Rita Hofer’s caramel cinnamon rolls, which took second place in 2013 at the Montana Winter Fair, have been a local legend since she started taking them to her son’s basketball games. Now she sells them at the school concession stand, and fans wipe out her stock every time.
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 3 hr 30 min |
| Prep: | 35 min |
| Inactive: | 2 hr 30 min |
| Cook: | 25 min |
| Yield: | 24 rolls |
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk
- 1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 2 large eggs
- 7 cups all-purpose flour,
- plus more for dusting
- Vegetable oil, for brushing
- 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup light corn syrup
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar
- 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Warm the milk in a small saucepan until steaming. Dissolve the yeast in 1/2 cup warm water. Combine the milk, shortening, granulated sugar, salt and eggs in a large bowl with a wooden spoon. Add the yeast mixture and mix until combined. Stir in the flour to form a soft dough. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, turning to coat. Cover with plastic wrap; let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
- Meanwhile, make the caramel: Combine the brown sugar, corn syrup and butter in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil; cook until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the heavy cream; whisk until combined and slightly cooled. Lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet; spread the caramel on the baking sheet and let cool completely.
- Make the filling: Mix the brown sugar, melted butter and cinnamon in a bowl. Punch down the dough and roll out into a 12-by-24-inch rectangle on a floured surface. Spread the filling on the dough and roll up, starting at a long side. Cut into 1-inch pieces and arrange cut-side up on the caramel. Cover loosely and let sit at room temperature until puffed, about 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Uncover the rolls and bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. (Put a baking sheet on the lower oven rack to catch any drips.) Let cool slightly on the baking sheet, then invert onto a large cutting board or platter.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 24 servings |
| Calories | 409 |
| Total Fat | 16 g |
| Saturated Fat | 8 g |
| Carbohydrates | 62 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 34 g |
| Protein | 5 g |
| Cholesterol | 50 mg |
| Sodium | 172 mg |
Reviews
I,ve made this recipe twice and am getting to make them again right now love the recipe, I had some older freinds tell me they taste just like their grandmothers rolls.And yes you may not need all the flour I prefer to knead by hand so I gett the feel of the dough I guess it does take some experience but do’nt give up the end result is worth it
I *never* post reviews. Not sure why. This recipe (halved) is now my go-to recipe for cinnamon rolls. Everything about them was perfect. I pulled them out of the oven, 12 in a dish and my boys and I ate them, leaving three and no time for plates.
I had the same problem – dough had way too much four – very thick & heavy – would not rise. On the positive side – had the dough been right, they would have tasted fantastic. The filling & Carmel turned out well. Was there a misprint?
Way too much flour, had to throw it out:(
These were AMAZING every time! I first made a batch not realizing how many it would yield. I only used around 6 cups of flour, maybe less.7 cups would be impossible. Just watch your dough. If its so sticky you can’t handle it, add more, if you’ve added too much and it won’t come together to knead, add a little water or milk. If it seems to far gone just knead and add a little liquid and knead again. The second time I made these I halved the recipe. For the caramel you really only need to bring everything to a boil for a second or two, then take it off the heat add the heavy cream. Otherwise the caramel will become too hard. Both times I made it the caramel was gooey and delicious. On the rising time: I let mine sit for several hours initially after kneading. The time is really dependent on your kitchen. Just wait for the size to double. After you’ve made the rolls, allow them to sit again prior to cooking until doubled again. I had a lot of trouble being patient but it was worth it.
This recipe is awful too much flour the dough never rose I think there was a misprint
I had the same problem with the dough being too stiff. We halved the recipe, and it was heavy and dry. After being baked, the rolls were dense and the caramel hardened quickly in your mouth. The redeeming quality was they tasted good, but the dough never rose and wasn’t right.
We tried making this recipe but the dough was too stiff. We had to throw the entire thing out. I think 7 cups of flour is too much. Did anyone have the same problem?