I’ve been thinking (and panicking) a lot about Christmas.  I swear it was just October and next week is Thanksgiving already?!  I’ve been concocting some recipes in my head and gave this one a whirl last night – thinking it would make Monday morning that much more special.  It did!  I love this recipe and will continue to massage it to perfection.  I did want to share it because it is pretty good as it stands.  My kids loved it along with my husband.  I was good, I only took one bite before the gym this morning.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup of almond or white milk
1/4 cup of eggnog
3.5 cups of all-purpose flour (I use King Arthur’s) – divided – you may need additional flour if the dough is too sticky
1/3 cup of sugar
1 egg
1 1/4 teaspoon of yeast (rapid rise) or two packets
1 teaspoon salt
Non stick baking spray with flour

Filling:

1/2 cup of brown sugar (light brown)
3 tablespoons of ground cinnamon
1/2 stick of Smart Balance light baking butter (you can use regular butter) at room temperature

Glaze:

1 1/3 cup of confectioners sugar
3 tablespoons of eggnog

Directions:

Melt the butter or butter spread in the microwave and set aside. Warm the milk to about 120 degrees and add the yeast.  Set aside for 5 minutes.  In the meantime, add the butter, 1 cup of flour, sugar, egg and salt into your mixing bowl with the paddle attachment.  Add the milk/yeast mixture to the stand mixer as well.  Blend on low for about 4 minutes.  Add the remaining flour and beat on low until incorporated.  The dough will be sticky when blended.  If too sticky, add a tablespoon of extra flour as needed.  Turn the dough out onto a flour surface and knead for an additional 10 minutes.

Lightly oil a clean bowl and place the dough inside.  Cover with a towel and store in a draft-free location for 1.5 hours.  The dough should rise to double it’s size.

Preheat oven 375 degrees.  Spray your round 9 inch pan and set aside.

Punch the dough down and roll it out into a large rectangle (the dough should be about 1/4 inch thick.  Place the butter in your hand and rub it all over the dough – right to the edges.  This will help the spices to stick to the dough.  It needn’t be a thick but a thin layer.  Then add the brown sugar and sugar in a bowl.  The spread all over the dough – right to the edges.  Roll the dough tightly starting from you moving outward.  Once you have one long roll you will slit the top of of the roll with a sharp filet knife.  You will pierce the dough and go approximately half way down through the roll.  Then gently add the roll of dough into your round prepared pan.  I started at the center of the pan and rolled it moving outward like a bullseye.  Adjust the positioning as necessary.

Bake for 35 minutes or until lightly golden.

While the rolls are baking, whip up the glaze so it’s ready to go when the rolls coming out of the oven.  In a bowl add the confectioner’s sugar with the eggnog.  Whisk until creamy.  Pour over the rolls the minute they come out of the oven.  You can serve at this point or place back in the oven to crisp up the glaze for an additional ten minutes.

 

— Knead to Cook