How to warm up a rainy, dreary day

Well, thank goodness we decided to get our Christmas tree yesterday instead of waiting until today. We are just east of the nasty snow/ice storm that is hitting much of the Midwest but we are getting deluged with rain and the temps are right around 40 degrees. YUCK! So what better way to deal with it than to make some hot chocolate and a batch of yummy cinnamon rolls!!

ICED CINNAMON ROLLS

• 1 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 4 T butter
• 4 1/2 cups bread flour
• ½ package instant vanilla or butterscotch pudding
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons yeast
• 
  
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 t ground cinnamon
• 8 oz butter, softened
• 1 cup chopped nuts or raisins, optional
• 
  
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 4 oz butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

1. Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select dough cycle; press Start.
2. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Press into 18 x 10” rectangle
3. With mixer, combine butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. If too stiff to spread, soften in microwave for 10-20 seconds.
4. Spread dough with butter/sugar/cinnamon mixture. Sprinkle with nuts/raisins. Starting with long edge, roll up dough and cut into 1” slices. Place 12 rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan and remaining 6 rolls in a lightly greased 10 x 7 or square pan. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
5. Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15-18 minutes.
6. While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, 4 oz butter, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla extract. Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving

Step by step: