Brioche Cinnamon Rolls

It's getting to that point in the year where I just don't want to do anything anymore. I don't want to study. I don't want to eat cafeteria food. I don't want to share a kitchen with strangers. There are ten days left in my sophomore year of college. It's insane. When I was younger I was terrified of being at this stage of my life. How am I going to learn how to drive a car? Pay bills? Write research papers? 

It hasn't been as scary as I thought. It's kind of mundane, actually. It's not as if I was in 4th grade one day and 20 years old the next, having to deal with the world. You ease into it. Time's nice that way (maybe to make up for all the instances when time isn't so nice). On a side note, when I was young, I thought 20ish was a perfectly reasonable time to get married. People have their lives figured out by then, right? Hahahahaha. Oh, me. 

Right now, all I want to focus on is sinking my hands into some buttery, silky dough and forgetting all of my troubles. It works pretty well. Believe you me, brioche dough makes some killer cinnamon rolls (Literally! Not literally. I don't want to kill you.)'

Brioche Cinnamon Rolls 

(This dough makes enough for a double batch of cinnamon rolls. I divided it in half and made some plain brioches as well)

adapted from Dessarts

dough:

50 mL water, 100-115F-ish
5 eggs
4 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
3 3/4 cup flour (you may need a bit more)
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup plus 2 Tbs cold butter

Temper your butter by wrapping it in plastic and patting it down with a rolling pin. You want it soft and cold but not melted. Store it in the refrigerator while you prepare the rest. Mix warm water, sugar, and yeast, let sit until super foamy. Combine yeast mix, flour and eggs in a bowl, knead until smooth, using a stand mixer or your hands.

Gradually add in the cold tempered butter. Work the dough until it is smooth and satiny. Be sure to scrape the dough off the sides and paddle during mixing (If you're using a stand mixer. Otherwise, just knead the heck out of it). Place the dough in a large oiled bowl and let it rise for 1 hour. Punch it down into a ball, wrap in plastic tightly and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least four hours. You may want to double wrap it and put it in a bowl in case it expands out of the plastic.

Cinnamon Rolls (makes about 15 rolls)
Half batch of brioche dough (recipe below)
2 Tbs cinnamon
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 Tbs butter, softened
1/4 cup cream cheese
3 Tbs milk
1 1/2 cup confectioners sugar

Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Roll out the brioche dough on a floured surface (preferably a cool surface) into a 15 by 11 inch rectangle to 1/4 inch thickness. Spread the butter over the dough leaving a 1/2 inch border. Spread the cinnamon sugar evenly over the butter. Roll the dough lengthwise. With the seam side down, cut the dough at 1 inch intervals. (I used dental floss to get nice clean cuts)

Place the rolls on a baking sheet. Try to tuck the roll tails under each roll. Cover them with plastic and a kitchen towel. Let them rise until doubled. Bake at 350°F until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from baking sheet to cool.

Combine the cream cheese, milk and sugar in an electric mixer and whisk until smooth. Drizzle or pipe over the rolls.