Sour Cream Cinnamon Rolls

I've made my fair share of cinnamon rolls. In high school, I made and sold pans of cinnamon rolls to raise money for my trip to Spain. I usually just use my standby roll recipe and proceed as one normally would for cinnamon rolls, but the roll part always turns out a little 'bready' after they cool. I've had this recipe in my 'to-try' file for some time now, and thought General Conference was a great time to give them a try. SUCCESS! The roll was nice and soft and although a lot of the filling ran to the bottom of the pan, it was soft and not burned. This is our new favorite!

-Prairie Home Cooking

Dough:
2 pkg. active dry yeast (5 tsp)
1/2 cup lukewarm water
2 cups sour cream
4 Tbsp. butter
6 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
6 cups all-purpose flour

Filling:
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
½ cup. butter, softened

Glaze:
3 cups confectioner's sugar
4 Tbsp. milk or light cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract

1. Prepare the dough: Sprinkle the yeast over the lukewarm water in a small bowl; do not stir. Set aside to proof to a foamy consistency. heat the sour cream in a saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sour cream is lukewarm, about 4 minutes. Add the butter, sugar, baking soda, and salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter is melted, about 5 minutes more. Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl (or Bosch), and using an electric mixer, blend in the egg and the yeast mixture. Mix in the flour, 1/2 cup at a time; you will have a sticky and somewhat thick dough. turn out the dough onto a floured board and knead it for 3 to 4 minutes (or mix in Bosch), or until the dough is elastic and no longer sticky. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with a damp tea towel, and let the dough rise for 10 minutes.

2. Prepare the filling: Combine the sugar and the cinnamon in a bowl and set aside. Divide the dough in half, and transfer one of the halves to a floured board (I just spray my counter with Pam). Roll out the dough into a 13x10-inch rectangle that is about 1/4 inch thick. Brush half of the melted butter over the surface of the dough and sprinkle it with half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Roll up the dough in jelly-roll fashion, starting with the long side that is least even; you will end up with a roll about 13 inches long. Lightly oil a baking sheet. Cut the roll into 1-inch lengths and place each piece, with a spiral side facing up, on the baking sheet. Repeat the process with the other half of the dough. Cover the cinnamon rolls with a tea towel, and let them rise for 1 hour, or until they have about doubled in bulk. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

3. Bake the cinnamon rolls for 20-25 minutes, or until they are puffed and browned. While the rolls bake, make the glaze: Whisk together the confectioners' sugar and the milk in a bowl. When the mixture is smooth, the vanilla.

4. Remove the rolls from the oven, and while they are still hot, drizzle them with the glaze. Let them cool slightly before serving.

Variation for Orange Rolls:

Filling:

½ cup butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar
zest of 2 oranges

Glaze:
3 cups confectioner's sugar
zest of 1 orange (Optional, for more orange flavor)
orange juice - enough to make a thin glaze