Trail of Crumbs: Cinnamon Cream Cheese Rolls

L'Shana Tova everyone!  Happy New Year!  The Jewish New Year is vastly different from the secular New Year.  For one thing, we do not stay up all night to ring in the new year with kisses and fireworks.  Although we were up far later than anticipated last night due to a very long evening service.  And on New Year's Day, there is no sleeping in and lazily grabbing brunch.  Instead we are up early, getting ready for a day of services.


I don't mind the differences between the two, but I do prefer the lazy mornings of the secular New Years.  Brunch with my family is one of the highlights of the holiday.  We don't do any special Christmas breakfast, so I like to make up for it with New Years.  And cinnamon rolls are the perfect make ahead and pop in the oven the morning of kind of breakfast.  I'm very picky about my cinnamon rolls though.  I don't like the ones that are just cinnamon wrapped up and glazed.  I like the really unhealthy version - with a cream cheese filling and a cream cheese frosting.

The cinnamon rolls in Trail of Crumbs are a kind of hybrid of these.  I tried both versions - her cream cheese cinnamon filling and her chestnut mascarpone filling, both are equally enticing.  Super sweet, so probably a good thing there's just a simple glaze on top.  Although that glaze is extra sweet too.  I really loved the citrus aspect, something I wouldn't consciously put together with cinnamon rolls.

These cinnamon rolls are another conglomeration.  Sunee refers to her Minnesota grandmother's cinnamon rolls before introducing the recipe, but the creme de marron is decidedly a French contribution.  Like Sunee it's an interesting blend of cultures that just seems to fit together.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Rolls (From Trail of Crumbs)

16 oz sour cream

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup unsalted butter

1 tsp salt

2 envelopes active dry yeast

1/2 cup warm water

1 Tbsp sugar

2 eggs, lightly beaten

6 1/2 cups bread flour

2 Tbsp melted butter

1. Cook first 4 ingredients in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring often, until butter melts.  Set aside and let cool
2. Stir together yeast, warm water, and sugar in a bowl.  Let stand 5 minutes.
3. Beat sour cream mixture, yeast mixture, eggs, and 2 cups flour at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth.  
4. Gradually add in enough remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, to make a soft dough.  
5. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes.)  Place in a well greased bowl, turning to grease top.  Cover and let rise in a draft-free, warm place 1 hour or until doubled in size.
6.   Punch down dough and divide in half.  Roll each portion into a 24 by 12 inch rectangle.  Spread half of the filling (cream cheese or chestnut mascarpone) on each rectangle.
7. Roll each dough rectangle, jelly roll fashion, starting at the long side.  Place each dough roll, seam side down, on a lightly greased baking sheet.  Slice into 12 equal slices.  Place cut rolls, cinnamon side up, on baking sheets.
8. Cover and let rise in a draft free, warm place 20-30 minutes or until doubled in size.
9. Brush with melted butter if desired.
10. Bake, uncovered at 375 for 15-17 minutes or until golden.  Let cool on pans on wire rack about 5 minutes.  Top with citrus vanilla drizzle.

Cream Cheese Cinnamon Filling
Combine 1/2 cup sugar, 1 Tbsp cinnamon, 16 oz cream cheese, and 1 egg in an electric mixer until smooth and blended.

Chestnut Mascarpone Filling
 Combine 8 oz mascarpone with 1/2 cup creme de marrons.

Citrus Vanilla Drizzle 
Stir together 3 cups powdered sugar, 1/2 cup fresh orange juice, 1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, 2 tsp grated lemon zest and 1/4 tsp vanilla extract in a small saucepan over low heat until butter is melted.