Easter Brunch Super Star

I hope everyone had a fantastic Easter holiday! We had perfect weather and a lovely brunch even though we have all been under the weather on and off. Easter usually means bunch in our house. There are so many things that make brunch great, but sometimes it is hard to find a way to change up the old standards. This recipe is a great riff on the traditional cinnamon roll. They are bright and pretty and just the right amount of sweet. These Lemon Raspberry Breakfast Rolls came to me from Joy the Baker. Given a stand mixer and a little time, these are relatively easy to make. I actually did it in stages allowing the dough to rise in the refrigerator overnight and then again letting the cut rolls rise in the pan. This will allow for fresh rolls hot out of the oven in the morning with no hassle. Enjoy the lemony goodness!

Kelly

Lemon Raspberry Breakfast Rolls

For the Dough:

1 cup milk (I used 2 percent)

2/3 cup sugar

1 1/2 tablespoon active dry yeast

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted buttered, softened to room temperature

2 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus 1/2 cup for kneading, plus more for sprinkling the counter

For the Filling:

1 heaping cup fresh raspberries (if using frozen, do not thaw)

1/3 cup sugar plus 1/2 cup sugar for dusting

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted, browned and slightly cooled

For the Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

To make the dough:

In a small saucepan over low heat, warm the milk to about 95 degrees. Pour the warm milk into the bow of an electric stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment. Stir the sugar and yeast into the warm milk and let sit for 5 to 7 minutes. The yeast will foam and bubble. That’s how you know it’s alive. After frothy, add the butter, eggs, lemon zest, and sea salt to the yeast mixture. Add 4 1/4 cups flour. Beat on low speed with the paddle attachment for 2 minutes. Stop the mixer, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and replace the paddle with a dough hook. Beat dough with the dough hook on medium speed for about 10 minutes. (Be sure to keep an eye on the mixer to make sure it doesn’t move too much while it is kneading the dough for you!)

Dust a clean counter with flour. Scrape the dough out onto the work surface. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of flour and knead for about 2 minutes. Dough will be soft and slightly sticky. That’s right! Place dough in a large, lightly oiled bowl. Spray the top of the dough with cooking spray. Cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel, and place in a slightly warm place to rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours (or refrigerate overnight.)

To make the filling:

In a medium bowl toss together raspberries, sugar, lemon zest, and cornstarch. Crush the raspberries just slightly as you stir. Set aside. If using frozen berries, do not thaw.

In a medium saucepan, melt butter until it is browned and fragrant. Set aside to cool slightly.

To assemble the rolls:

Grease a 9×13-inch pan with butter. Set aside.

When the dough has doubled in size, turn out onto a floured work surface and gently knead for 1 minute. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a roughly 10×20-inch rectangle.

Spread the butter over the dough. Spread the filling over the dough. Raspberries will be here and there across the dough. Sprinkle the dough and fruit with 1/2 cup granulated sugar.

Working quickly, tightly roll up the dough into a 20-inch long log. Cut the log into quarters, then cut each quarter into 3 pieces. Carefully and quickly lift the rolls into the prepared pan. The rolls will release juice into the bottom if the pan. Cover pan with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let rest in a warm place for 1 hour (or overnight in the refrigerator), until puffed.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. If you refrigerated the dough, allow to come to room temperature for about 30 minutes prior to baking. Bake rolls for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden and bubbling. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 30 minutes.

To make the glaze:

In a small bowl, whisk together sugar, lemon juice, and water. Drizzle glaze over cooled rolls and serve. Rolls are best served the day they are made but will last up to 3 days well wrapped at room temperature.