Honestly, is there anything better than a big, hot, gooey, sticky cinnamon roll?  I think not.  When my grandmother made these we would all fight over who got the center roll because it usually had the most icing.  She made her icing with just confectioner’s sugar and milk, but sometimes I substitute orange juice to change it up a bit.

For the Cinnamon Rolls: In a small bowl mix 1/4 cup warm water with the yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar. Set aside for about five minutes, until the mixture starts to thicken and bubble slightly. If the mixture does not start to thicken and bubble slightly, the yeast is not working. Check the expiration date on the yeast and start over.

In a large bowl stir together the reserved 1/2 cup sugar, egg, oil, and salt.  Mix in the cold water and then boiling water.  Add the yeast mixture and stir until well blended.  Slowly add in the 4 cups of flour until incorporated.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead with floured hands for about 8 to 10 minutes, adding in the extra 1/2 cup or more of flour as needed.  Put the dough into a clean large bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until doubled in size, about 3 hours.

Meanwhile, combine the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons cinnamon in a small bowl. Grease a 9- by 13-inch baking dish with about 1 tablespoon of the melted butter using a pastry brush.

Punch down the dough and place it onto a lightly-floured surface. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a rectangle about 20-inches by 10-inches with the long edge facing you.  Using the pastry brush, spread 1/4 cup (about 4 tablespoons) of the melted butter over the top of the dough. Then, sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture over the entire dough evenly. Roll up the dough starting with the long edge facing you into a long, tight cylinder. Gently squeeze the cylinder to seal it. Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into 12 even rounds. Place the rounds, cut side down, into the prepared baking dish. There will be some space in between the rounds.  Brush the tops of the rolls with the remaining 1 tablespoon of melted butter. Cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise in a warm place for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Bake the cinnamon rolls until golden, about 40 to 45 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the icing by mixing the powdered sugar with the milk or orange juice in a small bowl. When the rolls come out of the oven drizzle the icing over the hot rolls. Serve while warm.

My great aunt Pat is famous for her hot rolls.  She has many specialties, but these rolls are my favorite.  These rolls are a staple at all of our family functions.  Big and fluffy in texture, buttery in flavor, and fragrant with the sweet smell of yeast, these rolls just can’t be beat.  They usually disappear straight out of the oven.

special equipment: Two 12-cup muffin tins

In a small bowl mix 1/4 cup warm water with the yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar. Set aside for about five minutes, until the mixture starts to thicken and bubble slightly. If the mixture does not start to thicken and bubble slightly, the yeast is not working. Check the expiration date on the yeast and start over.

In a large bowl stir together the reserved 1 cup sugar, eggs, oil, and salt.  Mix in the cold water and then boiling water.  Add the yeast mixture and stir until well blended.  Slowly add in the 7 cups of flour until incorporated.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead with floured hands for about 8 to 10 minutes, adding in the extra 1 cup or more of flour as needed.  Put the dough into a clean large bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 hours.

Make a fist and Punch down the dough.

(At this point the dough can be recovered with plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator, for up to 24 hours. Remove the dough, and continue with the recipe 3 1/2 hours before you are ready to bake.)

Place the dough on a work surface. Using a large knife, cut the dough into 24 equal pieces. Divide each piece into three 1-inch balls.  Place each set of three balls into one cup of two greased 12-cup muffin tins.  Allow the rolls to rise for about 3 hours at room temperature.

Thirty minutes before baking preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden on top. Remove from the tins and serve warm.

FOR THE CAKE
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a jelly-roll pan with parchment paper. Lightly grease and flour the paper. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt.

In a separate large bowl, beat eggs and white sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Mix in the pumpkin until combined. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture. Pour the batter out onto the prepared jelly-roll pan. Drop the pan twice on counter to even out the batter and release any bubbles. Bake for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, dust a dishtowel with confectioners’ sugar. Immediately transfer the cake to the powdered dishtowel and gently roll from one short end to the other. Refrigerate on a pan or plate until completely cool, about 2 hours.

FOR THE FILLING
Combine the confectioners’ sugar, cream cheese, butter, and vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy. Unroll the cake and spread with the filling. Reroll cake and wrap with plastic wrap for 1 to 2 hours. Dust with confectioners’ sugar before serving.