Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing

When I was in college, my friend Mary Ann and I loved getting cinnamon rolls at Great Harvest Bread Co. in Utah.  They were huge and made with whole wheat flour. I loved them! About 2 years ago, I found a similar recipe in my local newspaper for whole wheat cinnamon rolls. The recipe was from a local resident, Erin Bray. I love her recipe and thought the most genius part was adding cinnamon to the dough in addition to the filling. I don't know if these are really healthier for you, but I am sure there is at least a little extra fiber to boot. Her cream cheese icing is yummy too. If you decide to pace yourself and not eat the entire batch, they freeze particularly well.

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing
(Printable Recipe)

1 cup milk

1 stick butter

1 cup water

1 1/2 packages active dry yeast

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup honey

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

3 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour

3-4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 1/3 cups brown sugar

2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 stick butter, softened

FOR THE ICING

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 tablespoon butter, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

2-3 tablespoons milk

Place milk and butter in microwave-proof bowl and heat until butter is melted, 2-3 minutes. Add water to milk mixture. Let cool to room temperature.

In large bowl, combine milk mixture, yeast, brown sugar, honey, salt, eggs, cinnamon and whole wheat flour. Mix well and allow to stand 15 minutes. Add all-purpose flour, half a cup at a time, until dough pulls together. Knead dough on floured surface until no longer sticky, approximately 8 minutes. (Additional flour may need to be added as you knead, depending on the humidity.)

Mix cinnamon and brown sugar together; set aside. Spray a 9-by-9-inch pan and a 9-by-13-inch pan with non-stick spray. Cut dough into two pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a 10-by-12-inch rectangle. Spread butter over each piece and cover with brown sugar and cinnamon mixture, pressing in slightly to adhere. Roll dough jellyroll-style, ending with seam down to seal. With sharp, serrated knife, cut each roll into 10-12 slices. Place rolls into prepared pans. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise 1-1 1/2 hours. Bake in preheated 375-degree oven 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.

For icing, combine all ingredients, except milk, in a large bowl. Beat together slowly while adding milk until you reach a spreadable consistency. Spread over lukewarm rolls.