Cinnamon Rolls- Taylor Brooks

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 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1-2 teaspoons milk

Preparation:  For this recipe I used the biscuit method and we made many recipes that involved the biscuit method in class. We spent a whole unit on it.  I followed the directions exactly how it was said. I think if I would have tried to tweak the recipe myself, it would have ruined the whole thing. During preparation it was very hard to work with the yeast because it makes the dough very sticky, so it is hard to mix it and get it all smooth and elastic-like. After I let the dough rise, things started to become easier because the dough had already been prepared I just need to add flavoring and other things to make it look like an actual cinnamon roll.

Critique: The cinnamon rolls were average. It wasn't super delicious but it wasn't the worst thing that I have ever eaten. It almost tasted like a plain piece of bread with a hint of cinnamon sprinkled on top. The shape did not turn out how I would have liked it to, they did not cut easily and they spread out really big so when I took it out of the oven it looked like a big cinnamon roll cake. It all combined together. When I tried to make the frosting it did not turn out well. The recipe called for 3 tablespoons of maple syrup, you would think that wouldn't be a lot, but it actually took over every other flavor so it just tasted like maple. So I decided not to use the frosting and just eat the cinnamon bread.

Assessment: I don't think I would make this recipe again because in my opinion, yeast is very hard to work with. It makes things sticky and doesn't move easily. I had a lot of trouble getting it into the shape of a rectangle and trying to roll it up into a log form to cut it into the shapes of cinnamon rolls. The preparation time was very long,  I thought it would be a quicker recipe but it took a long time to prepare and bake everything. I really did not like the frosting either, so to top it all off was not the best. I learned that yeast is VERY FRUSTRATING to work with, it is sticky and messy and I don't like it what so ever!