Without further ado, my famous Cinnamon Swirls with Cream Cheese Frosting!

This is the first time I have ever given out such a coveted recipe. I hope you all enjoy them as much as my loved ones, my clients, and I have!

Ingredients

Dough

4 ½ cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup warm milk
1 packet of yeast
2 eggs, room temperature
5 ½ TBS butter, melted
½ cup white sugar

Filling

½ cup brown sugar, packed
½ cup white sugar
2 ½-3 tablespoons ground cinnamon (personal preference)
6-7 TBS butter, softened

Frosting

3 ounces of Neufchatel (or cream) cheese, softened
4 TBS butter, softened
1 ½ cups confectioners' sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Mix 1 TBS of the dough sugar and the yeast into the warmed milk. Let it start to bubble and foam while you continue on.
Combine the salt into the flour – give it a little mix so it’s not all sitting on the top
In your mixing bowl- add the remaining dough sugar, butter, and eggs. Once you see the yeast has activated and created a foam in your milk, add it to this mixing bowl.
Whisk it all up! (until well combined)
Using your dough hook on your Mix Master, dump the flour mixture into the liquid mixture. Mix on low/slow until well combined. It will be sticky and ball up on the hook. It’s okay.
Once all combined, flop out onto a floured surface. Be sure to scrape the bowl and hook.
Sprinkle a little flour on top and kneed gently until slightly sticky.
Feel free to use the same mixing bowl (or a new one), grease it, and plop the dough back in it. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and a towel.
Here’s one of the tricky parts… LET IT REST! It may take a while but it has to rise. No questions asked. Almost double in size. Trust me.
While the dough is rising, get your cinnamon sugar filing put together. Combine the sugars and cinnamon, mix well to evenly distribute.
Get out your 13X9 baking pan. Grease that baby! Butter adds more flavor but spray works just fine. Feel free to add parchment paper if you prefer. No need to flour the pan.
Once the dough has almost doubled in size, it’s time to roll it out.
Flour your surface well and drop that giant dough ball onto it. Sprinkle a little flour on top and rub it around. This will help keep the rolling pin from sticking.
And roll it out! I like to make a nice, fat rectangle shape so I can roll it up many times but also have enough in length to make anywhere from 12-18 rolls once I cut them.
Once it’s rolled out, spread on that softened butter. Works best with a bent cake frosting spatula. You don’t necessarily want runny butter but if it happens, no sweat. Just use a basting brush to evenly spread it out. Get all the way to the edges with the butter. Don’t skimp the edges.
Time to sprinkle on that cinnamon sugar filling. I love using my sifter for this but a spoon or hands will work just fine. If you use a sifter, you will be left with some clumps of sugar in the bottom. DO NOT LEAVE IT BEHIND! Lol You grab those lovely bits and crumble them in your hands and sprinkle away! And again- go all the way to the edges BESIDES the end you plan to make the ending seam (usually the one closest to you).
And the crafty part- rolling. I like to start at the edge farthest from me and roll down/in towards my belly. It’s going to be a lot of little quick rolls and pinches to start going all across the top in order to make it a nice tight roll. This may take a little practice. Don’t worry on stretching the dough a bit, that’s how you keep it nice and tight. Keep on rolling it down until you get a nice fat log.
To cut- a secret my mother taught me and she learned from her mother- Sewing thread. And the brighter, the better! (easier to find if you lay it down or lose an end). I take the spool between my fingers in one hand and the end in my other hand, and unravel it until I can extend one arm all the way out and the other at least to my chest or arm pit. The whole point is to have enough to fold the thread in half and be able to wrap the ends around your fingers as if you are going to floss.
Wiggle that twirled up thread on your fingers under the rolled-up log, and bring the two ends up and over so they cross over the same lines to cut the rolls. Continue this process. Make the rolls 2-3 inches wide.
Arrange the rolls into the greased pan so they have room between one another. Be sure to put the seam towards the outside or somewhere to anchor it so it doesn’t unravel while it rises.
Yes, you read that correctly. Tightly cover up the pan with plastic wrap, drape a towel over, and let the little babies rise- again. Keep an eye on them. You do not want them to rise so much that they turn into a giant dough blob. But if it happens, still bake them and just eat them with a fork lol They are still delish!
While they are rising again, make your frosting. Nothing specific here. Just combine it all and whisk away until combined and smooth. Be careful with that confection sugar- it can make a mess.
Once the rolls have risen, put them into a preheated oven at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Be sure to rotate the pan half way through baking.
Wait until the rolls have cooled down a bit before lathering with the frosting. Otherwise, it will turn into a syrupy mess.
Cut out your perfect roll of choice, stick a fork into it or eat it by slowly rolling it out like I do, layer by layer.