Recipe courtesy of Jeff Mauro
Orange Glazed Cinnamon Rolls
Getting reviews...
- Level: Intermediate
- Total: 3 hr (includes rising time)
- Active: 55 min
- Yield: 12 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 12 servings
- Calories
- 625
- Total Fat
- 33 g
- Saturated Fat
- 20 g
- Carbohydrates
- 76 g
- Dietary Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 39 g
- Protein
- 9 g
- Cholesterol
- 118 mg
- Sodium
- 409 mg
Sarah makes cinnamon rolls only once a year, always on Christmas morning after being absolutely annihilated from hosting 34 people in our home for our annual Christmas Eve gathering, which is equal parts exhilarating and exhausting. We plan the menu for months and prep for days. We expertly and thoughtfully craft an ever-changing bespoke feast inside our warm winter wonderland of a home. The night begins at 2:00 p.m. sharp when my in-laws arrive an hour and thirty minutes early. From that point on, the night is officially off the rails. Our gas-powered fireplace sets the mood while The Rat Pack holiday playlist sets the tone for a raucous evening of eating, drinking, laughter and gambling. Throughout it all, Sarah and I are officially on host and hostess autopilot, catering to every single request and requirement that is shouted in either of our directions. Amidst the constant bussing, washing, coffee-making, tidying and garbage bag-stuffing of what seems to be an endless stream of wrapping paper, we neglect to sit down and eat a proper dinner. Sure, we have some dessert and plenty of fun, but we never really EAT — which is a common plight of the large family host. I don’t mind, though, for I know that by the time every wish has been granted, every dish has been loaded, every floor dust-mopped, every leftover packed, every folding chair folded and brought back to the garage and every Pinot Grigio-loving parent departs, we can finally STOP and melt into our couch for a much-needed quiet nightcap, and laugh hard about how INSANE those last 10 hours were, how GOOD and gooey those homemade cinnamon rolls will be in the morning, and how lucky we really are to live where we live and have such a big, wonderful and loving family.
- Level: Intermediate
- Total: 3 hr (includes rising time)
- Active: 55 min
- Yield: 12 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 12 servings
- Calories
- 625
- Total Fat
- 33 g
- Saturated Fat
- 20 g
- Carbohydrates
- 76 g
- Dietary Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 39 g
- Protein
- 9 g
- Cholesterol
- 118 mg
- Sodium
- 409 mg
Ingredients
Dough:
Filling:
Orange Glaze:
NEW: You can now switch to Cook Mode to keep your screen awake.
Directions
- For the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer affixed with the beater blade, combine the warm milk and the yeast. Let it bloom for 5 minutes. Add the eggs, melted butter, granulated sugar and salt and mix until combined. Add 4 cups flour and beat until JUST combined. Let the dough rest for at least 5 minutes or up to 15.
- Attach the dough hook and knead the dough for 5 minutes, adding a small amount of flour only if the dough is not coming together. (The dough should be sticking to the side of the bowl a bit and sticky to the touch.)
- Scrape the dough out and place in a large, greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and then a kitchen towel and let proof in a warm spot in the kitchen until the dough DOUBLES in size, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- This is a good time to make the filling and the glaze.
- For the filling: Add to a bowl the butter, brown sugar, orange zest, cinnamon, ginger, salt, nutmeg and candied orange. Whisk until smooth. Set aside.
- For the orange glaze: Set up the stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Add to the bowl the cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, butter, orange zest, orange juice and salt. Start beating on very low speed until incorporated, then turn to medium and whip until light and fluffy, about 30 seconds.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Turn out the dough onto a well-floured surface. Flour the top and use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a rectangle shape with the longest edge facing you, 25 by 14 inches.
- Spoon on the filling and smooth out using a rubber spatula. Roll the dough lengthwise into a tight pinwheel. Cut the log into 12 pieces and place in a well-greased 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and let it proof one more time until almost double, 20 to 30 minutes.
- Pour the heavy whipping cream directly onto the raw rolls and let it soak into all the crevices of the rolls. This makes it extra gooey!
- Bake until lightly golden brown and center rolls are no longer raw in the center, 20 to 25 minutes. Use a toothpick or skewer to test doneness.
- Let the rolls cool for about 10 minutes. Spoon the orange glaze on the warm rolls and spread around. Serve!
