MIH Recipe Blog: Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls

I made this recipe last year but I totally goofed it up. I forgot to add the yeast. I meant to make them again this year for Christmas because I didn't want to miss out on having cinnamon rolls but time got away from me so I decided I'd wait to make them when I wasn't rushed. I really wanted this recipe to turn out, since their glutened cinnamon rolls came out a little flat I wanted mine to turn out, haha.I am happy to say these came out WONDERFUL! I think they came out more moist that my regular rolls do. I thought I'd whip them out before the New Year because I plan to make this a better year eating wise, I do love my treats but I think I'm good for a while now that I had a couple of these (yes I shared with my family so I wouldn't eat the whole pan!). I topped these with a little (leftover) cream cheese frosting. With The Baking Beauties' recipe these are supposed to be sticky buns, with the gooey caramel glaze, but I skipped that part to have regular rolls.

If you've ever made gluten free baked goods, you know how sticky the dough can be, so keep your hands a little wet and I found using the silpat and dough scraper to roll these helped wonderfully.

Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls
recipe adapted from The Baking Beauties, updated 12/2013

Dough:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour, I use my fave GF pie crust blend
1 TBL rapid rise yeast
3 TBL white sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 TBL xanthan gum
1/4 cup instant vanilla pudding mix (dry) OR dry milk powder
1 tsp baking powder
4 TBL butter
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup milk
1 egg, room temperature
1 tsp cider vinegar
2 TBL oil (I used Canola)
1 tsp vanilla

Sticky Topping:
Over low heat, in a small saucepan, heat 4 Tbsp. butter (or margarine), 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 Tbsp. corn syrup, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add 1 tsp. vanilla extract, 2 Tbsp. whipping cream and a pinch of salt. Stir to incorporate. Remove from heat and pour into the bottom of a greased pan with high sides (I used an 8" round cake pan).

Filling:
Combine:
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine, very soft
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1-2 Tbsp. cinnamon

In the bowl of your stand mixer, mix all dry dough ingredients until combined. Set aside.

Put water and margarine in a glass measuring cup and microwave just until the margarine has melted. Remove from microwave and stir. Add milk, stir. Add other wet ingredients and whisk to combine.

With the stand mixer running (using the paddle attachment), pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Scrap down the bowl if you have to. Allow to mix on medium speed for 3 minutes.

Take a piece of plastic wrap and lay it out on a slightly damp counter top, so it covers an area bigger than 8″ x 16″. Sprinkle 2 Tbsp of sugar on the wrap. Lay ball of dough on top of that. Gently lay another piece of plastic wrap over the top of the dough. Pat the dough down into a roughly squarish shape. Lift and reposition the top plastic wrap whenever you need to. Roll the dough out (with the plastic wrap on top) to a square approximately 8″ x 16″. (I rolled mine onto a sugared silpat, covered in plastic wrap)

Remove plastic wrap. Spread filling mixture evenly across dough’s surface. Leave 1 1/2″ along one long end without any filling, this is where your cinnamon rolls will be sealed.

Starting along the long end, use the bottom sheet of plastic wrap to lift the edge of the dough and roll it up, forming a long cylinder. Start with the edge that has filling on it, that will be the center of your finished rolls.

Cut the long “cinnamon bun log” into 8 pieces, about 1 1/2″ wide. Place rolls in prepared pan, with cut side up.

Allow the cinnamon rolls/buns to rise in a warm, draft free place for about 30 minutes, or until nearly double in size (I let mine rise, covered with a clean dish towel, in a slightly warm oven for about 1 hr).

Bake in preheated 350 degree F oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the tops are a nice golden brown. Cool.

For sticky buns, allow to cool for about 5 minutes before inverting on a serving tray, and let the sticky topping syrup run down over the roll.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
4 ounce cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 tablespoon milk