Raspberry Swirl Cinnamon Rolls

I had planned a day of thrift shopping with some friends and wanted to make a pre-road trip goodie. I saved the recipe for these sweet gems that came from the January 2011 issue of Food & Wine magazine and decided to give it a try. Initially I was going to follow the recipe verbatim, but in the end I just couldn't use that much white wheat flour, so I added whole wheat pastry flour along with lower gluten spelt and oat flour in an attempt to make it slightly healthier.  I also cooked the raspberry filling, thinking it would make rolling easier. In the end, that part was a tad messy, so the jury is out whether or not that was a good choice. Fee free to follow the original recipe for this step by using the link above. I did use less sugar in the dough as well as with the raspberry filling, but made up for it in the glaze by adding more powdered sugar along with the addition of cream cheese.

What really piqued my interest with this recipe is the fact it called for frozen fruit. Think of the different berries that can be frozen over the summer, then utilized during the cold months.

Raspberry-Swirl Cinnamon Rolls
Makes 16 rolls

Ingredients

Dough
1 cup milk
1/2 cup organic cane sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast (2 pkgs)
1 stick unsalted butter, softened*
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt*
1 cup all-purpose flour (I used Wheat Montana brand) plus more for dusting
1 cup Wheat Montana Prairie Gold whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup Oat flour (I used Bob's Red Mill)
1 cup Spelt flour (I used Bob's Red Mill)
*I only had organic salted butter on hand, so I reduced my salt by 1/2 tsp

Filling
One 12 ounce package IQF (Individually Quick Frozen) raspberries
3 tbsp organic cane sugar
1 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp cinnamon (I used Vietnamese)

Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
3 tbsp unsalted butter
3 tbsp cream cheese
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1-2 tbsp half & half

1. In a small saucepan, warm the milk over moderately low heat until it reaches 95 degrees. Pour the warm milk into the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the dough hook and stir in the sugar and yeast. Let stand until the yeast is foamy, about 5 minutes. This method is called proofing.

2. Add the softened butter, eggs, grated lemon zest and sea salt.

3. Add the flours and beat at medium speed until a soft dough forms, about 3 minutes. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the dough is soft and supple, about 10 minutes longer.
2. Scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it with your hands 2 or 3 times. Form the dough into a ball and transfer it to a lightly buttered bowl. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 1 to 2 hours.

4. In a medium saucepan, add the frozen raspberries with the sugar and cornstarch. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened. Remove from heat and let cool.3. Line the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, allowing the paper to extend up the short sides. Butter the paper and sides of the pan. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and, using a rolling pin, roll it into a 10-by-24-inch rectangle. Because I have a small convection oven that only takes quarter size baking sheets, I opted to freeze roughly a third of the rolls and prepped 2-9" baking dishes.

5. Spread the raspberry filling evenly over the dough. Tightly roll up the dough to form a 24-inch-long log. Working quickly, cut the log into quarters. Cut each quarter into 4 slices and arrange them in the baking pan, cut sides up. Scrape any berries and juice from the work surface into the baking pan between the rolls. Cover the rolls and let them rise in a warm place until they are puffy and have filled the baking pan, about 2 hours.

6. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Bake the rolls for about 25 minutes, until they are golden and the berries are bubbling. Transfer the pan to a rack to cool for 30 minutes.

7. In a small bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese until well blended. Add powdered sugar, vanilla and half and half and beat until the glaze is thick and spreadable.

8. Remove rolls using extended parchment paper and place on a cooling rack to cool slightly.  Transfer to a platter. Dollop glaze over each roll and spread with an offset spatula. Serve warm or at room temperature. I had leftover glaze since I had froze some of the cinnamon rolls. I placed the glaze in a lidded storage container and tossed in the refrigerator.  It will keep for the next few weeks when I bake off the remainder.

Make Ahead
The recipe can be prepared through Step 5. Cover the rolls, refrigerate overnight and then return to room temperature before baking.

Notes
Variation The sweet rolls can be filled with a variety of frozen fruit. Try blackberries, strawberries, blueberries or chopped sweet cherries. I'm thinking of giving strawberry-rhubarb a try!

ps. I found lotsa treasures shopping...all I can say is "no more" bail top canning jars!