{melt in your mouth} Cinnamon Rolls

These right here a big deal. Like a really big deal. If it's cinnamon roll day, the whole house is excited about it. I usually reserve them for special occasions, one of those being Christmas morning. It's become a favorite tradition. But lately I've had to make them every time it's Jason's turn to bring in morning tea at work because they've become quite a legend, and whenever we have a missionary getting transferred they always request these for dessert. I've been told by a few missionaries that they are better than their mom's AND their grandma's cinnamon rolls. That's a compliment I don't take lightly! I have fond memories of my mom making cinnamon rolls, especially when she came to help me out when I had my second baby, I do recall my husband commenting that she should stay forever after he ate one. This is a recipe I've tweaked from several different recipes over the years and I hope it's one of those that my kids will remember years from now when they're grown with families of their own.

Dough:

1 ½ cups warm water
2 ½ Tbs yeast
½ C butter, melted
¾ cup sugar
½ tsp salt
5 cups flour

Filling:

1 1/3 cups brown sugar, packed
1 ½ sticks butter, softened
1 ½ tablespoons ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons flour
Pinch of salt

Dissolve yeast in the warm water with a little pinch of sugar and let proof. Sift flour, sugar and salt. Add melted butter to yeast mixture once it is frothy, then add to dry ingredients and mix together and knead well. It should be a little sticky, but if it's too sticky to work with then add a little more flour. Let it rise for an hour, or until double in size, then knead it down. Repeat. Roll out dough into a rectangle shape. Mix the filling ingredients together then spread evenly over dough. Starting at the long end, begin rolling the dough. Once it is rolled into a long log, start at one end cut into rolls about ¾ in thick with a sharp knife (being careful not to smash them as you cut). Let it rise until they look full and fluffy (about an hour) . Bake at 400 for 12-15 min.

Icing:

2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1/4 cup butter, melted
3 tablespoons (or more) heavy cream, or whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Mix together using hand beaters until smooth, adding extra cream/milk if necessary until desired consistency is reached. Drizzle over cinnamon rolls when they are hot out of the oven.