Cookies and Cream Rolls

In all the years we’ve known each other, I’ve never pretended to be a healthy breakfast eater. My family and I subscribe to more of a “no carb left behind” breakfast mentality where foods like pancakes, scones, and these cookies and cream rolls feel right at home on our plates. These habits are so engrained in my children that any attempt at a healthy-ish breakfast (i.e. smoothies, oatmeal, or basically anything not including a frosting or chocolate chips) is met with disgruntled faces all puckered in disgust. I blame my job.

Pillowy Cinnamon Rolls

A few weeks ago, King Arthur Baking asked me to create my own spin on their recipe of the year: Perfectly Pillowy Cinnamon Rolls. I rarely stray from my own cinnamon roll recipe, but I know anything with the King Arthur stamp of approval is worthwhile. Clearly, given our history of breakfast habits in my own home, the only logical thing to do was to make the rolls even more decadent with the addition of a chocolate sandwich cookie filling. Thus, cookies and cream rolls were born.

So I know you’re wondering: were they good??? Well, I’ll let you look at the photos and decide for yourself. In short, HECK YES. These rolls were shockingly soft even after cooling, and the flavor was on point in every respect. The secret is the dough used here which is softened by a tangzhong- a paste-like mixture of cooked milk and flour. The tangzhong combines with a few other ingredients like yeast, bread flour, butter, and sugar before rising. After an hour in a warm kitchen, the dough is set for rolling and filling with crushed cookies and butter. *DROOL*

Turns out, King Arthur’s dough is, in fact, incredible, and I’ll happily use it when the occasion presents itself. I hope you will give these cookies and cream rolls a try too! They’re a terrific balance of sweet and the texture is out of this world. Truly. Many thanks to KAB for sharing this recipe with me, and happy baking to all of you! I hope you enjoy.

If you like these cookies and cream rolls you should try:

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls
Mini Cinnamon Rolls
Hazelnut Cinnamon Rolls
Chocolate Sweet Rolls
Funfetti Rolls
Cookies and Cream Cookies

Cookies and Cream Rolls

Print Recipe

★★★★★

4.5 from 2 reviews

These cookies and cream rolls are soft and fluffy pastries with a chocolate sandwich cookie filling and a sweet and tangy glaze.

Author: Dough and Icing Recipe from King Arthur Baking
Prep Time: 30
Cook Time: 20
Total Time: 240
Yield: 8
Category: Breakfast

Ingredients

Tangzhong:

1/2 cup (113g) whole milk
3 tablespoons (23g) King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour

Dough

2/3 cup (151g) whole milk, cold
2 1/2 cups (300g) King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour
1 teaspoon (6g) salt
2 tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar
2 teaspoons instant yeast
4 tablespoons (57g) unsalted butter, softened

Filling

½ cup (56 gm) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs (about 10 cookies processed to a sandy mixture weighing 115 gm)

Icing

1–1/2 tablespoons (21g) butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/16 teaspoon (pinch) salt
1 1/2 cups (170g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 to 2 tablespoons (14g to 28g) milk, cream, or buttermilk; enough to thin to desired consistency

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Instructions

To make the tangzhong:

Combine both the ingredients in a small saucepan, and whisk until no lumps remain.
Place the saucepan over medium heat and cook the mixture, stirring regularly, until thickened, paste-like, and the spoon or spatula leaves lines on the bottom of the pan. This should take 1 to 3 minutes, depending on the strength of your burner.
Remove from the heat and transfer to a large mixing bowl, the bowl of a stand mixer, or the bucket of a bread machine (whatever you plan to knead the dough in).

To make the dough:

Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. Add the cold milk, then the flour and remaining ingredients to the mixing bowl in the order listed; the heat from the tangzhong will help to warm the cold milk.
Mix — by hand, on low speed of a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment, or in a bread machine set to the dough cycle — to bring the dough together. Next, knead the dough until it’s smooth, elastic, and tacky. This will take up to 15 minutes by hand, 10 to 12 minutes on medium-low speed of a mixer, or the length of the dough cycle in a bread machine.
Shape the dough into a ball, place it in a bowl, and cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a reusable cover.
Let the dough rise until puffy but not necessarily doubled in bulk, about 60 to 90 minutes (depending on the warmth of your kitchen).

To assemble the rolls:

Lightly grease a baking sheet, or line it with parchment paper.
Transfer the dough to a lightly greased work surface and press it into a 10” x 12” rectangle that’s about 1/2” thick. For evenly shaped rolls, try to pat the dough into an actual rectangle (with corners), rather than an oval.
Pour the butter onto the dough and use a pastry brush to spread it out all over the dough. Sprinkle the cookie crumbs over the dough, covering all but a 1/2” strip along one long side.
Starting with the filling-covered long side, roll the dough into a log. Score the dough lightly into eight equal 1 1/2” to 2” pieces; this will make large, saucer-sized cinnamon rolls — their generous size is part of their charm. Cut the dough at the score marks. Dental floss will give you the cleanest cut: pull off a long piece of floss, loop it underneath the log at the score mark, and pull the ends in opposite directions to cut the dough. Repeat until you’ve cut all of the rolls. If you don’t have dental floss, a bench knife or sharp knife will work.
Place the rolls onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them so there’s at least 2” between each one and they’re 2” away from the edges of the pan; a 3-2-3 arrangement works well. To prevent them from unraveling while they rise and bake, tuck the ends of the spirals underneath the rolls so that they’re held in place.
Cover the rolls with lightly greased plastic wrap or a reusable cover and let them rise for 30 to 60 minutes (depending on the warmth of your kitchen). The rolls should be puffy and the dough shouldn’t bounce back immediately when gently pressed.
About 20 minutes before you’re ready to bake, position a rack in the top third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Bake the rolls for 14 to 18 minutes, until they’re a light golden brown and a digital thermometer inserted into the center of one roll reads 190°F. Bake for the lesser amount of time for extra-soft rolls, and the longer amount of time for rolls with a bit more color and slightly firmer texture.

To make the icing:

Combine the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons (21g) melted butter with the remaining icing ingredients in a medium bowl, mixing with a spatula until smooth. Milk makes a lovely frosting; using cream in place of milk creates an extra layer of richness, while substituting buttermilk adds subtle tang, a nice counterpoint to the icing’s overall sweetness.
Ice the rolls and serve immediately. If you’re planning to serve the rolls later, wait to ice them until just before serving. Store icing at room temperature, tightly covered, until you’re ready to use it.
Store completely cooled rolls, un-iced and well wrapped, for a couple of days at room temperature; or freeze for up to 1 month.

Mini Cinnamon Rolls

40 Comments / Breakfast

I basically live my life in moderation. A little coffee, a short break, a bit of dessert. There’s pockets of time with my kids, little bursts of energy, and the full spectrum of emotions- joy, impatience, excitement, loneliness, peace, and fear- scattered in spurts throughout my day. Moderation is the essence of everything from my diet, my workout regimen, and even my my hair washing schedule. In this time where we’re just doing a little less- maybe less work, less planning, or fewer visits with friends- it seems fitting to share a similarly bitty recipe: these mini cinnamon rolls. These are bite-sized treats that work for this moderate period of life, and because they’re super yummy, you’re going to want to try them ASAP. Let’s chat about them.

