Perfecting the Cinnabon

Weekends tend to be pretty awesome around here. Not only do I get 48 uninterrupted hours of quality time with my two favorite men (no, unfortunately I'm not referring to Bradley Cooper and Dennis Miller...) but we have some pretty phenomenal friends that live on our street and as of recently, right down the road (Welcome to the fam, McMelanie). Saturdays usually consist of drinking too much at the Shepherd house, followed by the most gloriously lazy Sundays. This week was no different, with a few outstanding additions:

1- Melanie and Adam have officially joined the P-ville crowd and all of our awesomeness. Melanie is one of my very best friends from high school and is marrying her long-time sweetheart in just a few short weeks. They just bought a beautiful new place exactly .79 miles down the road (NO, I didn't clock it one day in my car...). Adam fits in perfectly with the man-folk and we are all so excited to welcome them to the 'hood. 

My amazing (and stunningly attractive) new "neighbors".

2 - CINNABONS! I've been working on perfecting my recipe to resemble an authentic Cinnabon as closely as possible. I'm just a few batches in but we're getting dangerously close. They were the star of Sunday brunch, which was our turn to host. I've included a mouth watering photo of my latest batch as well as the recipe for those of you looking to pack on a few LBs.

Top with lots of ooey-gooey cream cheese frosting and enjoy :) Don't forget to chew.

3 - Fantasy Football Draft!!! Football season is finally here and we couldn't be more ready! Why must the best sport have the shortest season? Especially after having to suffer through NINE MONTHS of basketball - extending the season is the very least the football gods could do. We're in a league this year with the other P-ville couples (and one particularly cool couple from Ashburn) and Johnny and I are prepared to dominate. I got the second overall pick and chose.... (drum-roll please).... Michael Vick! I completely disagree with everything he stands for as a human being, but damn if he can't throw a football. Go Team Rudy!

Wipe that smug look off your face and earn me some fantasy points!

4 - Gamecock domination! My Alma Mater, the South Carolina Gamecocks, dominated over ECU on Saturday evening. The first quarter started out a little rocky, but we came back to clutch the win 56-37. After week 1 we're ranked at #12 - third highest in the SEC... Which says a lot amongst other greats such as Florida, Georgia, LSU and Alabama. This week we'll take on the Georgia Bulldogs in Athens - GO GAMECOCKS!! 

C-A-R-O-L-I-N-A! Goooo COCKS!

So for all you bakers out there (or anyone who just really likes awesome food) here is the recipe for my Close-to-Perfect Cinnabons. You don't have to have a bread machine, but it will make it a hell-of-a-lot easier if you do. 

Cinnabons

Dough:

1 c. milk

2 eggs

3/4 c. melted butter

4 1/2 c. bread flower

1/2 c. sugar

1 tsp. salt

2 1/2 tsp bread machine yeast

Filling:

1 c. packed brown sugar

2 tsp. cinnamon

3/4 softened butter

Icing:

6 tbs softened cream cheese

1 stick (1/2 c.) softened butter

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

3 c. powdered sugar

Add dough ingredients to bread machine in the order listed and start on the dough cycle. If you aren't using a bread machine, you will need to google the best order to add ingredients to the flour. 

When the dough is complete, remove from the machine and allow to rise on the counter (covered) for another 10 minutes. In the meantime, prepare the filling. Mix butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Also, preheat the oven to 400. 

When dough is done rising, roll it out on a clean surface (really? who wants dirty counter dough?). It should be about 16x20. Try to keep the thickness even across the whole surface. Using the back of a spoon, spread the mixture evenly on top of the dough. 

Roll tightly into a log. Score dough with a knife to measure out 12 rolls (about 1 1/2 inches each). Slice dough rolls and place them into a lightly greased glass dish. I think mine is 9x13. Cover and allow rolls to rise for another 10 minutes or so. Bake for about 15 minutes or until barely golden. 

While buns are in the oven, whip the frosting ingredients together in a medium bowl. Top with frosting while warm and ENJOY!