Grandma's Cinnamon Rolls

I decided it was high time to do a post on Grandma's cinnamon rolls. This was probably her most well-known and well-loved recipe. One of the best things I remember about going to Grandma's house is that she would always make you feel special. One of the ways she did this was by serving you cinnamon rolls for breakfast. I mean, who gets to eat cinnamon rolls for breakfast at home? She would always frost them and put a little pat of butter on them and then heat them up just a little bit. Then she would serve them to you on a pretty plate with a napkin and always a place mat. This is probably my favorite recipe of Grandma's. So here you are: Grandma's Cinnamon Rolls.

Hey all you family out there: What about you? What is your favorite recipe of Grandma's?


Grandma's Cinnamon Rolls

A note from Grandma: "These take about 4 hours to make. Let them raise properly. I usually double this recipe"

2 c. scalded milk
1 c. shortening
1 c. sugar
2 Tbs. yeast
4 beaten eggs
1 1/2 tsp. salt
Flour- enough to make a spongy dough (this is somewhere around 8 cups)

Mix milk, shortening, and sugar in a saucepan. Heat to a simmer. Cool until warm. You can set the hot pan over ice cubes to speed up the cooling process. Don't get it too cold, just nice and warm, or the yeast won't rise. Add yeast. Let raise for 1/2 hour. Add eggs and salt. Mix well. Make a sponge by adding flour. It should be about the consistency of a thick pancake batter. Let raise for 1/2 hour then mix in enough flour to make the dough the consistency of roll dough. Turn dough into a greased bowl and let it raise until double.
Divide dough in half. Roll dough out into a rectangle that is about 1/2 inch thick. Spread with melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Roll up long end into a log. Slice into 1-inch pieces. An easy way to slice the rolls is to use a piece of dental floss.Place pieces on a greased or parchment-lined cookie sheet. Cover with a dish cloth and put in a warm place. Let rolls raise until double in size. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Move to a cooling rack. Frost while still warm. Eat and enjoy!
Don't frost the rolls you aren't going to eat immediately. If you are going to freeze them, let them cool completely. Place flat in a bread bag to freeze.
A few notes: This dough has a very different texture to it than regular bread dough, so be prepared for that. The first time I made these it freaked me out.
I will often prepare the dough to the point where you put it in a greased bowl. I will then put the bowl in the fridge and let the dough raise slowly overnight. This makes the process a little less overwhelming. If you do this remember to let the dough get to room temperature before trying to work with it.
Grandma never specified how much butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon to use. So I would say, use good judgment. I have found not going overboard actually works to your favor.
A final note form Grandma: "Have fun!"