A perfect balance between sweet and tart, these raspberry sweet rolls are the ultimate Valentine's Day (or any day) treat. They are filled with a simple sugar, raspberry, and lemon zest filling that becomes jammy and so delicious as the rolls bake up. The frosting, made with freeze dried raspberries, has a deep and tart raspberry flavor and you will want to eat it by the spoonful.
This is a small batch recipe, and can be made in a heart pan for a extra fun treat or in a circle cake pan. Regardless of which pan you use, the key to sweet rolls is to make sure the inside is full cooked, in addition to the outside. I will often gently peak in between the swirls when I think it is done, just to make sure there is no gooey dough left.
Raspberry Sweet Rolls
Ingredients
For the dough:
- ⅓ cup milk warm but not hot
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter softened
- 1 egg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 and ¼ cup all-purpose flour
For the filling:
- 3 tablespoons butter softened
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 lemon zested
- ½ cup raspberries
For the frosting:
- ½ cup freeze dried raspberries
- 4 tablespoons butter softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of sea salt
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, stir together milk, yeast, and 1 tablespoon sugar. Let sit for about 5-10 minutes, until bubbly/foamy appearing. Add butter, egg, and salt and mix until combined. Add 1 cup all-purpose flour and mix on low speed until well combined, scraping down the sides as needed. Add remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until a soft dough forms that is still quite tacky but not too sticky. Increase mixer speed to medium-high, and knead until dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Add dough to an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 60-90 minutes.
- Punch down dough and transfer to a floured surface. Roll into a long rectangle, about 5-6 inches by 14-16 inches in length. Spread butter evenly over the top.
- In a small bowl, mix together ⅓ cup sugar and lemon zest, rubbing sugar and zest together until fragrant. Sprinkle over the top of the butter. Take raspberries and break up with your hands and add on top of the sugar, distributing evenly.
- If using a 6-7 inch heart pan:
- Spray pan with baking spray. Cut dough into 3 long and even strips. Roll one of the strips up lengthwise to form a roll. Place roll at the end of the second strip, and roll second strip around the first to form a very thick roll. Place in the center of the heart pan. Cut the final strip into 3 shorter strips. Carefully add these short strips to the outside of the thick roll in the pan to form more of a heart shape (don't worry too much about getting the exact shape, the dough will fill the pan as it rises).
- If a 6-7 inch circle pan:
- Spray pan with baking spray. Cut dough into 4 long and even strips. Roll each strip up lengthwise into a roll. Arrange four rolls in prepared pan.
- Let rolls rise, uncovered, in a warm spot for about 30-35 minutes until puffed up and mostly filling the pan.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place pan on a baking sheet lined with foil (to catch any dripping). Bake rolls on the bottom rack for about 18-30 minutes (the heart pan will be thicker so will take longer) until rolls are completely cooked through, being careful to make sure centers are also cooked. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
- Meanwhile, make the frosting. In a small blender or food process, pulse freeze dried raspberries into a fine powder. Sift and discard seeds. Add to a mixing bowl along with butter and powdered sugar. Beat using a hand mixer until well combined. Add milk, vanilla, and salt and beat until combined, then continue to beat for another 3-4 minutes until frosting is lightened and fluffy.
- Top cooled rolls with frosting. Serve.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Leave a Reply