Third Time's The Charm

Pat and I thought it would be nice to make some cinnamon rolls to bring up to my family over the holiday.  Remember I mentioned the amazing cinnamon rolls HERE.  So the day before we planned to bring the rolls up, I made the dough, assembled the rolls, and put them into the fridge to bake them later that evening.

That evening, just as always, Pat and I were each doing about 12 things.  We were putting the kids to bed when the timer for the rolls was about to go off.  I told Pat he could take care of the rolls and I would finish putting the kids to bed.  I had already made the frosting for him.  So off he goes, and I finished with the kids.

About 20 minutes later I go down to finish the Easter preparations, and I look at the rolls.  They were practically RAW.  They had NOT finished cooking and now they were frosted and sitting on my counter.  There was no way I could serve them like that.  I tried putting them back in the oven, but the centers of the rolls remained uncooked.  They were a disaster.

Pat was going out with friends, but said he'd remake the dough when he got home.  I told him the dough takes 1.5 hours in the bread machine and it was getting late, but he insisted he could handle it all.    I remember texting him around 2:45 a.m. to see where he was, and he told me the dough had about 20 minutes left in the cycle.  About 30 minutes after I sent that text Pat was up in my room telling me that something didn't seem right with the dough.  I went down to check, and sure enough the dough was sticky and floppy.  I guess that is what you get for trying to follow a recipe AFTER going out with friends.  (I tease him, but he says he only had one drink.)

So now it was almost 4 a.m. and we still had no cinnamon rolls that I had already told everyone I was going to bring.  And now we were completely out of flour.  We had one choice, and at 4:00 a.m. on Easter Sunday Pat went out to buy more flour.  He was able to purchase some at the gas station near our home.  He came back, and I started the dough for the third time.  The dough was going to be finished at 6:00 a.m. but we needed sleep and went up to bed.  

I came back downstairs around 7:00 a.m. to assemble the rolls.  Thankfully the dough had turned out this time.  I got the rolls in the oven just in time to see the kids look at their Easter baskets and hunt for eggs.  But would you believe that in all the activity going on that I slightly over cooked the third attempt of cinnamon rolls?  I was completely bummed out, but since they were still edible it was the best I was going to be able to do this time.

Everyone seemed to enjoy the cinnamon rolls....and no one else thought they were over cooked (even though I knew they were).  So do you want to know what I learned?
The perfect cinnamon roll needs to be cooked for 23 minutes in my oven....20 minutes and they'll be raw, but 25 minutes means they'll be over cooked.  23 minutes must be the secret!  Now that I've warned you, hopefully you won't ever have the same trouble I did ;)

Using the Bread Machine

I've been using my bread machine again lately.  I love making fresh bread.  I still have to work on slicing it though.  Any tips or tricks?  

I made a Sun Dried Tomato with Rosemary and Thyme loaf.  It didn't turn out as good as I had hoped, but I didn't want to waste the remainder of the loaf.  I turned it into bread crumbs for meatloaf/meatballs.  I think it will be delicious for that.  

The night before the big storm I made Money Saving Mom's Bread Machine Cinnamon Rolls.  I think it is the best thing I've ever tasted.  It was so easy too.  I couldn't believe how nice the dough from the bread machine was.  These cinnamon rolls are my new indulgence.  And let me tell you, they are even better the day after you make them when you reheat them.  Seriously you NEED to try these.  

Here they are with the frosting.  Cinnabon who?  I'm not joking when I say these are the best I've ever had.

Do you have any bread machine recipes to share?