Start the morning off right with hazelnut cinnamon rolls. This recipe is from Kate Wood, a Selma-based food blogger and creator of Wood and Spoon. Find Kate’s story and more recipes in the latest issue of Shorelines magazine.
HAZELNUT CINNAMON ROLLS
Makes 8 jumbo rolls
For the dough
2 cups milk (whole or 2%)
6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter
½ cup granulated sugar
2¼ teaspoons (1 package) active dry yeast
4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
For the filling
½ cup hazelnuts, finely chopped
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
For the glaze
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons of milk or cream, plus more as desired
To prepare the rolls
- In a large pot, combine the milk, butter and sugar over medium heat and allow to warm just before the milk is scalding. Remove from burner and allow to cool until lukewarm. Add the yeast and allow to dissolve, about 2 minutes. Add 3 cups of the flour to the milk mixture and stir to combine. Cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel and allow to rest and rise for 45 minutes to 1 hour. If your dough hasn’t doubled in size within that hour, place the dough in a slightly warmer spot of the kitchen.
- Combine the remaining flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and add to the risen dough. Stir to combine. At this point, you can refrigerate the dough overnight or roll out to use immediately. If you decide to save it, punch dough down into bowl if it over-rises.
- Roll the dough out onto a lightly floured surface to a 12”x14” rectangle. Combine the hazelnuts, brown sugar, sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Spread softened butter out across the dough, leaving a ½-inch border around the sides. Evenly sprinkle the hazelnut mixture over the dough.
- With one of the long ends closest to you, begin to roll the dough away from you, pinching the dough together at the end to seal your roll. Trim off any shaggy ends (no more than 1 inch). Using a sharp knife, cut 8 equal slices of buns from your log of dough.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Space out buns on a large sheet pan and cover again with a sheet of plastic wrap or a tea towel. Allow to rise for 25-30 minutes, or until buns are puffed and rounded. Bake in the oven until buns are golden brown, about 30 minutes. Allow to cool in pan for 10-15 minutes and then top with glaze.
To prepare the glaze
- Beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Add sugar and vanilla, beating until evenly combined. Add milk slowly, 1½ teaspoons at a time, until desired consistency is reached. Add extra liquid to thin frosting for a drizzling glaze.
