Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls

Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls:

Ingredients:
1/2 cup boiling water
1 cup milk
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
4 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour
1 box (3.4 ounces) instant (no-cook) vanilla pudding mix
2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast or instant active dry yeast

Filling:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, optional
1/4 cup raisins, optional

Frosting:
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
1 1/2 sups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3tablespoons pure maple syrup
~1-2 teaspoons milk

Preparation:
I followed the recipe exactly how it said, expect the frosting.  Since I am not a huge fan of much frosting I cut the whole frosting recipe in half, so I made half as much.  There was still plenty of frosting, so I could still clearly taste it.  I did not think this recipe was difficult, it had clear and precise directions so it was an easy recipe to work with.  I had a little trouble stirring the flour into the dough since it got so stiff very quickly, but I needed to keep stirring to incorporate all of the flour into the mixture.

Critique:
I thought these cinnamon rolls were really good.  They were much better than the frozen cinnamon rolls, which all you would do is heat them up in the oven.  The bread was light and airy and had a nice soft texture to it.  You could really taste the cinnamon in the bread, but it was not overpowering.  The frosting was delicious, it was not too sweet or sticky.

Assessment:
I would definitely make these cinnamon rolls again.  The next time I would make it I would be sure to half the frosting again, since it tasted very good that way.  Also, since the edges of the cinnamon rolls got a little darker than I would have liked, so I would make sure to put tin-foil on the rolls to prevent them from getting the brown coloring along the edges.  Overall I really enjoyed the cinnabon cinnamon rolls and would make them again soon.