I've been making cinnamon rolls nearly every weekend now at the request of my brother. I'm starting to get a little bored of the cinnamon rolls and have been trying to think of what other things I could do with a sweet dough. Any ideas?
Franko did a nice pineapple ginger macadamia sticky bun that I tried recently. Also, cherry with almond paste-fresh peaches/candied ginger,, blueberries w/ lemon curd, chocolate/hazelnut...., since it's Summer, oh the mind reels. Also, how about pockets filled with pastry cream or fresh preserves!! A la baked donuts. Or pockets with sweetened cream cheese with apricots!.. Apple/walnut... Gosh there is no end...must stop now! :-)
-pamela
The woman from whose blog I got my cinnamon bun recipe used the exact same dough to make soft pretzels. I imagine the sweetness in contrast with the salt would be tasty.
Another thought is pigs in blankets. Again there are salt crystals on the dough, and the hot dog is a savory filling. The contrast might be nice.
I roll out the dough, but instead of the usual cinnamon sugar, I smear on some butter, sprinkle with sugar and coconut. Then roll them up and cut. I usually bake them separately in muffin tins, and put a drop of coconut extract in some drizzly icing for the tops.
Serbian Nut Roll, known in my family as Povitica (Pavi - Teacha). My father makes it frequently, I haven't tried it yet but will report back as soon as I have the recipe. However a google search will yield other recipes.
Has anyone ever tried putting nutella, chopped hazelnuts, and chocolate chips in their rolls? I wonder how nutella would take to baking exposed in the top later.
I love Nutella, but it can dry out if it's not enclosed. For rolling up in buns that will be exposed during baking I first mix it with butter. Also, it can burn so you need to watch it carefully.
So you could make a lemon or orange filling for them too, like cinnamon rolls but use zest and juice instead of the cinnamon. I recently did a lemon version with 1 lemon's worth of zest and juice with the sugar and butter and it was nice. Definitely use less than 1/2c butter since that's what my recipe called for and it leaked all over the baking sheet :( Thank goodness for parchment paper
Prepare the yeast: in a medium size glass bowl put 1 Cup warm (not hot) milk, ¼ Cup of the sugar, 1.5 oz. of yeast and mix together. Add while mixing 1 cup of the flour. Set aside to rise. Keep in an area that is warm but not hot. Let mixture set about ½ hour.
Beat 6 egg yolks plus whole egg and cream together the remaining ¾ Cup of sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla, and the sour cream. Add ½ lb. of soft butter a little at a time. Add the yeast mixture and then slowly add the flour. Mix only enough to get the flour incorporated and start to clump on mixer. Remove from mixer and knead until dough is silky. Separate the dough into six (6) equal portions and lightly knead into small balls. Place on lightly grease ½ hotel pan, cover and let set in warm (not hot) area covered with a dish towel for at least 2 hours.
WALNUT FILLING:
¼ LB BUTTER (MELTED)
3 LBS. PLUS 2 CUPS GROUND WALNUTS (9 CUPS)
2 CUP OF SUGAR
½ CUP OF HONEY
2 TBL. LEMON JUICE
2 tsp. VANILLA
CINNAMON –TO TASTE (AT LEAST 2 TBL.)
6 EGG WHITES (BEAT GOOD)
1 CUP MILK (WARM)
In a large bowl mix the walnuts, cinnamon and sugar. Add the butter, honey, lemon juice and vanilla. Fold in the egg whites. Add warm milk at little at a time to get a paste consistence. (Walnuts should be able to be spread but not too dry and not too wet that it flows).
Beat 1 egg to brush on dough;
Dough rolls out very nicely on a floured pastry cloth it also makes rolling them a lot easier.
Roll a dough ball into a rectangular shape less than ¼ inch thick. Sprinkle a little bit of granulated sugar on the dough then spread walnut paste ½ inch from the long side nearest you then spread paste over ¾ of the dough leaving about ½ to ¾ inches on each short side and about 1 to 2 inches on the long side opposite from you. Brush egg wash on ends. Walnut paste does not have to completely cover ever area equally. Roll ½ inch flap nearest you over the paste then roll like a jelly roll. Place 2 rolls per pan. Let set about 15 minutes then bake.
Bake at 275o for 1 hour. (1 hour 10 minutes works in my oven you will have to find out what works best for you.) The tops should have a brownish bread crust color to them. Brush with butter when taken from the oven. Cool on racks. To store once completely cooled wrap in plastic wrap then in foil. Store in the refrigerator or can be frozen.
