Cinnamon rolls

Okay, so this post is (almost) a week late. But for Valentine's breakfast, I made my hubby some heart shaped cinnamon rolls.

These were absolutely delicious! The recipe I'm sharing is a half batch. It made 6 large, heart-shaped rolls.

Cinnamon Rolls:

Rolls:

1/4 cup warm water

1 Tbsp active dry yeast
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 package instant vanilla pudding
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
3ish cups flour
Filling:
1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

Icing:
4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
1-2 Tbsp milk

Ready?
In a small bowl, combine your warm water and sugar, stirring until dissolved. Add yeast and set aside.
Now, prepare your pudding according to the directions on the box (remember, you'll only need half of it) and then mix in your butter, egg, and salt. Add your yeast mixture ans stir until combined. Add flour 1 cup at a time, making sure you don't over flour your dough. It will be a soft dough, but should not be so sticky it sticks to everything in sight. Once flour has been added, knead for a few minutes until smooth. Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled (about 30min - 1 hour).
 
Once doubled, roll the dough out into a rectangle on a lightly floured surface. If I was estimating, your rectangle would be approx. 18x12 inches. But 10x15 would be fine... as long as it is a rectangle, not a square. Take your 1/2 cup butter for the filling and spread evenly over the rectangle. Use it all, that's what makes it good! Mix your cinnamon and sugar together and sprinkle over the butter.
 
Now you're ready to roll (literally)! Beginning at one end of your rectangle, roll up tightly (like the tightest burrito ever). 18" end, you will have smaller rolls, but more of them. If you roll from the 12" end, you will have bigger rolls, but less of them. The 18" side should give you about 12 and the 12" about 6. You choose.
*Note: If you want to make heart shaped cinnamon rolls (they are pretty cute), you just need to roll from opposite sides, meeting in the middle. A little pinch at the bottom to accentuate the "v" and you're good!
Place rolls on a lightly greased cookie sheet.
 
Once tightly rolled, slice your roll about every 1 or 1 1/2 inches, forming your rolls. From here you have 2 options:
#1: Cover and let rise another 30 minutes-ish (until doubled) and then bake at 350 for 15 or so minutes.
#2: Cover with plastic wrap and foil and freeze. To make, just take them out of the freezer the night before you want to make them. In the morning, let them rest on the counter for 20 or so minutes until doubled. Then bake as above.
 
While those beauties are baking, you want to make up your icing (because let's face it: frosting warm rolls and watching the icing melt all over is the epitome of cinnamon rolls).
Cream your butter and cream cheese. Then add your vanilla and sugar (I always hold back about 1/2 cup and add to taste). Once mixed, add milk for your desired thickness. Frost warm rolls and enjoy!