Friday 2 December 2016

Cranberry Orange Rolls with Cinnamon + Cardamom Glaze.

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Yesterday was a sad day.

A much-loved member of our family passed away. She had been battling cancer and passed away peacefully during the early hours of Thursday 1 December 2016. May Allah grant her a place in Jannatul Firdous and be pleased with her - ameen. She was a real character playing many roles in life as a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt and great-aunt. She was also an excellant cook. I'll always remember going to visit her after school where she would effortlessly whip up a pot of saag with makki di roti.


Her legacy as a great hostess who always made sure no one went hungry was on display today as her kitchen was filled with granddaughters galore, all helping in cooking food for the many guests who came to offer their condolences. The cooker was filled with fish, potatoes and white sauce for a fish pie. A yakhni was bubbling away for the classic chicken pulao, roast chicken was being marinaded and for pudding, a giant pot of seviyan which had always been one of her favourites. I think she would have been very proud. Most importantly of all, she was a strong woman and a great example to us all. She will be greatly missed.

It's funny how death is all around us yet we only acknowledge it when it takes one of our own. Yesterday, driving back home after the funeral, the world seemed so strange as everyone else got on with their normal day whereas we were still in shock and slightly dazed. But for us, as Muslims, death should be seen as a gift. It's our return back to the One Who created us. We shouldn't be afraid of it. We should fear the death of our hearts more than the death of our bodies. Ibrahim ibn Adham (ra) used to say that our hearts have become dead because of ten things. One of them being that we bury our dead but do not take heed from it. Read the other nine here.


Before the funeral, sheets with this dua printed on them were handed round for everyone to pray. This prayer has always been one of my favourites due to the part: "... wash him with water, snow and hail .." Waking up to snow always reminds me of this dua. Another version of it says: "O Allah, wash away my sins with snow, hail and water ..." How beautiful to be asking Allah to wash away our dirty sins with something as pure and clean as snow?

If you know me at all, you'll know snowfall is one of my favourite things to happen. We were fortunate enough to have a full day of it in November. The only sane thing to do on a snowy day is stay in and bake. Which is just what I did. I baked these cranberry orange rolls with a cinnamon and cardamom glaze. The rolls are filled with the easiest cranberry orange sauce before being drizzled with an orange glaze spiked with two of my favourite spices: cinnamon and cardamom. I hope you and your family enjoy a batch of them this weekend.

Sweet Rolls, previously: nutella cinnamon rolls // spiced fruit buns // cinnamon apple rolls // cinnamon rolls

A Simple List of Ingredients:

For the Dough:
1. Milk
2. Dried Yeast
3. Caster Sugar
4. An Egg
5. Unsalted Butter
6. Vanilla Essence
7. Salt
8. Plain Flour

For the Cranberry Orange Filling:
1. Fresh Cranberries
2. Soft Light Brown Sugar
3. Ground Cardamom
4. Ground Cinnamon
5. Orange Zest
6. Orange Juice

Before Baking the Rolls:
1. Melted Butter
2. Demerara Sugar

For the Cinnamon + Cardamom Glaze:
1. Icing Sugar
2. Ground Cardamom
3. Ground Cinnamon
4. Orange Zest
5. Orange Juice


Bismillah, let's begin!

We start with the dough and our first job is to prove the yeast. Put 110ml Milk into a microwave-safe jug and heat in the microwave until warm - about 30 seconds.

Add in 1 and 1/4 teaspoons Dried Yeast. Make sure it's not out of date.

Measure out 60g Caster Sugar. Take 1 teaspoon of the sugar and add to the milk.

Stir until just combined.

Then, cover with clingfilm and let the mixture sit for about 5 minutes or until foamy.

Next, let's whisk together the wet ingredients. Grab a large mixing bowl - I used a stand mixer.

Crack in 1 large Egg.

Pour in 60g Unsalted Butter, melted.

Drizzle in 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Essence.

By now, the yeast should have proved.

If it's bubbly and foamy, it's ready to use!

Pour in all the yeast mixture including the foam.

Whisk everything until well combined.

Time for the dry ingredients! Starting with 1/2 teaspoon Salt.

Then, the rest of the 60g Caster Sugar.

