Make the Dough

In a microwaveable small bowl or measuring cup, heat the buttermilk to 105°F to 115°F. I do this by microwaving it for 45 seconds, taking the temperature, and then continuing to microwave on 5 to 10 second increments. Whisk in the sugar, molasses, and yeast until fully incorporated. Let sit until frothy ~ about 5 minutes. Add the vanilla extract and whisk to incorporate the froth.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together the flour and salt with the dough hook. Add a large egg and turn the mixer to low. Slowly pour the buttermilk around the edges of the bowl. As the dough starts to come together, increase the speed by increments until it’s at a medium-high speed.

Drop the butter into the bowl and let the machine run until the butter is fully incorporated. Increase the speed to its highest setting and let the machine run for about 20 to 30 minutes. The dough will seem very loose at first; that’s okay. As the dough continues to work, the gluten will start to form and eventually it’ll start to form a ball. Keep an eye on your machine. Once it forms a ball, the stand mixer likes to walk and it will walk right off of your counter!

Remove the ball of dough from the bowl and perform a windowpane test (see above). If the windowpane test fails, knead the dough on a bread board or very lightly floured surface for another 5 or 10 minutes. Perform the test again. Once the dough passes the windowpane test, tuck it into a ball and place it in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with a towel, lid, or plastic wrap. Place in a warm area, ideally your oven heated to under 100°F. Let sit until the dough has doubled in size ~ about 1 hour.

Form the Cinnamon Rolls

In a medium bowl, mix together the brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.

Lightly flour your work surface and dump the dough out on it. Lightly flour the top of the dough and roll the dough out to about 21” by 14”, give or take. Using the back of a wooden spoon, spread the butter out evenly across the dough. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly across the butter then sprinkle the walnuts on top. Tightly roll the dough up width-wise so it will form a 14” log. If desired, cut the ends off to create straight ends.

Using a dough cutter or, ideally, unflavored dental floss, cut the dough evenly into 9 pieces (I measure the log and divide it by 9 to try to have more evenly sized pieces).

Butter your 9X9 baking dish. Place the rolls in the dish. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rise again ~ about an hour.

Bake & Frost

Preheat the oven to 350°

Make the egg wash by whisking together 1 large egg and 1 tablespoon of heavy whipping cream. Brush evenly on top of the rolls. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the cinnamon rolls read 195°F internally.

While the rolls cook, make the frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whisk together on high the butter and cream cheese until fully incorporated. Lower the speed to medium and add the eggnog. Stop the machine and add the powdered sugar. On low, start to whisk in the sugar, increasing the speed to medium to fully blend the frosting.

Once the rolls are done, spread the frosting over the top and serve!

NOTE: If you are making the rolls a day ahead, wait to prepare the frosting until the day you will be having the rolls. You can reheat the rolls in the microwave at 50% for five minutes or in the oven at 250° for about 20 to 25 minutes.

Enjoy!