The title “Granny’s Grand Cinnamon Rolls” is misleading. It got its name because my grandmother loved these cinnamon rolls. My grandmother did not bake. Aunt Em taught my mother and her siblings how to bake. This recipe is a bit more complicated, but well worth the effort.
The prep work for Granny’s Grand Cinnamon Rolls.
Read the entire recipe first. It is a bit complicated, but reading through it will prepare you for the different steps. It will also help you understand the different units of measurement for sugar and butter.
Assemble ingredients. Measure into separate containers. Prepare the glazing drizzle, then set it aside.
These rolls are well worth the time and effort. After you have made them once, you will want to make them again, and it will be so much easier the next time.
Cinnamon Roll Ingredients
1 cup warm water
2 pkg. active dry yeast
1 cup warm milk
1 tsp; + 2/3 cup; + ¼ cup granulated sugar (Separate measurements.)
2 tsp salt
2/3 cup; + ½ cup; + ½ cup+ melted and cooled butter (Separate measurements.)
2 eggs, slightly beaten
8 cups flour
3 Tbsp cinnamon, 1 ½ cup granulated sugar, stirred together. Set aside.
1 cup chopped walnuts, pecans, or almonds. (Optional)
Glaze frosting;
2/3 cups butter, melted and cooled
4 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla
6 Tbsp hot water
In a mixing bowl, blend 2/3 cup melted butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Add hot water 1 Tbsp at a time until the glaze reaches a drizzling, spreading consistency. (About the thickness of pancake batter.) Set aside.
Coat the bottom of 9×13 and an 8” square baking pans with ½ cup melted butter, then sprinkle with ¼ cup sugar. Set aside.
Mixing Granny’s Grand Cinnamon Rolls.
Step 1. In a small bowl, stir together warm water, yeast, and 1 tsp sugar, and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together milk, 2/3 cup sugar, 2/3 cup melted butter, salt, and eggs until well blended.
Add yeast mixture and whisk.
Add half the flour. With a wooden spoon, stir flour into liquid until smooth. Stir in enough of the remaining flour until the dough is slightly stiff (dough will be sticky).
Step 2. Turn onto a well-floured board. Scrape remaining dough off the spoon and bowl. Knead dough for 5-10 minutes, or until smooth, elastic, and bounces back when poked. Place in a well-buttered bowl, cover with a kitchen towel, and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size. This takes about 1 to 1 ½ hours. When doubled, punch down the dough and let it rest for 5 minutes.
Step 3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a 15” x 20” rectangle.
Step 4. With a pastry brush, spread dough with ½ cup melted butter. Sprinkle the buttered dough with the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Sprinkle with your choice of chopped nuts. Roll up the long side of the dough jellyroll-fashion and pinch the edge together to seal. Cut into one-inch-thick slices. Place cinnamon roll slices (cut ends up) close together in pans. Lightly cover with a clean, dry towel. Flour sack towels work very well. Let the dough rise in a warm place until it doubles in size, about 45 minutes.
Finishing Granny’s Grand Cinnamon Rolls.
Step 5. Bake in a preheated oven at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes, or until rolls are evenly golden browned. Cool rolls slightly on wire racks.
When the rolls are slightly warm, drizzle with the glaze.
A few more tips.
These rolls will freeze nicely. Wrap in plastic wrap either in a family serving size or individually. I store my wrapped rolls in an empty one-gallon ice cream container. They will keep for 4-6 months if you do not eat them all first.
To serve frozen rolls, let them come to room temperature. Unwrap the roll and either microwave it for about 15 seconds or place it in a buttered skillet, covered with a lid, for about 45 seconds.
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