Cinnamon Dipping Rolls

Cinnamon Rolls: Combine the flour, milk, 4 tablespoons butter, egg, sugar, baking powder, vanilla, salt and yeast in a large bowl and mix until a dough forms. Turn out onto a generously floured surface and fold the dough over itself in a gentle kneading motion until the dough holds together and is smooth. This isn’t the same as bread, so you will want to stop kneading when the dough starts to feel smooth, otherwise you’ll incorporate too much flour and the rolls will be tough. No more than ¼ cup of flour should be used in this step. The dough will feel a little tacky but won’t stick to the counter or to your hands.

Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Brush a small amount of the butter to lightly coat the inside of the mixing bowl; place the dough into the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.

Lightly grease a muffin top pan or line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl, set aside.

Deflate the dough and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Press or roll it into a 12" x 12" square.

Brush the dough with the remaining melted butter leaving an uncovered strip about 1" on the side closest to you then cover the buttered dough evenly with the brown sugar mixture. Gently press the sugar into the dough and drizzle the sugar with any remaining melted butter.

Roll into a log starting with the side that is farthest from you and rolling towards you, being sure not to pull on the dough or it will bake as a cone rather than a flat disc.

Slice the log into 12 pieces using a very sharp knife or dental floss. For dental floss, lift the dough to slide the floss underneath and pull the ends so that they cross over the top and slice through the dough.

Place the buns in the prepared muffin top pan or place them on a baking sheet. Cover and let the buns rise until puffy, about 60 minutes. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F.

Bake the buns for 15 to 20 minutes, until they're a light golden brown and the interior of the rolls reaches 190°F. Cool in the pan until just warm then frost or use for dipping.

Frosting / Dipping Sauce: Beat the butter and cream cheese on medium speed in an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until well blended. Scrape down the bowl and add the powdered sugar, start the mixer on low speed until the sugar is blended, add the vanilla and increase speed to medium, beating until a frosting forms.

The mixture can be used to frost the rolls at this point or add in milk until you reach a dipping consistency.