Raspberry Rolls

The first time I had a homemade cinnamon roll was last year. At my boyfriend’s aunt’s house. It was one of the greatest things I have ever eaten for breakfast. Heck yes we had cinnamon rolls for breakfast, what else?

But as I was dreaming about these rolls for a long time after that, it never occurred to me to make my own. Maybe it was my fear of failure, or that cinnamon buns are so readily available when you walk into a grocery store, mall, or even your nearest convenience store.

So instead, I used one of my favorite fruits in these babies. Actually, come to think of it, saying “one of my favorite fruits” doesn’t mean that much because I have ranked at least 12 fruits tied for the number one spot. Not that I’m keeping track or anything.

Even though these weren’t as good as the cinnamon buns from that day 1 year ago, I will try, one day, to create the perfect cinnamon roll.

Or maybe I’ll just cave and ask for the recipe.

What you’ll need:

Dough:
-3/4 cup milk
-1/4 cup coffee cream
-2/3 cup white sugar
-1 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast
-1/2 cup butter
-2 large eggs
-2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
-2 cups whole wheat flour

Filling:
-2 cups frozen raspberries
-1/4 cup white sugar
-1 teaspoon cornstarch

Glaze:
-3/4 cup powdered sugar
-3 tablespoons butter, melted
-1 1/2 tablespoons whipping cream

Directions:

    1.   Dough: In a small saucepan, warm the mill and cream over moderately low heat until it’s warm. Pour warm milk into a medium bowl and mix in the sugar and yeast. Let stand until yeast is foamy, around 5-10 minutes.
    2.   In a large bowl, mix the flours together. Make a well in the center and pour in the warm milk. Mix in some of the flour into the milk, then add the butter and eggs. Mix everything together and knead until the dough feels silky and smooth. Cover and set aside to rise until doubled, around 1-2 hours.
    3.   Line the bottom of a 9×13 inch pan with parchment paper, allowing paper to extend up the sides.
    4.   Place dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a 10×24 inch rectangle using a rolling pin.
    5.   Filling: In a medium bowl, mix together the raspberries, sugar and cornstarch. Spread evenly over the dough and tightly roll the dough to form a 24 inch long log.
    6.   Cut the log into quarters, then cut each quarter into 4 slices. Arrange in the prepared baking pan, cut sides up. If you have extra raspberry, spread on the top. Let rise, around 2 hours.
    7.   Preheat the oven to 425˚F.
    8.   Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden. Transfer to wire racks and let cool.
    9.   Glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, butter and whipping cream. Pour over rolls evenly or use a pastry bag to string the glaze evenly over the top.