Cinnamon Rolls

For YEARS, I would be sad thinking about cinnamon rolls. Since having Celiac Disease, I couldn’t have the luxury of popped cinnamon rolls from a can on Christmas morning or the gooey calorie filled Cinnabon at the mall courtyard. I tried for years to experiment and would always get bricks covered in frosting. It just never worked out so I gave up.

A few years ago we visited Oregon for a quick trip and stumbled upon Kyra’s bake shop. This little gem has the most delicious, soft, and dreamy gluten free cinnamon rolls I have ever had. I still day dream about them and wished they shipped them to different states. They inspired me to try again.

I continued to test until a few years later...EUREEKA! My cinnamon roll dreams came true.

Tips for this: make sure your yeast is gluten free and fresh! If your yeast is a dud you will be sad. Also, be patient. Let your yeast get happy with the sugars and then let your dough proof on it’s own terms. Don’t try to push the time because it won’t be the same. Make the dough the day before if you need to but then you will still need to let it sit out after to get happy a little while longer. Get ready for some fluffy goodness!

Cinnamon Rolls

Dough:

• 1 cup of milk of your choice

• 1 can of condensed milk

• 1 1/2 tbsp. sugar

• 2 1/4 tsp. yeast

• 1 egg

• 14 oz Melly Belly Flour Blend

• 1 tsp. salt

• 1 tsp xanthan gum

• 1 tbsp. buttermilk powder

• 4 tbsp. softened butter

• Tapioca flour for rolling

Filling:

• 1 stick of butter, very softened

• 2/3 cup brown sugar

• 2 tbsp. cinnamon

Frosting:

• 1 stick of butter, softened

• 3 cups of powdered sugar

• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

• 2-3 tbsp. milk of choice

Start by putting your milk in a medium sized microwavable bowl. Heat it in the microwave for about 45 seconds. When it's done, take it out and pour in your condensed milk, sugar, and yeast. With a whisk, mix it really well. Your yeast will start getting into a happy, sugary, & warm environment. Let it sit and it will get a little foamy. Next, in a mixer with a paddle attachment, pour your flour, salt, xanthan gum, and milk powder. Add in your egg and softened butter and slowly mix it up until it is well incorporated into your dry mix. Now slowly add in your wet yeast mix into your dry ingredients. Mix for about a minute, then stop the mixer and scrape the bowl down with a rubber spatula and then turn it on again for about 2-3 minutes until it is very well mixed.

Lay out a long piece of parchment about the size of a large baking sheet and place it on your counter. Spread a nice layer of tapioca flour on the parchment. This will help your dough not stick so much when you roll it. Don't be shy! Tapioca is your friend. This dough is sticky at this stage. In the middle of your parchment, pour your cinnamon roll dough and scrape the bowl down with the spatula to make sure you get all of it. Pour a decent amount of tapioca over your dough and set a little extra to the side to coat your hands. Once you're ready, use your hands to spread out the dough. Rolling pins tend to not work for me at this stage because this dough is sticky. Feel free to try it with one but remember to be generous with your tapioca flour. Pat it down evenly until you get a nice rectangle about 18 by 12 inches. Once you get it to this stage, get your very softened butter and carefully spread it on the surface of your dough. If it it too difficult to spread, you may want to warm your butter up a bit. Once the butter is smoothed all over the top, sprinkle your brown sugar and cinnamon all over as well.

Here comes the next step, stay with me! Spray the pan or pans you will use to bake the cinnamon rolls and get them ready. I like to use two circle 9 inch cake pans but you can use a large rectangular Pyrex as well. You will need an offset spatula or a butter knife and extra tapioca flour. Taking the long ends of your parchment you are going to lift it up and roll your dough in. As you roll it, you will use your offset spatula or butter knife with a little tapioca to scrape any sticky dough off the parchment so it can smoothly roll into a long log. Go slow, don't make it get stuck and then fall apart.

I know... we aren't done yet!! When you have your log, you will cut it into 12 pieces to make 12 cinnamon rolls. Using your spatula or butter knife, coat it in tapioca, cut through the dough and then with your hands gently lift each roll and place it in your pan how you want it. Repeat this until you have 12 rolls.

Don't worry about the white tapioca powder, it will cook into your cinnamon rolls.

At this point you decide, do you need to cook them now or later?! I like to make my dough a day in advance-- so I do all this before and cover them with foil and place them in the fridge overnight. When I am ready for them, I let them sit on the counter for an hour (you will do this step right away if you will cook them the same day or you will just take out your cold cinnamon rolls and set them on the counter for the same amount of time).

When the hour has passed you will see that your dough has expanded a bit. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Once it's ready, put your cinnamon rolls in and cook them for 30-40 minutes until they are a nice golden brown on the top and have expanded.

When they are done, let them sit on the counter for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, make your frosting. Beat your butter until soft and fluffy. Add in your vanilla and then mix in powdered sugar 1 cup at a time. Then add your 2-3 Tbsp of milk to get the consistency you want. Remember to scrape the bowl a bit in between mixing to make sure nothing is stuck at the bottom. When you are ready, spread it all over your cinnamon rolls and of course.... Enjoy!