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"Berry Delicious"!! That's what my husband said when he took the first bite. I have a feeling that's what you'll be saying too about these Blueberry Swirl Cinnamon Rolls. They can be made with any type of berry, in any season. I've done raspberry and blueberry and they're both fabulous.
The aroma that fills your house will be magically delicious and amazingly enticing, so be sure the windows and doors are closed tightly when you start baking. If not, you might feel like the Pied Piper of Hamlin, with a line of children, (adults too!) standing at your doorstep with sad, longing eyes.
And just a heads-up: though we enjoy and love to share light and lean recipes here at The Café, this is NOT one of them. With a fabulous brioche-type dough rich with butter and eggs, you'll want to pinch fat grams and calories in other areas and let this be a wonderful splurge. The recipe calls for frozen berries, that are tossed with cinnamon, sugar and a bit of cornstarch, then turned out onto a buttered rectangle of dough. Roll it all up, slice it into rounds and arrange in a prepared pan. The rest of the story is hands-off as they rise and bake to a golden delight.
If you have a brunch coming up, overnight guests or just want to treat your family/friends to an amazing breakfast treat, be sure to whip up a batch of these Blueberry Swirl Cinnamon Rolls. They can be prepared ahead, up to the baking point, refrigerated overnight and popped into the oven for twenty-five minutes just before serving. Your kitchen will smell like a fine European pastry shop and your guests will be sure to exclaim; "Berry Delicious"!
- For the dough
- 1 cup milk
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons active dry yeast
- 1 stick unsalted butter softened
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt or kosher salt
- 4 ¼ cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
- For the filling
- 2 tablespoons softened butter
- 10- ounces frozen berries not thawed Use any type of berries you like. We love blueberry and raspberry. I used the tiny wild blueberries for the rolls in the photo.
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- for the glaze:
- ¾ cup confectioners' sugar
- 3 tablespoons butter melted
- 1 ½ tablespoons half and half or whole milk
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For the dough, warm the milk in the microwave or on the stove top over moderately low heat until it reaches 110-115°F. Remove from heat and pour the warm milk into the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the dough hook. Stir in the sugar and yeast. Let stand until the yeast is foamy, about 5 minutes.
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Add the softened butter, eggs, grated lemon zest and sea salt. Add the flour 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.
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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 size, 1 to 2 hours.
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Generously butter a 9-by-13-inch baking pan or two 9-inch baking pans.
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Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and, using a rolling pin, roll it into a 10-by-24-inch rectangle. In a medium bowl, toss the frozen raspberries with the sugar, cinnamon and cornstarch. Spread the softened butter over the dough, then scatter the raspberry mixture evenly over the dough.
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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(s), cut sides up. Scrape any berries and juice from the work surface into the baking pan between the rolls.
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Cover the rolls and let them rise in a warm place until they are puffy and have filled the baking pan, about 2 hours.
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Preheat the oven to 375°F. Bake the rolls for about 25 minutes, until they are golden and the berries are bubbling. Cover with foil if browning too fast.
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Transfer the pan to a rack to cool for 30 minutes.
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For the glaze, in a small bowl, whisk the confectioners' sugar with the butter and half and half (or milk) until the glaze is thick and spreadable. Invert the rolls onto the rack, then invert the rolls again onto a platter. Drizzle glaze over rolls and spread with an offset spatula, if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature.
~ To make ahead, prepare the recipe through Step 7. Cover the rolls, refrigerate overnight and then return to room temperature before baking.
~ For variation the sweet rolls can be filled with a variety of frozen fruit. Try blackberries, strawberries, blueberries or chopped sweet cherries.
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