Recipe: Herren's Restaurant Cinnamon Rolls and Parker House Rolls

HERREN'S CINNAMON ROLLS

Herren's was a favorite downtown Atlanta restaurant for many years. They served baskets full of their fabulous cinnamon rolls and parker house rolls and you could take the leftovers home in a wax paper sack. By the time you got back home or to the office, there would be butter stains in the wax paper sack--mmmm! They printed recipe on those sacks and the following is a direct copy. I've made them several times and it's a very reliable recipe, even for beginners. The make-ahead directions are perfect for brunches or parties and they're always a big hit. How can so much butter, sugar & cinnamon be bad?

FOR THE DOUGH:
1 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 tsp. salt
2 packages yeast
Warm water (about 1/2 cup)
4 cups flour, sifted
Butter, melted (for brushing)
CINNAMON SUGAR MIXTURE:
2 cups sugar
4 tbsp ground cinnamon

Let milk come to a simmer in heavy saucepan. Add 1/4 cup butter, 1/4 cup sugar, and salt. Cool.

Soften yeast in 1/2 cup warm water and stir into first mixture. Add flour, about half at a time and beat well. Turn out on a floured board, allow to sit for 15 minutes.

Knead until smooth. Place dough in a buttered bowl, cover with a cloth, and let rise until double in size. Roll out dough on a floured board to about 1/4-inch thick and cut into rough 8-inch squares.

Work with one square at a time. Brush melted butter and sprinkle cinnamon and sugar mixture generously over entire surface. Starting at one side of square roll up into tube. Continue rolling tube back and forth until it is 12- to 16-inches long. Cut tube into wheels approximately 1/2-inch wide and place flat in pan that has been brushed with melted butter and sprinkled generously with cinnamon and sugar mixture. (Note: as this recipe will make 60 to 80 sweet rolls, use 3 or 4 small (6-8-inch) aluminum pans. This will allow you to stagger cooking during your dinner or save to bake off for breakfast.)

Place sweet rolls in pan so that they touch, but don't over pack. Brush top with butter and sprinkle mixture generously over entire surface. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.

Sweet rolls are now ready for baking (18-20 minutes at 350 degrees). Bake now or cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate. Allow 30 minutes to bring back to room temperature when removing from refrigerator.

VARIATION:

PARKER HOUSE ROLLS:
This dough minus the cinnamon and sugar mixture is the same that we use for our equally delicious parker house rolls. You may wish to save one 8-inch square of dough and serve your guests both rolls with dinner. Cut square into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Pull pieces, dip in melted butter, fold over, and place in buttered pan 1/2-inch apart. Let stand at room temperature for one hour.

Bake 15 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Adapted from source: rec.food.recipes/Thomas A. Coonan