Cinnamon Swirls ~ Take Two

Same base recipe, my way. 

This time I softened the butter before adding it to the yeast and milk mixture, along with it the sour cream, lightly stirred in.

I used once less cup flour, and kept the kitchen at a warm, even temperature (not always easy with three demanding dogs going out and in and out and in..).

I also added this concoction ~>

Um..yum. 

I wanted to add raisins, but not just any raisins - plumped up juicy ones. They simmered in a mixture of melted butter, orange juice, cinnamon sticks, and ground cloves. It eventually became a gooey mess of sweet and spicy plump raisins, which was spread on top of the cinnamon & sugar spread before rolling:

Hannah turned her nose up at the raisins (because that's what teenagers do..), so the second roll was raisinless. They proofed perfectly this time, light, fluffy, and soft. There are no words for what the house smelled like ...

Also in the oven: Gerry's Banana Bread (and banana chocolate chip bread).

Rohan took a similar photo to this with his Blackberry 

and sent it to Gerry, which was hilarious (to us):

I made a simple butter/vanilla/cream & icing sugar glaze to top them, 

rather than the cream cheese frosting (which was not to Hannah's liking, and might kill Therese...)

The next morning, soft, delicious cinnamon rolls.

 ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~