Raspberry Orange Rolls

My son and daughter-in-love got me a new baking pan for Christmas. (If my son is anything like his father, he probably didn't know what he gifted me until I opened the package!) We all know I love cute baking pans and this pan is just adorable.  It came with a small spatula that says "bake it off". 

Well, of course getting this pan meant I had to  make some rolls! I had just made cinnamon rolls a few days earlier so wanted to do something different. I love, love, love any kind of berry so knew I had to try these raspberry rolls.  The addition of orange zest in the raspberry filling was just the right flavor combination.  I shared a pan of these rolls with my next-door neighbors and they got rave reviews.

I used frozen raspberries for two reasons.  One, it's not berry season and the ones in the produce section just didn't appeal to me.  Secondly, the frozen raspberries seem to hold their shape a little better, they don't get as mushy when baked. Either will work fine!

As with most breakfast yeast dough that I make, I assembled these rolls the night before and baked them the next morning. I prepared the dough and placed the sliced rolls in the pans. I wrapped them tightly with plastic wrap and placed in the refrigerator overnight.  In the morning I set out the dough to warm and rise until doubled in size, about 30-45 minutes before baking. This method works so well for me, I don't have to get up at the crack of dawn to have fresh homemade rolls!

I make most of my yeast dough in my Kitchenaid mixer, taking advantage of letting the dough hook do all the kneading for me.  If you don't have a big mixer, these rolls are very easy to make by hand.  Just knead them until you have a smooth dough that springs back when touched.

Raspberry Orange Rolls

Dough
1 cup lukewarm milk
1/4 cup  butter, melted
2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 large egg
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Raspberry Filling
Zest of 1 orange
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
10 ounces frozen raspberries

Glaze
1 cup confectioners sugar
2 tablespoons orange juice (or more to get good consistency)

For the dough, place lukewarm milk, melted butter, yeast, egg, sugar, and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk until combined. Attach the dough hook, add the flour, and knead on low speed about 8 minutes, until smooth and elastic. (Alternatively, add flour and stir until the mixture begins to form a dough. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead by hand until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes).

Form the dough into a ball and place into a lightly greased bowl. Cover and allow the dough to rise in a warm environment until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a 12 x 15-inch rectangle. Spread 2 tablespoons softened butter over dough.

For the filling, mix together the sugar and orange zest until fragrant ( I squish it together with my fingers). Mix in the cornstarch. Gently stir in the frozen raspberries.  Sprinkle raspberry mixture uniformly on the dough, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges. Starting lengthwise, roll the dough into a log shape. Trim off the ends and slice the roll into 12 evenly sized pieces. Place rolls into a buttered 9 x 13-inch pan. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30-45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake rolls for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.

To make the glaze, whisk together confectioners sugar and orange juice in a small bowl.  Add more orange juice, if necessary, to get a glaze consistency. Spread baked rolls with glaze using an off-set spatula while they are still warm.

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