Finally, 300g Plain Flour.

Pop on the dough hook or you can do this by hand with a wooden spoon.

Mix until well combined.

Then, mix until the dough is smooth - a few minutes.

The dough will be very sticky.

Do not be tempted to add extra flour because this is how it is supposed to be.

Time to let the dough rise! Brush a large bowl with melted butter.

Pop in the dough.

Cover with clingfilm and place into a warm place to rise for around 2 hours or until the dough has doubled in size.

Next, it's time to make the easiest cranberry orange filling.

Everything happens in a saucepan and we start by throwing in 110g Fresh Cranberries. You can use frozen too - just defrost them first.


To sweeten up the sour cranberries, in goes 80g Soft Light Brown Sugar.


Then, the spices. Starting with 1/4 teaspoon Ground Cardamom.


And, 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon.


Finally, the Zest and Juice of 1 Orange.


My orange gave 70ml juice.


Stir everything together and place the pan over a high heat.


Once it starts to bubble, turn the heat down and partially cover with a lid. Cover like this for 7 minutes.


Once the cranberries have started to break down, it's done!


Remove from the heat.


Pour into a bowl and place into the fridge to cool completely.


Once the 2 hours are up and the dough has risen, we can assemble the rolls.


I love baking these rolls in a muffin tray. I think they look so lovely as individual little rolls. So, grab a 12-hole muffin tin and grease the holes with vegetable oil.


Place the dough onto a lightly floured surface.


Knead the dough lightly before rolling it out into a rough rectangle measuring approximately 25cm x 40cm. I dusted my surface with flour to that size so that it was easy for me to roll.


Once rolled, it's time for the filling.

Place on all the cranberry orange filling. It will have slightly thickened up in the fridge.


Spread the filling evenly over all the dough.


Roll up the rectangle, starting from the side furthest from you.


Once you have a large roll, pinch the edges together to seal.


Divide the roll equally into 8 pieces.


You can use a knife but I like to use a piece of string.


I place the string under the roll.


Then, I hold both sides of the string in each hand, before swapping the hands over.


And, pulling the string through so that it cuts right through the roll.


Like this!

Continue cutting until all the rolls have been sliced and popped into their little homes.

It's time for the second rise! Cover the muffin tin with clingfilm and place in a warm place to rise for 30 minutes or until doubled in size.

Like this! Whilst the rolls rise, get the oven on to 180C.

Melt a few tablespoons of Butter and grab the Demerara Sugar.

Before baking, brush each roll with the melted butter.

And, sprinkle on the sugar.

Bake them at 180C for 25 minutes or until the rolls have risen and are golden.


While they bake, we can whisk together our glaze. Starting with 150g Icing Sugar, sifted.


To it, add 1/4 teaspoon Ground Cardamom.


And, 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon.


Before adding in the Zest of 1 Orange.


And, juicing it into a separate bowl.


Whisk the icing sugar and spices together.


Then, gradually add the orange juice.


Whisking as you go ...


.... until you have a thick but pourable glaze.

By now, the rolls should be done. Let them cool for 5 minutes in the tin before removing onto a wire rack.

Let them cool before glazing. You can glaze them straight away but the glaze may melt - it would still be delicious though.

I glazed mine on a sheet of baking paper to make the clean up easier.

Look at those golden brown bottoms! This is why I love making these rolls in a muffin tin.

It's glazing time!

Grab a teaspoon of the glaze.

And, go for it!


Let the glaze set slightly before digging in!


I love these rolls because they're so soft and fluffy. The dough is beautifully complimented by the fruity filling which really brings out a sweetness in the usually sour cranberries. And, the glaze! Spiced with those warming notes of both cardamom and cinnamon, you'll definitely be adding an extra dollop of it on to your rolls. Enjoy!

Full Written Recipe:

Cranberry Orange Rolls with Cinnamon + Cardamom Glaze.

Prep Time: About 2 hours + 30 minutes (includes rising time)
Bake Time: About 25 minutes.
Serves: Makes 8 rolls.

