Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Freezer to Oven Ready Cinnamon Rolls

My cousin Michele is expecting her first baby. Smooches to expecting moms' craving stuff. She asked me if I made cinnamon rolls or if I had a good recipe. I realized in a fit of shame that I had never actually posted an in depth full on-scale battle plan/tutorial on how to construct them. Let the wild rumpus start. It's Tutorial Tuesday after all. I'm the queen of all the Wild Things.

Now... I had a song when I was growing up that I admittedly mocked sometimes whenever I ate something naughty. The angelic song was "Give Said The Little Stream" and it gives-oh-gives away as it hurries down the hill. Evil song went: "sin-oh-sin-away"...and usually involved "I'm small I know but wherever I go my thighs grow thicker still"...it wasn't very sweet to make delirious fun of such a good song. I'm going to bakers heck for singing it. I am. Singing, singing all the day... If it is cinnamon rolls I guess that would be...cin-away oh cin-a-way. Evil. Evil little fat bombs. Smothered in cream cheese frosting warm and fluffily calling my name. Fluffily? I'm going with it. It's a word.
Sin oh sin away...stink. I haven't any boundaries with cinnamon rolls. They are evil. Why would I ever make them more convenient?! Why? Evil. Evil.
That being said, the freezer to oven dinner roll recipe got me thinking last week. As if that wasn't Evil enough (thinking...)


So here's the dinner roll recipe:
http://cheftessbakeresse.blogspot.com/2010/01/perfect-freezer-friendly-dinner-rolls.html


Follow it to the point where you have raised the dough for the one hour. Take out of the bowl and place on a floured table or counter top. Roll into a rectangle, 2 feet long by one foot wide. It will be about 1/2 inch thick. Make sure you lift the dough a couple times and dust underneath with more flour so it doesn't stick to the table.
You will need 1/4 cup softened butter, 1/2 cup sugar and 2T cup high grade cinnamon. That means a nice brand that really smells cinnamon-eee. Spread the softened butter over the dough in a light coating. Leave about 1 inch on the ends and sides that doesn't have butter or and sugar mixture. It will help the rolls seal better.. Combine the sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle generously over the cinnamon roll dough, covering the butter. Now roll them up tightly. Spastic ally pinch the living daylights out of the edges so they seal. Wow. I may have been a little dramatic in my use of words for pinching. You do understand however that I must make myself clear. Pinch those bad boys really hard. Unpinched they will be lifting off the roll and getting all wiggle-jiggle goofy looking.

Slice the roll into 12 pieces...
Looks like my son's first grade class lining up for recess.

Now. Divide and conquer. I mean...divide and place on a parchment lined sheet pan 2 inches apart.
Now...lightly mist the tops of the rolls with oil and cover with a loose fitting piece of plastic wrap.

This next picture totally reminds me of E.T. when the government comes in and puts him in a big zippy bag to put in cryogenic deep freeze. Poor Elliot...the drama. "You're killing him!" Sniff. Sniff. Then Gertie brings in the flower pot and all is well?Remember that? Well...you are going to have to raise the rolls completely, about 45 minutes to an hour. Then instead of baking, place on parchment lined sheet pans and freeze solid (about 1 hour). Now you can keep these up to one month! What a great way to prepare for that big breakfast weekend when Auntie Bertha comes to visit. Won't you look so Domestic Diva-like? When frozen and ready to bake you take these out of the freezer and remove the zippy bag...

Place frozen rolls on a lightly oiled pan 1/2 inch apart and bake 375 degrees 25-30 minutes. Remove from pan and cool. We usually can't wait to frost them and then the cream cheese frosting melts all over the table in pools of sweet buttery bliss.

Feel free to put them in your bicycle basket and fly away from the government freaks. Yeah! Turn on your heart light. This is the moon.

Cream Cheese frosting is evil. Enters Evil Tara with exceptional recipe for cream cheese white chocolate frosting with a little orange zest...(http://cheftessbakeresse.blogspot.com/2009/11/evil-taras-pumpkin-whoopie-pies.html ) Mom starts to cry. It's totally emotional. Ahh. I love a good cinnamon roll/sci-fi spoof.


There you go Michele. There you go...remaining bakers. Sin oh sin away...

13 comments:

Amy said...

Um, YUM! We were just wishing for a quicker way to do cinnamon rolls. It's no fun waking up 4 hours early on Sunday morning to make them!

Chef Tess said...

Agreed! Bakers hours stink as it is...and if you are home, why give yourself more work if you don't have to do so?

Gourmified said...

Oh you really are EVIL! I'm definitely going to try this. Though, I'm going to admit to you something right here and now...I've never made dough from scratch before. Sheesh! There I said it! I cheat! I use my bread machine's handy dandy dough setting...aack! I know! Will this still work if I continue to process my dough the same way? I think it just might work since the freeze-ability has to do with the final rising phase, right!? Just checking...reassurance needed here, pretty please!

Ah, there I go rambling again...sorry! You're Ah-MAZING!

BTW, I ran out of time to make a cake using your recipe. I'm super sad and ashamed I didn't do what I said I would. I promise I will...soon...and let you know what I think.

Lisa

Chef Tess said...

Lisa, you're so cute! I assume of course that the bread machine dough should work. I don't actually even own a machine so you will have to let me know how that works. No worries on the cake mix...I've had a lot of really great feedback so far. Love ya! Thanks for the great comment! Always love to hear how things are going.

Tina ♥ said...

Those pictures are making me drool!!! Oh dang! Thanks for the recipe.

Marylois said...

I teach early morning seminary and its my turn for breakfast every now and again. I'm definitely going to have to make these.

Bergamot said...

The cinnamon rolls look just great. Yeah as always a fab idea to cook up something great anytime.

Anonymous said...

I am making these tonight and they look amazing so far! I was just wondering, can you make the frosting ahead and freeze it too?

Chef Tess said...

I don't see why you couldn't make the frosting and freeze it in ziploc freezer pint size bags. Just take it out of the freezer the same time you take out the rolls and leave the bag zipped. Knead it with your warm hands for a little bit. It should work perfectly.

Cathy Davis said...

Quite Yummy Blog and nice pics too.

sherrie said...

mmmm. put the frozen ziplock on the stove-top while it pre heats and cooks the rolls!! should be prefect!!!!
iv done it with pillbary frozen rolls before!!

Kim in Utah said...

I made these cinnamon rolls yesterday and they were the yummiest cinnamon rolls I've ever made! They were so soft and velvety - my husband called them evil and I agree!

Esther Wheat said...

I think this is perfect for empty nesters like us! I can make the recipe and only bake what we need!!!! Oh.....you shouldn't have!!!! (but thanks!)