The best and biggest cinnamon rolls

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Heat the milk in a small saucepan until it bubbles, then remove it from the heat. Mix in the butter and stir until melted. Let cool until slightly warm.

In a large mixing bowl, with a dough hook, combine 2 and 1/4 cups flour, yeast, sugar and salt and mix well. Add water, egg and the milk mixture and beat well. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition.  When the dough has just pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. This will take 3-5 minutes.

Cover the dough with a damp, warm cloth and let rest for 10 minutes. While it is resting, make the filling by mixing together the brown sugar, butter and cinnamon in a small bowl.

Roll the dough into a 12×9 inch rectangle (more or less). You don’t need to be exact, but it helps to get close because of the ratio of filling over the dough should be the right thickness. Spread the filling over the dough. Sprinkle the pecans over the filling, if you are using them.

Roll up the dough and pinch to seal. At this point, you can cut the dough into 6, 8, or 12 equal pieces. I like my rolls to be extra big and fat, so I cut the roll in half, then cut each half into thirds making 6 extra large rolls.

Butter a glass baking dish and place the rolls in a 12 or 13×9 inch baking pan. If you are making 12 rolls, use the 13×9 pan, and the smaller pan for 6 or 8 rolls.

Cover and let rise until doubled, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Bake for 10 minutes and rotate the pan. Bake another 5 and check for doneness. You may need another few minutes after that. The rolls should be golden brown when they are done.

Cool the rolls and make the glaze while they are cooling.

Vanilla cream glaze

2 cups confectioners sugar

1/2 teaspoon best quality vanilla

4-6 tablespoons heavy cream. You may want to use more or less depending on how you like your glaze. I like mine thick, so I whisk in the cream until it is the desired thickness.

Combine all ingredients until you have the desired thickness.

Drizzle the glaze over the rolls when they are still warm. The warmer the rolls, the more the glaze will ooze into the rolls. How can that be a bad thing?