Cinnamon rolls

I love cinnamon - and I especially love cinnamon rolls. These ones are definitely on my top ten list of recipes I use the most. They are very easy to make, always turn out great - and depending on the occasion you can opt for different icings - from the quick and easy 'icing sugar and water' one to the deliciously decadent (but actually still quick and easy) 'cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla pods' one. Melted chocolate and chopped, roasted nuts on top are also an option :)

Like with my homemade buns, this recipe also calls for ground cardamom. It really adds a lovely aromatic, yet subtle flavour to the dough. I know it may sound a bit strange if you are not used to using that spice when baking, but I urge you to give it a try - it works so well with bread and pastries. But you can also leave it out completely if you want :)
I make cinnamon rolls in two different ways - depending on what I am in the mood for. Most often I bake them on a baking tray lined with baking paper, - so they bake individually and each cinnamon rolls forms a nice little crust. Other times I place them fairly close together in a cake pan, so they quite quickly bake together to form one giant cinnamon roll where you can tear apart individual cinnamon rolls. This way they remain all soft and mushy. I love both ways of baking them - I really can't choose a favorite - but I can say that my boyfriend always requests the ones that bake individually - he's definitely got a favorite :)

Here's the recipe

Dough

50 g fresh yeast/1 packet dry yeast
100 ml water
1 egg
100 g margarine/butter
200 ml milk
2 tbs sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 - 1 tsp cardamom
Flour

Filling

250 g margarine/butter
160 ml sugar
3 tbs cinnamon

Cream Cheese Icing

200 g cream cheese
100 g icing sugar
1/2 vanilla pod

For the dough, dissolve the yeast in the water (if using dry yeast, add it to the flour and add later). Add the egg, milk, margarine cut into smaller pieces, sugar and salt. Add the cardamom to a bit of flour and add it to the mix. Continue to add more flour - until you have a dough that you can briefly knead - it should still be quite sticky though. Put the dough back in the bowl and let rise for about an hour.

In the meantime, beat together the margarine, sugar and cinnamon until well combined.

When the dough has risen, knead it well - you might need to add a bit more flour if the dough is too sticky. And remember, - you don't want to incorporate the margarine/butter pieces completely - it's great if you still see little margarine/butter specks when you roll out the dough - this will help create a bit of a pastry crunch to the cinnamon rolls if you bake them individually.
Divide the dough into two pieces and start rolling the first one until you've got a big, rectangular piece that is quite thin. Spread half the filling on the entire rectangel and start rolling it to form a long sausage looking piece. Cut into cinnamon rolls approximately 2 cm wide - 3 or 4 if you are making them in a baking pan. Place on a baking tray/in a baking pan and let rise for 10 min. Baste with a beaten egg and bake at 210 degrees celcius until golden brown.

For the icing, mix the cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla seeds. Put on cinnamon rolls when they have cooled completely - or serve separately in a bowl so everyone can help themselves :)

Enjoy!