Lemon-Buttermilk Cinnamon Rolls
It's been awhile since I've been on a cinnamon roll binge. There was a time when I was cranking out Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls, Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls, Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls, Cranberry and Eggnog Cinnamon Rolls, Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls, Hot Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls, Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding....I even posted regular, plain ol' Cinnamon Rolls. Then came a vacation from cinnamon rolls. Oh, there were other binges in the meantime...muffins, all things sweet potato, waffles....but nothing quite as satisfying or as fun as cinnamon rolls. Now, just when you thought you'd never see another cinnamon roll out of me, I've become obsessed once again.
It all started a couple of weeks ago when I made a batch of cinnamon rolls for work. They were such a success that I decided on another batch, this time swapping out the milk for buttermilk and the orange frosting for lemon. To. Die. For. Who knew that buttermilk could make such a difference?!
The beginning of a beautiful thing.....
Of course I didn't stop at Lemon-Buttermilk Cinnamon Rolls. No, I went one further. Blueberries. I added blueberries and created the best cinnamon rolls ever. At least until I come up with another combination....
Lemon-Buttermilk Cinnamon Rolls
Butter, sugar, cinnamon, more butter, more sugar...these cinnamon rolls may the the best ever!
Ingredients
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 (.25 ounce) package instant yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
- 1 egg, room temperature, slightly beaten
- 3 1/4 cups to 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups fresh blueberries, optional
- Frosting:
- 2 oz. cream cheese, softened
- 1 tablespoon butter, softened
- 2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon peel
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Heat the buttermilk, 1/4 cup butter, and 1/4 cup sugar in a small saucepan until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool until the temperature is between 110 and 120 degrees F. (bathwater warm).
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the milk mixture with the yeast, egg, 2 cups of the flour, and the salt. 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 7 minutes. (Alternately, just use the dough hook on your mixer and let the mixer knead the dough for about 5 minutes).
- Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, turning it once. Cover the bowl with a clean damp towel and allow the dough to rise in a draft-free area until it is doubled in size, about 1 hour. In the meantime, mix together the brown sugar, cinnamon, and softened butter in a small bowl.
- Gently deflate the dough and let it rest for 5 minutes. Roll out the dough into a 12x9-inch rectangle. Spread the dough with the cinnamon/sugar mixture. Sprinkle the blueberries over the top, if desired.
- Starting from the long end, roll up the dough and pinch the seam closed. Cut into 12 equal sized pieces and place into a greased 9x13-inch pan. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. While the rolls are rising, preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and frost while still warm.
- For the frosting, beat the cream cheese and the butter in a medium bowl. Add the lemon peel and the lemon juice, blending until smooth. Slowly add the powdered sugar and beat to desired consistency, adding additional lemon juice if needed.
Blueberries are an easy addition.
Go ahead and double the frosting recipe if you like lots.
Perfection.....
What should my next flavor be?
I would love some of these for breakfast right now!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Stephanie...me too! They were gone way to fast!
DeleteThese sound sooooo yummy!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Pat! :)
Delete