How to Make Cinnamon Rolls with Crumbled Almond Cream Cheese

Autumn is officially here, and nothing works better than a warm, comfy cinnamon roll with a cup of tea!

Time: 40 mins total to prepare, 3 hrs to rise, 25 mins to cook.

Ingredients

Ingredients for 8/9 cinnamon rolls:

For the dough:

• 4 cups all-purpose flour (500g)
• 1 cup warm milk (250ml)
• 2 1/4 tsp dry yeast (7g, usually a standard packet of commercial dry yeast)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar (60g)
• 1/3 cup melted butter cooled to room temperature (80g, if you weigh it before melting, it is usually more or less half a stick)
• 1 egg
• A pinch of salt

For the filling:

• 1/3 cup melted butter cooled to room temperature (80g, if you weigh it before melting, it is usually more or less half a stick)
• 1/3 cup brown sugar (80g)
• 2 tbsp of ground cinnamon

Instructions

First of all, we want to melt the butter (you can easily melt it all together and then split it for the dough and filling) and warm the milk. You can either do it in the microwave or on a stove; it’s not really important, but it is crucial that you wait for it to cool at room temperature before adding it to the dough, otherwise it is not going to work. I suggest doing it right away, before even weighing the ingredients, so you won’t have to wait for it.

Now add the egg and the room temperature butter, and mix everything evenly with a fork.

Add the flour and the pinch of salt slowly, adding it all at once. When it is too dry to keep working with the fork, move the dough onto the counter and keep kneading with your hands for 5 to 10 minutes, until you have a smooth dough. Feel free to add some flour to the counter to avoid it sticking.

Let’s put the dough in a bowl, cover it, and let it rise for 2 or 3 hours; you should see it double in size. The perfect spot to place the bowl is in the oven, turned off yet with the light on.

After 2 hours, preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). You can now roll it out with a rolling pin until you reach a rectangle half a centimeter high. Fill it all with the room-temperature melted butter, the brown sugar, and the ground cinnamon. Sometimes, when I need something extra, I add dark chocolate chips too.

Gently roll up the dough starting from the long edge and use a sharp knife to slice it. 3cm should be the perfect size. Experience trick: the dough might be sticky, so place a bowl with cold water and even ice right next to you and place the knife in it every time you slice it.

Put the cinnamon rolls on a baking sheet with parchment paper, leaving some space between them. Cover with a cloth and let them rise for another 30 minutes, so they can puff up.

Now bake them for 20 to 25 minutes, till they are golden, and let them sit for a couple of minutes.

Tricks and Tips

• You can bake it in the air fryer too, at 310°F (160°C) for 10-12 minutes, remembering to put parchment paper on top of the cinnamon roll surface after 6-7 minutes so they won’t dry out.
• This recipe is perfect this way, yet if you want, you can add a super easy cheese cream: just mix evenly 1/4 cup (60g) room temperature butter, 1/2 cup cream cheese, 1 cup (100g) powdered sugar, and crumbled almonds (more or less 20, but it is up to you) and more ground cinnamon. Mix everything evenly for 5 or 6 minutes with an electric mixer, on medium speed. It will give your cinnamon rolls both the taste and appearance of the bakery ones!

Roberta Di Rosa

Cinnamon Rolls with Crumbled Almond Cream Cheese

Warm, comforting cinnamon rolls with an optional crumbled almond cream cheese frosting.

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Servings: 8 cinnamon rolls

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 4 cups all-purpose flour 500g
• 1 cup warm milk 250ml
• 2 1/4 tsp dry yeast 7g- usually standard packet of commercial dry yeast
• 1/4 cup brown sugar 60 g; for the dough
• 1/3 cup melted butter 80g; cooled to room temperature; for the dough
• 1 egg
• 1 pinch salt
• 1/3 cup melted butter 80g; cooled to room temperature; for the filling
• 1/3 cup brown sugar 80 g; for the filling
• 2 tbsp ground cinnamon for the filling
• dark chocolate chips optional
• 1/4 cup butter 60g; room temperature; for optional cheese cream
• 1/2 cup cream cheese for optional cheese cream
• 1 cup powdered sugar 100g; for optional cheese cream
• 20 crumbled almonds more or less; for optional cheese cream
• ground cinnamon for optional cheese cream

Method

 

1. Melt the butter (you can melt it all together and then split it for the dough and filling) and warm the milk. Wait for the butter to cool to room temperature before adding it to the dough.
2. Dissolve the yeast in the warm milk with the sugar, mix it evenly and wait 4 or 5 minutes for it to form small bubbles on top to ensure the yeast is activated.
3. Add the egg and the room temperature butter for the dough, and mix everything evenly with a fork.
4. Slowly add the flour and the pinch of salt. When it is too dry to keep working with the fork, move the dough to the counter and knead with your hands for 5 to 10 minutes until smooth. Add flour to the counter as needed to avoid sticking.
5. Put the dough in a bowl, cover it, and let it rise for 2 or 3 hours until doubled in size. (A good spot is inside an oven that is turned off but has the light on).
6. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Roll the dough out with a rolling pin into a rectangle half a centimeter high. Fill it evenly with the room temperature melted butter for the filling, the brown sugar, and the ground cinnamon. Add dark chocolate chips if desired.
7. Gently roll up the dough starting from the long edge and slice it into 3cm pieces with a sharp knife. (Tip: if the dough is sticky, dip the knife in cold/ice water before each slice).
8. Place the cinnamon rolls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving space between them. Cover with a cloth and let them rise for another 30 minutes to puff up.
9. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden, then let sit for a couple of minutes. Alternatively, bake in an airfryer at 310°F (160°C) for 10-12 minutes, placing parchment paper on top of the rolls after 6-7 minutes so they won’t dry out.
10. For the optional cheese cream: mix the room temperature butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, crumbled almonds, and ground cinnamon evenly for 5 or 6 minutes with an electric mixer on medium speed. Frost the baked cinnamon rolls.

Notes

You can easily melt all the butter together and then split it for the dough and filling. Ensure it is cooled to room temperature before using.

Total time: 4 hours 5 minutes.