"Cinnabon"-Style Cinnamon Rolls
Contributed by Susan

I printed this out a long time ago from rec.food.recipes. It doesn't use
cake mix, but it does use pudding mix. Hope that's okay!:

28 Feb 94
This was posted a few weeks ago to rec.food.cooking and I baked them
last week. They were delicious and did indeed taste like Cinnabon
cinnamon rolls (as they were billed when originally posted). A variation
for sticky buns is at the end. Enjoy!

Stephanie's Cinnamon Rolls
(Males 20 VERY large rolls)

1/2 cup Warm water (105- to 110-degrees)
2 pkgs Active dry yeast (2 scant TBS)
2 TBS Granulated sugar
1 (3-1/2-oz) pkg Instant vanilla pudding (the key)
1/2 cup Butter, melted
2 Eggs, beaten
1 tsp Salt
8 cups All-purpose flour
1 cup Butter, melted
2 cups Brown sugar, firmly packed
4 tsp Cinnamon
Cream cheese frosting OR Sticky bun topping (recipes follow)

In small bowl, combine water, yeast and sugar. Stir until dissolved. Set
aside.

In large bowl, make pudding mix according to package directions. Add
butter, eggs and salt; mix well. Add the yeast mixture; blend. Gradually
add flour and knead until smooth, adding "sprinkles" of flour as needed
to control stickiness. Once the dough is no longer sticky and is soft
and silky feeling (like a baby's behind), the dough is ready.

Place in a very large greased bowl. Cover and let rise until double in
bulk (about 1 hour).

Punch down and let rise again (about 45 minutes).

On a lightly floured surface, roll out to a 34" x 21" rectangle. Spread
1 cup of melted butter over surface.

In small bowl, mix brown sugar and cinnamon together. Sprinkle all over
the top of surface. Roll up very tightly.

With a knife, put a notch every 2 inches. With string or thread, place
under roll by notch and criss-cross over to cut roll (makes a nice clean
cut). If using sticky bun variation, skip to below.

Place on greased baking pan, 2-inches apart. Lightly press rolls down
with your hands (just a LITTLE, it helps to hold them together better).

Cover and let rise until double again.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. Take them out when they JUST
start to turn golden. DON'T OVER-BAKE! Frost warm rolls with Cream
Cheese Frosting. Rolls are best when served warm.


Cream Cheese Frosting

1 8 oz. pkg Cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup Butter, softened
1 tsp Vanilla extract
3 cups Powdered sugar
1 TBS Milk, just enough to fluff (approximate)

Combine all ingredients and mix until smooth. Spread on very warm rolls.


Sticky bun variation:

Caramel Sticky Buns

1 recipe Stephanie's Cinnamon Rolls
1 cup Butter
1 cup Brown sugar
9 TBS Light corn syrup
1 cup Pecans or walnuts, coarsely chopped

In a sauce pan or in your microwave oven combine butter, brown sugar and
corn syrup. Heat and stir until blended. Pour topping into the bottom of
the pan(s) you are using the bake the rolls. Place unbaked cinnamon
rolls on top of the caramel sauce.

Allow to rise in a warm place until double in size (about 1 hour).

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly brown.

After removing pans from oven, cover with foil; invert onto cooling
racks, cool 1 minute, and remove pan.

Cool before serving.