How To Make Blueberry Cinnamon Rolls

BLUEBERRY CINNAMON ROLL RECIPE WITH CREAM CHEESE ICING

I found this recipe at Christmastime this year when I was looking for a great breakfast bread for Christmas morning. 

I happened on it a few weeks before Christmas so decided to go ahead and make it up but divide the recipe into 3 small round containers I bought at the Dollar Store. 

I baked the 3 sets of rolls and then gave 2 of them away as gifts to a couple of friends and froze the third for us on Christmas morning.  I tied up the finished rolls in green cellophane paper with a red ribbon and they were very well received indeed!

These blueberry cinnamon rolls turned out to be the best cinnamon roll recipe I've found in years. 

I also used only about one third of the icing recipe and froze the rest for my next batch of sumptuous blueberry cinnamon rolls!

CINNAMON ROLL RECIPE WITH BLUEBERRIES

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup nonfat milk
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 package dry yeast (or 2-1/4 teaspoons)
• 1/4 cup warm water (105-115 degrees)
• 2-1/4 cup flour, divided (1-1/2 cups and 3/4 cup)
  
• 1 large egg

FILLING

• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 3/4 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

METHOD

1. Mix 1/4 cup milk, sugar, salt and 3 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan. Heat until the butter melts. You can also do this part in the microwave.
2. Cool this mixture to 105-115 degrees.
   
3. Dissolve the yeast in warm water (1/4 cup) in a large mixing bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in the milk mixture that has cooled, 1-1/2 cups of flour and egg.
4. Beat on medium speed with mixer until dough is smooth. Add in remaining 3/4 cup of flour.
   
5. Either turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead for 8 minutes or use a dough hook on the mixer and mix on medium speed for 5 minutes.
   
6. Spray a large bowl with cooking spray and place dough in bowl, turn over to grease top. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm place (about 85 degrees) and let rise. It will take about an hour and the dough will be just shy of doubled when the hour is up.
7. Punch down the dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a rectangle. It should measure 12 x 8 inches.
   
8. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon and set aside.
   
9. Spread 2 tablespoons of butter on the dough.
10. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the butter and then sprinkle the blueberries on top of the cinnamon sugar.
11. Roll up like a jellyroll starting on the long side. Don't seal the ends but make sure the roll is pinched closed along the long side seam.
    
12. Spray an 8-inch square pan with cooking spray. Or spray 3 small circular pans and make 3 individual portions.
    
13. Cut the cinnamon rolls into 1-inch slices with a sharp knife and place slices into the pan cut side down.
    
14. Brush with 1 tablespoon of melted butter. Cover again and let rise in a warm place for about 40 minutes. Rolls should increase but not necessarily double in bulk.
15. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-35 minutes depending on what size pan you use.

CREAM CHEESE ICING FOR BLUEBERRY CINNAMON ROLLS

INGREDIENTS

• 6 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
• 1 cup powdered sugar (sifted through wire sieve)
• 1/4 cup nonfat milk or nonfat half and half
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

METHOD

Beat all ingredients with a mixer until combined.  Drizzle warm rolls with icing after the rolls have cooled just slightly. 

BLUEBERRY CINNAMON ROLLS WITH CREAM CHEESE ICING

The original recipe for these great little cinnamon rolls came from www.grouprecipes.com

Apparently she found the recipe in a Southern Living magazine! 

While I used this recipe for the most part as written, I did change it up because I didn't want to use whole milk or heavy cream. 

You can also cut back on the brown sugar for the filling if you want a less sugary filling. 

Likewise, you can cut way back on the icing and use only about one third of the recipe for the icing and it's still delicious.  I froze the rest of the icing for my next batch. 

I wasn't sure at first if I'd like blueberry cinnamon rolls but after making these - wow is all I can say.  They were fantastic. 

Some other revamps I might try?

• Adding some walnuts
• Throwing in some slivered almonds
• Substituting almond extract for the vanilla
• Another type of frozen berry
  

I think that no matter how you cut it, these cinnamon rolls are worth the old-fashioned experience of letting them rise, kneading them, rolling them out and then cutting them into slices.  The aroma factor alone was fantastic!

Give this blueberry cinnamon roll recipe a try - I think you'll never want a store-bought cinnamon roll again!  They also freeze well.  My friend popped hers into the freezer and thawed them out a few days later and said they were fantastic!  She slipped the little round pan inside a freezer bag.