Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients:

• 2 and ½ cups flour, plus ¼ cup of flour set aside
• Extra flour for dusting work surface
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ⅓ cup maple syrup
• ⅔ cup milk (I used skim milk)
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ cup chopped nuts (optional) (I used dry-roasted almonds)
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 2 c powdered sugar
• 6 tbsp milk (I used skim milk)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Prepare the dough by whisking 2 and ½ cups of flour, 1 tsp baking powder, and ½ tsp salt. Stir the maple syrup and milk together and slowly and gradually add a little of the milk and syrup mixture to the flour mixture and stir until incorporated.
3. The dough will look and be sticky once all of the wet ingredients are added to the dry ingredients. Add 1-2 tbsp of the reserved ¼ cup of flour and knead into the dough. You may need to add another tbsp or 2 of the remaining flour if it is still pretty sticky. Be careful not to add too much extra flour. Allow the dough to rest for about 5 minutes.
4. On a floured surface, roll the dough out in the shape of a rectangle to ¼ inch thickness.
5. Combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, and optional nuts in a small bowl. Cover the surface of the dough with the brown sugar mixture. Roll the dough into a log. Trim the excess from the edges. Brush the dough with the melted butter. Cut into 12 rolls.
6. Place the rolls onto a greased baking sheet about 1-2 inches apart. Bake for 12-15 minutes on 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
7. Combine the powdered sugar, 6 tbsp milk, and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Stir until all is combined well and smooth.
8. Drizzle the icing over the cinnamon rolls. Store any leftover icing in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and store any leftover cinnamon rolls in an airtight container at room temperature.