Red Velvet Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients:

2 packets of active dry yeast (or 5 teaspoons if using bulk)

1 cup sugar

2.5 cups whole milk

1 cup melted butter

5 large eggs at room temperature

8 1/2 cups all purpose flour, plus extra for rolling out

6-8 tablespoons chocolate powder (I prefer Hershey’s, use whatever you prefer)

3 tablespoons dry milk powder

pinch of salt

4-6 teaspoons red food coloring

Filling Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

2 cups dark brown sugar

2 cups granulated sugar

6 tablespoons ground cinnamon

pinch of salt

Cream Cheese Icing

1/2 cup butter- room temperature

2 pound bag powdered sugar

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

5-6 drops LorAnn cream cheese emulsion

1/8 cup of milk if needed to thin to your desired thickness

Warm the milk, butter, and sugar together in a saucepan. Do not boil. Warm to around 110 degrees, or until mixture is warm to the touch and sugar has melted into the liquid. Pour this into a large mixing bowl or tub. Add in yeast and one cup of flour, and let sit until bubbly and activated.

Add in eggs, flour, chocolate and milk powders, salt, and half of the red food coloring, and mix as desired. I use gloved hands, but stand mixers work well too. Knead until you have a dough ball that is smooth and elastic. Add in the other half of the food coloring as you knead. I knead my dough in a dedicated tub that allows room to maneuver yet contains the dough. If dough appears too dry, add in extra milk. If dough is too wet and sticky add in a tiny bit more flour to get to an elastic texture.

Shape the dough into a ball and place it into a large greased bowl, cover this with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place to rise. It should double in size. This can take anywhere from a half hour to 2 hours or more depending on the temperature and humidity in your home.

Once the dough has risen, punch it down and turn it out onto a floured surface. I use an old dough board, but any flat surface works. Parchment laid down first saves a lot of clean up. Roll the dough to an approximate 10x15 rectangle. It doesn’t have to be perfect. If it isn’t that large of a rectangle, no worries! I prefer 9x13-ish, for a slightly thicker dough.

For the filling, my preferred way is to soften the butter and spread over the dough like you would peanut butter on a slice of bread. I mix the cinnamon and sugars together in a bowl and spread over the butter with a spoon. You decide how you want to add your filling, there’s no wrong way. Spread the filling to within a half inch of the edges and leave a little margin so you don’t lose it when you roll the dough in a minute.

Rolling the dough is fairly simple. I like to start the roll tightly and roll away from myself, nudging the dough as it rolls. Once I get to the end of the rectangle I put the roll over with the edge down to keep sealed and pat it just a bit. Pinch that seam before rolling it over on itself. Cut the roll into 1/2 inch to 1 inch slices. I prefer fat slices myself. I prefer a sharp knife, others use dental floss. You do whatever you prefer.

Put the slices into whatever sized pan you prefer. I use my casserole dishes, approximately 9x13. I like to put 4 into an 8x8 pan, 6 into a 9x13, with parchment underneath cut to fit. A round pie pan I put in 4 or 5 depending on how small I cut the slices. Again with parchment underneath (you can buy round cut parchment for cakes that fit perfectly into pie pans).

I let these rise until double. To help with the growth, I occasionally warm up milk or butter and brush on the rolls, and the hydration helps them grow larger and stay softer. In cold weather I put a stock pot of water to boil on the stove top to promote humidity and help them stay warmer. Regardless of season I put a Pyrex bowl of water in the oven while they’re baking to help them stay softer and grow larger before crusting over and browning.

Once they are the size you prefer, pop them in a 350 degree oven for 30-ish minutes, or until they’re golden brown on top. Keep an eye on the bottom for caramelizing , as the fillings can easily burn if not watched. Time is variable depending on oven, roll size, etc. You’ll know when they’re done.

Once baked, brush with butter to soften the tops.

Make your glaze/icing by combining all ingredients in a saucepan or large bowl. If making a warm icing, use the stove top and a medium/low setting. Add the liquids first, then the powdered sugar. Whisk or use a stick blender to get all clumps out and get a nice smooth glaze. Add more liquid for a thinner glaze, more powdered sugar for a thicker glaze. Drizzle over the rolls when you’ve got the consistency you prefer.

Enjoy!