Thanksgiving dinner is one of my favorite meals of all time. I love the turkey, the stuffing, the green beans, the pecan pie and the company, of course. The leftovers are even better. Some things just taste better the second day. Plus, I can get away with not having to cook dinner for a couple of days. When the leftovers are all gone, it’s time to plan a great brunch to wrap up the Thanksgiving weekend. These Challah Cinnamon Rolls are the perfect addition to your brunch menu for your family or guests. Challah is a rich and delicious base for the sweet, spiced cinnamon mixture.
These rolls may take a bit of time to make, but they are worth the effort. They give your whole house that warm, fragrant, smell of cinnamon and the whole family will love them. The rolls have that chewy, eggy challah taste mixed with the buttery, sweet, cinnamon roll flavor. It’s the perfect parting treat; before saying, “lehitra’ot” to out of town guests.
Chewy, cinnamony, sweet goodness!
Ingredients
2 teaspoons instant dry yeast
2 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup sugar
5 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 2/3 cups water
2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons honey
4 large egg yolks
Filling
1 cup brown sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/4 cup butter, softened
Frosting
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons heavy cream
Put the yeast, salt, sugar, flour into the bowl of a stand mixer, mix with a paddle attachment for 2 minutes. Add the water, oil, and honey into a sauce pan. Heat on medium until it bubbles, then remove from heat. Remove the paddle attachment and replace with a dough hook. Add the liquid to the dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Add egg yolks one at a time, beating after each addition. Continue kneading on medium for 5 minutes or until the dough clears the sides of the bowl. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead by hand for 30 seconds. Lightly oil a large bowl with vegetable oil (I used the stand mixer bowl). Transfer the dough to the bowl and flip the dough, so all sides get oiled. Cover with a damp towel and let dough ripen (about 20 minutes).
Ripe test
Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl and set aside.
Butter a 9×13 inch baking dish. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll dough into an 18×12 inch rectangle. Spread softened butter over dough and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture.
Rolled out dough
Tightly roll the dough and pinch the seam to close. Slice into 12 equal size rolls and place cut side up in the greased pan. Wrap in plastic wrap and put it in the fridge over night.
In the morning take the dough out of the fridge, cover with a warm damp towel until it doubles in size (about 30 minutes). Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
While the rolls are baking, combine the cream cheese, butter, confectioners’ sugar, salt, vanilla, and heavy cream until smooth (add more heavy cream if you would like a thinner frosting). Glaze the rolls with the frosting. Job well done, enjoy!
