May 4

May 4 Grampa’s Cafe secret cinnamon roll recipe

The smell of cinnamon brings back childhood memories. Cinnamon rolls for breakfast was a special treat. We make cinnamon roll sin a cast iron dutch oven over our propane campfire. This is the famous recipe from my sister’s restaurant, Grampa’s Cafe. This was passed down from my mom who made these while we were camping.

When I was a kid, my mom worked a lot of hours. She worked at home, and sat at a sewing machine from early morning until deep into the night.

Having her home all the time was good because we never got locked out of the house from losing our key or anything like that. We all pitched in and helped with the work, as well as household chores.

But when it was time for a camping trip, Mama found the time to prepare for a great experience for all of us. We had a motorhome and it was usually stocked with the staples - canned goods and such. But the best part of camping was breakfast.

We started out with hot cocoa. Mama would put the milk and chocolate powder in the cup and pour in the hot water, and we got to stir and enjoy our chocolate while she prepared the rest of the breakfast.

There was always either bacon or sausage, and either French toast or pancakes. Then came the fried or scrambled eggs. But most importantly, there were always cinnamon rolls that she had somehow found the time to make before the trip.

I’ve heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I’m sure that statement originally referred to nutrition. But to me, the best meal of the day was camping breakfast. It was pure family time, when all the kids and Mama were together and she wasn’t working.

And camping breakfast is still the best meal. Tony and I always plan a cooked breakfast to start out our busy day of - uh - reading, stoking the fire, napping, drinking…. Later in the day we might get too busy or too lazy to cook, but we always have a nice breakfast. And although I have made cinnamon rolls before our trips, we’ve often opted for the easier “canned” rolls to go with our bacon or sausage and fried or scrambled eggs (or omelettes - Tony makes a mean omelette). Usually we eat so many cinnamon rolls that we don’t miss the French toast or pancakes.

And, because I can, I often spike my hot chocolate.

Cinnamon Roll Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup very warm water (too hot will kill the yeast)

2 TBSP yeast

1-1/2 cups milk

2 eggs

1/4 cup sugar

dash salt

6 cups flour

Preparation

Lay the yeast on the water and wait for it to mix in.
Warm the milk until it is just below a boil, add eggs, sugar, and salt.
Put all the flour in the mixer with the hook; add milk and yeast mixtures.
Work mixer speed up to almost high; get dough to a lump (add flour or milk if needed).
Spread flour on the table, kneed the dough a little and add flour until not sticky.
Put dough in large metal bowl sprayed with Pam.
Cover bowl with towel and place somewhere warm.
When dough is 2x as big (bowl is full) roll out on floured table and spread with melted butter.
Sprinkle with 1/2 sugar, 1/2 brown sugar, then cinnamon.
Roll, tuck, and pinch.
Cut roll into 1 to 1.5 inch slices and squish them on a floured surface.
Allow them to raise again
Bake at 375 for 15 or more minutes.