Filling
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 2/3 cup margarine, melted
-
Icing
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) margarine, softened
- 1/2 cup (4 ounces) cream cheese, softened
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon whole milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
1. To make the dough, dissolve the yeast in the warm water in a small bowl or measuring cup and let it sit for 5 minutes.
2. Use an electric mixer to combine the sugar with the milk and melted margarine in a large bowl. Mix in the eggs and salt. Mix in 1 cup of the flour. When the flour is combined, mix in 1 more cup of flour. Mix in the yeast solution, and then stir in the remaining 2 cups of flour with a wooden spoon. Use your hands to form the dough into a ball, and then put the dough back into the bowl, cover it, and store it in a warm place for about 1½ hours.
3. Mix the filling ingredients together in a medium bowl, and then cover it until needed.
4. Roll the dough out on a floured surface until about ½ inch thick. Use a pizza slicer to slice the dough into approximately ½-inch-wide strips, and then slice those strips into ¾ -inch- to 1-inch-long chunks of dough.
5. Use softened margarine to grease the cups of 2 large (Texas-size) 6-cup muffin tins. Drop 6 chunks of dough into the bottom of each cup. Spoon 1 to 1½ teaspoons of cinnamon filling over the dough. Drop 7 more pieces of dough onto the filling in each cup, and then spoon 2 teaspoons of filling over the top of the dough. Cover the muffin tin with plastic wrap and let the dough sit in a warm spot for 30 minutes so that it rises a little more.
6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
7. Bake the cinnamon melts for 17 to 20 minutes, or until the dough turns light brown.
8. As the cinnamon melts cool, make the icing by mixing the margarine and cream cheese together with an electric mixer on high speed. Add the powdered sugar and mix slowly until all the powdered sugar is incorporated. Add the milk and vanilla, then mix again on high speed until smooth and fluffy.
9. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of icing over the top of each cinnamon melt. Serve right away, or cool completely, then cover the melts with plastic and freeze. To prepare a frozen melt, remove one from the pan and microwave it on high for 35 to 45 seconds, or until warm.
