Witt's Culinary: Recipe #61: Cinnamon Twist Sweet Rolls with Powdered Sugar Butter Glaze

I'm a sucker when it comes to any type of Danish...eating it, that is. Making a good Danish is a tedious process at best, and sometimes the results are not worth all the ingredients, two rises and prep work. This recipe is the longer version...I will also be posting one where I have cheated and started with one of my favorites...puff pastry dough. I'm sure some of you will look at the recipe below, and promptly say "forget it!"  I don't blame you, but then you don't have the benefit of enjoying these wonderful delights.

1 cup milk                                                                  1 pkg active dry yeast
1/4 cup vegetable shortening                                1 large egg
1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp sugar                                        1/2 tsp salt
3 1/2 to 3 3/4 cups flour                                         2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 stick butter, room temp

Warm the milk in a small saucepan until steaming, or use the microwave. Dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup warm (100 degrees) in mixer bowl. Add the milk, shortening, egg, 1/4 cup sugar, salt and 3 1/2 cups flour (to start). Mix with the dough hook until well combined. Transfer dough to lightly floured surface and knead a few times until smooth, adding more four if dough is too sticky. Transfer dough to a large bowl sprayed with vegetable oil cooking spray and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size...about 1 1/2 hours. Combine cinnamon and remaining sugar in a small bowl. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface into a 8"x16" rectangle, with the long side facing you. Spread the butter over the right half of the rectangle, then sprinkle with the cinnamon/sugar mixture. Fold the left half over the buttered, sugared half, like closing a book. Cut the folded dough vertically into 6 strips. Twist a strip several times, stretching dough a little, then put one end onto the baking sheet, and holding, wind the strip around and around to form a coil, tucking the end underneath so it doesn't come apart while baking. Repeat with the remaining strips.   All 6 should fit on the large baking sheet. Lightly cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap sprayed with vegetable oil spray and let rolls rise until doubled in size...about 1 hour. Heat oven to 375.   Uncover rolls and bake until lightly browned, about 20-30 minutes, depending on your oven.   While they are baking, make the glaze below...

GLAZE

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar                                      1 tbsp butter, room temp
1/8 tsp salt                                                                1/8 cup warm milk

Beat sugar, butter and salt in a bowl with a mixer (I use a hand mixer for this). Add the warm milk and after adding, mixture should be pourable, not spreadable. Add more milk if you need to. Spoon glaze over rolls a few minutes after they come out of the oven. You can top with sanding sugar, or sprinkles, or nothing...bon appetit!