Russian piroshki - lightly sweet or plain dough filled with fruit, jam or a savoury filling. When I make sweet piroshki for my family and friends here in the UK, they usually get labelled "doughnuts". Well, at the end of the day doughnut dough is just a runnier version of sweet dough.
Piroshki can be baked in the oven or fried in a bit of oil. I'd advise against deep-frying, although some people do deep-fry.
You can use virtually any fruit or berry as a filling, but tart ones (sour cherry, raspberry, cooking apples, blackberry, cranberry) are best. Strawberries are also lovely in piroshki. Roll your dough out into a sausage shape, cut that into chunks a couple inches across (or a little bigger), round those into balls. Allow to rest for 10-20 min while you're preparing the filling. If using larger fruit like apples or strawberries (except alpines or really tiny ones) that'll need to be cut up into faily small pieces; cherries stoned, etc. You'll also need sugar and a bit of flour.
Pat/stretch a dough ball into a flat circle around 7-10 mm thick. It should be roughly a palm size. Sugar goes in first, how much really depends on the size of your pirozhok (that's the singular, piroshki is plural) and the kind of fruit you're using, but around a level tablespoon or a bit less should do. Put the fruit on top of sugar and top with 1-2 teaspoons flour (that's to prevent the juice from undoing the seam). Seal up the seam, making sure it's nice and tight. Shape of your pirozhok and place of seam is pretty much up to you, but unless you're making a protruding decorative seam, put it to rest seam down. By the time you've made your last pirozhok, the first ones will be ready to cook, but if you're only making a handful, allow them to rest for at least 15-20 min.
now transfer them to a baking sheet or start putting them into a hot, well oiled frying pan. Check the seams as you go as sometimes they'll leak. Again, unless you're making decorative seams, bake them seam down, or if frying, fry the seam side first.
Another option is to fill them with jam, in that case you don't need any flour to protect the seam.
If your dough isn't too sweet, you could also try a savoury filling - the classic ones include:
mashed potato (try with fried onions and/or mushrooms)
minced meat (that must be fried or braised beforehand). Add a little spice and some chopped onion (raw).
mushroom and fried onion
spring onion (finely chopped and lightly "kneaded" to release juices) and boiled egg (chopped or grated)
cabbage, gently sauteed over a medium heat, with a little finely chopped boiled egg and fried onion (I also add a little tomato)
Franko did a nice pineapple ginger macadamia sticky bun that I tried recently. Also, cherry with almond paste-fresh peaches/candied ginger,, blueberries w/ lemon curd, chocolate/hazelnut...., since it's Summer, oh the mind reels. Also, how about pockets filled with pastry cream or fresh preserves!! A la baked donuts. Or pockets with sweetened cream cheese with apricots!.. Apple/walnut... Gosh there is no end...must stop now! :-)
-pamela
The woman from whose blog I got my cinnamon bun recipe used the exact same dough to make soft pretzels. I imagine the sweetness in contrast with the salt would be tasty.
Another thought is pigs in blankets. Again there are salt crystals on the dough, and the hot dog is a savory filling. The contrast might be nice.
I roll out the dough, but instead of the usual cinnamon sugar, I smear on some butter, sprinkle with sugar and coconut. Then roll them up and cut. I usually bake them separately in muffin tins, and put a drop of coconut extract in some drizzly icing for the tops.
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/8149/monkey-bread
No one says one has to use cinnamon... Just that sticky caramel is enough to drive me ape. :)
http://thymeforfood.blogspot.com/2008/07/but-does-it-swing-on-trees.html
Serbian Nut Roll, known in my family as Povitica (Pavi - Teacha). My father makes it frequently, I haven't tried it yet but will report back as soon as I have the recipe. However a google search will yield other recipes.
Jason
Has anyone ever tried putting nutella, chopped hazelnuts, and chocolate chips in their rolls? I wonder how nutella would take to baking exposed in the top later.
I love Nutella, but it can dry out if it's not enclosed. For rolling up in buns that will be exposed during baking I first mix it with butter. Also, it can burn so you need to watch it carefully.
So you could make a lemon or orange filling for them too, like cinnamon rolls but use zest and juice instead of the cinnamon. I recently did a lemon version with 1 lemon's worth of zest and juice with the sugar and butter and it was nice. Definitely use less than 1/2c butter since that's what my recipe called for and it leaked all over the baking sheet :( Thank goodness for parchment paper
POVATICA
(WALNUT ROLL)
DOUGH:
½ LB. BUTTER SOFTENED
2 LBS. FLOUR
1 CUP SUGAR
1 CUP MILK
1.5 OZ. YEAST
1tsp. SALT
6 EGG YOLKS (BEAT GOOD)
1 WHOLE EGG
1 SMALL CONTAINER SOUR CREAM
1 tsp. VANILLA
Prepare the yeast: in a medium size glass bowl put 1 Cup warm (not hot) milk, ¼ Cup of the sugar, 1.5 oz. of yeast and mix together. Add while mixing 1 cup of the flour. Set aside to rise. Keep in an area that is warm but not hot. Let mixture set about ½ hour.
