BUNS! (Sticky Ones)

Me at 18 months with Great-Grandma Albrecht

A couple of years ago for my mom's birthday, I created a cookbook for her of all our favorite family recipes mixed with pictures of us through the years.  I published it through Blurb.com and it turned out great!  Many copies are now circulating through my family.  If you'd like to take a look, go HERE.
This morning, since we are basically "iced-in" here in Seattle, I got the grand idea to make cinnamon rolls.  Not just any cinnamon rolls, but my Great-Grandma Albrecht's.  They are not topped with traditional frosting, but caramel and walnuts.  I remember them from childhood.  My mom would make them sometimes for Thanksgiving morning or Christmas morning.  I decided this year we'd have what I consider to be a traditional family holiday breakfast, even though my husband is less than thrilled with cinnamon rolls (how can that be???).
I've never made cinnamon rolls before.  I was pleased that these turned out completely perfectly.  They are gorgeous and since I ate one right out of the oven, I can attest to their deliciousness.
So, here's the recipe, copied straight from the cookbook:

Great-Grandma Albrecht's Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of lukewarm water
2 pkgs of dry yeast

1 1/2 cups of water
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter melted
1 egg that was beaten with a fork

1/2 cup of powdered sifted milk
5 1/2 cups of flour more of less (I used 5 cups of flour, two of which were whole wheat pastry flour)
3 tbls melted butter
1 cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

2/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup melted butter
2 tbls light corn syrup
walnuts or pecans

Note: Grandma Albrecht used powdered milk because that's what she was given through welfare.  Substitute with 1-1/2 cup milk.

(I didn't see this note in my own cookbook, so I scratched my head thinking of a substitute for powdered milk and settled on vanilla protein powder.  Sounds gross?  It actually worked perfectly if you want to give them a little extra protein boost.)

Mmmm...delicious.

Directions:
1. Dissolve yeast in water, set aside.
2. Mix water, sugar, salt, butter and egg in a pot and warm.
3. Add yeast mixture to warmed liquid, keep lukewarm.
4. In a large bowl, mix milk, flour.
5. Pour liquid mixture into flour.  Knead and shape into a ball and place into a lightly greased bowl. Cover with a light towel and place in a warm place to rise.  Punch down and divide into 2 balls and let rise for about 1/2 hour.
6. Take one ball and with a rolling pin, roll to 12x8 rectangle.  This recipe makes two 12x8 rectangles.
7. Brush half of melted butter over dough.
8. Combine sugar and cinnamon.  Sprinkle half over melted butter.
9. Roll up jelly-roll-style.  Seal seams pinch together or seal with a little water.  Slice into 12 pieces and place in a greased 9 X 1 1/2 inch round pan that has the caramel and nuts in the bottom (step 11). 
10. Combine brown sugar, melted butter and corn syrup in saucepan and stir until dissolved.
11. Pour half into round pan.  Top with walnuts or pecans.
12. Repeat with second half of dough.
13. Let rise again about 30 minutes.
14. Bake at 375 for 20 or 25 minutes.

Makes 24 cinnamon rolls.