Ever since I tried this recipe for cinnamon rolls, there has been no other dough recipe for me. The dough is just perfect – not to sweet – easy to work with and incredibly tasty. I adapted this go-to-recipe for cinnamon rolls into lemon and white chocolate – to deliver the flavors of one of our favorite breads that we buy at the Farmer’s Market. I whipped up these rolls yesterday and baked them off this morning to take to our IEP meeting.
Andrew said they were the “best ever”, they went fast and everyone loved them. The full tray photos don’t do these rolls justice. They are tender and perfect. Try them and let me know what you think.
Lemon and White Chocolate Rolls with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients:
1 cup milk and ¼ cup of water (heated approximately 1 minute in microwave)
1 teaspoon pure lemon extract
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
2 eggs, room temperature and beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
5 cups bread flour (I used all-purpose this time)
1 tablespoon vital wheat gluten (optional) – helps dough rise better (but I have left it out before)
3 teaspoons instant active dry yeast
Lemon White Chocolate Filling (see recipe below)
Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting (see recipe below)
Add all the ingredients, except the Filling and Frosting, in the pan of bread machine. Process according to manufacturer’s instructions for the dough setting (I just have to press “DOUGH” regular – I have used “DOUGH” quick before as well when I made 3 batches and it was fine). The link for the cinnamon roll recipe I mention above has instructions for other methods (mixer and food processor) if you do not have a bread machine. That site also provides you more detailed instructions on preparing the rolls — their cinnamon roll filling – is delicious as well.
My dough is always perfect after the dough setting – and usually by the time I get to it – it has rested for at least 30 minutes. While the dough is resting, make your filling.
Lemon White Chocolate Filling
1 8 oz. package of cream cheese, room temperature
¼ cup of white granulated sugar
¼ cup of brown sugar
Zest of one lemon
¼ cup of heavy cream
Pinch of salt
½ cup of butter – 1 stick, room temperature
½ cup of white chocolate grated
Mix all the ingredients together until they are well blended. Set mixture aside with 1 additional cup of grated white chocolate or white chocolate morsels — while you roll out your dough.
I lightly flour a pastry mat to roll out my dough —roll the dough out to approximately 15 x 24 or thereabouts. Spread the Lemon White Chocolate Filling with an offset spatula carefully on the dough. Sprinkle with the additional white chocolate. You can double the filling if you like them more gooey.
Beginning with the long side, roll up the dough. Pinch seams to seal. One important note I learned from the link above – was that rolling the log too tightly will result in rolls where the center pops out as they bake.
Use a bench scraper or serrated knife to cut the rolls about 1 and ½ inches wide (but don’t use the knife on the pastry mat – I’ve made that mistake before). Place the rolls in a buttered baking dish – not touching – and cover them with plastic wrap to let them rise about an hour.
I normally place these in the fridge overnight, pull them out in the morning – let them sit for 30 minutes (if I have the time) and then bake them at 350 for 20 minutes.
After I remove them from the oven, I let them cool for about five minutes and then spread the glaze over them or drizzle. After the glaze – I grate a little lemon zest on top of the frosting.
Lemon Cream Cheese Glaze
2 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup powdered (confectioners) sugar
½ teaspoon of lemon extract
Zest of half a lemon and juice of half a lemon
In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese and butter until creamy. Add powdered sugar, extract, and lemon zest and juice until well mixed and creamy. (I thin out the frosting if it is too thick with a little cream or whole milk.)