Beat 6 egg yolks plus whole egg and cream together the remaining ¾ Cup of sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla, and the sour cream. Add ½ lb. of soft butter a little at a time. Add the yeast mixture and then slowly add the flour. Mix only enough to get the flour incorporated and start to clump on mixer. Remove from mixer and knead until dough is silky. Separate the dough into six (6) equal portions and lightly knead into small balls. Place on lightly grease ½ hotel pan, cover and let set in warm (not hot) area covered with a dish towel for at least 2 hours.
WALNUT FILLING:
¼ LB BUTTER (MELTED)
3 LBS. PLUS 2 CUPS GROUND WALNUTS (9 CUPS)
2 CUP OF SUGAR
½ CUP OF HONEY
2 TBL. LEMON JUICE
2 tsp. VANILLA
CINNAMON –TO TASTE (AT LEAST 2 TBL.)
6 EGG WHITES (BEAT GOOD)
1 CUP MILK (WARM)
In a large bowl mix the walnuts, cinnamon and sugar. Add the butter, honey, lemon juice and vanilla. Fold in the egg whites. Add warm milk at little at a time to get a paste consistence. (Walnuts should be able to be spread but not too dry and not too wet that it flows).
Beat 1 egg to brush on dough;
Dough rolls out very nicely on a floured pastry cloth it also makes rolling them a lot easier.
Roll a dough ball into a rectangular shape less than ¼ inch thick. Sprinkle a little bit of granulated sugar on the dough then spread walnut paste ½ inch from the long side nearest you then spread paste over ¾ of the dough leaving about ½ to ¾ inches on each short side and about 1 to 2 inches on the long side opposite from you. Brush egg wash on ends. Walnut paste does not have to completely cover ever area equally. Roll ½ inch flap nearest you over the paste then roll like a jelly roll. Place 2 rolls per pan. Let set about 15 minutes then bake.
Bake at 275o for 1 hour. (1 hour 10 minutes works in my oven you will have to find out what works best for you.) The tops should have a brownish bread crust color to them. Brush with butter when taken from the oven. Cool on racks. To store once completely cooled wrap in plastic wrap then in foil. Store in the refrigerator or can be frozen.
Russian piroshki - lightly sweet or plain dough filled with fruit, jam or a savoury filling. When I make sweet piroshki for my family and friends here in the UK, they usually get labelled "doughnuts". Well, at the end of the day doughnut dough is just a runnier version of sweet dough.
Piroshki can be baked in the oven or fried in a bit of oil. I'd advise against deep-frying, although some people do deep-fry.
You can use virtually any fruit or berry as a filling, but tart ones (sour cherry, raspberry, cooking apples, blackberry, cranberry) are best. Strawberries are also lovely in piroshki. Roll your dough out into a sausage shape, cut that into chunks a couple inches across (or a little bigger), round those into balls. Allow to rest for 10-20 min while you're preparing the filling. If using larger fruit like apples or strawberries (except alpines or really tiny ones) that'll need to be cut up into faily small pieces; cherries stoned, etc. You'll also need sugar and a bit of flour.
Pat/stretch a dough ball into a flat circle around 7-10 mm thick. It should be roughly a palm size. Sugar goes in first, how much really depends on the size of your pirozhok (that's the singular, piroshki is plural) and the kind of fruit you're using, but around a level tablespoon or a bit less should do. Put the fruit on top of sugar and top with 1-2 teaspoons flour (that's to prevent the juice from undoing the seam). Seal up the seam, making sure it's nice and tight. Shape of your pirozhok and place of seam is pretty much up to you, but unless you're making a protruding decorative seam, put it to rest seam down. By the time you've made your last pirozhok, the first ones will be ready to cook, but if you're only making a handful, allow them to rest for at least 15-20 min.
now transfer them to a baking sheet or start putting them into a hot, well oiled frying pan. Check the seams as you go as sometimes they'll leak. Again, unless you're making decorative seams, bake them seam down, or if frying, fry the seam side first.
Another option is to fill them with jam, in that case you don't need any flour to protect the seam.
If your dough isn't too sweet, you could also try a savoury filling - the classic ones include: