Have a Cinnamon Roll!

Here, have a cinnamon roll! I finally was able to get a few things accomplished today. I had gotten so far behind with all the preparations for the craft night I wasn't sure I would ever get caught up. But the laundry is almost done and after spending the day trying to clean up Joshua's latest mess(it involved food coloring and the carpet in my bedroom), I got to do a few fun things today like make cinnamon rolls. I tell ya, they are worth making just for the smell! We took some to the kids teachers too. Never hurts to sweeten them up during SEP conference time right? So I had hoped to show you how the little elephant stuffie is shaping up but I spent my evening scrubbing carpet instead of stuffing an elephant. If anyone knows a magic solution for getting a rainbow of food coloring out of your carpet I will fed-ex them cinnamon rolls! Yesterday I would have fed-exed you the artist of the rainbow, a little stinker named Joshua. I am telling you it is a good thing that kid is cute!

Here is the cinnamon roll recipe:

1 Tbls yeast

1/2 shortening or oil

1 tsp salt

1/2 C Sugar

1 C scalded milk

3/4 mashed potatoes

2 beaten eggs

4 C flour

Dissolve yeast in 1/2 C warm water. Add shortening to milk(scalding just means heating it until it is foamy, I do mine in the microwave); stir until melted. Add salt, sugar and potatoes. When cool add yeast. Mix thoroughly and add eggs. Add enough flour to make stiff dough.

Knead well. Let rise until double. Roll dough into a large rectangle. Brush melted butter over dough. Mix about 1 cup sugar and 3-4tsp cinnamon and sprinkle over butter. Roll dough up pinching the edge once it is rolled up to seal it making it look like a log. Cut into 1" pieces using a knife or string. I use dental floss. Just place the floss underneath the log, wrap it around the log, cross it at the top and pull. It doesn't squish the log. place on a greased cookie sheet or closer together in a 9X13 pan. Raise until double. Bake at 400 for 10-15 on the cookie sheet or 20 min at 350 in the 9x13 pan. Cool. Then frost. I use cream cheese frosting. Regular frosting made from just powdered sugar, butter, vanilla and milk works too.