Cheese Rolls with Buttery Parmesan Crust

**If you double the recipe, don't double the amount of yeast - it should stay the same as in the original recipe**

Dough:
4 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 cup lukewarm milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
5-6 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

Filling:
8 ounces cheddar or pepperjack cheese, cut into 15 cubes

Topping:
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup Italian-flavored bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water

For the dough, combine all the ingredients and mix and knead until you have a soft, elastic dough (don't add too much flour - the key to soft dinner rolls is a soft dough!). Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover, letting rise in a warm place for 20-30 minutes.

Prepare a 9X13-inch pan by lightly greasing the bottom and sides with butter or nonstick cooking spray. Deflate the dough and divide into 15 pieces. Shape the pieces of dough into rounds and punch a cube of cheese from the bottom up into the center of each piece. Pinch the dough tightly together to close the bottom. Place the rolls, pinched side down, in the prepared baking pan. Cover and let rise again for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until nearly doubled.

While the rolls are rising, melt the butter and stir in bread crumbs and parmesan cheese. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. When the rolls have risen, brush the tops with the egg yolk beaten with water. Sprinkle tops of rolls liberally with the bread crumb mixture. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until the tops of the rolls are nicely browned. Remove from the pan immediately and cool on a rack. Serve warm

Cinnamon Rolls with Vanilla Pudding

Rolls:
½ cup warm water
2 tablespoons active dry yeast
2 tablespoons sugar
3 ½ ounce package instant vanilla pudding
½ cup butter, melted
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
6+ cups flour


Filling:
1 cup butter, softened to room temperature
2 cups brown sugar
4 teaspoons cinnamon


Frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese
½ cup butter, softened to room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups confectioner’s sugar
2-3 tablespoons milk


In a small bowl combine water, yeast and sugar. Stir until dissolved. Set aside. In large bowl, take pudding mix and prepare according to package directions. Add butter, eggs and salt. Mix well. Then add yeast mixture. Blend. Gradually add flour; knead until smooth. Do not overflour the dough! It should be very soft but not sticky. Place in a greased bowl. Cover and let rise until doubled. Then roll out on floured board to 34 X 21 inches in size. Take 1 cup soft butter and spread over surface. In bowl, mix 2 cups brown sugar and 4 teaspoons cinnamon. Sprinkle over the top. Roll up very tightly. With knife put a notch every 1 1/2 inches. Cut with thread or serrated knife. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet 1 inch apart. Cover and let rise until double again. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Remove when they start to turn golden (don’t overbake). Frost warm rolls with cream cheese frosting (combine butter and cream cheese and mix well, then add vanilla and sugar and mix again, then add milk for desired consistency). Makes about 24 very large rolls.

*Freezable Recipe: After shaping the rolls and placing them on the baking sheet, cover with lightly greased saran wrap and a layer of tin foil. Store in the freezer. The night before you want to serve them take out the rolls and put them in the refrigerator. Let them thaw in the refrigerator. Take them out about 8-9 hours after being in the refrigerator and let them rise until doubled. Bake according to the recipe. (If you have less time, you can take the rolls out of the freezer and let them come to room temperature on the counter - about 4 hours, then let rise until doubled).

Wheat Cinnamon Rolls

Wheat Cinnamon Rolls

Dough
2 c All-Purpose Flour or bread flour
2 c wheat flour
1 package of rapid rise yeast
6 Tbsp olive oil
2 c lukewarm water (120˚F-130˚F)
6 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt


Cinnamon filling
1 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter - plus extra
1/3 c sugar
1/4 c cinnamon
1 c chopped walnuts


Frosting (optional)
4 Tbsp cream cheese
4 Tbsp powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract


Combine the yeast and water in a small bowl. Add a teaspoon of sugar and stir once. Let it sit for 5 min.

Combine the flour, remaining sugar, butter or olive oil and salt in a large bowl and add the yeast. Mix it all together until it form into a dough blob.

Remove from the bowl and on a well-floured flat surface, knead the dough for a good 8 min until it feels elastic.

Lightly oil another bowl, place the dough in it and cover with plastic wrap and a towel and place away from light. Roughly 1 1/2 to 2 hrs or until the dough doubles in size.When the dough has doubled, punch down the dough to let the gases out and knead it again for a couple of minutes.

Preheat oven to 375˚F

On a lightly floured surface, rolls out the dough into a rectangle 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick. Spread the butter evenly over the surface, then sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon. With your hands or spatula mix all three over the surface. Sprinkle the walnuts o top and carefully the dough into a log. Cut them into 12 pieces and place them on a lightly grease a baking sheet or pan. Before placing them in the oven baste the tops of each rolls with a little bit of butter.

Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes.

To add frosting: combine all cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla until well blended and spread a generous helping on each cinnamon rolls.

Serve warm.

Pumpkin Spiced Cream Cheese Breakfast Rolls

2 packages/cans Pillsbury Crescent Rolls

4 0z cream cheese, softened

1/4 Cup brown sugar

1/4 Cup canned pumkin (Libby’s)

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Unroll crescent rolls to form 4 rectangles placed side by side. Pinch seams together to form one long rectangle. Place cream cheese, brown sugar, pumpkin, cinnamon and nutmeg into a mixer; beat until well combined. Spread mixture over crescents leaving a 1/2 inch border around edges. Starting at long end, roll up then cut into 1 inch pieces. Place around 2 9 inch cake pans that have been sprayed with cooking spray. I left the centers open so the rolls form a circle.

2. Bake for 28-30 minutes or until rolls are golden brown. Remove and let cool for 10 minutes. Frost warm rolls with cream cheese frosting recipe below.

Frosting

4 oz softened cream cheese

1/2 Cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 Tablespoon canned pumpkin (Libby’s)

1. Mix all ingredients into a large bowl until smooth. Spread over warm rolls