So last night, I decided it would be nice to make cinnamon rolls for my parents. I found several months ago that if you prepare cinnamon rolls, put them in the pan, and then instead of letting them rise for 40 minutes in a warm place you put them in the fridge, you can cook them the next morning and they turn out great. It's the perfect birthday or anniversary surprise, especially for us night owls who are never awake before our parents on the weekends. The recipe is a combination of a vegan recipe and a bread machine recipe, so here it is.
This makes 15 cinnamon rolls. This recipe will work with or without a bread machine, but it's much easier with one. Also as a note, I totally forgot to add the cinnamon to these, and they still tasted good, so you can really easily modify the filling and add or take away whatever you want. Like if you don't have walnuts, just leave them out! I'd suggest using more brown sugar and margarine if you do that, so you still have enough filling.
Tools:
Oven, fridge, bread machine (makes it easier, but not neccesary), food processor (for egg replacer; optional), 13x9x2in pan, nonstick cooking spray, rolling pin, bowl for dough (if you don't have a bread machine), bowl for melting margarine, cup measure, tablespoon measure, teaspoon measure, bowl for filling, sealable container for icing.
Ingredients:
Dough:
4 and 1/2 tsp Ener-G Egg Replacer (equivalent of 3 eggs)
1 cup(ish) water
1/4 cup melted margarine (I use Earth Balance)
3 and 1/2 cup flour (I like white for this recipe)
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup sugar
1 and 1/2 tsp quick active dry yeast
Filling:
3/4 cup firmly packed (or 1 cup loose) brown sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/2 cup margarine melted
3/4 cup chopped walnuts (or to taste - I just keep adding until it's nice and chunky)
Icing (I always have to make 2 or 3 recipes, because who doesn't like icing?)
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp margarine
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp milk (I use almond)
Directions:
1) Process the egg replacer and water in the food processor until it's nice and fluffy. Place it into the bread machine. Measure all other ingredients for the dough, and place them in order into the bread machine. Make sure that the flour completely covers the liquid, and that the yeast doesn't touch the salt (wipe down the teaspoon before measuring the yeast).
2) Select dough or manual cycle - don't use the delay cycle.
3) While the dough is being made, make the filling and the icing. I usually wait until the dough has 30 minutes left so that the filling is fresh. Put the icing in the fridge.
4) When the dough is done, remove it and place it on a clean surface. You can use nonstick cooking spray or flour on the surface to make sure the dough doesn't stick, but I didn't need to. Cover and let rest 10 minutes. Greace the pan.
5) Flatten the dough using the rolling pin or hands into a 15x9in rectangle. Using the back of a spoon or a knife, spread the filling evenly over the rectangle, leaving about an inch on the 15in side without filling. Make sure to spread the fillling to the edge on every other side.
6) Roll the dough tightly, beginning at the 15in side that does have filling. When you get the other side, pinch the edge of the dough (this is the edge without filling) into the rest of the cylinder. (This is pretty difficult, and if it's not completely together, don't worry. Just roll the log so that the seam is on the bottom, so it doesn't come apart while you're cutting it.)
7) Cut the roll into 15 slices. I usually cut it into three even logs, then cut each of those into five rolls. Place each roll into the greased pan. Don't worry if some of the filling spills out, just put that side up in the pan, it'll still look and taste fine.
8) Place the pan in the fridge overnight. They can stay in there from 4 to 8 hours, so it doesn't really matter when you make the dough.
9) In the morning, heat the oven to 375. Take the icing out of the fridge so it can soften. Bake the rolls for 23 to 28 minutes, or until they start to turn a golden brown. Eat rolls with icing, and enjoy!
If you don't have a bread machine, everything is the same except for making the dough.
1) Prepare egg replacer in the food processor, as described above. Add all the other ingredients. Starting with a spoon, then using your hands, knead the dough until combined, then continue to knead the dough for a few minutes, making sure it is soft, smooth, and elastic.
2) Shape dough into a ball and leave it in the bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 to 2 hours, until it is doubled. During this time, prepare the filling and icing. When I made it it didn't really double, so that's fine.
3) Punch the dough down, then place it on a clean surface. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Then follow steps 5-9 above.
My brother's home on spring break this week, and entertains himself by taking pictures of just about everything. So here are a whole bunch of pictures:
The dough rolled out, with the filling.
Me rolling the dough...
And pinching it. I found that if the moister the dough is, the eaiser it is to pinch.
The whole thing rolled
The unbaked rolls, on their way to the fridge.
My brother's plate - two cinnamon rolls with frosting, and fruit. Delicious!
I know this recipe is pretty time consuiming, but it's worth it if you love cinnamon rolls. Well, I'm making dinner tomorrow for my mom, so hopefully I can post that. Also the 24th is my birthday, so watch for a post about my absolute favorite vegan cake recipe. Can't wait!
No comments:
Post a Comment