Teeny Tiny Cinnamon Rolls

Sometimes you just need something from your childhood. Today was one of those days. Let me explain. Most of you know I have another blog: http://takingcareofmomanddad.wordpress.com/
That is a more formal blog where I try to be very general giving information that all caregivers throughout the United States may use. From the very first day that I started that blog, another blogger latched on to me and has held on for dear life. This would be fine if she was nice, supportive, and informative. Nope, at the beginning of ever comment she announces her certification and then goes on to say basically, “This is a nice little post, but let me – an expert – tell you how it REALLY is”. I try to remain open minded to encourage thoughtful dialogue, but I’m tellin’ you……she makes it darn hard! Last week, I wrote a post and she actually insulted my profession. A different follower commented, taking her to task for it. That seemed to simmer her down so I thought maybe she had gone on to bigger and better blogs. How stupid of me! Not to belabor the point, but she makes me want to close that blog and never think about it again. Hence, my need for a taste of childhood.

When I was a kid, my mom’s brothers, sisters, their spouses, and kids would all come home about once per year. Every year they asked my Nana to make them her cinnamon rolls because they could never find ones as good as hers. I always liked them really well but never knew why no one could find them.

I grew up and moved to Kansas City to go to college, where I visited the biggest mall I had ever seen in my entire life! The Bannister Mall was huge to me – we didn’t have a mall in my hometown so it’s not like I had anything much to compare it to. There was a full-on, sit down, serve-you-wine-if-you-want, open air restaurant smack dab in the middle of the mall! Somewhere down in the mall was a food court, something I had never heard of at the time (1985), and in that food court was a Cinnabon. I hadn’t had one of my nana’s cinnamon rolls for some time and I was very excited, especially since there was a very long line waiting to get one. I was mesmerized by the young woman behind the counter who was making them….YOU COULD ACTUALLY WATCH THEM MAKE THEM……yeah, I was a country bumpkin. The odd thing was, theirs looked so different! First off, they were huge and then when we got it, I tasted mine. Hmmmm……interesting……..sort of like a very thick piece of cinnamon toast and icing. I really liked it, but it wasn’t nana’s.

You must know, until today, I have never had another like hers unless she made it. No one makes them like she did. They are very different. She made her roll – she didn’t buy it like me – but they tasted pretty much the same. So, here goes and if you don’t like bready things, this might be right up your alley.

You will need:
1 tube of Pizza crust – thin
¼ Cup melted butter
Brown Sugar
Cinnamon
Icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons milk
½ teaspoon vanilla

Lay down wax paper on a clean counter and spray with non-stick spray.

Roll out the pizza dough and stretch it out a bit.

Brush melted butter on top of crust.

Liberally sprinkle brown sugar all over crust.

Sprinkle as much cinnamon on top of brown sugar.

Roll it up. Cover with wax paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour, or overnight is good.

Slice it in 1 inch pieces.

Place in muffin cups in a muffin tin.

Bake somewhere between 15 – 30 minutes at 350 F. While baking mix up the icing.

Watch the rolls and take them out of the oven when golden brown. As soon as they come out, spoon a little icing over the top of the rolls.
Leave in tins for 5-10 minutes then move to wire cookie rack to cool completely. This will take more than an hour.

At first, the bottoms are stuck to the muffin cups but as they cool, they will release. They are small, not bready, and while tender they will not be soft. But they are what I grew up on and they bring me comfort on days like this!

Don’t Forget! National Can if Forward Day is 7-14-2012 and on that day my book will be free on amazon!

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