Cinnamon Rolls

​Valentine's Day is on a Thursday this year.  School and work and soccer practice and wrestling meets all seem to be taking priority over our Valentine celebration.  It seems that the only time we will all be together that day is for breakfast so ... Valentine breakfast it is.  

I had seen a picture of a heart shaped cinnamon roll on pinterest and my mind immediately went to Valentine's Day.  There were no instructions on the website - simply a picture of an unbaked cinnamon roll that had been shaped into a heart.  I decided to take on the challenge of recreating this sweet treat for my family.  How hard could it be?     

The heart shaped cinnamon roll proved to be harder than I thought it would be.  I tried several different methods to get the cinnamon rolls to hold their heart shape and after several failed attempts, I finally found one that worked.  (Not that anyone complained about having to eat 2 batches of rolls that didn't look like hearts.)  

Cinnamon Rolls
½ cup flour                                         Filling
5 teaspoons yeast                             1 cup brown sugar
½ cup warm water                            5 Tablespoons butter
1 Tablespoon brown sugar             1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1 ¾ cup warm water                         1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
5-5 ¾ cups flour    
¼ cup butter                                       Icing
1 Tablespoon cinnamon                  1 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons salt                                 1 Tablespoon half and half
                                                               1 teaspoon vanilla

​In mixer, combine ½ c. flour, yeast, brown sugar and ½ cup water.  Let stand 15 minutes.

​Add 1 ¾ cups water, 1 cup flour, butter, cinnamon and salt.  Beat.

​Add remaining flour.  Beat 5 minutes.  Let rest 15 minutes.

​Preheat oven to 400.  Combine filling ingredients.

Roll dough to a 20x12” rectangle.

​Sprinkle filling over dough.

​Roll up starting with a long side.

T make hearts, ​I rolled the short sides in to meet in the center before slicing.  Slice into 1/2" pieces and place on a cookie sheet. 

​Bake 20 minutes at 400.

​​Stir together icing ingredients and drizzle over rolls.  Add sprinkles if desired. 

​My sweet daughter ate 3 of these after soccer practice yesterday afternoon.  That's all the thanks I need.  

Ciao!

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