Mini Cinnamon Rolls

This recipe for mini cinnamon rolls was adapted from my favorite overnight cinnamon rolls recipe. This has long been one of the more popular recipes on this site and for good reason- they’re phenomenal. These pastries are soft, lightly sweetened, crowd-pleasing, and near-impossible to screw up. This new recipe is smaller in size and uses half the dough, so it will work perfect during this time when we’re seeing fewer people and have less opportunity for sharing. Like the original recipe, they’re still delicious and totally worth the time, so let me tell you how to make them.

These mini cinnamon rolls start like any other sweetened yeast bread. Yeast dissolves in lukewarm milk and water before being combined with sugar, butter, and eggs. The dry ingredients come next, and the whole thing is kneaded until the dough comes together into a tacky, stretchy heap. Let the dough rise until doubled in size, about an hour and a half.

Next comes the rolling. We roll an extra-long but narrow strip of dough and coat it with melted butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Roll the dough tightly and use a sharp knife to cut small spirals from the log. I baked my rolls in a mini muffin tin, but you could easily just plop them on a quarter sheet pan instead. Whatever works! After a second brief rise and a bake in the oven, these rolls are ready for icing.

These mini cinnamon rolls are cute, really yummy, and the perfect addition for these weird times. Give the recipe a try and let me know what you think! Oh! And if you happen to be making this recipe months or years later, when social distancing isn’t a thing, double the recipe and test it out for a party or a group brunch. It will be perfect for something like that. Happy hump day and happy baking!

If you like these mini cinnamon rolls you should try:

Chocolate Sweet Rolls
Overnight Cinnamon Rolls
Hazelnut Cinnamon Rolls
Swedish Cinnamon Rolls
Bananas Foster Cinnamon Rolls
Gingerbread Cinnamon ROlls

Mini Cinnamon Rolls

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 4 reviews

These mini cinnamon rolls have two filling and frosting options and can be made in advance or overnight to serve a crowd!

Author: Kate Wood
Prep Time: 30
Cook Time: 30
Total Time: 240
Yield: 40
Category: Pastry

Ingredients

For the dough:

1/2 cup (120 gm) milk, lukewarm
2 tablespoons water, lukewarm
1/2 tablespoon active dry yeast
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted but not too hot
1 large egg
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons sugar
1–1/2 cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup bread flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

For the filling:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon cinnamon
6 tablespoons brown sugar

For the frosting (see notes for glaze alternative):

4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
¼ cup (55 gm) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup (115 gm) powdered sugar
2+ tablespoons of milk

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Instructions

To prepare the dough:

In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl, combine the milk and water and sprinkle the yeast over top of it. Allow the yeast to dissolve, about 5 minutes. Stir in the butter, egg, and brown sugar, and sugar until smooth. In a small bowl, combine the flour, bread flour, and salt. Dump about half of the dry ingredients into the yeast mixture and stir until combined. Pour in the remaining dry ingredients and knead in the bowl using the dough hook attachment until smooth and slightly tacky, about 7 minutes. If you notice your dough isn’t pulling away from the sides of the bowl or it’s too wet, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and forms a little dough “tornado” around the dough hook. Once done kneading, place the dough into a large lightly greased bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap to double in size, about 1-1/2 hours.
Once the dough has risen, dump it out onto a lightly floured surface and cut it in half. Use a rolling pin to roll one half into a large rectangle about 6”x22” in size. Pour the melted butter and spread it out over top. Combine the cinnamon and brown sugar and sprinkle evenly over the buttered dough. Starting with one of the long ends, tightly roll the dough from end to end and pinch the edges together to seal. Cut the dough into about 20- 1” sections and lay them out pop each on spiral up in a lightly greased mini muffin tin. Repeat this process with the remaining dough. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise again, about 40 minutes.
In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Once preheated, bake in the oven for about 15-17 minutes or until the edges are barely golden and the internal temp of a roll is 190 degrees. Remove from the oven and prepare your frosting.

To prepare the frosting:

Cream the cream cheese and butter in large bowl at medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the powdered sugar and milk and beat to combine. Add additional milk to thin out the frosting or more powdered sugar to thicken it. You can also gently warm the frosting to pour over the rolls as a glaze. Cinnamon rolls are best enjoyed warm.

Notes

As an alternative to the, you can spread a thin layer of Nutella and proceed with the instructions.
As an alternative to the thick frosting, you can make a glaze for the rolls by combining 2 cups confectioner’s sugar with ¼ cup milk and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract. Dip the tops of each warm roll into the glaze and allow to set up.
You can make these overnight by putting the freshly spiraled cinnamon rolls into the fridge overnight and baking first thing in the morning!

Swedish Cinnamon Rolls

11 Comments / Breakfast

We’ve got a lot to look forward to this year. After all, there’s a new decade upon us. In the spirit of new beginnings, my site will be undergoing a bit of a face lift over the next few days. We’ve been trucking along here for almost FOUR years now, and it’s time this little place got some nips and tucks in all the right places. Please bear with me for a few days while recipes are unavailable, and feel free to reach out to me via email if you need anything immediately. Before the transformation, I do have one more recipe to share with you all, and boy, it’s a cute one. These Swedish cinnamon rolls are lookers for sure, and I think you’ll enjoy the taste as much as the style. Let’s chat all about them.

Remember the overnight cinnamon rolls that I posted near the end of 2018? They continue to be a hit on this site, for reasons that are perfectly understandable. They’re fluffy, flavorful, and convenient with their make-ahead capabilities. These Swedish cinnamon buns are similar in preparation and ingredients, but their twisted forms and cardamom-scented innards give them a special feel for these warm and cozy months. Still, the dough begins the same with milk, yeast, and water, followed by butter, eggs, and loads of dry ingredients. These rolls are baked with a spiced simple syrup in for an extra bite of sweet that compensates for the lack of frosting or glaze. Of course you could always add a frosting at the end anyways… who am I to stop you from living your best life?

Making Swedish Cinnamon Rolls

The twisting for these Swedish cinnamon buns is a little tricky at first. Practice a bit on your first strip of dough until you come up with a knot that you’re fond of. Keep in mind that the doughy buns will fluff upon rising and fill out a bit so don’t be sad if they look a little funny right after you twist them. Nothing is going to look gross with that beautiful pearl sugar on it.

Speaking of which, if you’re wondering, “What the heck is this pearl sugar?” you’re not alone. It’s exactly what it sounds like, little pearls of sugar, and you can find it in speciality stores, boujie grocery stores, and on Amazon. The sugar on top is entirely optional, but don’t you think it looks adorable?

Happy New Year to you, sweet friends, and thank you in advance for your patience while my site gets a makeover. I can’t wait to share it with you! Happy Baking!

If you like these Swedish Cinnamon Rolls you should try:

Orange Cardamom Rolls

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

Chocolate Rolls

Funfetti Rolls

Orange Swirl Bread

Swedish Cinnamon Rolls

Print Recipe

★★★★

4 from 1 reviews

These Swedish cinnamon rolls are lightly scented with cardamom and speckled with pearl sugar! Enjoy for breakfast or dessert!

