raspberry swirl rolls

I tried. I really did.
I really tried to make January the Month of Healthy Eating. I really tried to eat more kale and drink more water. I even tried to schedule a full month of blog posts with recipes chock-full of healthy, good-for-you ingredients (carrot-flax seed muffins! green smoothies! flavored ice cubes!) but I couldn’t bring myself to do it.
Well, the healthy part, that is. These raspberry rolls are still, most definitely, good for you (in a comforting, delicious, warm-your-heart-and-body kind of way).


Don’t get me wrong — it’s not like I’m sitting here pretending that I can eat a whole batch of these rolls + a mug of hot cocoa + cookies + deep dish pizza and my thighs aren’t going to have anything to say about it. And it’s not like I do this on a regular basis, anyway — I wax a lot about my love for carbs and yet, the reality is I really did have kale and water for lunch (and it was good, too). There’s a delicate balance. On one hand, I feed my body the nutrition that it needs; on the other, I feed it what it wants. One is care, one is romance. Both are love.


I kind of think of this blog as a running love letter to you, dear reader, which is why I just can’t bring myself to write to you about flavored ice cubes or sweet potato puree (unless there’s butter involved, of course). I suppose I could still write to you touting the health benefits of leafy greens and exercise and consider it a loving gesture but, honestly, where’s the fun in that? I think you and I can agree that talking about glazed, raspberry-filled breakfast rolls is a much better topic of conversation.
I first discovered these rolls from this lovely blogger via the Pinterest and was instantly hooked — nay, enchanted. They called out to me like a beacon of sweet, gooey baked bliss and I knew, right then, I needed them to be in my life forever.


Of course, that was also about the time when I realized my stash of active dry yeast was on the outs, so instead of waiting for what should have been only a few hours, I waited all. day. long. for these babies to rise. Eventually, though, they did and I reacted as only a now-impatient woman entranced by the beauty of a baked good would — I glazed them, and then I left them alone. I just couldn’t do it. My healthy half was telling me to keep away, to choose the apple instead of the sweet roll for a snack, to choose the red pill over the blue one, and I obliged.
Fast forward a few hours later to my couch wherein I, my glass of red wine and my kale salad were all hanging out together (watching “The Bachelor,” I must admit) and I was feeling good about my discretion that day. But then… I changed my mind. And I had a roll for dessert. A warm, soft, gooey, decadent raspberry-swirled roll.

I tried. I really did. But the romance won out.
And I am not ashamed.

And now, here I am, still enchanted by the deliciousness of these rolls, sharing them with you. How you choose to proceed is up to you, of course — but I highly recommend giving them a try. Yes, even in this Month of Healthy Eating. Just be sure to have a bag of kale on hand, too.
Raspberry Swirl Rolls
Adapted from Food & Wine Magazine
Yields: 8 rolls
Ingredients:
For the dough —
1/2 cup milk, warmed to 95-100 degrees F
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3/4 tablespoon active dry yeast
1/2 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
For the filling —
5 ounces frozen raspberries, unthawed
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
For the glaze —
Just under 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 tablespoons milk
Directions:
In a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, combine warm milk, sugar and yeast and stir to combine. Let sit 5-10 minutes until yeast is foamy.
Add butter, egg, lemon zest, salt and flour; stir with paddle attachment until dough is well combined, about 3 minutes. Replace paddle attachment with dough hook and knead dough on medium speed for 8 minutes, adding more flour as needed (1 tablespoon at a time) until dough is soft, smooth and elastic and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
Remove dough from bowl, knead a few times by hand and shape into a ball. Place ball of dough in a large, lightly greased bowl. Cover with lightly greased plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1-2 hours.
Remove dough from bowl and punch down on a lightly floured surface. Pat dough into a 12-by-5-inch rectangle. In a small bowl, toss together frozen raspberries, sugar and cornstarch to combine. Sprinkle raspberry mixture over dough. Roll up dough from the long end into a 12-inch log, pinching edge to seal. Using a sharp knife, slice log into 8 equal slices. Place slices, cut side-up, into a greased 9-inch round cake pan (or your pan of choice). Spoon any extra raspberry mixture over the rolls. Cover the pan with lightly greased plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1-2 hours.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Uncover rolls and bake until golden brown and the filling is bubbly, about 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 30 minutes in pan.
Meanwhile, make the glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, melted butter and milk until a smooth, spreadable glaze forms (add more powdered sugar or milk as needed to achieve proper consistency). Pour glaze over warm rolls and use a spoon or offset spatula to spread evenly. Serve rolls warm or at room temperature.
i love your reasoning about why these rolls are good for me…lol.
and these rolls look exquisite!
cakewhiz — Haha, any excuse to have a roll. π Thanks for the comment!
HOT DAMN! Those look so delicious — these would be perfect for valentines day!
Erica — Oooh, good idea! Preferably if someone else made them for us. π
*Thereβs a delicate balance. On one hand, I feed my body the nutrition that it needs; on the other, I feed it what it wants. One is care, one is romance. Both are love.*
THIS. I love this thought. thanks for it and for the yummy looking recipe
Kate — Thank you. π And thanks for the comment!
Yes to these. These look amazing. They’re going on my to-make list and they might even get bumped up to a priority place on the list! Love the use of whole raspberries.
Rebecca — Aw, I like that. π I promise you won’t regret it. Thanks for the comment!
These rolls look amazing π
I’m in love with that bright photo!
DessertForTwo — Thank you! π
You did the right thing by baking these rolls! AND you only had one, when you totally could’ve had…how many were in the pan…? Eight? You could have had EIGHT! Ya done good, girl! (Sorry, I’ve been watching a lot of Justified lately and now I’m talking like I’m from Kentucky).
Thanks for this great recipe and the enticing photos. I’ll have to try it some time!
Linda
Linda — Lol, you know what? You’re so right. I actually did pretty well π
Mental health is very important…and thus eating delicious raspberry roles is almost quintessential for good overall health. π
Mara — I completely agree. π Thanks for the comment!
Um, you’re killing me. I would eat that whole pan. No i’m not exaggerating. I would. I cant control myself around pastries.
Claire — Haha! It is pretty tough not to eat all of them, let me tell you. π
Girl, you ate a KALE SALAD for dinner! You totally deserve a roll (or two!) as a reward. I’m all about moderation and a healthy life has to have SOME unhealthy things in it sometimes. For fun. π
Joanne — Ha! Yes, guilty. π And I totally agree about the moderation… the more fun, the better. π
Keeping your diet completely healthy for a whole month is really tough…hey, as long as you’re getting some veggies in, what’s wrong with a delicious raspberry roll? you deserve it for all that kale and water consumption! These look amazing, girly!
Julia — You’re so right! Everything in moderation… including moderation. π Thanks for the comment!
These are heavenly! I’d be really bad and be the person that takes the center roll…it’s usually the one with more icing LOL
Steph — Confession: TOTALLY did that after shooting these photos. π
Wowza! These sound SO good! I love everything Raspberry!
Jessica — Me too! It’s a nice little bright spot in these chilly winter months π Thanks for the comment!
I’m not sure how managed to hold out for so long and then eat just one roll! You’re so much stronger than me! π
I LOVE your photos. Simply gorgeous!
Karly — Haha, it was tough, believe me! They are so good π Thanks so much for the comment!
I need my heart and body warmed with these babies! Yum! I love the bright swirl….perfect for valentines day! π
Caroline — Oooh, Valentine’s Day… that’s a great idea! Thanks for the comment π
Kale who? This is fantastic!
Paula — Haha, good question! π Thanks for the comment!