Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls

I LOVE these sooo much I can only make them once a year:

1 1/2 C Sugar
3 Tbls. Ground Cinnamon
2 Tbls. Active Dry Yeast
1 tsp. Sugar
1 C warm water
1 C warm milk
2/3 C sugar
2/3 c melted butter
2 tsp. salt
2 eggs, slightly beaten
up to 8 C flour
1/2 c melted butter
optional: 1 C pecan or walnuts chopped
1/2 C melted butter
1/3 C sugar
4 C Pwd sugar
2/3 C melted butter
2 tsp. vanilla
up to 6 Tbls. hot water

Mix together 1 1/c sugar and cinnamon and set aside
In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 tsp sugar, set aside
In a lg bowl or mixer, mix together milk, 2/3 c sugar, 2/3 C melted butter, salt and eggs. Add yeast mixture and 4 cups of flour. Mix until smooth, stir in enough flour to make a stiff dough. Knead or mix for 8 minutes.
place dough in a large greased bowl and cover. Allow to rise in a warm place until double in size, about 1 to 1.5 hours.
punch down dough and let rest for 5 minutes
Roll dough out on a floured surface into a 15 by 20 inch rectangle
Brush 1/2 C melted butter over dough; sprinkle cinnamon sugar evenly over dough then nuts if you like them.
tightly roll up dough and pinch edges together to seal; cut the roll into 12-15 slices using dental floss or thread.
Coat the bottom of a 13 by 9 pan with 1/2 c melted butter, sprinkle 1/3 c sugar evenly in bottom of pan (sometimes I use an 8 by 8 pan also so they don't have to squish together.)
Place cinnamon roll slices close together in the prepared pan; cover pan and allow to rise in a warm place for 45 minutes.
Bake rolls in a 350 degree oven for 25 - 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
Stir together powdered sugar, 2/3 c melted butter and extracts. Add hot water 1 Tbls. at a time, until the frosting is the consistency you like. Spread over slightly cooled rolls.

PS this takes enough time it's worth it to do 2 batches and freeze one right before the rolls raise a second time. Then you can pull it out the night before you want to have them, they'll raise and thaw in about 8 hours.

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