Cinnamon Buns with Cream Cheese Icing

Cinnamon Buns-Lynn's Recipe

Buns:
1/4 cup Warm Water
3/4 cup Warm Milk
2 1/2 tsp Fast Rising Yeast
1/4 cup White Sugar
1/2 tsp Salt
2/3 cup Softened Margarine
3 cups All Purpose Flour

Filling:
1 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp Cinnamon
1/2 cup Softened Margarine

Cream Cheese Icing:
1/2 cup Softened Butter(Has to be butter for flavor)
1 cup Cream Cheese
3 cups Sifted Icing Sugar

My family loves these,especially fresh out of the oven.  I always double the recipe so I can freeze one batch for when we have company or just as a special treat in my teenagers lunches.  If you freeze them or want them warm, just popping them into the microwave for 30-45 seconds, and they melt in your mouth.  

Before you start, turn the light on in your oven, I explain why later.

Your milk and water need to be luke warm, not too hot and not too cold, so the yeast can become active.

Mix the warm milk, warm water, sugar, and salt.  

Sprinkle the yeast on top of the warm mixture and set aside for 5-10 minutes.

The yeast will start to grow and then you know you have the right temperature for your buns.

Once the yeast is active, add the margarine and flour and mix until blended.

Now you can knead the dough with your hands, adding a bit of flour as your dough needs it (if it starts to stick your hands or dough hook), or you can knead it for 5 minutes in a Kitchen Aide with a dough hook.

While the dough is kneading, grease a large bowl that you will transfer the dough to so it can rise.

I like to use the wrapper from the margarine squares, that way nothing goes to waste.

Place dough into greased bowl and place it into a warm place to rise for 1 hour.

I put the light on in my oven, and this will create a great place to let your dough rise. 

While the dough is rising, you can prepare the filling the cinnamon buns with.

Add the brown sugar and cinnamon to a bowl.

Mix the mixture until well blended.  

I use my hands to do this because you can feel if there are any lumps in your brown sugar 

and allows you to break them down quickly and easily.

This will give you a nice texture to sprinkle on later.

Grease the dish you will be baking with.  I use a lasagna dish and small casserole dish.

 After one hour of rising, take your dough out of the oven, place it on a well floured surface, 

and roll it out in a rectangular shape.  Here I like to use my dining table.

Take your 1/2 cup of margarine and spread it evenly over the entire dough.

Sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture evenly over the dough and margarine.

I like to pat it down into the butter a bit to help it stick better to the dough.

Start rolling it from the side closest to you working away from you.

Slice the tube of dough about an inch in length, trying to keep them even in size.

Place them in your greased dish with some space to rise one more time.

Place them in the warm oven again to rise for 30 minutes.

Pull them out of the oven and let them rise for another 15 minutes while your oven warms up.  

Preheat oven to 350'F.

Place them in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes. 

When they start to turn brown on the edges, they are done.

Don't these look amazing.  I am trying to keep the family at bay until the cream cheese icing is done.  

It's painful to have to take pictures during the process as it takes longer to bake and cook.

Here are the thigns you will need for the cream cheese icing.

Whip together the softened butter and cream cheese.

Add icing sugar, one cup at a time and mix in between each cup you add.  

This will help it not be clumpy and give it an nice creamy mixture.

It was all worth the wait!  I hope your family enjoys this yummy treat as much as mine does.

You can freeze these in a container for up to a month.

They taste best warm, so warm them up in the microwave before eating them.  

This makes them moist and gives them a fresh taste, even 3 days later.

Now if you want to enjoy these for breakfast first thing in the morning, you can leave them covered in your oven over night.  They will rise nicely and slowly remove them in the morning to preheat the oven.  I usually go into the shower at this point.  Then when the oven is warm and serve fresh for breakfast.