Author: Kate Wood
Prep Time: 30
Cook Time: 25
Total Time: 240
Yield: 17
Category: Breakfast

Ingredients

For the dough:

1 cup (240 gm) milk, lukewarm
¼ cup (60 gm) water, lukewarm
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
6 tablespoons (85 gm) unsalted butter, melted but not too hot
1 large egg plus 2 egg yolks
1/4 cup (50 gm) brown sugar
1/4 cup (50 gm) sugar
2–3/4 cups (385 gm) all-purpose flour
1–1/2 cups (210 gm) bread flour
1 teaspoon cardamom
½ teaspoon salt

For the glaze:

¼ cup water
¼ cup (50 g) brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon cardamom
Swedish Pearl Sugar

For the filling:

5 tablespoons (70 gm) unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon cardamom
½ cup (100 gm) brown sugar

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Instructions

In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl, combine the milk and water and sprinkle the yeast over top of it. Allow the yeast to dissolve, about 5 minutes. Stir in the butter, egg, egg yolks, and brown sugar, and sugar until smooth. In a small bowl, combine the flour, bread flour, cardamom, and salt. Dump about half of the dry ingredients into the yeast mixture and stir until combined. Pour in the remaining dry ingredients and knead in the bowl using the dough hook attachment until smooth and slightly tacky, about 7 minutes. If you notice your dough isn’t pulling away from the sides of the bowl or it’s too wet, add flour 2 tablespoons at a time until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and forms a little dough “tornado” around the dough hook. Once done kneading, place the dough into a large lightly greased bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap to double in size, about 1-1/2 – 2 hours. (Tip: I like to allow mine to refrigerate overnight so that the dough is easier to work with. This is totally optional but is great if you’d like to let it rise in fridge overnight instead of on counter!)
In the meantime, prepare the glaze. Combine the water, brown sugar, cinnamon, and cardamom in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stirring regularly, bring the mixture to a boil and then remove from heat to cool completely.
Once the dough has risen, dump it out onto a lightly floured surface. Use a rolling pin to roll it out into a large rectangle about 12”x26” in size. Pour the melted butter and spread it out over top. Combine the cinnamon, cardamom, and brown sugar and sprinkle evenly over the buttered dough. Fold the dough in half lengthwise to form a 9″x10″ square and roll or pat it out to thin the folded dough a bit. Using a sharp knife, cut 1/2″ strips of dough (approximately 12 total). Take one strip of dough and wrap it around your index and middle finger twice. Remove the double loop from your fingers and tuck both ends of the dough back through the center loop to form a bit of a twisted knot. Place each knot on a prepared sheet or dish about two inches apart, being sure to keep the loose ends on the underside of the bun. Cover the baking sheets with plastic wrap and set aside to rise while you let the oven preheat to 350 degrees. (Alternatively, you can let the buns rise in the fridge overnight). Once the knots have risen, about 30 minutes, brush the tops with the cooled syrup and sprinkle generously with pearl sugar. Bake in the oven for about 180-20 min or until golden brown. Allow to cool slightly before eating.

Apple Cinnamon Rolls

6 Comments / Breakfast

Is it possible we’re already in the month of March? I know I complained about January dragging on forever, but February literally was over before it started. Can someone please help me get a grasp on how fast time is moving?

My family and I have slowly been hitting our stride down here in Selma. After the busyness we endured toward the end of last year, I’m so grateful to feel like we’re arriving at some normalcy. I’ve also reached the more fun part of this third pregnancy. At 22 weeks along, I’m no longer experiencing morning sickness and my energy has perked back up again. We’ve entered the sweet stage where we can feel the baby move pretty regularly, we found out its gender (IT’S A GIRL!), and we’re beginning to be able to envision our life as a family of 5. It’s not lost on me what an incredible gift this is that we’ve been given, and I hope you all will remind me of that if and when things start getting overwhelming. I can’t wait to meet this little beauty.

Apple Cinnamon Rolls

Over the coming days (124 of them, but who’s counting?), I look forward to sharing more about the preparations for Baby Girl 2.0, but for now I think it’s time to scoot on over to the food portion of today’s post. I know you’re all here for the apple cinnamon rolls, right? (Raises hand.)

I am thrilled to be partnering with Stemilt Growers over the coming year as a member of their Kitchen Council! Stemilt is is a leading Washington state grower, packer, and shipper of fruit including apples, pears, cherries, and more. Each quarter, I’ll be developing recipes for their blog using their best in-season fruits. This month, I got my hands on their piñata apples, a crisp pink and golden fruit with sweet and juicy centers. Because St. Patrick’s Day is around the corner, I thought readers may enjoy an Irish, booze-inspired morning treat, and these apple cinnamon rolls are what I came up with.

Making the Rolls

The dough here is my favorite base recipe. You can prep these rolls with this dough overnight and bake them fresh the following morning, or you can opt to bake them right away! It’s so adaptable. The filling, brown sugar, cinnamon, and chopped piñata apples, oozes a sweet and spicy filling when baked and the little apple bit hold up well in the oven. To finish it all off, we top the rolls with an Irish cream and cream cheese frosting. It’s sweet, tangy, and barely boozy, and it stays soft and creamy even a day later.

These apple cinnamon rolls are a festive take on the classic breakfast treat. Make them this month as a lazy Saturday treat or even to snack on all week long. A pastry this indulgent definitely can qualify as dessert, so don’t let yourself be limited to those wee morning hours of consumption. Check out the recipe and ingredients list at the link below on Stemilt’s blog and be sure to tune in later this week for another recipe and post!

CLICK HERE FOR APPLE CINNAMON ROLLS RECIPE

If you like these apple cinnamon rolls you should check out:

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

Bananas Foster Cinnamon Rolls

Funfetti Cinnamon Rolls

Hazelnut Cinnamon Rolls

Apple Bundt Cake

Funfetti Rolls

9 Comments / Breakfast

It’s been a while since we’ve included some sprinkles in our lineup here. The sprinkles, birthday cake flavor, and bright colors that make up these funfetti rolls make me feel like we’re celebrating, and you guys know how much I love a party. Our mornings deserve something extra-special, extra-festive, extra-fun, don’t you think? If you ask me, these funfetti rolls are just the ticket.

With all of the breakfast recipes we’ve been sporting on this site this month, mornings have been seriously special in my house lately. The other morning I prepared my kids what is, to use, a normal healthy breakfast and they were appalled. Like, where’s the cinnamon rolls, Mom? Where’s the chocolate bread and pound cake and muffins? WHERE IS THE SUGAR IN THIS BREAKFAST? Clearly I need to send the little sugar junkies to breakfast bootcamp for a little reset.

Funfetti Rolls

These funfetti rolls really do not help the cause. Aimee caught a glimpse of a test round of these buns on the counter and literally lost all chill. Within 3 minutes she had dragged a stool over to the counter, climbed onto the marble, and was nibbling on sprinkles from the sticky tops of these treats. The look on her face was equal parts guilt and delight, because, let’s be honest- there’s not a kid (read: human) in the world that doesn’t get a little bit excited by the site of sprinkles. They’re so special that I really couldn’t blame her.

So these funfetti rolls are maybe the most fun you can have in your morning. Yes, they take time to prepare, and , yes, there’s several steps involved. But are they worth it? Yes. Will they make your kids/roommate/BFF feel like the most special kid on the block? For sure. And do they taste ridiculously close to the funfetti box cake mix you grew up loving? Yep. If you’re tracking with me let’s chat the ins and outs of these rolls. You’re going to love them.

To make these funfetti rolls we start with the dough. I adapted my overnight cinnamon roll dough to work for this recipe. It’s the same fluffy, lightly sweetened yeast dough that I’ve grown to love, and while it does take some time to rise and roll, you can certainly follow the instructions from that original recipe to space out the work overnight. While we wait for the dough to proof we can go ahead and prepare the birthday cake crumb filling.

