cinnamon rolls

Sally McKenney’s cinnamon rolls have soft, fluffy dough around a gooey cinnamon-and-brown-sugar swirl. This selected version finishes them with cream cheese icing and uses a single rise after the rolls are shaped.

All-purpose flour, granulated sugar and salt form the dry mixture. Whole milk and unsalted butter are warmed together, instant yeast is dissolved in them, and the mixture is added to the dry ingredients with an egg.

The dough is kneaded briefly and rests while the filling is prepared. It is rolled into a rectangle, spread with softened unsalted butter, sprinkled with light brown sugar and ground cinnamon, then rolled into a log and cut into portions.

The shaped rolls rise in a greased pan until doubled before baking until lightly browned. The separate icing combines softened cream cheese, another portion of unsalted butter, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla extract.

McKenney spreads the icing over the warm rolls and serves them immediately. She also gives coffee and vanilla icing choices, as well as other dough and filling variations, which remain separate from this cream-cheese-iced selection.