set for 5 minutes and then frost and serve.

 

Maple Cinnamon Rolls

**  disclaimer:  We are working with the American Butter Institute by creating easy how-to videos for their site Go Bold with Butter, and this is another one of the buttery recipes we have developed using butter.  

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Michelle | A Dish of Daily Life

Friday 15th of January 2016

My oldest son absolutely loves cinnamon rolls...I can't wait to try these! He is going to be so excited when I make them!

Denise

Sunday 17th of January 2016

We aren't much for sweets at breakfast but these cinnamons are insane. Your son will love them.

Lauren Gaskill | Making Life Sweet

Thursday 14th of January 2016

It's been too long since I had a cinnamon roll. That needs to change!

Denise

Sunday 17th of January 2016

We kept talking about making this weekend but then got busy. Need to change that ...

Christie

Thursday 14th of January 2016

Love all the frosting and the maple flavor too!

Denise

Sunday 17th of January 2016

Thanks Christie! The maple makes this recipe even more special.

Beverley

Thursday 14th of January 2016

everything about this recipe screams out my name xoxo

Liz

Wednesday 13th of January 2016

Cinnamon rolls are one of the few treats the whole family adores! I'm swooning over the generous amount of frosting and the maple twist---off to watch your video.