Making the Rolls

You might remember these crumbs from the funfetti ice cream cake I made a while back, but these little beauties are the same recipe that Christina Tosi made famous at NYC’s Milk Bar. With little more than cake flour, sprinkles, and sugar, we whip up a wet, crumbly dough that bakes into crispy, cake mix-favored crumbles. The essential ingredient here is the clear vanilla extract. Regular vanilla simply will not do if you want to recreate that box cake flavor. You can find the extract at your grocery store, craft stores, or online here. Follow the instructions to create the little crumbles, allow them to cool, and then whiz them in a blender or food processor to grind them to a coarse sand consistency. If you’d like to shorten the day-of baking process, feel free to make and freeze these crumbs in advance.

Rolling and Filling the Rolls

When your dough is ready to roll, use a lightly floured surface and rolling pin to flatten out a large rectangle of dough. Spread your melted butter all over the dough to serve as the glue for your birthday cake crumbs, sugar, and sprinkles. Roll the dough into a long log and slice 1-1/4-1-1/2″ segments to turn out into your pan. For softer, gooier rolls, you can snuggle them into the pan closely, but if you’re looking for those perfect spirals, space them out about 2″ apart in your baking dish. Bake until the tops are barely bronzed and the internal temp reads 180 degrees. Do not overbake! Underbaked cinnamon rolls taste way better than dried out overbaked ones, so if you have a thermometer, now is the time to use it!

These funfetti rolls finish nicely with a sweet cream cheese frosting and a dusting of sprinkles. You can use your extra birthday cake crumbs as a garnish as well, but if you’re anything like me those little guys will already have long been consumed. These breakfast treats put the FUN in FUNfetti and are worth every ounce of the effort they require. Give them a try and let me know what you think! Happy baking, y’all!

If you like these funfetti rolls you should check out:

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

Bananas Foster Cinnamon Rolls

Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls

Hazelnut Cinnamon Rolls

Chocolate Sweet Rolls

Funfetti Rolls

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 3 reviews

These funfetti rolls have all the birthday cake flavor wrapped up in a morning roll. Topped with a sweet cream cheese and sprinkle frosting!

Author: Kate Wood
Prep Time: 60
Cook Time: 60
Total Time: 240
Yield: 14
Category: Breakfast

Ingredients

For the dough:

1 cup (240 gm) milk, lukewarm
¼ cup (60 gm) water, lukewarm
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
6 tablespoons (85 gm)unsalted butter, melted but not too hot
1 large egg plus 2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon of clear vanilla extract
½ cup (100 gm) brown sugar
2–3/4 cups (385 gm) all-purpose flour
1–1/2 cups (210 gm) bread flour
½ teaspoon salt

For the funfetti crumbs (recipe adapted from Christina Tosi):

½ cup (100 gm) sugar
1–1/2 tablespoons (25 gm) brown sugar, packed
¾ cup (90 gm) cake flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons rainbow sprinkles
¼ cup (50 gm) canola oil
1 tablespoon clear vanilla extract

For the rolls:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 tablespoons sprinkles
2 tablespoons sugar

For the frosting:

4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
¼ cup (55 gm) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup (115 gm) powdered sugar
2+ tablespoons of milk

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Instructions

To prepare the dough:

In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl, combine the milk and water and sprinkle the yeast over top of it. Allow the yeast to dissolve, about 5 minutes. Stir in the butter, egg, egg yolks, clear vanilla extract, and sugar until smooth. In a small bowl, combine the flour, bread flour, and salt. Dump about half of the dry ingredients into the yeast mixture and stir until combined. Pour in the remaining dry ingredients and knead in the bowl using the dough hook attachment until smooth and slightly tacky, about 7 minutes. If you notice your dough isn’t pulling away from the sides of the bowl or it’s too wet, add flour 2 tablespoons at a time until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and forms a little dough “tornado” around the dough hook. Once done kneading, place the dough into a large lightly greased bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap to double in size, about 1-1/2 – 2 hours. Meanwhile, prepare the crumbs.

To prepare the crumbs:

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or silicone baking sheet. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the sugar, brown sugar, cake flour, baking powder, salt, and sprinkles on low speed. Add the oil and extract all at once and continue to paddle on low speed until small clumps form throughout. Spread the crumbs out onto the baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes, stirring twice throughout. Allow to cool completely and then use a food processor (or a plastic bag, rolling pin, and brute strength) to pulverize the clumps into a coarse, sand-like crumb. Set aside while you wait for your dough.

To prepare the rolls:

Once the dough has risen, dump it out onto a lightly floured surface and use a floured rolling pin to roll it into a 10” x 22” rectangle. Spread the melted butter all over the dough and sprinkle on the sprinkles, sugar, and about ¾ of the funfetti crumbs. Starting with one of the long ends, tightly roll the dough from end to end and pinch the edges together to seal. Cut the dough into 1-1/2” sections and lay them out 2” apart in a lightly greased baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel and allow to rise on the counter for about 30 minutes or in the fridge overnight. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and bake in the oven for about 22-25 minutes or until the edges are barely golden and the internal temp is 190 degrees. Remove from the oven and prepare your frosting.

To prepare the frosting:

Cream the cream cheese and butter in large bowl at medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the powdered sugar and milk and beat to combine. Add additional milk to thin out the frosting or more powdered sugar to thicken it. You can also gently warm the frosting to pour over the rolls as a glaze. Sprinkle with remaining funfetti crumbs or sprinkles, if desired.

Notes

Crumbs cake be made in advance! You can even make double and use the rest as an ice cream topping, cake filing, or just to scarf down on your own.
Clear vanilla extract is ESSENTIAL for getting that funfetti/ birthday cake flavor. You can find it at most grocery or craft stores.

Cheesy Dinner Rolls

3 Comments / Breakfast, Food and Drink

I don’t know about you, but I’ve already started preparing my body for the holidays. Although I exercise and try to eat reasonably healthy about 90% of the year, November and December are the months where I let delicious food (and the company I share it with) shine. There’s almost always fancy appetizers and indulgent desserts, an extra glass of wine, or rich, savory dishes that I really only break out around the holidays. I can already feel my insides getting excited to nibble on all of those seasonal bites that we enjoy this time of year.

In years past, the one thing I’ve not had much trouble saying no to is the bread basket. On the Thanksgiving table, at the church potluck, and even in my own home kitchen, those little brown-and-serve rolls, cold biscuits, and dense muffins just really don’t do anything for me. When there’s cornbread dressing and salty glazed ham on the table, is anyone really even paying attention to the bread basket? Absolutely not.

I’m proposing a comeback of the bread basket; a bread that was worth writing home about. What if the dinner rolls were so impressive that they could be served as a standalone appetizer or side dish that people were excited to eat? What if you are destined to be the delightful human that brings a skillet full of these cheesy dinner rolls to the next dinner party, and they’re so good that everyone begs you to bring the bread every year from here on out? Sounds pretty epic, huh?

Cheesy Dinner Rolls

These cheesy dinner rolls are soft and fluffy yeast rolls filled with gooey morsels of mozzarella cheese and seasoned with Italian herbs and garlic. These are like a mozzarella stick meets Parker house roll, and I am not even remotely mad about it. Although they’d be delightful on their own, we up the ante here by serving them alongside a tangy spiced tomato sauce.

