This is my mom's recipe for cinnamon rolls. I use the dough for all kinds of sweet breads - not just cinnamon rolls! Source: Mom (magazine clipping from 1976)
1cupsugar and 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon mixed together
Glaze
4tablespoonsbuttermelted
2cupsconfectioners' sugar
2-4tablespoonshot milk
2teaspoonsvanilla extract
Instructions
For the dough, heat milk, 1/2 cup sugar and salt in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir until sugar melts and a few small bubbles appear at the edges of the pan. Remove from heat and let cool while you prepare the other elements.
Dissolve yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in very warm water (90°F to 110°F) in the bowl of a standing mixer (or a large bowl if you don't have a stand mixer). Stir with the paddle attachment (or wooden spoon) until well blended. Let stand 10 minutes.
Beat eggs into yeast mixture. Stir in cooled milk mixture (it should be lukewarm), switch to the dough hook then add in flour a little at a time until dough is elastic. Add melted butter and mix, then add in more flour until dough is elastic and pulls away from the sides of the mixer. Note: you may not have to use all the flour. Do not add so much flour that the dough does not stick to your hands. Set a timer and knead with the dough hook (or knead with hands on a floured surface) for 5 minutes.
Place dough in a buttered bowl and turn it over to coat the entire surface. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place 1 hour or until doubled (mine took a little longer than an hour to double).
Punch down dough and turnout onto a lightly floured surface. Knead a few times and cut into two pieces. Roll out each piece to 15x12-inch rectangles.
For the filling, brush the rolled dough pieces with the melted butter. Sprinkle each with half the cinnamon sugar mixture and roll up jelly-roll style. Cut each roll into 12 pieces.
Place slices not quite touching in a well buttered pan. A 13x9 dish will work well, but I prefer them in 9-inch round cake pans.
Cover and let rise about 45 minutes or until doubled.
Preheat oven to 375°. Bake rolls for 22-25 minutes, or until golden. Keep a close eye on them so they don't over-bake!
Whisk together glaze ingredients, adding additional milk as needed. Glaze rolls in the pan while they are hot, or turn them out on a serving platter and glaze.