The other evening, around dinner time, I did something I swore I would never do: I barbecued.
It has always been my fear that if I barbecued just once Carl would give up barbecuing duties, no longer feeling needed in that particular realm.
Turns out my fear was unfounded. Carl came home just in time to put out the untended fire, and I think we can safely say that remains his domain.
I’ll stick to cinnamon buns. We all have our strengths.
These, like the peach crumble cinnamon rolls that inspired them, are one of the best things I’ve ever made, and I don’t say that lightly.
While Carl was gone this summer, we picked a few blackberries on a walk and used them up in no time for crumbles and chia seed jam. Gemma got the berry-picking bug and a friend kindly indulged her by bringing her to her house to fill a huge bucket with more. The same friend brought the gorgeous sunflowers peeking into the picture…as much as I love spring, fall and winter, I’m starting to realize how much beauty summer has to offer too.
This recipe starts with my favourite basic cinnamon roll recipe – super easy, quicker than most, and an incredibly smooth, forgiving dough to work with. The blackberry filling and crumble topping take these over the top and made them perfect for lunch with friends and snacks with kids! Or snacks with friends, lunch with kids…you do you :)
It’s a good thing I’m too lazy to make cinnamon buns often, because these things are way.too.good.
- DOUGH:
- 2 cups whole milk
- ½ cup vegetable or canola oil
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 package active dry yeast (about 2¼ teaspoons)
- About 4½ cups of flour, divided
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ¼ cup (4 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and divided
- CRUMBLE FILLING & TOPPING:
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup old-fashioned or quick cooking oats
- ⅔ cup packed light brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 6 Tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
- BLACKBERRY FILLING:
- 3 cups fresh or frozen blackberries
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 Tbsp water
- GLAZE:
- 1 cup icing sugar (powdered sugar)
- 2 Tablespoons milk
- Splash of vanilla
- FOR DOUGH: Heat the milk, oil, and sugar in a large saucepan (like a Dutch oven) over medium heat to just below a boil (small bubbles beginning to rise but not fully boiling). Set aside and cool until you can touch it comfortably, about 105 degrees F. Sprinkle the yeast on top and let it sit on the milk for 1 minute. (Don't rush the cooling or it will kill the yeast!)
- Add 4 cups of flour to the saucepan. Stir until just combined, then cover with a lid (or a piece of plastic wrap if your pan doesn’t have a lid), and set aside in a warm, draft-free place for 1 hour (it won't rise a whole lot).
- After 1 hour, remove the lid and stir in the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and remaining ½ cup flour.
- At this point, you can proceed with making the rolls immediately, OR fully prep the rolls and put them in the fridge overnight to bake the next day.
- To go ahead with making them, set the dough aside while you assemble the crumble and filling.
- FOR CRUMBLE: In a medium bowl, use your fingers to combine all ingredients until butter pieces are the size of peas or smaller. Set aside.
- FOR BLACKBERRY FILLING: Place berries in a small saucepan with the cinnamon and sugar. In a small bowl, whisk water into cornstarch and add the mixture to the blackberries. Heat, stirring occasionally, over medium-low heat until the berries are soft and the juices are thickened, 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly before assembling the rolls.
- Meanwhile, grease 2 pie plates, or 2 8×8-inch square baking pans.
- To assemble the rolls, remove half the dough from the pot. On a floured surface, roll the dough into a rectangle, about 12 inches x 8 inches. Brush dough with 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Sprinkle with a thin layer of crumble, leaving a 1 inch border around all sides. Spoon half of the blackberry mixture over the crumble, leaving an empty 2" border on the edge nearest to you and a 1" border everywhere else.
- Beginning at the long end farthest from you, roll the rectangle tightly towards you, finishing seam side down. Tuck in the ends, slice the dough into 8-10 equal slices and arrange cut-sides-up in one of the prepared pans. Set aside and repeat the process with the remaining half of dough and place those sliced rolls in the remaining pan.
- Sprinkle remaining crumble topping evenly over the tops of the rolls.
- Allow rolls to rest for 15 minutes, or as long as it takes your oven to preheat to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Bake for 24-26 minutes, until the rolls are golden brown and the tops are firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before stirring glaze ingredients together and drizzling over the warm rolls.
- Store cooled extras individually wrapped in the freezer and reheat as needed in the microwave for a perfect treat!
Ooooooo..another great recipe! Can’t wait to try these. Thank you, Anna!
Yum!!!!!
#longestrecipeever in word length:). I’m sure they are worth it though!
Lol, so true – but they are definitely worth it!