The first time I saw the movie Steel Magnolias was in the early ’90’s. The 19-something diesel Oldsmobile broke down somewhere in the middle of South Dakota. Chamberlain, I think… The car breaking down wasn’t new. It sadly punked out several times. But renting a movie, in a hotel, was new! Honestly, I think the folks let me rent it to make up for the hours waiting on the Olds to get overhauled. This fortunate-unfortunate chance encounter led me to Truvy, Shelby, M’Lynn and good ol’ Ouiser!
Fast forward 30 years to somewhere in the middle of Mississippi Delta country. Our friends the F.’s were Spring Breakin’ with us in the Memphis area. My good buddy A. wanted to visit a southern antebellum house. No problem! We’re in the mid-South, surely there’s a Gone with the Wind one waiting to welcome gawking tourists.
You’d think it’d be easy to find a fancy Civil War era home in this part of the South, but it’s not. Most are private residences. You’re free to drive by them, but don’t expect to check out the magazines on their coffee tables. With some persistence, I scrolled across the Belmont Plantation 1857 Home, a bed-n-breakfast outside of Greenville, Mississippi. To heck with simply visiting an antebellum house! We’d sleep in one!
Pulling off a stay at this awesome bed-n-breakfast would be a feat for the ages! I can’t keep secrets! We piled into the family truckster and headed south. Kinda like the Clampetts, but in the opposite direction. After 2 and 1/2 hours cruising down the Mississippi Blues Trail (Highway 61), a couple Dollar General stores later, and many questions about where we were going, we pulled into Belmont Plantation’s drive. Surprise!
Belmont Plantation sits out in the middle of farrowed cotton and soybean fields, across the road from Lake Lee, an ox-bow lake leftover from the Mighty Mississipp’s flooding days. According to the Belmont Plantation website, it was built between 1855 and 1861 by the Worthington family. Belmont was one of four cotton plantations the Worthingtons owned. The plaster work in the home is exquisite to say the least! It’s believed German plaster artists were stranded in this area during the Civil War, unable to leave. Belmont’s crown moldings, ceiling medallions, and other plaster work is a beautiful example of using your time wisely! Over the years, Belmont’s ownership changed hands and roles–Dr. Worthington’s home to Governor Murphree’s hunting lodge to WWII spy Fernando Cuquet’s home. Joshua Cain, Belmont’s current owner, used his interior design skills to restore it in a way that combines both the antebellum home and hunting lodge histories.
Having seen our fair share of preserved homes, we are conditioned to stay behind the velvet rope, walk on specific pathways, and most importantly—DO NOT TOUCH! ANYTHING and EVERYTHING! So you can imagine the complete conflict we were in! Sitting on Belmont’s antique furniture, let alone sleeping in the beds, made us feel like we were being reckless, while our inner museum docents kept tsskking us. Using the heirloom toilet was quite the brain-teaser!
Elvis’ Pool Room (Graceland) 
Bedroom in Melrose Mansion (Natchez NHP) 
Belmont Bedroom 
Belmont Facilities in the Victoria Suite
It was early March and we were the only guests at Belmont, or so we thought. Camille, the CEO and Belmont manager, let us in on a little surprise. Robert Harling, the author of Steel Magnolias, was staying the night as well! In the suite next to ours! Whoa! Mr. Harling was in the area researching local history for a project. Camille told us he was quite aloof, so we decided we shouldn’t bother him. Yet another conflict…wanting an autograph and letting the poor guy rest!
Fortunately for us, or unfortunately for him, we met Mr. Harling. We were having a quiet, late evening, enjoying adult libations and good conversation, in the front drawing room. (Sounds really gentile right?!) Mr. Harling padded down the grand oak staircase in his stocking feet to ask if we knew how to adjust the heat in our rooms. Having no clue, we encouraged him to ask Camille. Mr. Harling thanked us and padded back up to his cold room. We hoped to eat breakfast with him the next morning, but it never happened. Darn!
Although I will probably never see Robert Harling again in person, I watch his Steel Magnolias every time it’s on cable. Now that I know Shelby in Steel Magnolias is actually based on his sister Susan, I’m more endeared to the film. I’m definitely charmed by the red velvet armadillo groom’s cake and its’ gray icing.
