Maple Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup milk (whole milk recommended)
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1/3 cup salted butter (or add a pinch of salt to the dough if using unsalted butter)
• 1 Tablespoon Active Dry or Instant yeast
• 1 large egg
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons cinnamon
• 6 Tablespoons butter (cold, cut into 6 pieces)
• 1 cup icing/confectioners' sugar
• 3 Tablespoons butter (melted)
• 3 Tablespoons maple syrup
• 1-2 teaspoons milk (to thin a bit, as necessary)

Instructions

1. 1

   Warm the milk, maple syrup and butter in the microwave for about 1 minute or in a small saucepan on the stove-top until just hot. Set aside to cool to about 110F (comfortably warm, but not hot). If you have a thermometer, check the temperature to be sure.

2. 2

   Add the yeast to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a kneading hook. Pour in the milk/syrup and stir to combine. Add the egg and mix in. Add 2 cups of the flour and mix/knead until you have a wet dough with all the flour mixed in. Begin adding in the last cup of flour, a bit at a time, kneading until you have a soft, smooth dough that is moist, but not tacky. If using a stand mixer, remove from mixer and knead on the counter a bit, adding addition flour, if needed.

3. 3

   Form the dough into a ball. Place into a greased bowl and cover bowl with plastic wrap. Allow to rise until doubled, about 2 hours.

4. 4

   When dough has almost doubled, prepare the filling by stirring together the brown sugar, flour and cinnamon in small bowl. Add the butter pieces and using a fork, work the butter into the cinnamon-sugar mixture, until all the dry mixture is moistened (no dry mix visible) and you have a crumb mixture. Set aside.

5. 5

   Grease a 9-inch square baking pan and set aside. (Alternately a 10-inch round would work).

6. 6

   Remove dough to a floured work surface. Roll dough into an 11x17-inch rectangle. Sprinkle the filling mixture evenly over the dough. Staring on the LONG (17-inch) side, roll the dough up jelly-roll style. Pinch the seam together and place the log onto a cutting board, seam side down.

7. 7

   Trim 1/2-inch from each end of the log, leaving a 16-inch log. Use a tape measure or ruler to score 1-inch intervals along the log, then cut the log into 1-inch slices. Place the sliced rolls into your prepared pan in 4 rows of 4. Cover the pan with a clean tea towel and set aside to rise for an additional 30 minutes. (After 30 minutes, they will only rise a bit more, but the dough will look puffy).

8. 8

   Preheat oven to 375F.

9. 9

   Bake rolls in preheated oven for 20-15 minutes, or until quite golden. Remove from oven and set baking pan on a cooling rack to cool completely.

10. 10

    When rolls have cooled, prepare glaze by stirring together the glaze ingredients until smooth. Pour over rolls, then use the back of a spoon to spread the glaze round and over all the rolls.

11. 11

    Rolls are best enjoyed on the day they are baked. Left-overs can be frozen to enjoy later.