The best cinnamon and caramel rolls--ever!

For a few days last week, Q and I enjoyed eating warm cinnamon and caramel rolls. I've made cinnamon rolls before for family and guests, but have never tried making the caramel rolls until recently. These were the delicacies I enjoyed at camp every summer. The recipes come from Camp Ironwood's cookbook called, Come and Dine. 

They are not hard to make. The things to remember when making rolls are--make sure the yeast dissolves well in warm enough water; let them rise until they're big and you can't see space between them; add double the glaze for the cinnamon rolls.

Both roll recipes begin with the same sweet roll recipe. 

Sweet Roll Dough

(9x13 pan, serves 8)

1-1/2 cups warm water

1 tablespoon yeast (1-1/2 packs)

2 eggs

1/4 cup dry milk

1/2 cup melted margarine

1/3 cup sugar

1-1/2 teaspoon salt

up to 5 cups flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir in remaining ingredients except flour. Stir in only enough flour to get a SHINY, STICKY dough (not runny). Transfer to another greased bowl, if necessary, to accommodate dough so it can double without overflowing. Cover bowl with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled, or refrigerated if allowing to rise overnight.

Cinnamon Rolls

(9x13 pan)

Prepare sweet roll dough. Have the following toppings ready before you roll out your dough:

1-1/2 cups brown sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

5 tablespoons margarine

optional: nuts or raisins

Blend sugar and nuts and cinnamon and set aside.

1. 1-1/2 to 2 hours before serving time, clean a 3-foot section of counter or kitchen table and sprinkle it with flour.

2. Shape dough into a log in the middle of your work surface. Sprinkle log with flour and roll it about 1/8" thick in an approximately rectangular shape. The more square the shape, the bigger the rolls will be.

3. Melt and spread margarine over the entire dough surface. Sprinkle sugar mixture over the margarine, spreading evenly to cover entire surface. If you like nuts or raisins, sprinkle them over the sugar mixture.

4. Roll dough toward you from the top, leaving the seam underneath the roll when finished rolling. Stretch out or scrunch up the log until it's a consistent 3" wide. Chop off rolls ever inch or so with a sharp knife and place flat side up in greased pan with rolls barely touching each other (if at all). Let rise in a warm place until no more pan shows between rolls.

5. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Check to see if pan needs to be turned for even browning. Continue baking for up to 10 minutes until lightly browned.

6. Cool slightly and drizzle glaze over baked rolls.

Glaze

(9x13 pan)

1-1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons warm water or milk

**I like to double this glaze amount so that I have rolls that are more moist and sweet!

The caramel rolls follow the basic instructions as the cinnamon roll recipe with the following exceptions:

*Don't add nuts (raisins are okay) when rolling up dough.

*Place the following in the bottom of pans before putting rolls in pans:

(9x13 pan)

1/2 cup melted margarine

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup corn syrup

1 cup nuts (optional)

Blend all ingredients and spread into ungreased pan. Continue with cinnamon roll instructions. When rolls are done, immediately cut around pan edges. Place a serving dish or cooling rack over the pan and invert it so that the pan empties. Scrape gooey remains from pan onto the rolls.

Now, wouldn't your family or guests enjoy these rolls this holiday season? They are scrumptious! You will not be disappointed.:)