Amazing Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls with Peanut Butter Icing (in 2 hours recipe)

Every year for the past 4 years we have kicked off our new year by making cinnamon rolls as a family.  This year when my son woke up and saw the set up in the kitchen I was amazed when he pretty much walked me step by step on what we are supposed to do to make cinnamon rolls.  He even told me the cinnamon roll tip I showed him last year. I will share it at the end, it’s pretty cool!

They filling has chocolate chips so with every bite you get some chocolate gooeyness and if they are warm the richness is oozing out!  Our New Year’s traditions have changed depending on the number of children we had at the time, we went from: attending fun parties where I get to dress up, then 2 children later- having a family sleepover with friends and 3 children later- eating cinnamon rolls for breakfast.

Cinnamon Rolls are a great family friendly recipe to make together.  My kids enjoy using the rolling pin and spreading the filling. You’re going to laugh because the first time I attempted to make cinnamon rolls little did I know that most of the recipes take a day for preparation.  I had NO IDEA! So I stood in the kitchen with dashed hopes and then reality set in, “familia, we are having cereal instead.”  After this experience I came up with my own recipe that DOES NOT take more than a day. I have a basic recipe and then I change up the ingredients each time. So far we have made 5 different kinds of cinnamon rolls, pictured below is our lemon blueberry cinnamon rolls you can find the recipe here.

• First year- Basic Cinnamon Rolls
• Second year- Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
• Third year- Lemon Blueberry Cinnamon Rolls
• Fourth year- Apple Cinnamon Rolls with Caramel icing! recipe coming soon
• This Year- Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls with Peanut Butter Icing see recipe below

Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls with Peanut Butter Icing Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 tbspn dry yeast
• 1/2 cp warm water
• 3 eggs
• 1 tspn salt
• 1 cp warm milk
• 1/2 cp sugar
• 1/2 cp brown sugar
• 1cp shortening
• 1 box of instant vanilla or chocolate pudding mix about 2/3 cups
• 2/3 cp of cacoa/cocoa
• 7-8 cps of flour

Filling:

• 1/2 cp of melted butter
• 2/3cps brown sugar
• 2tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 cps chocolate chips

Directions:

-In a large mixing bowl dissolve yeast and water, let it sit for 10min or until bubbly.

-Add eggs, salt, milk, sugar, shortening and pudding.  Slowly add all the flour (reserve 1/2 cp).  The dough will be sticky.

-Use remaining 1/2 cup as needed to flour surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

-Punch dough down, divide in half. Flour surface and roll each portion into a 12-in. x 8-in. rectangle; brush with butter. Sprinkle brown sugar  over dough to the edges. Add chocolate chips if you want it filled with more chocolate yumminess add more.

-Roll up jelly roll style, starting with a long side; pinch seams to seal. Cut into slices using my handy dandy slicing method.

-Place cut side down in two greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pans. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.

Bake at 350° for 22-28 minutes or until golden brown.

I learned this cool trick: use thread to cut your cinnamon rolls. It works!

Peanut Butter Icing

4 cups of powdered sugar

1/4 cup of peanut butter

6-7 tablespoons of milk

In a small bowl, combine glaze ingredients. Spread over buns. Serve warm. Depending on size of your rolls it makes about 30 rolls.