Valentine’s Heart-Shaped Cinnamon Rolls

What says love like a fresh baked batch of homemade cinnamon rolls? Serve some up to your sweetie for Valentine’s Day! Cinnamon rolls are already one of my favorite treats so pinch them into little hearts? Ooh la la. And these cinnamon buns? They taste like Cinnabons (crazy good). XOXO!

 

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HOMEMADE CINNAMON ROLLS

1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F)
2 eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
4 1/2 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup white sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons instant dry yeast

1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/3 cup butter, softened

3 ounce cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select dough cycle; press Start.
2. After the dough has doubled in size turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, cover and let rest for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon.
3. Roll dough into a 16×21 inch rectangle. Spread dough with 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Roll up dough and cut into 12 rolls. Keep the “curl” on one end and form a heart shape.  Be sure to pinch the dough slightly at the bottom because when they bake they tend to spread out.Place rolls in a lightly greased 9×13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
4. Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes. While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving

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IMAGES: Baked Hearts via Pinch My Salt, Pinching Hearts via Cooking With Sugar, Filled Heart Pan via Poppies at Play