The holidays, for many of us, are a time for traditions. Friends and family gather and talk about old times. And then there are the foods! The dishes that bring back the glow of holidays remembered, and the ones that create new memories. What are your favorites?
Deanna Fox is back to talk about your most beloved holiday food traditions. Does your family dine on the Feast of Seven Fishes each year? Does the first person up on Christmas morning have to make breakfast for everyone? Do you have a special trick to make your Hanukkah latkes extra crispy?
Call in and share your holiday food favorites. 800-348-2551. Ray Graf hosts.
Cinnamon Rolls
Makes 12 fat rolls
INGREDIENTS
For the roll dough
- 1 cup milk
- 1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened and cut into small cubes
For the filling
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
For the icing
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 6 cups confectioners (powdered) sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 6-8 tablespoons milk, or more as needed
METHOD
Gently warm the milk in a small saucepan on the stove, just until it begins to steam and is warm to the touch. Remove the pan from the heat and add 1 tablespoon of sugar from the 1/2 cup of sugar and the yeast. Gently stir to combine and allow the yeast to bloom and turn slightly frothy, about 10 minutes. Add in the eggs and mix well.
In the bowl of a mixer, combine the remaining sugar, flour and salt. Mix to just combine. Add the yeast mixture and mix to combine. With the mixer running, add the butter cubes in, bit by bit. When all the butter is added, cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap or a clean towel and set in a warm draft-free place to rise by double.
Meanwhile, combine the ingredients for the filling and set aside.
Dust the counter with flour and roll the dough into a 10x24-inch rectangle. Sprinkle the filling over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border around the sides. Begin rolling the dough over the filling into a log starting from one of the long sides, pinching the end flap of the log into the dough to seal. Cut off 1 inch from each end of the log to create clean sides, then cut the log into 12 equal pieces. Place the pieces of dough into a buttered 9x13-inch baking dish, leaving a bit of room for expansion. Cover the dish with a dampened dish towel or plastic wrap and allow to rise on the counter for at least one hour. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Make the icing while the rolls rise by melting the butter in a small saucepan on the stove and allowing to simmer gently until is starts to turn golden. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Add the butter to a mixing bowl with the cream cheese and vanilla extract and mix until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the confectioners sugar 1 cup at a time, adding 1 tablespoon of milk after each addition. Continue until all of the confectioners sugar is used, adding more milk if needed to create a long, thick ribbon of icing once a spoon dipped into the icing is pulled away.
Bake the cinnamon rolls uncovered until the rolls are deeply golden and the cinnamon filling bubbles, about 30 minutes. Allow to cool slightly, then top with the icing. Serve warmed or at room temperature.
Deanna Fox is the former proprietor of Albany Cooking School and a recovering food journalist whose work appeared in the Times Union, New York Times, Washington Post, Eater and more. She now works in the communications field but still writes about food on occasion when not scrambling to keep her growing teenage children fed.