A spring twist on my classic cinnamon rolls! These rolls are filled with a fresh strawberry compote, with bright hints of lemon throughout. They’re topped off with a thick and creamy lemon cream cheese icing.
What You’ll Need
Dough
2 1/4 cup All Purpose Flour
1 Instant Yeast Packet (I use Fleischmann’s Rapid Rise or Red Star Quick-Rise)
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/3 cup Granulated Sugar
1/2 cup Whole Milk
4 tbsp. Unsalted Butter, melted
1 Large Egg, at room temperature
Filling
1 Punnet of Strawberries, appx. 16 oz.
1/3 c. Granulated Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1/2 Lemon, juice & zest
Icing
Instructions
- To begin the dough, combine the flour, salt, yeast, and granulated sugar in a bowl. Set aside.
- Heat the milk in the microwave until it reaches about 120 degrees on a kitchen thermometer. If you don’t have a thermometer, microwave milk for 45 seconds-1 minute until milk is very warm to the touch.
- Add the milk, melted butter, vanilla extract, and egg to the dry ingredient mixture and combine until a dough begins to form. *I use a silicone spatula first to get the ingredients combined, then I use my hands to continue to work the dough until it’s soft.
- Sprinkle flour on the counter. Place the dough on the counter, and use your hands to knead until the dough is easy to work with and a ball forms. (You can also use a stand mixer, add all ingredients and knead for about 5 minutes until the dough is formed)
- Grab another bowl. Spray lightly with nonstick oil spray. Place the dough ball in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap. Set it in a warm place (on the counter works fine), and let the dough rise for 3 hours. Once the dough is nice & springy, you’ll know it’s ready.
- Wash, and chop the strawberries. Add to a saucepan with sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon juice/zest. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 10-15 minutes until the mixture is thick and the berries have broken down.
- To roll out the dough, flour the counter again. Take a rolling pin and roll out the dough into a rectangle (10″ x 6″). If the dough is too tacky, feel free to sprinkle more flour on your working surface.
- Use a rubber spatula to smooth the strawberry filling over the dough, and use both hands to roll the dough.
- Place in a 350-degree oven for 22 minutes, they should be golden but still supple. *For darker cinnamon rolls, remove from oven after 25-30 minutes.
- While the rolls are baking, make the icing. In a mixing bowl, melt the butter.
- In that same bowl, add softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and a splash of heavy cream. Use a hand mixer and combine until smooth.
- Frost the rolls when they are fresh out of the oven. Zest a lemon over the top of the rolls if desired.
- Enjoy!
