share the love

in the wake of financial crisis around the world, i was so impressed this weekend by counsel to give and give thanks. just when we thought we might get advice to save and hold fast to all we have, the prophets and apostles reminded us that as we give to those in need and recognize the hand of the Lord in our lives, we will be blessed. so, in the spirit of giving and giving thanks, i thought i'd share the yummy goodness that graced my kitchen yesterday. unfortunately, this is all that's left:

but, the recipe i can definitely share and i can certainly give thanks for ooey gooey cinammon-y goodness. mmm. mmm. seriously, prepare yourselves.
i combined a few recipes i found in an effort to make really scrumptious cinnamon rolls that wouldn't make me totally crazy in the process. for me, there are 2 key words in a recipe that i cling to: EASY, and GOO-OOD. this one DEFINITELY makes the cut. (i think my mom and sister are probably already in cardiac arrest at the thought of me even attempting to make cinnamon rolls, so that may give you a little more encouragement that if i can do it, you can do it!)

part of the recipe is from rhodes rolls. i knew i did not have it in me to make dough from scratch, and my theory is, WHY? when it still tastes so good without any of the headache! the rest of the recipe is from allrecipes.com - a recipe called "clone of a cinnabon." ummm. hello. you had me at cinnabon. (unfortunately thisl recipe calls for homemade dough, breadmaker, etc. so i could only use parts of it.)

so, here's what you'll need:
1 loaf Rhodes bread dough, thawed and risen (instructions are on the package)
3 T butter softened (like really soft, but not melted)
1/3 c. brown sugar
2 T cinnamon

icing/frosting (oooh... do not underestimate the power of this stuff...)
3 oz cream cheese softened
1/4 c. butter softened
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. salt
(this kind of makes a lot of frosting, so you can either be liberal or save it for future emergencies)

roll dough into a 10x12-inch rectangle. spread with softened butter. in a small bowl, mix brown sugar and cinnamon together. sprinkle over buttered dough. Starting on short side, roll dough up. Cut crosswise into 4 slices. ( i rolled it long ways to be able to make 9 smaller rolls) Place slices in an 8-inch square sprayed baking pan. Cover rolls with sprayed plastic wrap. Let rise until double in size. Remove wrap and bake at 350°F 15-20 minutes. Remove from pan and ice while still warm. frosting: beat together cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving.

just remember, you may be tempted to scarf them all yourselves... but they taste much better when you share the love.
i'm telling you... heaven. on. earth.