Ingredients

For the Dough
110ml Milk
1 and 1/4 teaspoons Dried Yeast
60g Caster Sugar
1 large Egg
60g Unsalted Butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Essence
1/2 teaspoon Salt
300g Plain Flour

For the Cranberry Orange Filling
110g Fresh Cranberries
80g Soft Light Brown Sugar
1/4 teaspoon Ground Cardamom
1/2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
Zest of 1 Orange
Juice of 1 Orange (70ml)

Before Baking the Rolls
Few tablespoons Melted Butter
Demerara Sugar, as needed

For the Cinnamon + Cardamom Glaze
150g Icing Sugar, sifted
1/4 teaspoon Ground Cardamom
1/2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
Zest of 1 Orange
Juice of 1 Orange, as needed

To make the dough:
Prove the yeast. Place the milk in a microwave-safe jug and heat in the microwave until warm - about 30 seconds. Add in the dried yeast and 1 teaspoon of the 60g caster sugar. Stir and cover with cling-film. Let the mixture sit for around 5 minutes or until foamy.

Whisk together the rest of the wet ingredients. Into a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, place the egg, melted butter and vanilla essence. By now, the yeast should be ready so pour it all into the bowl as well. Grab a whisk and whisk everything together.

Dry ingredients! Add in the salt, the rest of the caster sugar and the flour. Fit the machine with a dough hook and mix until well combined. Then, mix until the dough is smooth - a few minutes. The dough will be very sticky. Do not be tempted to add extra flour because this is how it is supposed to be.

Let the dough rise! Brush a large bowl with melted butter. Pop in the dough and cover with clingfilm. Leave in a warm place to rise for around 2 hours or until just doubled in size.

To make the cranberry orange filling:
So easy! Into a saucepan, place the cranberries, brown sugar, ground cardamom, ground cinnamon, orange zest and orange juice. Stir and place over a high heat. Once it starts to bubble, turn the heat down and partially cover with a lid. Cook like this for 7 minutes. Pour the sauce into a bowl and place into the fridge to cool completely.

To assemble the cranberry orange rolls:
Time to roll! Take a 12-hole muffin tin and brush well with vegetable oil. Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead lightly before rolling out into a rough rectangle measuring approximately 25cm x 40cm. Spread the cold cranberry filling equally over the dough. Roll the rectangle up, starting from the side furthest from you.

Time to cut! Once you have a large roll, pinch the edges together to seal. Divide the roll into 8 either by slicing with a sharp knife or with a piece of string (as shown in the pictures). Place the rolls into the greased muffin tin.

Second rise! Cover the muffin tin with clingfilm and leave to rise in a warm place for 30 minutes or until doubled in size.

Bake the cranberry orange rolls:
Put the oven on to 180C. Once the rolls have risen, remove the clingfilm. Brush the tops of the rolls with melted butter and sprinkle with demerara sugar. Bake for 25 minutes or until the rolls are golden brown. Let them cool for 5 minutes in the tin before removing on to a wire rack.

Make the cinnamon + cardamom glaze:
Whisk the icing sugar, ground cardamom, ground cinnamon and orange zest in a bowl. Gradually add in the freshly squeezed orange juice, whisking as you go, until you have a thick but pourable glaze.

Glaze the rolls!
My favourite part! Grab a spoon and get drizzling.

How to serve and store:
The rolls are delicious straight away. If you let them cool completely, before eating, pop them into the microwave for 20 seconds and they'll be as good as they were from the oven. Store in an airtight container or in the fridge, if your kitchen is particularly warm.

Recipe Notes:

  • If you are unsure about how warm the milk should be, this is how I test it. Heat in the microwave for 30 seconds and place your finger into the warm milk - it should be warm but not too hot that you pull your finger out straight away.
  • Make sure your dried yeast is not out of the date. 
  • If your dough has risen for 2 hours but is still not fully doubled in size, do not worry too much. Continue with the recipe because the dough will have time to rise again when shaped into rolls and of course, when baking.
  • You can use froze cranberries. Just be sure to defrost them before using.
  • No ground cardamom? See how I grind mine at home in this recipe or simply replace with more ground cinnamon.
  • Is your glaze too thin? Add more sifted icing sugar.
  • Is your glaze too thick? Add more orange juice.
{adapted from laura in the kitchen}

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Keep me in your duas please, and enjoy your cranberry rolls!

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!


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