Sunday, February 24, 2013

Orange-White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cinnamon Rolls


I hope you'll forgive me for being just a little slow in posting this recipe. It's not that it's not a good one...in fact this is probably the yummiest cinnamon roll I've made. For sure, it's my favorite so far. So, why the hesitation? Frankly, it's because I'm on a diet going through a lifestyle change. Not to worry--I haven't completely abandoned the "good stuff". After all, my motto is "everything in moderation". It's just that I'm still in the beginning stages and, while most of this batch is resting in the freezer, it's a little painful looking at the picture. Please bear with me as I learn the moderation process.


I think orange zest may be one of my favorite flavor additions...this roll is full of it!

Orange-White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cinnamon Rolls

Dough:
1 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
2 ¼ teaspoons yeast
1 egg, slightly beaten
3-3 ½ cups flour
1 teaspoon salt

Filling:
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
1/4 cup cold butter, cut into 4-5 pieces
1 (3.5-4 oz) bar premium white chocolate
1/2 cup diced macadamia nuts

Frosting:
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
2-3 tablespoons orange juice

Preheat oven to 375 ° F.

 Heat the milk, 1/4 cup butter, 1/4 cup sugar, and orange peel in a small saucepan until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat. Let cool until temperature is about 110 degrees F (like bathwater warm).



I started early on with the orange flavor by putting some in the warmed milk.

In a medium bowl, whisk together 3 cups of the flour and the salt.

In a large mixing bowl, combine milk mixture with yeast, egg, and 2 cups of the flour mixture; beat well. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the dough has just pulled together, turn it onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 5 minutes. (Alternately, just use the dough hook on your mixer and let the mixer knead the dough for about five minutes).

Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover with a clean damp towel. Allow dough to rise until double, about 1 hour.  In the mean time, process the brown sugar, cinnamon, orange peel, and white chocolate in a food processor. Add the cold butter and pulse until incorporated.


Roll out the dough into a 12 X 9 inch rectangle (I like to do this on my Silpat). Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture evenly over the dough, leaving a 1/2 inch edge. Sprinkle the diced macadamia nuts evenly over the the filling. Roll up the dough from the long side and pinch seam to seal. Cut into 12 equal sized pieces and place into a greased 9 X 13 inch pan. Cover and let rise until doubled (or refrigerate overnight).



Bake at 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until browned. Remove from oven and frost while warm.



For frosting, beat the cream cheese and the butter in a medium bowl. Add the orange peel and vanilla. Slowly add the powdered sugar and orange juice, beating to desired consistency.


I've said it before--the frosting is the best part.


Hint: to avoid over-consumption, wrap each cinnamon roll in plastic wrap and freeze. To serve, simply nuke the frozen roll for 30 seconds.


6 comments:

  1. These sound wonderful Kathy! My Mom used to make orange rolls and I love them, but these sound even better! Love the addition of the macs and white chocolate!

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    1. Thanks, Amy! I'm anticipating a gorgeous raw version from you! :)

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  2. Oh these look amazing Cathy. Great idea to wrap each one individually. The best thing I've done for moderation (and I know I'm not perfect, I could do so. much. more.) is to use small plates. It's such a subtle change, but I truly think it makes all the difference. I do have large plates I can use for Thanksgiving and times when I really want enough room to pile it on, but for day to day use a small plate has resulted in huge changes in my family.

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  3. Yummy these look amazing! Love the orange in them, thanks for sharing :)

    Happy Blogging!
    Happy Valley Chow

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  4. These look decadent. I am watching what I eat lately too. Wrapping them individually is a great idea.

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  5. These sounds super yummy with the orange, nuts, and chocolate. Love the look of the frosting too :)

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