I’m sharing today’s recipe for cheesy dinner rolls in partnership with Lucini Italia. They have long been my go-to for olive oil. Only recently I tried their tomato sauce and I was really pleased to find that it is near perfect straight from the jar. It requires no doctoring with extra pepper for flavor or sugar to cut the super acidic sauce; it’s a delicious, restaurant quality sauce that comes straight from the jar, and it makes the perfect accompaniment to these cheesy dinner rolls. You can spend your time preparing the rolls and let the Lucini sauce take care of the rest.

Making the Rolls

To prepare cheesy dinner rolls, we start by making the dough. Yeast dissolves over warm water and milk and is added to some melted butter and olive oil. Next we stir in some sugar, salt, garlic powder, and onion powder. The flour comes next, kneading the dough until it is smooth and only slightly tacky. Allow the dough to proof in a warm spot before you shape and form your rolls.

Cut your dough into about 15 equal-sized portions and flatten each ball out into a round. Place a square of part-skim mozzarella in the center of the dough and pinch the edges into the center. Place each roll seam side down in a greased pan and allow them to rise for just a few minutes. When you’re ready to bake, brush the rolls with water and sprinkle on additional cheese, and Italian herbs.

Serving the Rolls

Allow your cheesy dinner rolls to cool slightly before serving. Serve them with a cup or so of Lucini tomato sauce (I prefer the Spicy Tuscan Tomato Sauce here). The rolls are tender and extremely flavorful, a perfect compliment to the tangy sauce. If you make them in advance, re-warm prior to serving, making sure that the cheese melts thoroughly.

I hope you’ll give these cheesy dinner rolls a try in the coming months. Happy baking!

This post is sponsored by Lucini Italia. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting brands that make Wood and Spoon possible!

If you like these cheesy dinner rolls you should check out:

Tomato Olive Rolls

Roasted Summer Vegetable Quiche

Tomato Galette with Basil Pesto and Feta

Cheddar Cornmeal Chicken Pot Pie

Cheesy Dinner Rolls

Print Recipe

These soft and fluffy dinner rolls are herby crusted and stuffed with gooey mozzarella cheese! Dipped in a spicy tomato sauce, these cheesy dinner rolls are a tasty appetizer and bread offering!

Author: Kate
Prep Time: 25
Cook Time: 25
Total Time: 360
Yield: 15
Category: bread

Ingredients

1/2 cup (120 gm) lukewarm water
1/2 cup (120 gm) lukewarm milk
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1/4 cup (55 gm) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1/4 cup (120 gm) olive oil
1/4 cup (50 gm) sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
3 cups (420 gm) all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
2–3 ounces block mozzarella cheese cut into 3/4” sized chunks
Shredded cheese for sprinkling (I used cheddar and mozzarella)
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper
1 cup warmed tomato sauce, for serving

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Instructions

Combine the water and milk in the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle the yeast over top and allow it to dissolve, about 5 minutes. Be sure the water mixture is warm but not hot! Once the yeast has dissolved, stir the butter, olive oil, sugar, salt, garlic powder, and onion powder into the mixture. Add three cups of flour and stir until a shaggy dough forms. Using the dough hook attachment, knead the mixture on medium speed (I use 4!) for 7 minutes. Alternatively, you can knead this by hand on a lightly floured surface. If the dough does not pull away from the sides of the bowl, add an additional 1/4 cup of flour. Once done kneading, lightly grease a bowl and place the dough inside. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise in a warm place in your kitchen until doubled in size, about 1-1/2- 2 hours.
Once risen, dump the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough into about 14-15 equal-sized balls and gently roll the dough in your hands to form a ball. Flatten each ball into a circle with your fingers and place a chunk of cheese in the middle. Fold the perimeter of the dough over the cheese and pinch the edges together to close the dough around the filling. Place the balls in a lightly greased oven-safe skillet or baking dish about 1/2″ away from each other. Cover the pan and allow to rise a second time for about 25-30 minutes while the oven preheats to 375.
Once rise, lightly brush the dough balls with water and sprinkle on additional shredded cheese, the Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper. Bake in the preheated oven until golden, about 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool slightly. Serve with warmed tomato sauce.

Tomato Olive Rolls

24 Comments / Food and Drink

In another life, I’m outdoorsy. I enjoy things like camping and cycling and building fires. Instead of cuddling up under an umbrella at the pool, I’m the girl belly flopping into the ocean, rolling in the sand, and pulling fish from the water with my bare hands.

I’ve been an indoor cat most of my life and, as a result, have indulged primarily in hobbies that are done from the comfort of my air-conditioned home. Baking, sewing, and Netflixing are among some of my favorite activities, a truth that has been largely influenced by my aversion to bugs and boob sweat. Yes, it’s the indoor life for me, forever and always, but there’s just this one little thing that I wish I was good at.

On Gardening

I really want to be a gardener. In my dreams I have giant square planters filled with vine-ripened tomatoes and herbs and spicy orange peppers. I tend to rows of blackberry bushes with ease and teach my kiddos how to hunt out the ripest fruit. My flower pots are filled with ferns and pansies and geraniums and they even manage to survive a hot weekend without being fried to a crisp. Unfortunately, these are just dreams, and in the real world of green thumbs and black thumbs, I belong to the latter. This is the reality of outdoor Kate.

The older I get (and the longer I continue to pay for my own groceries) the more I appreciate the value of being able to live off the land. My husband and I have an above-ground garden with a few small produce plants. It’s been a whole month and I have yet to kill anything, although, to be fair, my husband is 100% responsible for any and all work that has been done to it at this point. As far as I’m concerned, I’ll keep our kids (and him) alive if he can remember to weed-eat and water the peppers, okay? Still, I am set on this tiny baby garden of ours producing some killer veggies someday, and when it does, you can bet I’ll be throwing them into all sorts of treats. Like these tomato olive rolls.

Tomato Olive Rolls

The inspiration for these tomato olive rolls comes from a bakery treat a friend bought for me a few years ago: a soft yeast dough filled with asiago cheese and briny olives. Tomatoes and herbs added Italian flair and moisture for the filling. Immediately, I set out to make the rolls, and within a few days I landed a recipe I really liked. Although I’m always fan of yeast doughs, I really wanted another option that wouldn’t require so much waiting time and energy in the kitchen. Enter tomato olive rolls 2.0.

This round of tomato olive rolls comes together with a scone-esqsue dough that is tender and cakey. I got the idea from that cinnamon roll I told y’all about a while ago. I’m pleased to say that it totally works! Let’s talk about how to make them.

Making the Rolls

First, for the dough, we start by mixing the dry ingredients. Flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder stir together before ice cold butter cuts in. Next is heavy cream, added to bring the dough together. We set the whole lot of it aside while we prep the insides.

Finally, for the filling, use finely chopped olives, diced tomatoes, and a blend of asiago and mozzarella cheese. The goods layer on top of the rolled out dough with schmear of basil pesto and a sprinkle of herbs. The whole thing rolls in a tube and slices into flat little pinwheels ready for baking.

The tomato olive rolls arrive from the oven with a light golden crust and a tight spiral of cheesy goodness. Allow the pastries to set slightly before serving; keep in mind they are best consumed the day they are made. These tomato olive rolls are perfect summer appetizers for all your outdoorsy (and indoor!) events. Give them a try and let me know what you think! And feel free to add your own variations. Maybe peppers and feta? Perhaps a little pepperoni and fig jam? You decide. Happy Friday and Happy Baking!

