Cinnabons... Looking for a healthy cinnamon roll recipe?...You should probly keep looking.

Tonight I made a heavenly masterpiece that I dare say has roughly a week's caloric intake in ONE...but I say GO BIG OR GO HOME! especially in the sweets dept. There is no use in making something that is supposed to be really UN-healthy, HEALTHY. (sorry sis, I disagree with you on this one...) I discovered this recipe, and found it valid! 

The experience was not my first attempt at making cinnamon rolls, but it was indeed the first time at THIS particular recipe, which is always a bit of a gamble.... Considering I usually have a hard time even with a reliable recipe, tring a new one can definately be some risky biz. I got off to a rough start, but I didn't give up, and they turned out AMAZING. 

ONE TRIP TO SMITHS, AND THREE TRIPS TO THE CREAMERY later, the finished result was well worth it! Haha, so just to give you a..."flavor" if you will, of Monica in the Kitchen.

1. First I seemed to think pudding was made with water. FALSE! It indeed gets it's delicous-ness from milk. Once you mix water with pudding mix, I testify to you that it is GONE. You can't strain, in any way, the water, from, the powder. 

2. Yeast is mixed with warm water, not milk. .. no questions asked. just for your own knowledge, I didn't do this.....

* These two errors were my first, and only errors, and they definately required a trip back to the creamery for more yeast and another package of vanilla pudding. I had already gone to the creamery for those two things minutes before, because I had forgotten them at the grocery store, about an hour before...haha I'm sure the clerks at the creamery were laughing amongst themselves...haha oh well, they were soooooo good!!! Here is the recipe! ENJOY!!! 

CINNABON' STYLE CINNAMON ROLLS :) 

Dough: 

1/2 cup warm water 

2 packages dry Yeast 

2 Tbs. sugar 

1 package vanilla pudding 

1/2 cup melted butter 

2 eggs 

1 tsp. salt 

6 cups flour 

Filling: 

1 cup melted butter

1 cup light brown sugar (haha make sure you go with the LIGHT if your watching the calories!! wait whaaaat? hahaha please just enjoy them, and be me, fight yourself from from trying to calculate calories on these-- save yourself a guilt trip! They are well worth a splurge!) 

4 tsp. cinnamon 

1 cup granulated sugar 

Cream Cheese Frosting: 

1 8 oz.  package of cream cheese softened 

1/2 cup butter 

1 tsp. vanilla 

3 cups powdered sugar 

1 TBS. milk 

 

mix water, yeast, and sugar til dissolved. set aside. prepare pudding as it says on box. add eggs, butter, and salt; mix well. Add yeast mixture and blend well. Gradually add flour (make sure you have a big bowl, 6 cups is a lot of flour!!) Transfer to a floured surface to knead until dough is smooth. Put in a greased bowl and let double in size. After it has doubled, punch it (love that part! haha) and then let it double again. 

Roll out and make into two large rectangles. Butter the surfaces of them and then pour the filling inside. Roll and cut with dental floss, it's easier to do it that way. Put on a greased pan and let them rise again for about 20 minutes. Bake at 350 for about 15-20 minutes. Put the cream cheese frosting on them to make them DIVINE!! 

People raved about these. Seriously, way legit!!!