CHRISTMAS TREE MINI-CINNAMON ROLLS

Christmas Tree Mini-Cinnamon Rolls image

I used to make this with my three children on Christmas morning, while the coffee was brewing. They were just squirming to open presents, but we always wanted a cup of coffee to get us moving [since we had been up all night putting together bikes and doll houses! ha!]. This kept them busy while we got the coffee going. It's cute,...

Provided by Terrie Hoelscher

Time 35m

Number Of Ingredients 7

Ingredients

2 can(s) refrigerated crescent rolls
1/2 c butter, softened
1/4 c sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 c raisins or craisins
1 c powdered sugar
2 Tbsp milk

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Wipe your cookie sheet with just a very thin smear of butter or veg oil. Don't overdo!
2. Open the crescent rolls and place them end to end ... press the perforations of all the crescent rolls together, forming one long rectangle.
3. Spread entire crescent dough rectangle with softened butter.
4. Combine the sugar, cinnamon and raisins/craisins all together. Sprinkle the mixture over the crescent dough rectangle. (You can add some pecans to this step, too, if you desire, about 2 or 3 tablespoons, FINELY chopped).
5. Roll up the rectangle along the LONG edge. Cut into 22 equal segments. Wiping your sharp knife with a buttered rag each time will make the cutting easier.
6. Starting at the top of a large cookie sheet, place ONE roll. The second row will be TWO rolls, pyramid style. The third row will be THREE rolls...and so on, until you have SIX rows. This will use a total of 21 of the cinnamon rolls. The 22nd roll will be placed at the base of the tree for the stem.
7. Place in pre-heated oven, and bake for about 20 minutes, until puffy and golden.
8. Meanwhile, mix the powdered sugar and milk together. Note: you can substitute orange juice or apple juice for the milk. Once you've removed the baked rolls from the oven, drizzle the glaze onto the tree, zig-zag fashion, to resemble garland. Using strawberry flavored powdered sugar makes this especially pretty, and you can decorate "the tree" with cinnamon red-hots or other treats for Christmas morning.
9. This will keep the kiddos from starving while they open presents, until you've had a chance to get something together for breakfast!