If you like these tomato olive rolls you should try:

Tomato Galette with Pesto and Feta

Buttermilk Biscuits with Pepper Bacon, Cheddar, and Egg

Cheddar Cornmeal Chicken Pot Pie

Maple Bacon Scones

Tomato Olive Rolls

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 3 reviews

These tomato olive rolls are made with a quick scone-like dough and are filled with asiago and mozzarella cheese, olives, tomatoes, basil pesto, and herbs. Try these summer appetizers today!

Author: Kate Wood
Prep Time: 15
Cook Time: 40
Total Time: 55 minutes
Yield: 20

Ingredients

For the dough:

2–1/2 cups (325 gm) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons sugar
¾ teaspoon salt
½ cup (113 gm) unsalted butter, cold and cut into chunks
¾ cup (180 gm) heavy whipping cream, cold, plus more for brushing
1 large egg, cold

For the filling:

Two tablespoons prepared basil pesto
1/3 cup (70 gm) black olives, diced small
1/3 cup (70 gm) green olives with pimentos, diced small
2/3 cup (135 gm) small diced Roma tomato, seeded (another large variety is fine)
2/3 cup (80 gm) shredded asiago cheese
2/3 cup (80 gm) shredded mozzarella cheese
Pepper
Baking spray or canola oil spray

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Instructions

To prepare the dough:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Use a pastry cutter or the back of two forks to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until pea-sized clumps are present throughout and the butter is well integrated. In a separate bowl, whisk the whipping cream and egg. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir together until a shaggy dough forms. Dump the mixture out onto the counter and knead together just until a dry dough forms- do not overwork the dough. You can add an additional 1-2 tablespoons of cream if your dough won’t come together at all. Cover the dough with a tea towel while you prep your other ingredients, but don’t let it sit out more than 15 minutes.

To assemble the rolls:

When ready to bake, roll out dough to a 8″x20″ rectangle, about 1/8” thick. Spread basil pesto out evenly over the dough. Sprinkle evenly with olives, tomatoes, and cheese. Finish with pepper, to taste.
Starting with the widest end closest to you, begin to roll the dough somewhat tightly away from you until you reach the end. When finished rolling, pinch to seal the dough seam at the end. Slice the log into ¾” rounds and arrange them on the sheet pan. Bake in the oven until the crust is golden brown, usually about 20 minutes depending on the size of your rolls. Allow to cool slightly before consuming. Rolls are best eaten the day they’re prepared but can be reheated the following day.

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Chocolate Sweet Rolls

11 Comments / Breakfast

I may or may not be crying real tears, as the reality of #monthofchocolate coming to a close is too much for me to bear. Nothing gives me more pleasure than rolling out decadent chocolatey goodness for y’all, so you better believe we’re going to wrap up this month with two beyond-fab recipes in one week, starting with these chocolate sweet rolls.

Chocolate Sweet Rolls

I am a huge fan of sweetened yeast rolls. While the process of making, rising, filling, and baking the dough can be a bit lengthy, the end product totally justifies the means. Nothing says “WORTH IT” like two pans of sweet, fluffy dough wrapped around a rich, coffee-scented chocolate filling. If you give them a try, I think you’ll agree.

The recipe for these chocolate breakfast rolls are a combination of a few other buns on my site (see here, here, and here!) and the dough for my favorite cinnamon bread. We start the dough by dissolving the yeast in a bit of warmed milk. Once smooth, add the sugar and egg as well as the salt, leavening and flour. The dough gets kneaded by hand or in the bowl of a stand mixer before being set aside to rise.

Making the Rolls

Once the dough has risen and is nearly doubled in size, prepare the filling. Chocolate, butter, cocoa, and espresso powder are melted together on the stovetop until smooth. Pull the mixture off the heat, stir in the confectioner’s sugar, and allow the filling to cool to a spreadable consistency. One cooled, roll the dough out into a large rectangle on a floured work surface and spread the filling evenly over thin sheet of dough. Starting with one of the long ends, roll the dough tightly into one long tube and pinch the ends to seal in the filling. Use a sharp knife to cut the tube into slices and place the rolls two inches apart in one or two greased baking dishes. Allow the dough to rise a second time before baking until golden brown.

I like to spread these chocolate sweet rolls with a cream cheese frosting. The cream cheese adds a bit of tang to an otherwise sweet frosting and perfectly compliments the chocolate sweet rolls. These buns are best eaten the day they are prepared. Nonetheless, you can easily warm them in the microwave or toaster oven for a quick breakfast treat. These chocolate sweet rolls are as delicious as they are beautiful; I would bet that if you try them once you’ll have a new weekend baking tradition in the making.

Give these chocolate sweet rolls a go and try not to eat them all in one sitting. I’ll be sharing one more #monthofchocolate recipes at the end of this week. Keep your eyes peeled for a knockout finish to this special month of recipes. Happy Monday, y’all!

If you like these chocolate sweet rolls, you should try:

Brown Sugar Danishes

Orange Cardamom Rolls

Hazelnut Cinnamon Rolls

Bananas Foster Cinnamon Rolls

Peppermint Bark Bread

Pumpkin Pull-Apart Bread

Chocolate Sweet Rolls

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

These chocolate sweet rolls are soft and tender, filled with a coffee-chocolate spread and topped with a sweet and tangy cream cheese frosting! Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert!

Author: Kate Wood
Prep Time: 120
Cook Time: 30
Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Yield: 18

Ingredients

For the dough:

1 cup (230 gm) milk (2% or Whole), lukewarm
½ cup (100 gm) sugar
2–1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
3–1/2 cups (455 gm) all-purpose flour
1 large egg, at room temperature
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
6 tablespoons (85 gm) unsalted butter, at room temperature

For the filling:

6 ounces (170 gm) chopped semisweet/ bittersweet chocolate, depending on your preferences
6 tablespoons (85 gm) unsalted butter
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 tablespoon espresso powder
½ cup (60 gm) powdered sugar

For the frosting:

6 ounces (165 gm) cream cheese, room temperature
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
2 cups (250 gm) powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1–2 tablespoons of milk, plus more as desired

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Instructions

To prepare the dough:

In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together the warm milk and half of the sugar. Sprinkle the yeast over top of the milk and allow the yeast to activate, about 5 minutes. The mixture should froth and foam slightly. You can stir it gently to make sure all the yeast has been moistened, but if the yeast does not foam, dump it out and start over. Once the yeast has been activated, stir 1/4 cup of the flour in to the milk mixture. Once combined, add the remaining sugar, 1 egg, salt, and baking powder and stir to combine. On low speed, add an additional 3 cups of flour and beat to combine, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Once evenly combined, increase the speed to medium (I use speed number 4 on my Kitchen Aid stand mixer) and add the softened butter 1 tablespoon at a time. Add up to an additional ¼ cup flour if the dough is too soft and doesn’t hold it’s shape somewhat. Scrape the sides of the bowl and then continue to beat on medium speed for an additional 4 minutes. The dough will be quite moist and sticky.
Lightly grease a large bowl and place the dough inside, covering it tightly with a piece of plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rest in a warm spot in the kitchen until it has approximately doubled in size, about 1-1/2-2 hours.

