Mini Cinnamon Rolls

This post is to me a combination of several of my favorite things right now: breakfast foods, make ahead and freeze, and "mini." Somehow I am able to feel much more guilt-free if I am eating just a tiny bite-sized version of my food. (Does it matter if I then eat 5 or 6? Who's counting!)

I used my trusty bread-maker for this but if you don't have a bread machine, feel free to modify the recipe and use without!

Combine the milk and the butter in a microwave-safe container and warm it up to melt the butter. You are aiming for a temperature between 110-120 degrees so the yeast can do it's magical thing. If it's too hot, just leave it out for a few minutes to cool down. 

Add the milk, butter, vanilla and egg to the machine first. Then add the flour, sugar, salt and yeast. 

Set the machine on a dough setting and let it go! You want a setting that mixes it and let's it complete 1 rise cycle. Enjoy the next hour and a half of wonderful wait time. Do laundry. Clean the kitchen. Or sit by the window with a cup of coffee and enjoy catching up on TV shows like I am doing. It's the little things in life, right?

Once it is all done, punch it down and let it rest while you sprinkle some flour on the counter. 

Roll it out into a long, skinny rectangle. Since you are going for mini's you want that extra length to the sides. (For normal-size rolls, go for more of a balanced rectangle instead of the above shape.)

Smear some softened butter all over it. Don't skimp! Give it a nice, thick coat. 

In a separate bowl, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon. 

Then sprinkle it evenly over the dough!

Then roll it up and slice about every inch. I ended up with a total of about 20 rolls. 

Spray a glass baking dish with non-stick spray and then lay out the rolls with a little bit of space between them. You want to give them space to rise a bit in the oven. Pop them in a pre-heated oven at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes. until they have a nice golden brown color. 

Voila! You can enjoy a tasty treat without feeling the intense guilt of an enormous, gooey cinnamon roll. If you are an icing person, feel free to whip up a cream cheese frosting, or if you want something a little lighter, try this easy maple icing! 

Just mix up 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar with 1 tablespoon of maple syrup and 2 tablespoons of milk. If you want the consistency thicker or thinner, feel free to add more sugar or milk as needed. Drizzle or spread over the top. 

If you want to freeze them and reheat throughout the week, just wrap each one in wax paper and then put them in a freezer bag. They make a great treat for these cold, wintry mornings. 

Mini Cinnamon Rolls

(Yield: 20)

• ½ cup Milk
• 1 Egg
• ¼ cup Butter
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 2 cups Bread Flour
• ¼ cup Sugar
• ½ tsp Salt
• 2 ½ tsp Yeast
• ¼ cup Softened Butter
• ½ cup Brown Sugar
• 1 tbsp Cinnamon

1. Put milk and butter in a microwave safe container and warm to between 110 and 120 degrees.

2. Place milk, butter, egg and vanilla in the bottom of the bread machine.

3. Then add flour, sugar, salt and yeast on top. Set the machine on a dough cycle.

4. After the dough has completed one rise, punch it down and let it rest on the counter while you mix together the cinnamon and brown sugar. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

5.  Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface. Aim for a long, skinny rectangle! Then spread 1/4 cup of softened butter evenly over it.

6. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mix over the top and then roll up the dough. Slice it every inch or so and lay the slices in a greased baking pan.

7. Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown.

8. Serve warm, add icing, or freeze as desired!