Eggnog Cinnamon Rolls

Eggnog Cinnamon Rolls with Lemon Curd

• • 1/4 cup very warm water

  • 1 package active dry yeast

  • 1 cup eggnog, warmed slightly (substitute milk for standard cinnamon rolls)

  • 2 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar

  • 2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 1/2 tablespoon baking powder

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1 egg, room temperature

  • 3 1/2 - 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling

  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

  • 1/2 cup brown sugar

  • 1/2 cup granulated white sugar

  • 2 tablespoons cinnamon

  • 1 cup raisins and/or chopped pecans (optional)

Pour the warm water into the bowl of your electric mixer and sprinkle the yeast over the water. Let stand for 10 minutes until foamy. Add the warmed eggnog, sugar (2 1/2 tablespoons), oil, baking powder, salt, egg, and 2 cups of flour. Mix with the dough hook until smooth. Add 1 1/2 cups more flour, a half cup at a time, with the mixer on low. Knead the dough for 8 minutes on medium-low speed, adding the last half cup of flour a little at a time, as needed.

Place dough in an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, until doubled in size.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough into a rectangle, about 9x15 inches. Brush with 4 tablespoons of the melted butter. In a small bowl, combine the 1/2 cups brown sugar and white sugar and the cinnamon. Sprinkle sugar mixture over the dough. If adding nuts or dried fruit, sprinkle them over the sugar mixture. Roll the dough up into a log (from one short side to the other). Dip a sharp knife in flour and slice the log into 12 equal pieces.

Brush 1 more tablespoon of the melted butter on the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Place the cinnamon rolls, cut side down, in the pan. Brush the rolls with the last tablespoon of melted butter. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. At this point, you could also wrap the cinnamon rolls in plastic and then foil, and freeze for a month or two until you're ready to bake them.

Take the rolls out of the fridge 1-2 hours before you're ready to bake them and let them rise a little in a warm place.

Preheat the oven to 350. Bake the rolls, uncovered, until risen and golden brown, about 25-30 minutes.

While the rolls are hot, drizzle with warm lemon curd, or a powdered sugar glaze.

Yields 12 cinnamon rolls.