To prepare the buns:

Once the bread has nearly risen, melt the chocolate, butter, cocoa powder, and espresso powder in a saucepan over low heat. Once smooth, stir in the powdered sugar until well combined. Set aside until the dough is ready. If it firms up beyond a spreadable consistency, gently melt it again.
On a floured surface, roll out the risen dough into an approximately 19”x13” rectangle. Use an offset spatula to spread the chocolate filling evenly over the entirely of the dough. Starting with one of the long ends, roll the dough somewhat tightly and pinch together the ends to seal in the filling. Cut 1-1/2” slices of dough and place them about an inch apart inside of a greased baking dish. I bake mine in two 9” pans. Cover the dishes with plastic wrap and allow them to rise a second time until puffed, about 30 minutes. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Once the buns have risen, remove the plastic wrap and bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until a light golden color. Allow to cool.

To prepare the frosting:

Beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Add sugar and vanilla, beating until evenly combined. Add milk slowly, 1-1/2 teaspoons at a time, until desired consistency is reached. Add extra liquid to thin out frosting to a drizzling glaze. Spread the frosting evenly over the buns and eat while warm!

Orange Cardamom Rolls

13 Comments / Breakfast

So what’s on your Christmas list? A bike? A record player? New running shoes or a spiralizer? Maybe you’re ready to test the murky waters of mom jeans and lace-up shirts, or perhaps you’re simply looking to expand your collection of baking essentials.

Christmas in our house has changed quite a bit since we’ve had babies. My shopping time this year was spent hunting for water resistant bibs and hooded towels big enough to cover the hind parts of my extra fluffy toddler. Gone are the days where I would shop out my lengthy list of J.Crew sweaters and concert tickets and Kate Spade totes. This year, I didn’t need or ask for anything specific, but for fun, I decided to make up a wish list of random intangibles- my grown up Christmas list. These are items that are in no way achievable, but still super fun to dream about. Don’t judge me, but feel free to make up your own as we go along.

MY GROWN UP CHRISTMAS LIST

Sleep.- and not just a night of 8 or 9 solid hours either. I want a week’s worth of sleep completely undisturbed from the baby monitor or my husband tossing about next to me. I want to lay in bed in the morning for an extra hour or two and not think about unloading the dryer or going to work or whether or not I’m going to start leaking milk from every orifice of my body. Basically I want permission to sleep and be lazy.
Bake with Ina Garten and Taylor Swift. Have I talked about this dream too much already? In my wildest fantasies, I’m chilling in the Hamptons, drinking French wine with Jeffery. Taylor is in the corner wearing a cat sweater and playing the “1989” album. She tells me all about what happened with Harry Styles and invites me to spend the next July 4th at her place in Rhode Island. Later, Ina teaches me how to roast chicken and we laugh at the peasants who can’t afford Nielsen-Massey vanilla. Is that obnoxious? Sorry.
Hair. Did you know that pregnancy hormones do weird things? Did you know sometimes hormones can cause you to lose hair? Did you know that sometimes all of that hair loss is focused in one specific area in your hairline and that it can even make you kinda look like you’re balding? Well, if Santa doesn’t bring me some hair or at least a phone number for Beyonce’s wig person, I’m going to be in serious trouble.
I’m not sure what it’s called, but I want that disease where you can eat a lot and never have to work out. I want to eat chips and drink beer and put extra frosting on my cookies and not worry about that annoying pillow of fat that hangs out where my butt meets the back of my thigh. I don’t want to do another box jump or lunge, but I also want to be considered for Blake Lively’s body double if she ever films a sequel to “The Shallows.” Is that too much to ask?
Adele’s singing skills. I want people to hear her voice on the radio and be like, “Hmm, I’m not sure, but that actually might be Kate Wood.”
Take a DeLorean time hop back to 1985 and watch a Queen concert. Maybe I could pick up my husband (he would have been in Kindergarten at the time) and he could go with me? That’s a weird item for a wish list, isn’t it? Don’t judge.
Orange cardamom rolls.

Yeah, yeah, that list is ridiculous and unrealistic. But! You can totally achieve that last item. Because today, I’m sharing this recipe for orange cardamom rolls.

This recipe was adapted from Posie Harwood who writes a number of terrifically inspired posts both for her blog and on behalf of Food52. Her cardamom rolls have been on my radar for a while, and when I finally had a chance to make them a few weeks ago, I was tremendously pleased with the results. Out of the oven, these orange cardamom rolls are fluffy, fragrant, and perfect with a cup of coffee. I topped them with an orange zest glaze which sweetens up the knots of dough and makes them irresistible to look at.

These orange cardamom rolls start out similar to cinnamon rolls– a yeast dough sweetened with sugar and moistened up with eggs and butter. The dough rises for a short time before a cinnamon sugar schmear is slathered all over and folded inside the rolled out sheets of dough. A few loops and twists transforms thin slices of dough into pillowed swirls of soft and chewy bread that tastes as delicious straight from the oven as they do heated up the next morning.

Orange cardamom rolls look elegant, and feel special- a perfect treat to wrap up for someone you love or to serve to family and guests on Christmas morning. I photographed these rolls on a cake stand because they were so beautiful and what is a birthday without a cake of some sort! So HBD, Jesus! This one’s for you!

I hope you all have a merry week celebrating Christmas or just spending time with your family and friends. Make these orange cardamom rolls for Christmas breakfast and maybe even take time to come up with your own grown up Christmas list. I hope you all won’t completely judge me for mine, but if you happen to have any resources to make my wishes come true, you know who to call. Kidding…. but really.

Orange Cardamom Rolls

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

These orange cardamom rolls are fluffy knots of sweetened dough, lightly spiced with cardamom and a cinnamon sugar filling, and topped with a zesty orange glaze.

Author: Kate Wood
Prep Time: 90
Cook Time: 30
Total Time: 2 hours
Yield: 24

Ingredients

For the dough

1cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 cup unsalted butter
12 ounces evaporated milk
2 teaspoons coarse salt
1/4 cup warm water
4 1/2 teaspoons (2 packages) active dry yeast
7 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sour cream
3 eggs
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened but not melted
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar

For the glaze

2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons cream or whole milk
Zest of 1 medium orange

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Instructions

To prepare the dough

Combine the sugar, cardamom, butter, evaporated milk, and salt in a medium sized saucepan, and, stirring occasionally, heat over medium heat until the butter has just barely melted. Remove from the burner and allow to cool to warm.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water and allow to dissolve. You can gently stir it after a few minutes if not all of the yeast has been dissolved. Once dissolved, add 3 cups of flour, the sour cream, eggs, and warm butter mixture to the yeast. Stir until well combined and then begin to the remaining flour while mixing on low speed. You may only need about 6-1/2 cups of flour total, or as much as 7-1/2 cups, but add it until the dough is able to pull away from the walls of the stand mixer. It will still be quite sticky, even sticking to unfloured fingers quite easily, but be sure to not add too much flour as this can make the rolls tough. Switch to the dough hook and knead the dough for 4 minutes on medium speed.
Grease a large bowl with cooking spray, butter, or oil, and place the dough in there, covered tightly with plastic wrap. Allow it to rest for about 1-1/2 hours, or until the dough has doubled in size. If the dough is not growing after about an hour, be sure your bowl is in a warm, draft-free spot in your kitchen.
Once doubled in size, prepare the cinnamon filling by combining the butter, cinnamon, and sugar in a small bowl by smooshing it into a paste with the back of a fork or a rubber spatula. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare 2 sheet pans lined with parchment paper.
Sprinkling a good bit of flour on your work surface for rolling the dough and then remove half of the dough from the bowl. Roll it out into a rectangle approximately 9″x20″, adding small bits of flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking to the surface or the pin. Spread half of the filling evenly on the dough leaving a 1″ border around the perimeter of the rectangle. Fold the dough in half lengthwise to form a 9″x10″ square and roll or pat it out to thin the folded dough a bit. Using a sharp knife, cut 1/2″ strips of dough (approximately 12 total). Take one strip of dough and wrap it around your index and middle finger twice. Remove the double loop from your fingers and tuck both ends of the dough back through the center loop to form a bit of a twisted knot. Place each knot on the prepared sheet about two inches apart, being sure to keep the loose ends on the underside of the bun. Repeat this entire process with the second half of dough and then cover both sheet pans with plastic wrap to rest for about 15 minutes. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool while you prepare the glaze.