In honor of a brief meeting with Robert Harling at a delightful southern b ‘n’ b, I’m warming up a cup of hot coffee to serve alongside my version of a Red Velvet Cinnamon Roll.
There are several recipes on the w.w.w. featuring red velvet cake mix cinnamon rolls that look yummy. I rarely buy cake mixes, so opting for a scratch recipe is what I did. This recipe is result of some serious R&D (research and development)! After analyzing around 8 sweet dough recipes, I put mine together. The egg and milk based yeast dough off-sets the cocoa powder, which can normally be a drying agent in doughs. Red food coloring gives them their signature scarlet hue, complimenting the velvety, tender dough. The filling is classically cinnamon roll, featuring cocoa powder. And atop all of this baked goodness is the quintessential red velvet icing–cream cheese. The next time Steel Magnolias comes on cable consider opting for Red Velvet Cinnamon Rolls, in place of the armadillo’s blood-red cake butt!
PrintRed Velvet Cinnamon Rolls
Velvety red and cocoa rich, these cream cheese iced delights are wonderful for breakfast and dessert!
- Prep Time: About 30 Minutes
- Cook Time: About 30 Minutes
- Total Time: About 3 to 3-1/2 Hours
- Yield: 12 or 24 Rolls (Depending on Slice Cuts) 1x
Ingredients
For Dough:
3/4 cup lukewarm water (98–105 degrees F)
3 envelopes yeast (3 tbsp.)
1–1/2 cups milk (whole or 2%)
1/2 cup + 1 tbsp. granulated sugar
2–1/4 tsp. salt (kosher or table)
3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 large eggs, well beaten
1 tbsp. red food coloring
1/3 cup cocoa powder
7 to 7-1/2 cups all purpose flour
For Cocoa Cinnamon Filling:
1–1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 tbsp. cocoa powder
2 tbsp. cinnamon
6 tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
For Cream Cheese Icing:
4 ounces (1/2 package) cream cheese, at room temperature
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 to 2 tbsp. milk (whole or 2%)
Instructions
For Dough:
In a large bowl, combine lukewarm water and 1 tbsp. granulated sugar. Sprinkle yeast over the water’s surface. Stir to dissolve. Let sit for 10 minutes. The yeast will expand significantly.
As yeast is blooming, scald the milk in a medium saucepan. Add the 1/2 cup sugar, salt, and butter. Stir to combine and let cool to lukewarm temperature. Pour into a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a standing mixer.
Stir the yeast mixture into the milk mixture. Add the eggs and red food coloring. Blend well. Beat in cocoa powder and 4 cups of the all-purpose flour. Work in about 3 cups of the all-purpose flour. Dough will be sticky. Turn out on to a lightly floured board. Knead gently for about 5 minutes. Dough should be smooth and elastic. Place dough into a greased bowl. Turn to coat all side and cover. Set aside in a warm location to rise until doubled, about 1-1/2 hours.
For Cocoa Cinnamon Icing:
In a medium bowl, combine granulated sugar, cocoa powder, cinnamon and unsalted butter into a paste. Set aside.
For Cream Cheese Filling:
In a medium size bowl, beat cream cheese, unsalted butter, and vanilla until smooth and fluffy. Gradually add in the sifted powdered sugar until mixture is smooth. Add 1 to 2 tbsp. milk until icing has a spreadable consistency. Set aside.
Assembling the Rolls:
Punch dough down . On a greased surface, roll or press dough into an 18-inch by 24-inch rectangle. Evenly spread the Cocoa Cinnamon Filling on the dough surface, leaving about a 1/2-inch space along the bottom edge of the dough. Roll dough into a log, starting at the top farthest away from you. Pinch the bottom edge into the log. Cut dough into equal slices (twelve 1-inch slices or twenty-four 1/2-inch slices). Place cut sides up into greased rectangular pans. Cover and let dough rise again until doubled, about 30 minutes in a warm location.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake rolls for 28-32 minutes. Tops will be lightly browned. The internal temperature of the dough should read 190 degrees F. Let cool for about 5 minutes on a wire rack before spreading about 1/2 of Cream Cheese Icing over the roll’s tops. Serve warm with additional Cheese Cream Icing.
IMNPB
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