On top of being in a huge transitional period in our lives, Andy and I have recently chosen to become vegetarians. In lieu of our third week of making the change, Andy has become slightly distraught in regard to recipes and how best to incorporate these new eating habits into a tasty menu. I was starting to feel bad as he told me he secretly confessed to his friend that vegetarianism "sucks."
As a treat, Andy and I have been known to run to the local donut shop here in Monterey. As per our first visit, we quickly learned that showing up anytime after 8:00 am would almost entirely ensure that the blueberry cake donuts and the cinnamon scrolls were gone. Instead of waking up early or staying up all night with a bum right foot and a bum right arm, I typically employ Andrew to visit the nearest super market and pick up "something sweet" for breakfast. Usually this means a danish from the bakery, but lately it has been Pilsbury Orange Cinnamon Rolls.
Andrew loves these! Upon feeling guilty for having peer pressured him into being an herbivore, all signs immediately pointed to comfort food. What better way to make us both feel better with all the changes going on in our lives than cinnamon rolls? Maybe then I wouldn't have to put up with him putting off going to the market for breakfast until 1:00 pm.
I started with a basic dough:
6c all purpose flour
2c warm water
2pkg active dry yeast
2tsp salt
1/4c sugar
The dough was left to rise for an hour and forty five minutes. After I divided it in two, I had Andy roll it out into a rectangle. Then I brushed butter on, sprinkled cinnamon and sugar and rolled it up into a pretty roll of cinnamon! They were perfect.
Andrew had an epiphany as I was initially making the dough: What about cinnamon raisin rolls? What about rum raisin rolls? So we soaked some raisins in a bowl with a little Captain Morgan's Tattoo Spiced Rum and a bit of brown sugar.
After they were rolled and cut, I let them sit for an hour and a half on a greased cookie sheet. For the cinnamon raisin rolls I made an easy rum buttercream. As for the regular cinnamon rolls, I wasn't sure what exactly to do with what I had laying around. I had extracts, but I felt that they wouldn't compliment the thickness of the roll. I wanted the icing to soak in a little and soften the crust. I used clementines for zest and I used the juice of the fruit to thin out the icing. I was very pleased.
The clementine rolls were my favorite. The rum raisin rolls were a bit too rich, more like a serious desert than anything that can be eaten for breakfast. Andy and I couldn't even get halfway through one.
Next time I make these the rum raisin rolls, I will go lighter on the sugar and maybe add some allspice and nutmeg. As for the others, they were absolutely delightful.
