grandma delsie's cinnamon rolls

How To Make grandma delsie's cinnamon rolls

• 
  1

  To make the rolls, scald the milk in a saucepan; add the shortening, sugar, and salt. Transfer to a large bowl and cool to lukewarm.
• 
  2

  In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast on the warm water; stir to dissolve.
• 
  3

  Add 1 1/2 cups of the measured flour to the milk mixture; beat well. If not using a mixer, beat with a wooden spoon.
• 
  4

  Beat in the eggs and yeast.
• 
  5

  Gradually stir in enough of the remaining flour, a little at a time, to make a soft dough that leaves the sides of the bowl. Dough will be slightly sticky.
• 
  6

  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board cover and let rest for 5 minutes.
• 
  7

  Knead, incorporating a little more flour as necessary, until smooth, satiny, and no longer sticky, about 8 to 10 minutes. Keep your hands dusted with flour to prevent sticking. Kneading is necessary to produce the great texture of these rolls.
• 
  8

  Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, invert to grease the top, cover, and let rise until doubled, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Punch down and turn out onto a board.
• 
  9

  Divide dough in half. Lightly grease the counter or board. Roll each half into a 14 x 6-inch rectangle.
• 
  10

  For the filling, combine the sugar, melted butter, and cinnamon.
• 
  11

  Spread half of the mixture on each rectangle. Scatter raisins on each rectangle, if using.
• 
  12

  Roll up each rectangle lengthwise as for a jelly roll. Seal the edges and cut dough into 1-inch slices. Place cut side down in 2 well-greased square baking pans. Cover and let rise until doubled. Lightly brush melted butter on the tops of the rolls. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• 
  13

  Bake 25-30 minutes.
• 
  14

  For the icing, mix the confectioners' sugar with the milk or cream to enable spreading consistency. Add the vanilla and salt and stir until combined.
• 
  15

  Frost the rolls while still warm. Note 1: Though this dough can be made by hand mixing, I mixed the dough in my KitchenAid mixer. I let the mixer knead the dough for 10 minutes on low and then I hand-kneaded the dough another 5 minutes before placing them in the bowl to rise. Note 2: I like to let my dough rise in the oven. I cover it with a lightweight cloth and put it in the oven. I put a shallow pan of hot water beneath the bowl of dough on a lower rack in the oven. Note 3: I cut the rolls between 1 1/2 inches and 2 inches because Grandma’s cinnamon rolls were always big. These can be baked in a round, rectangle, or square pan.
• 16

  Every time I bake these for my family, my first memory of these rolls comes back to me. I was 4 years old and I was out on the tractor with Grandpa one chilly morning. We had just left the barn and were moving hay to the pasture for his cows. I caught a whiff of something in the air. I said, "Grandpa, what is that good smell?" He lifted his head and said, "Oh wee! Grandma's baking cinnamon rolls." I was sitting on top of this lap and he turned that tractor around so fast that I almost fell off. We got to the house and raced inside the kitchen door and I guess Grandma had been watching us from the window. She was standing there with her rolling pin, slapping it in her hand. She looked sternly at Grandpa and said, "If you're ever going to drive the tractor like that again while that child is with you, you're going to be seeing stars." Grandpa and I sat down and Grandma placed a glass of milk and one of her big cinnamon rolls in front of us. When Grandma had her back to us, I leaned in and whispered, "Grandpa, this is so yummy I think it's worth seeing the stars." Grandpa smiled back at me and winked. From then on when I was with Grandpa on the tractor I would say, "Go faster Grandpa." He would reply, "No siree, Grandpa don't want to see stars today." We would laugh and giggle.
• Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!
• Printable Recipe Card