What better way to snuggle up on a cold and rainy day than to have warm ooey gooey cinnamon rolls wrapped up in a blanket? Well,I couldn’t find anything better, so this is exactly what I did. I recently made the old fashioned, un-tampered with, plain old cinnamon rolls just last week. Like plain old cinnamon rolls are boring… yea right. I could eat them over and over again until I’m sick…
But since we just had the plain cinnamon kind with raisins and walnuts, I decided to mix it up a bit and go with a harvest style cinnamon roll. I had some apples and oranges that needed to be used and considering that apples and cinnamon go so well together, I went with the oranges. Just because its out of the norm. Nothing fancy, but I really wanted to do something out of the box…. or inside of my warm apartment rather… Yep, I’m dumb.
So I made the the dough regularly, but this time I zested two oranges and mixed it in when I added the flour to the yeast mixture. I also added about 2-3 tablespoons of the juice that came from them as well. The bar in our dining room caught my eye too when I was experimenting with my crafty rainy day project, and I focused my gaze on the Disaronno. MMMmmmm, orange and almond–how bad could that be?
So I also added about 2 tablespoons of the yummy warm almond liquor. I really wanted to add some of the chopped pecans I had bought earlier, but was told by my significant other that he preferred to have them soft. So I did. Because I’m an awesome girlfriend =)
While the dough rose I made the orange icing. I whipped some room temperature butter until fluffy, then added a ton of powdered sugar. Then I added about 3/4 cup of the freshly squeezed orange juice and about 3 tablespoons of the Disaronno (which I cooked together in a pot and made it a little thick). I then added a big pinch of salt, because I thought it was overly sweet, and a little vanilla.
Voila!! It was delicious!
I stuck it in the fridge to get nice and thick for the freshly baked cinnamon rolls…. mmmm….. After I rolled out the dough, I rubbed on room temperature butter, a bunch of brown sugar and a bunch of cinnamon.
Did I mention a bunch? Did I also tell you that these are fat free? Yea! The orange juice counteracts the calorie content and erases it…… Yea I wish I could believe me too.
After tightly rolling the dough into a log, I cut it into about 10-12 rolls using clean string. Starting from the center, I cut each half in half and then again until I got uniformed pieces.
Genius.
I laid them into a greased baking pan and covered them until they rose, and then baked for about 20 minutes in a preheated 375 degree oven. When they were golden brown on top, they were done. Mine somehow rose from the inside of the roll out so they sort of looked like Madonna’s old costume…. it was very humorous at the time. In fact, I just started cracking up about it… Hahaha… While they were still warm, I drizzled the icing over them and let the heat warm the icing. Yum!!
I really wanted to take some pictures of my fantastic creation, but, I was so….hungry…. and the smell actually takes you off your feet. I couldn’t get off the couch for about an hour after. So be warned!
RECIPE:
1 tbsp. white sugar
1 package active dry yeast
1/2 cup hot tap water
1/2 cup milk 1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs, beaten
4-4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
zest of two oranges
3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons Disaronno (or almond flavored liquor, or 1 tbsp almond extract)
1/2 cup room temperature butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp. ground cinnamon
3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
3 tbsp. Disaronno
1-1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast and sugar in the hot tap water. Mix, and let stand to froth for about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, warm the milk in a saucepan just to when bubbles form and remove from the heat. Add the salt sugar and butter and stir until melted. Let cool until lukewarm. In a large bow, combine the yeast mixture, the milk mixture, eggs and 1 1/2 cup of flour.Add the orange zest, tablespoons of juice and Disaronno. Combine.
Continue to add 1/2 cup at a time until reaching 4 1/2 cups. When the dough has pulled together turn out on a clean floured surface and knead for about 8-10 minutes, or until the dough is springy and elastic. Lightly oil a large bowl and place dough inside. Cover with plastic wrap and towel, and set in a warm place. Let rise to double in size for about an hour.
When dough has rising to double the size, roll out on a surface to a 1/4 inch thick rectangle. Rub the butter over entire surface, and then sprinkle on the brown sugar and cinnamon. Starting at the long end, roll tightly until reaching the other end, making a log. Using a string, run it along the under side until in the desired location. Begin in the center of the log and cross the string over the roll, scissoring the string to cut the roll. Repeat this making equal sized rolls. Place the rolls in a greased baking dish and cover again, letting rise to double the size-about 40 minutes.
Bake for 18-25 minutes, or until golden brown.
ICING:
Cream room temperature butter and mix in the powdered sugar. In a saucepan, heat up the orange juice and Diasaronno until slightly thick. Cool and then add to the butter/sugar mixture. Add the salt and the vanilla. Whip until combined. It should still be drizzle-able. Refrigerate until use. When the rolls are done, let cool for 5-10 minutes and drizzle on the desired amount of the icing. Serve warm, room temperature or cold.
Enjoy your fall harvest orange almond cinnamon rolls!!
The Edible Palette 