Cream Cheese Cinnamon Rolls

I made these for Thanksgiving breakfast.  There were delicious. I was in a sugar coma all day.  That is all I can write now because it is finals.

CREAM CHEESE CINNAMON ROLLS

makes 8-10 rolls

For the Dough:

1- ¼ ounce package dry yeast

½ teaspoon, plus ¼ cup sugar

½ cup milk at room temperature

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg

1 egg yolk

2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading

¾ teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons

For the Filling:

1 cup sugar

½ cup dark brown sugar

3 tablespoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

¼ ground cloves

5 tablespoons maple syrup

4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the Cream Cheese Icing:

4 ounces unsalted butter, at room temperature

4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

2 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

In a large bowl, combine yeast, ½ teaspoon sugar, and ¼ cup warm water. Stir to combine and let stand until frothy and foamy, about ten minutes.

Add remaining sugar, milk, light brown sugar, vanilla, egg, and egg yolk. Beat with a whisk until well combined. Add the flour and salt and stir with a wooden spoon until dough begins to come together. If you have a stand mixer, attach a dough hook and knead for 4 minutes. If you don’t have one, you can knead with the spoon.

Add the butter and continue to knead for 6 minutes. The dough will be wet and sticky. Place the dough on a well-floured surface and knead about 1/3 cup of flour into the dough. Set the dough into a bowl that has been lightly coated with canola oil. Cover with plastic wrap and a dish towel and allow to rise in a warm place for 1 ½ to 2 hours, or until doubled in size.

When dough has doubled in size, dump it from the bowl onto a well-floured surface. Gently knead dough until it is no longer sticky, adding more flour as needed. Work the dough for 1 to 2 minutes, cover with a dish towel and let rest for 5 minutes before rolling it out.

Using a floured rolling pin, roll the dough into a 10×10 square. In a small bowl, mix the cream cheese with a knife until it is spreadable. Spread the cream cheese over the dough. Fold the square into thirds like you would fold a letter into an envelope. Take the open ends of the rectangle and fold into thirds again.

Invert the dough so that the seam is facing down. Roll it into a 10 x 20 inch rectangle. Some cream cheese may ooze out- that’s ok.

Combine all of the ingredients for the filling. Brush the top of the dough with the melted butter, then spread the filling on top, leaving a 1 inch boarder at one of the shorter ends so that the rolls can seal properly. Lightly press filling into dough.

Using your hands, carefully roll the dough into a cylinder. Cut into 8-10 slices (depending on how thick you want your rolls to be). Nestle the slices, evenly spaced in a buttered 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Cover pan with plastic wrap and let rise for 2 hours. You may also refrigerate overnight.

When ready to cook, heat the oven to 375 degrees. Uncover the rolls. If you refrigerated overnight, let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before baking. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the icing. Combine ingredients in a bowl and beat on medium speed until smooth. Let rolls cools slightly and then drizzle with icing.