cinnamon rolls

Alright! Y’all.
There is nothing better than a fresh out the oven, homemade cinnamon roll.
Yeah?
We agree, right?
Okay, good!
Because, we need to agree on that before y’all read how long these take!!!
They are actually really easy. They don’t require a mixer, a ton of kneading or anything… the time comes from letting them rise. They are best when they rise three times.
Yes.
Yup.
Ya heard me.
Three times.
These are the kind of rolls you start the day before, okay? Here we go!

Ingredients:
3 tbsp sugar <this will go in the yeast and milk mixture)
1/4 cup sugar <this will go in the dough mixture>
1 cup whole fat milk (don’t y’all dare not use whole milk)(And yes, I know that is a double negative, wild y’all)
3 cups all purpose flour <you will need some to roll your dough out, too>
6 tbsp softened butter
1 egg
Filling:
1 cup sugar
3 tbsp cinnamon
3 tbsp melted butter
Icing:
8oz cream cheese softened
2 cups confectioner sugar
6 tbsp heavy cream <less if you want it a little thicker>
1 tbsp vanilla

Directions:
In a small saucepan bring the milk up to 110F in temperature. Basically we are warming it, we don’t need it to boil.
In a small bowl, add 3 tbsp sugar, milk and yeast
Allow it to rest and get all foamy, this part is fun! <nerd alert>
In a large bowl, sift flour, 1/4 cup sugar, and salt
Add the <super soft> butter <don’t you dare add butter that is not super mushy, okay?>
Add the egg
Add the yeast mixture
Stir well with a spatula or wooden spoon
Mix with the spoon until everything is incorporated
Knead in the bowl or your counter for about 3 minutes
The dough will be smooth and elastic- perfect!
Place it back in the bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap
Allow it to rise for about 2 hours <you want it to double in size>
When it looks all pretty and risen, go punch it down
Let it rise again, this time about 1.5 hours
<Take this time to make your filling>
Divide it in half- it will make it easier to roll out
Flour the surface <lightly> that you will be rolling the dough on
Sprinkle the dough with some flour and roll it into a beautiful rectangle
Just kidding, my rectangle is always ugly
Roll it to the size of 12x9, but it doesn’t have to be perfect
Melt the 3 tbsp of butter and spread half of it over the dough
Sprinkle filling mixture all over
You will NOT use the entire mixture <save it in a baggie for when you make them again>
How do you know how much mixture to put? You want it to “melt” in the butter, and then a little extra on top of that
You do not want so much mixture that it is “sandy”, so if too much of it moves around, you have too much
Roll it up!
Goal: wrap into a tight cylinder shape
When you are at the end of rolling, make sure to pinch the seam to seal it!
Cut them into 1.5-2” rounds
Arrange in a pie pan, on a cookie sheet, wherever you want!
RISE BABY RISE!
Okay last rise. 1 hour. You got this. Don’t forget, cover in plastic wrap.
This is where I walk away, I let them just sit like this overnight and they go straight into the oven when I wake up. Oh lord, I’m starting to smell them now!
When you are ready to make them:
Heat oven to 350
Bake for about 25-30 minutes <allow them to get just golden>
Make your icing:
Beat cream cheese with sugar
Add vanilla
Add heavy cream to consistency desired