Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Last week I did a Standard-Examiner column on Kathy Steindorf of Layton, whose luscious homemade cinnamon rolls are a favorite at holiday parties.

They’re made from scratch, and slathered with cream cheese frosting. Over the years, Steindorf swapped recipes with many good cooks. The cinnamon roll recipe came from a family friend, Harold Brown, who worked at Bonneville High School.

“So all these years, I’ve always called them Harold Brown’s Cinnamon Rolls,” said Steindorf with a chuckle. “This was a definite family winner.”

The recipe was featured in a family cookbook that one of Kathy’s daughters compiled, with all their favorite recipes such as Carrot Pudding.  Now Kathy’s daughters are carrying on the homemade cinnamon roll tradition.

If you’d like to try your hand at making your own homemade sweet rolls, here’s Steindorf’s recipe:

HOMEMADE CINNAMON ROLLS

2 cups scalded milk

2 yeast cakes, or 2 packages of dry yeast

1 cup warm water

1/2 cup oil

2/3 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 cup mashed potatoes

2 teaspoons salt

8 cups flour

1 to 2 cubes softened butter

Brown sugar (about 1/2 to 1 cup)

Cinnamon (about 2 to 3 tablespoons)

Scald the milk and let it cool in a large mixing bowl until lukewarm.

Ferment the yeast in the water with a small amount of the sugar. Add fermented yeast and remaining ingredients (except for butter, brown sugar and cinnamon) to the milk and mix until doughy. Cover dough with cloth and let raise at room temperature for 1 1/2 hours, or double in size.

Roll dough out to 1/2 inch thick. Spread softened butter over the dough. Layer with brown sugar and top with cinnamon. Roll up the dough into a log.

Cut the dough log into 1-inch thick slices and put in greased pan (or pan lined with parchment paper).

Cover and let raise at room temperature for an hour. Bake at 375 degrees until tops are golden brown. Frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese

1 pound powdered sugar (half of a 2-pound bag)

1 cube butter

Vanilla

Mix all ingredients together and beat until well-mixed and fluffy. Use to spread on Cinnamon Rolls.

— Kathy Steindorf, Layton