What’s the best part about the holidays? The food of course. Hearty soups, warm drinks, delicious baked goods, and, of course, Thanksgiving! But the baking is probably my favorite!

Is there anything better than waking up early on a cold, November day to the smell of cinnamon rolls in the oven? When I think of the holidays I imagine sitting by the fire with a cup of coffee and a warm cinnamon roll. Preferably I’m wearing an oversized, knitted sweater and I’m in a cabin in the mountains. Michael Bublé’s Christmas album is playing in the background. But don’t worry, this isn’t a Hallmark ad.

When I was little my mom always made cinnamon rolls from scratch! There were a couple times when Pillsbury did the trick when my brothers and I didn’t want to wait hours for them. But the homemade ones were always the best, in my opinion!

Like the wonderful mom she is, she taught me how to make cinnamon rolls from scratch about 3 years ago and I make them every Fall and every Christmas now. I love waking up early on a cold day, throwing on my apron, and playing some electro swing while I bake. Why electro swing? I love lots of different music but Parov Stelar makes me feel like I’m living in a flat in Paris in the 1920’s.

I press play, pull my hair back, and suddenly I’m in my own little world for the next couple of hours!

I know, I make a simple task like baking sound like a big deal. But I firmly believe food tastes better when it’s cooked in a good mood and with love. So sue me.

I use a very generic recipe but I’ve learned how I like them and listened to feedback from others and I’ve kind of created my own adjustments.

Here is a very basic recipe for the dough:

1 1/2 tbsp Active Dry Yeast
1 1/2 tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 cup warm water (about 115 degrees F)
8 tbsp of unsalted melted butter
3/4 cup warmed whole milk or heavy cream (also about 115 degrees F)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
4 cups of flour
1 tsp kosher salt

For the flour, I recommend using a higher protein flour because it does a lot better with bread. I use bread flour for pizza and rolls and, trust me, it works and tastes better!

First, preheat the oven to 200 degrees F, then combine the yeast, sugar, and water in your mixer.

Give it a quick stir and then let it sit until the yeast doubles in size. This will take 10-15 minutes.

Then combine the milk and melted butter in a bowl and add to the yeast mixture, along with the egg and sugar, and mix until it is all combined. Combine the salt and flour and turn the oven off.

Gradually add the flour and salt and mix with a dough hook attachment. You can either let your mixer do all the work and knead the dough for a couple of minutes or you can do what I do: mix until combined and then knead it yourself on a floured counter top.

After you’re done kneading it, form into a ball, coat the dough and the inside of a large bowl with butter and cover with a damp rag and place it in the barely warm oven to rise for an hour.

Once it has doubled in size, take it out of the oven to knead once more. Turn the oven to 200 degrees F again. Turn it off once it has preheated.

Roll it out into a rectangle about 1/4 quarter inch thick and spread a generous layer of butter over the surface.

For the sugar filling you will need:

8 tbsp unsalted softened butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 tbsp ground cinnamon
4 tbsp softened unsalted butter (for buttering the baking dish)

These measurements are what I found on almost every cinnamon roll recipe but mine is slightly different. I double the brown sugar and add an extra tablespoon of cinnamon. Very few things are more disappointing to me than cutting into a cinnamon roll to find bread rolled over a light layer of cinnamon…

Now, a note about the cinnamon. This is my secret that I am going to share with you all: Vietnamese Cinnamon

This is, by far, the best cinnamon I have ever used! It sounds silly, but I can taste a difference. If you live in Portland, head over to Penzey’s Spices in the Pearl and check out all of their different cinnamons. I just ran out of this and had to run back and buy a new jar. Not to sound pretentious but… it’s pretty much the highest quality of cinnamon that you can find in America.

Once you’ve mixed together the filling with your super fancy cinnamon, spread it evenly over the dough and carefully roll it. Using some sort of string (I use dental floss), cut the rolls and place them in a buttered baking dish.

Pro tip that my mom taught me: before placing the rolls in the pan, sprinkle extra brown sugar on the bottom of the pan so that it mixes with the butter and gets absorbed by the rolls while they bake. And try not to drool…

Place them evenly apart in the baking dish, leaving them room to rise, and place in the barely warm oven until they have doubled in size (about an hour).

Then turn the oven to 325 degrees F and place the rolls back in the oven and let them bake for 20-25 minutes or until they are golden brown.

Next up, the cream cheese frosting! In my opinion, this part can either make or break cinnamon rolls! If you want a recipe for a good cream cheese to powdered sugar ratio, use this:

8 ounces softened cream cheese
8 tablespoons (1 stick) softened unsalted butter
2-3 cups powdered sugar

I use this as a base but, honestly, I add a stick of butter, 8 ounces of cream cheese, a cup of powdered sugar, and then I taste and add more of whatever it needs gradually. Personally, I prefer my cream cheese frosting more on the savory side because I add so much filling. If I add too much sugar then it’s waaaaay too sweet! But to each their own. I would recommend doing what I do and adjust until you find your ideal balance.

While the cinnamon rolls are still warm, spread the cream cheese frosting over the top of them so that it melts into the rolls.

And last, but not least, enjoy!