Tick Tock Cinnamon Rolls – An Easter Tradition
Years ago there was a wonderful restaurant right in the heart of Hollywood called the Tick Tock. It was a place to go when you wanted delicious home cooking and you weren’t the one cooking it. Growing up, my family ate there frequently on Sundays after church. And when I was married and had children of my own we continued the tradition.The Tick Tock was a Hollywood icon and for 58 years it served people of all walks of life and from all corner of the world. It was truly beloved by Angelenos and those who visited Los angeles from everywhere.
The food was great everyday but one of the highlights of the meal on Sundays was their gooey cinnamon rolls. After the Tick Tock closed its doors for good, I started making my own version of the delicious rolls that were a part of so many happy childhood memories for me. Now they have become a tradition on our Easter table, along with Italian Sweet Bread.
Food traditions, especially those that are connected to holiday celebrations, are just one more way that we can add love, joy and abundance to our lives 🙂
Gooey Tick Tock Cinnamon Rolls
1/2 cup milk
6 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup warm water with 1 T sugar
1 pkg. yeast
1/2 cup cold water
1 egg
1/2 T salt
1/4 cup +2 tablespoons sugar
3 3/4 – 4 cups flour (approximately)
Scald the milk and melt the butter together in a saucepan. In a glass bowl dissolve yeast in the warm water with 1 T of sugar. Allow the yeast to “proof”. After about 7-8 minutes the yeast will be quite bubbly. This is ‘proof’ that the yeast is good and active.
In a mixing bowl or the bowl of your Kitchen Aid or other mixer, add the water, sugar, eggs and salt. Stir together and add in yeast and warm milk, mix well. Now add in 3 cups of the flour. Mix thoroughly in your mixer or by hand. Dough will be very sticky at this point. Add in remaining 3/4 – 1 cup flour and stir until completely mixed by hand or combine and stir in mixer. When the flour is fully incorporated, allow to stand in a warm place for about 2 hours.
Turn dough out onto a floured board and knead a couple of turns to release air. Cut the dough into 2 equal pieces. Roll one piece into a long thick “rope”. Cut this into 12 equal piece and roll each piece into a ball. Place dough balls in a buttered pan just barely touching each other. When pan is full, set it aside to allow rolls to rise for about 30-45 minutes. Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 25 minutes or until browned. Repeat with remaining dough.
While rolls are cooling, mix up cinnamon “gravy” and pour over the top of the warm rolls.
Cinnamon “Gravy”
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
dash of cloves
1/4 – 1/3 cups heavy cream
Thoroughly mix all ingredients together with a wire whisk until this “sauce” is thick but pourable. Pour over the top of the slightly warm rolls.
Now pull off your roll an enjoy! And don’t forget to “mop up” that extra cinnamon gravy on the plate 🙂
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We had a few dates at the Tick Tock, and ate there many times, brings back such great memories. Virginia
For me too Virginia. Just thinking about sitting in that lovely place with those glorious smells coming from the kitchen make me smile 🙂
One of my favorite, “can’t say no” food items! So glad you carried on the tradition! I miss hearing all those coo-coo clocks chiming.
Me too Car 🙂
These look amazing!!!!!
Vanessa could make these I’m sure and I KNOW your boys would love them! Happy Easter Jeremy 🙂
Thank you for providing this recipe. “BUZZ” Johnson told me that one og the ingredients was actually condensed milk. They had a fabulous French dressing that they used on the shrimp cocktails. Any idea of a recipe for that??
Thank you, Dr. Folb, for your comments and the info from Buzz about the condensed milk. I don’t have the recipe for the dressing on the shrimp cocktail appetizer. It was really more similar to a Thousand Island Dressing but with very finely minced celery in it. I am doing some digging to see if i can find it or at least get close with all the ingredients. I’ll let you know what I find 🙂
They called it “French” but you’re right it was a lot closer to Thousand. I went to their auction and bought, among other things, the Victorian light fixture that hung over our favorite table. The big treat for me was going with my mother to Hollywood Hobby 1522 N. Cahuenga to look at the latest Lionel trains. From there, it was up to the Tick Tock for those great cinnamon rolls!! The Tick Tock is unfortunately gone, but now I have one of the finest Lionel train collections in the World! I guess I never totally grew up, and I still smile every time I drive past 1522 N. Cahuenga!!!
My family ate there as a tradition too! I would always get the creamed turkey in a patty shell. My name is Parker and I felt so special when they brought out the Parker house rolls…Even though I secretly preferred these cinnamon rolls. Thank you for posting this!
Parker there may only be a very few of us still left who remember the wonderful meals and times at the Tick Tock…not to mention those delicious rolls! Happy to hear from you and hope you try and enjoy these 🙂
These rolls just remind me of being at your Easter parties! I love them:)
We all love them because they have so many great memories attached i think 🙂
What great memories your recipe evoke. I can almost smell them looking at your photo. We would go on Sundays and holidays after church at Hollywood Presbyterian. It was a fun place. I remember the wait for the tables and anticipation of the cinnamon rolls. I remember the shrimp cocktails, the hustle and bustle of the waitresses and waiters and the clocks going off in tandem. It was a sad day when they announced they were closing. I was pretty young and don’t remember why they had to close. Surely it was not for lack of patrons. I would be curious to know.
My family spent many a Sunday after church there as well and YES it was a terribly sad day when the decided to close. As I remember it was because the Johnson brothers were just ready to retire and the younger ones, their children had careers in other areas. I could be wrong but i seem to remember that one of the brothers had always wanted to go to the mission field and after he and his brother finally closed their parents restaurant he did just that. So many loving memories there of a time gone by 🙂