To prepare the glaze

Using a whisk, combine all ingredients in a medium sides bowl, stirring until it is uniform in consistency. You can warm it for about 10 seconds in the microwave to make a more pourable glaze, or add a teaspoon or two of cream to thin it out. Drizzle the glaze over your warm or cooled rolls and enjoy!

Notes

Rolls are best eaten on the day they’re made but will keep up to three days. Rolls are best eaten slightly warm.
The glaze prepared as the recipe has written will set up to be slightly firm at room temperature. If you add more liquid to it it is likely the glaze will remain sticky and wet even after sitting for some time.

Recipe Adapted From: Posie Harwood

Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls

9 Comments / Breakfast

When it comes to leftovers, my belief is that every person belongs to one of two camps. You either like them, or you don’t.

I personally have always been a fan of leftovers. My brain is filled with fond memories of cold pizza, leftover birthday cake for breakfast, and carry-out Chinese from the night before. Pasta, soup, and casseroles- all better on day two. I’ve even been known to eat giant spoonfuls of mac and cheese straight from dish in the fridge, and I promise you it’s delicious.

Ok, ok, I can hear you gagging.

I may have an absurd level of tolerance for leftovers, but I’m pretty sure there’s at least one day per year that we can all get behind leftovers.

THANKSGIVING! The day of giving thanks and putting down some grub. The day to fill your heart with gratitude and your plate with tan colored food. When else can you justify cooking 18 pounds of food (32 pounds if you count the turkey) and binge snacking for 72 hours straight? When else can you dirty every Pyrex dish in your house and justify running the dishwasher 4 times in one day?

Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving! That’s when!

I am pro Thanksgiving leftovers. I vote yes to breakfasts made of cranberry sauce oatmeal and veggie plate dinners. I am all for lunches of open-faced turkey sandwiches on thick slices of cornbread and eating pumpkin pie as a breakfast food. And this year, I’m preparing Thanksgiving dinner with leftovers in mind because I have officially perfected the sweet potato cinnamon roll.

Yes, you heard me right. You can call your mother and tell her you’re finally eating more vegetables, because sweet potatoes. In a cinnamon roll. With pecans. And frosting.

These sweet potato cinnamon rolls are made by combining a typical dough with some sweet potato puree. The puree, which is made simply by pureeing cooked and peeled sweet potatoes, keeps the dough fluffy and moist for days. Filled with a cinnamon sugar spread and toasty chopped pecans, these sweet potato cinnamon rolls are topped with a cream cheese frosting and will make your house smell like a fall-flavored dream.

This dough starts decadently by melting the butter into the milk and sugar. After some yeast proofs in the warm milk, the sweet potato puree and some dry ingredients are added. We let the dough rise before the remaining dry ingredients are tossed in. After a quick once over with the rolling pin, a schmear of butter, sugar, and spices, and a sprinkle of pecans, these sweet potato cinnamon rolls are ready for baking.

Hot from the oven, these cinnamon rolls get frosted with a glossy cream cheese frosting. I prefer sweet frosting, but you can certainly decrease the amount of butter and sugar here to have a more dominantly cream cheese flavored frosting. Once they’re frosted, the sweet potato cinnamon rolls are ready for action. And by action, I mean devouring.

If you’re in charge of any dish this Thanksgiving, make sure it’s the sweet potatoes… And while you’re whipping up that dish you should casually throw in an extra potato or two… And when there’s leftovers, well, you know what to do. This sweet potato cinnamon roll recipe will be waiting for you.

Cheers to you and happy Tuesday!

Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls

Print Recipe

These sweet potato cinnamon rolls are fall scented buns stuffed with a cinnamon sugar filling, toasted pecans, and topped with a cream cheese frosting.

Author: Kate Wood
Prep Time: 90
Cook Time: 45
Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients

For the dough

1 cup milk (whole or 2%)
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2–1/4 teaspoons (1 package) active dry yeast
3/4 cup sweet potato puree (see notes below)
3–1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

For the filling

1 stick of unsalted butter, softened slightly in the microwave but not completely melted
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1–1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup chopped pecans

For the glaze

4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons of cream or milk, plus more as desired

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Instructions

To prepare the cinnamon rolls

In a large pot, combine the milk, butter, and sugar over medium heat and allow to warm just before the milk is scalding. Remove from burner and allow to cool until luke warm. Add the yeast and allow to dissolve, about 2 minutes.
Add the sweet potato puree to the milk mixture, stirring gently to combine. Add 3 cups of the flour and stir to combine. Cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel and allow to rest and rise for 45 minutes to 1 hour. If your dough hasn’t doubled in size within that hour, place the dough in a slightly warmer spot of the kitchen.
Combine the remaining flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and add to the risen dough. Stir to combine. At this point, you can refrigerate the dough overnight or roll out to use immediately. If you decide to save it, punch dough down into bowl if it over-rises.
Roll the dough out onto a lightly floured surface to a 12″x18″ rectangle. Combine the butter, brown sugar, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon in a bowl to create a paste. Spread softened butter mixture out across the dough , leaving a 1/2 inch border around the sides. Evenly sprinkle the pecans over the dough.
With one of the long ends closest to you, begin to roll the dough away from you, pinching the dough together at the end to seal your roll. Trim off any shaggy ends (no more than 1 inch) Using a sharp knife, cut 1″ slices from your log of dough.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place buns 1″ apart in a baking dish (I use 3- 8″x8″ baking dishes) and cover again with a sheet of plastic wrap or a tea towel. Allow to rise for 25-30 minutes, or until buns are puffed and rounded. Bake in the oven until buns are golden brown, about 30 minutes. Allow to cool on pan for 10-15 minutes and then top with glaze.

To prepare the filling

In a medium sized bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Add the powdered sugar slowly and beat until combined. Add the vanilla and cream, beating until smooth. Add additional cream if you wish to have a more loose glaze.

Notes

To make sweet potato puree, peel 1 large sweet potato and cube it into 1″ pieces. Place cubes in a pot of water boiling over medium high heat and cook until tender to a fork, about 10 minutes. Drain water and set aside to cool slightly. Once cool enough to handle, place potatoes in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Be sure no large clumps remain, or your rolls will also have clumps in them. Allow to cool in the fridge slightly prior to adding to the cinnamon roll dough. The puree can be made and saved in the fridge several days in advance.

Recipe Adapted From: Ree Drummond