I've been wanting to create a new cinnamon roll flavor but have had the hardest time deciding on one! With Mother's Day coming up, I was especially motivated to pick one to execute. After a trip to Jeni's Ice Cream this past weekend, I was inspired! I got one of my favorite ice cream flavors - Wildberry Lavender. It's so refreshing and bursting with fruity, floral flavors! When I got home, I gathered the all the berries and citrus fruits I could find and spent the next day testing this recipe!
Can you guess which fruits I chose to mix in with my lavender syrup?! If you guessed blueberries and blackberries, you're right! For the citrus, I mixed some lemon zest into the cream cheese frosting and they all really just complete each other! This is the perfect summer brunch recipe, but is always tasty year-round!
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Making the Sweet Rolls:
This recipe uses active dry yeast, but it's super easy to follow and I have pictures to guide you along the way! Above, you can see the yeast bubbling so that you know it's active. I've also shown what the dough looks like before & after it's proof. While the dough is rising, you can fill the time by making the filling! For the lavender berry preserves, fresh or frozen blueberries & blackberries can be used. All you have to do is toss the berries, lavender syrup, sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice into a saucepan and stir over low-medium heat until it's thick.
When the dough is done rising, place it on a clean, lightly floured surface. Fold it into thirds once, and then flip it over and fold it into thirds again so that it's a nice rectangle. Then roll the dough out to a 12x16 inch rectangle, about ¼ inch thick.
Starting from the long, glazed edge, tightly roll the dough to the long, clean edge. The edges are usually a bit thin and uneven so I like to cut them off and bake them separately in a small pan as little taste-tests! With the rest of the roll, gently mark where you're going to cut the rolls (about 1.5 inches apart). This should give you about 9 sweet rolls. I use a sharp knife to cut the dough, but you can also tie floss around the roll and separate them that way. Then, space the rolls out evenly in a greased 9-inch pie dish (or similar). Finally, give them one last chance to rise while your oven preheats!
Tips & Storage:
- Okay, I know they're called lavender berry sweet rolls, but if you don't have or want the lavender syrup, it can be omitted. They'll still be super tasty and delicious!
- You can make these ahead of time and bake them 1-2 days later! Just cover and put them in the refrigerator after cutting them up. When you're ready to bake them, take them out of the fridge and let them rise while the oven preheats.
- Don't overheat your milk. It should be around 95F when you add the yeast(I recommend checking this with a thermometer). If the milk gets too hot, it can kill the yeast.
- Store unfrosted rolls at room temperature for a few days, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
- Store frosted rolls in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Heat them in the microwave for 30-60 seconds before eating.
Did you try this recipe?
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Lavender Berry Sweet Rolls
Equipment
- Stand mixer with hook attachment
- Round 8-9 inch pan
- Small saucepan
- Spatula
- Whisk
- Measuring Cups or Scale
- Measuring spoons
Ingredients
Dough
- ½ cup milk
- ¼ cup (½ stick/56g) unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1 large egg room temperature
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-2¼ cups (250-281g) all-purpose flour
Lavender Berry Filling
- ⅔ cup blueberries fresh or frozen
- ⅔ cup blackberries fresh or frozen
- 2 tablespoons (25g) light brown sugar packed
- ½ teaspoon lavender syrup
- ¼ teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- ¼ cup (½ stick/56g) unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 cups (240g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest packed
Instructions
Making the Dough
- Bring the milk to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from heat as soon as it reaches a boil. Alternate option: microwave until it starts to boil (~2 minutes, check after each minute).
- Pour the milk into the bowl of a stand mixer and add the butter. Stir until the butter melts.
- Whisk the sugar into the milk. The mixture should be about room temperature at this point. If not, wait until it’s just warm to touch.
- Mix in the yeast and let it sit for 5-10 minutes until it's foamy.
- Add the eggs, salt, and vanilla to the mixture (one at a time) and whisk to combine.
- Add 1 cup of flour and mix with the hook attachment (speed 2). Add another ½ cup of flour and continue to mix. Gradually continue to add flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and is just slightly sticky. Scrape the sides of the bowl as necessary. Mix for ~5 minutes.
- Cover the dough and let it sit in a warm place to rise for 45-60 minutes.
Lavender Berry Filling
- Add the blueberries, blackberries, light brown sugar, lavender syrup, lemon juice, and cornstarch to a small saucepan. Turn the stove on low-medium heat and stir until the berries burst & soften, and the mixture is thick. Then, let it cool.
Assembling the Sweet Rolls
- Plop the dough onto a lightly floured surface and fold it into thirds, flip it over, and fold into thirds again. Roll the dough into a 12x16 inch rectangle.
- Spread the lavender berry filling evenly onto the dough while leaving ~1 inch of empty space along one of the 16 inch long sides.
- Starting with the 16 inch side that is covered with filling, tightly and carefully roll the dough toward the clean end.
- Using a sharp knife or floss, cut the dough into 9 even rolls and space them out evenly in a greased round 9-inch pan.
To Bake Right Away:
- Cover the rolls and let them rise for 20-30 minutes while the oven preheats to 350°F.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the tops are lightly golden.
To Bake Later (1-2 days):
- Cover the rolls and place them in the refrigerator.
- When you’re ready to bake the rolls, take them out so they can rise while the oven is preheating to 350°F.
- Bake for 25-35 minutes, until the tops are lightly golden.
Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cream together the butter and cream cheese. Add the powdered sugar and lemon zest and mix well.
- Spread some frosting over the rolls while they're still warm out of the oven and enjoy!
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