Maple Cinnamon Rolls

Off the bat, nothing compares to Preston Rolls (original and vegan.) But, if you need something a little easier to make - like so much easier and less pressing, these fit the bill. They are also a different type of cinnamon roll. 

These should be served warm and as fresh out of the oven as possible. You can do most of the prep the night before and finish putting the rolls together and baking the next day - or a couple days down the road if you have a lot of baking/cooking ahead of you. It is okay to freeze these as well. 

Ingredients:

1 quart almond milk

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup sugar

2 packages Active Dry Yeast, 0.25 Ounce Packets

8 cups (Plus 1 Cup Extra, Separated) All-purpose Flour

1 teaspoon (heaping) Baking Powder

1 teaspoon (scant) Baking Soda

1 Tablespoon (heaping) Salt

additional flour

1/2 lbs (2 sticks) Earth Balance

1.5 - 2 cups sugar

cinnamon

Maple Frosting

2 lbs powdered sugar

2 teaspoons Maple Extract

1/2 cup almond milk

1/4 cup brewed coffee

1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Mix the milk, vegetable oil and sugar in a pan. Heat until steaming heavily. Turn off heat and leave to cool to lukewarm, 30 - 60 minutes.
2. Once mixture is lukewarm, transfer to a mixing bowl. Add both packages of Active Dry Yeast across the top. (Not a single pile.) Let this sit for a minute. 
3. Add 8 cups of all-purpose flour, slowly. Stir mixture together.  For first 4-5 cups, use regular mixing arm. Use dough hook once dough starts for form. Cover and let rise for at least an hour.
4. After rising for at least an hour, add 1 more cup of flour, the baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir mixture together. (At this point, you could cover the dough and refrigerate until you need it. Just keep your eye on it and if it starts to overflow out of the pan, just punch it down).
5. To prepare rolls: Sprinkle rolling surface generously with flour. 
6. Take half the dough and place on floured surface. Roll the dough in a rectangular shape (longer side nearest you) and thinning the dough. 
7. Drizzle 1 stick or so melted butter over the dough. Then sprinkle 3/4 to 1 cup of sugar over the Earth Balance followed by a generous sprinkling of cinnamon.
8. Roll the dough lengthwise on the long side of the rectangle (so you have a long roll of buns rather than a short and very fat stick.)
9. Use cooking spray or extra Earth Balance to grease pans. Cut the rolls approximately 1 inch thick and place in the buttered pans.
10. Repeat this process with the other half of the dough. Let the rolls rise for about 30 minutes, then bake at 375 degrees until light golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Check often.
11. For the frosting, mix together all ingredients listed and stir well until smooth. Viscosity will vary. Thicker is better, as long as it pours. Taste and adjust as needed. Pour over the rolls.

Notes:

• You can also add other fillings, such as chocolate chunks or caramel. 
• You could also line your baking pans with foil, and turn them upside down after the frosting has soaked in. This creates more of a sticky bun feel.