What's Cooking? Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls

What is better on a chilly day than cinnamon rolls?  Maybe chocolate chip cookies, but for me today, the cinnamon rolls are winning out so I thought I would give you the best cinammon roll recipe I've come across.  For years, I was so intimidated at the thought of making cinnamon rolls that I didn't even try.  Boy was I sorry!  These are super easy and sooo yummy.

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls

2 packages active dry yeast, (4 1/2 teaspoons)

1 teaspoon sugar

2 cups warm water, 110-115 degrees, divided use

3/4 cup vegetable oil

2/3 cup honey

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

6-8 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup white flour

1 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon, sometimes I double this amount
depending on my mood

Dissolve yeast and sugar in 1 cup warm water.  Add oil, honey, salt, eggs, remaining 1 cup warm water, and 2 cups whole wheat flour.  Beat 5 minutes at medium speed.  Add 4 cups whole wheat flour and beat 5 more minutes at slow speed, adding enough remaining whole wheat flour during this second five minutes of beating so that the dough is not very sticky when finished.  It will be slightly sticky.

Cover and let dough rise until doubled.  This does not take very long because of the high yeast content--maybe a hour.  (At this point I usually put it in a cold oven to rise draft free.  OR you can put the dough in the refridgerator  overnight at this point and make fresh, hot rolls in the morning.)

Mix brown sugar, melted butter, white flour and cinnamon in a mixing bowl.  Roll out dough into a large rectangle and cover with the brown sugar mixture.  Roll up along the long side of the dough and cut into 1" thick rolls.  Place in a buttered baking pan and bake at 375 degree preheated oven for about 20 minutes.  Makes 2 dozen rolls.  Top with frosting, if desired.

Simple Frosting

2 cups powdered sugar

1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

2-4 tablespoons milk

Mix and drizzle rolls.

All pictures in today's post were pulled from Google images.  This recipe came from A Taste of Hope Vol. II cookbook, page 73.  The frosting recipe is my own addition.  Enjoy and please leave a comment if you try them.  Thanks for reading.  Robin