Caramel Rolls with a Twist

Every year on Christmas morning, we awoke to two things we loved, gifts and yummy caramel rolls! My Grandma Sweetie's delicious caramel rolls were a family favorite and a tradition that I wanted to carry over in my own family. After I got married I discovered the world most picky of men liked cinnamon rolls better..I was devastated. This year, I came up with the compromise that knocked both of our socks off. I used a recipe for cinnamon rolls from The Sister's Cafe...check them out they have a lot more fabulous recipes, combined with my Grandma's recipe. Really any version of cinnamon rolls will work...to me it's the caramel topping I've devoted my love and my thighs to.


Caramel Cinnamon Rolls
(adapted from The Sister's Cafe)

2 c. milk
2 cubes butter (1 cup)
2 pkg yeast (4 ½ tsp)
1/3 c. warm water
1 1/3 c. sugar
1 tsp salt
4 beaten eggs
8 c. flour
Filling: 1 square softened butter & cinnamon(lots) & sugar

Topping:
1 c. Brown Sugar
2 T. milk
1/2 c. butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 6oz. pkg. vanilla pudding, cook and serve (NOT instant)

Heat milk and 2 squares of butter together until butter is melted. Cool and set aside. Mix yeast and warm water; let stand 5 minutes. Add cooled milk, 1 1/3 c. sugar, 1 tsp salt, 4 beaten eggs. Add 4 c. flour and mix and gradually add 4 additional cups flour. Dough should be firm but sticky. Cover with cloth and put in a warm place, and raise 1 ½ to 2 hours. Dough should nearly be doubled in size. Divide dough in half and empty onto floured surface and knead a little. Roll dough into rectangle, about ½ inch thick. To this half of dough, spread on ½ square of softened butter, completely covering dough. Then sprinkle a coating of sugar over entire piece of dough. Then a layer of cinnamon. Roll into long roll, pinch edges together and slice with dental floss. Place in a 9x13 pan.

Meanwhile, mix all the topping ingredients on medium heat in small sauce pan on stove until combined and sugar is melted.

Pour topping over rolls and cover with a clean dishtowel and put in warm place, free of drafts, for 2 hours to raise..may take less or more time depending on the warmth of the room-but they should double in size. Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes. I would suggest covering with tin foil until there is about 10 minutes left then uncovering, just to make sure the rolls are cooked through, but the top isn't too crusty. Let sit for 10 minutes and then turn over on wax paper.
Makes 3-4 dozen.

Now, if you're not so picky and you'd like to try my Grandma's recipe, it's much less time consuming here is the recipe.

Rhodes Caramel Rolls
Grandma Sweetie

1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. butter
2 T. milk
1/2 t. cinnamon
1 6 oz. pkg. vanilla pudding, cook and serve (NOT instant)
2 loaves frozen Rhodes bread dough

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Allow bread to thaw (not raise). Cut one loaf into the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan. Mix ingredients until combined and pour over cut-up dough. Cut 2nd loaf over dough and caramel. Allow to raise until doubled in size (about 2 hours). Bake for 25-30 minutes. (I would again suggest covering with foil until the end, maybe it's just my oven, but to prevent too crispy that's my solution.) Cool for 10 minutes, flip onto waxed paper (or a silpat liner if you have one...I love mine) and enjoy!