Melt-In-Your-Mouth Cinnamon Rolls

I know that sounds weird, cinnamon rolls that melt in your mouth, huh? But these do. They're made with vanilla pudding and are so soft and perfect. I have made these for kids' class parties, friends, and when family comes to visit, and everyone just goes ga-ga over them. (as in they love them, they don't put on huge freaky platform shoes or lobster hats

or sing songs about poker faces.)  They're sooooo heavenly. And since the weekend is upon us and a lot of my friends will be kicking back and watching T.V. in their jammies on Sunday ;), this post comes just in time!!!
Note: **One thing I love about this recipe is that it works great if you freeze it or store it in your fridge overnight. Just make the rolls to the point where you place them on the cookie sheet, but don't let them rise a second time. Simply cover them in seran wrap and foil and freeze them, then take them out and set them on your counter about 7-8 hours before you want to serve them.
Or to refrigerate overnight, once rolls are on the cookie sheet, place seran wrap kind of loosely over rolls and place in your fridge overnight. Then set them out on your counter for about an hour-an hour and a half before you want to eat them to rise. You can also speed rise them for part of the time in an oven at 170 if you need to.

Melt-In-Your-Mouth Cinnamon Rolls, makes 24-30 rolls
Print Recipe

Rolls:
½ cups Warm Water
2 Tablespoons Active Dry Yeast
2 Tablespoons Sugar
1 package (3 1/2 Oz.) Instant Vanilla Pudding
2 cups milk
½ cups Butter
1 teaspoon Salt
2  Eggs6 cups Bread Flour

Filling:
1/2 cup Butter, Room Temperature
2 cups Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoons Cinnamon

Frosting: (this is the same frosting I use in the homemade oreos, with a little milk added)
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup  Butter, softened
1 teaspoon Vanilla
3 cups Powdered Sugar
Milk, Cream, or Half and Half to dampen (about 2 Tablespoons)

In a small bowl, mix together the warm water, the yeast, and the sugar. Set aside.
In a microwave safe/glass measuring container, add your milk and then your butter. Place in microwave for 1-2 minutes until milk is at room temperature/warm and the butter is softened.. Pour this mixture into a mixing bowl/bosch. Add the vanilla pudding and salt. Mix together well. Add the yeast mixture and the eggs, mix again. Gradually add flour, you want the dough to be soft. I usually add almost all or all of the flour. Knead until smooth, I do this in my Bosch.
Cover dough and let it rise until doubled, like it is here. It may be a bit more than doubled here, which is fine!! While your dough is rising, stir together the brown sugar and cinnamon for your filling.



 Punch dough down and divide in half.  Roll out each half into a 17x10 rectangle. (or approximate!)  
Spread each rectangle with 1/4 cup butter
and half of the cinnamon sugar mixture.


Roll each rectangle up from the long-length side as tightly as you can. (so start rolling up from one of the 17 inch sides, NOT the 10 inch smaller width.)
Then take a sharp knife and make about 12-14 marks on each roll of your dough as evenly as you can. (you will have a total of about 24-30 cinnamon rolls.) This is to help you cut it evenly, you are not going to actually cut the dough, just mark it.


Then take a piece of dental floss and place it underneath your dough, bring it up around to the top, and criss-cross it to slice your dough where you made your marks. Place your cinnamon rolls onto two 15x10 sheet cake pans that have each been sprayed with cooking spray.


Cover and let rise until doubled, or see note **above about putting in the fridge or freezer.
Bake at 350 for 14-15 minutes. Be careful not to over-bake these, you want to take them out when they start turning golden brown.

While rolls are baking, make frosting. Beat together cream cheese and butter, add vanilla. Mix in powdered sugar and thin with some milk or cream. Spread on warm rolls. These are seriously to die for!!

Recipe Source: Adapted from allrecipes.com and melskitchencafe.com