12 Days of Christmas Baking – Day 3: Cinnamon Rolls with Eggnog Drizzle

For today’s 12 days of Christmas baking, I am sharing with you my tried and true cinnamon roll recipe. I didn’t come up with it myself, but the sweet Monique at Ambitious Kitchen did. For a festive flair, I’ve topped them off with some eggnog drizzle. Seriously, you cannot go wrong with these cinnamon rolls with eggnog drizzle. The eggnog flavor in that drizzle is just strong enough to distinguish it from all the cinnamon flavors of the rolls.

I’ve tried a bunch of cinnamon rolls recipes this year. I think it’s safe to say this recipe from Ambitious Kitchen is the one. Of course, I think there are still lots more I should try out in the new year (we’ll see how that goes in 2023). Having made this recipe many times, I can say it’s a keeper. You get a soft and fluffy cinnamon roll once baked. My favorite part is that it makes just 9 rolls, not the typical 12. It’s not too much or too little… just enough. You can change up the inside filling however you like. I’ve made them as sweet rolls (filled with homemade blackberry jam or apple butter), added nuts, and topped them with all sorts of toppings/drizzles. Of course, as I’ve mentioned above, you can’t go wrong with a holiday twist, making these cinnamon rolls with eggnog drizzle.

Below’s the recipe for the rolls, reprinted as-is from Ambitious Kitchen. Give it a try and let me know what you think. They’re good, aren’t they?

Check back tomorrow and see what day 4 brings. If you missed yesterday’s sweet treat, don’t forget to check it out. Seriously, who doesn’t love some fancy french macarons made perfect for this holiday season?

Cinnamon Rolls with Eggnog Drizzle

Author: Mai Cuisine:American Courses:Breakfast

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time:2 hours Cook time: 25 minutesRest time: 10 minutesTotal time:2 hours 20 minutesServings:9 rollsCalories:300 kcal Best Season:Available

Description

The best and tastiest, big, fluffy, and soft cinnamon rolls, perfect for any occasion.

Ingredients

For the dough

• 3/4 cup warm milk (whole milk or 2% preferred) (110 degrees F)
• 2-1/4 teaspoons quick rise or active yeast (1/4-ounce package yeast)
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg plus 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup butter, melted (I prefer salted, but unsalted works, too)
• 3 cups bread flour, plus more for dusting
• 3/4 teaspoon salt

For the filling

• 2/3 cup dark brown sugar (light brown sugar also works)
• 1-1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup butter, softened

For the eggnog drizzle/frosting

• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons (or more as needed) eggnog

Instructions

1. Warm milk to around 110 degrees F. I like to do this by placing milk in a microwave safe bowl and microwaving it for 40-45 seconds. It should be like warm bath water. Transfer warm milk to the bowl of an electric mixer and sprinkle yeast on top. Add in sugar, egg, egg yolk and melted butter. Mix until well combined. Next stir in flour and salt with a wooden spoon until a dough begins to form.
2. Place dough hook on stand mixer and knead dough on medium speed for 8 minutes. Dough should form into a nice ball and be slightly sticky. If it’s TOO sticky (meaning it’s sticking to the bottom of the mixer, add in 2 tablespoons more bread flour.) If you don’t want to use an electric mixer, you can use your hands to knead the dough for 8-10 minutes on a well-floured surface.
3. Transfer dough ball to a well-oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a warm towel. Allow dough to rise for 1 hour to 1 ½ hours, or until doubled in size. This may more or less time depending the humidity and temperature in your home.
4. After dough has doubled in size, transfer dough to a well-floured surface and roll out into a 14×9 inch rectangle. Spread softened butter over dough, leaving a ¼ inch margin at the far side of the dough.
5. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar and cinnamon. Use your hands to sprinkle mixture over the buttered dough, then rub the brown sugar mixture into the butter.
6. Tightly roll the dough up, starting from the 9-inch side, and place seam side down making sure to seal the edges of the dough as best you can. You will probably need to cut off about an inch off the ends of the dough as the ends won’t be as full of cinnamon sugar as we’d want it to be.
7. Cut into 1 inch sections with a serrated knife or floss. You should get 9 large pieces.
8. Place cinnamon rolls in a greased 9×9 inch baking pan or round 9 inch cake pan. (I also recommend lining the pan with parchment paper as well, in case any of the filling ends up leaking out.) Cover with plastic wrap and a warm towel and let rise again for 30-45 minutes.
9. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove plastic wrap and towel and bake cinnamon rolls for 20-25 minutes or until just slightly golden brown on the edges. You want to underbake them a little so they stay soft in the middle, that’s why we want them just slightly golden brown. Allow them to cool for 5-10 minutes before frosting. Makes 9 cinnamon rolls.
10. To make the drizzle/frosting: In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine butter, powdered sugar, and eggnog. Beat until smooth and fluffy. Add more sugar or eggnog as needed for a consistency easy enough to spread or pour over cinnamon rolls. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Notes

• To make overnight cinnamon rolls: After placing rolls into the greased pan (after the first rise), simply cover, place overnight in the fridge and then bake them in the morning as directed. Be sure to bring the cinnamon rolls to room temperature first by leaving them on the counter for 30-45 minutes before baking (this is known as the second rise).
  
  Personally, if I am doing overnight rolls, once cut and placed in the greased pan, I like to let them proof for 15 minutes before placing them in the fridge. Then in the morning, I let them sit for an hour before baking them to ensure that they’ve come to room temperature.

Keywords:dessert, holiday baking, christmas, cinnamon rolls

Recipe courtesy of Ambitious Kitchen. This site contains affiliate links, if you make a purchase through them, we receive a small commission.