Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls

Happy November friends! 🙂 can you believe we’re already at the end of the year! days just seem to go by so fast, it’s crazy. I mean I remember celebrating the start of this year like it just happened and now we’ll be bringing in the new year in less than 2 months 🙂

These days are wonderful ones though. Lovely cooling weather, family and friends coming around and of course all the spice 🙂

We gotta bring out alll the spice, big time! this time in the form of cinnamon rolls ❤

These are one of the most amazing cinnamon rolls I’ve ever eaten! the lightly spiced dough, gingerbread filling and ginger molasses cream cheese frosting combined together make an incredibly delicious treat for anyone to love. They’re also the softest cinnamon roll ever!

The base is my trusty failproof cinnamon roll recipe that has already made an appearance a few times, these carrot cake cinnamon rolls and vanilla lemon sweet rolls, so it was a no brainer to use it again for todays cinnamon rolls.

The filling is made of a molasses butter which is just molasses and butter 😉 stirred together then topped with a spiced sugar filling.

Spread, sprinkle and roll baby!

Follow through with the steps for a quick and easy one rise technique allowing the rolls to rise in a warm oven to speed up the process.

Bake and then immediately slather on that amaaaaaazing gingerbread frosting and devour my friends!

These cinnamon rolls are honestly one of the best things ever! I really hope you guys enjoy them 🙂

This is how my family eats, it’s always a fight for which is the biggest or which has the most frosting! 🙂 ahh you gotta love em! ❤

Remember to tag me guys @dutchbakerblog on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter ❤

Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls

Makes 12 rolls. Click here for step by step pics on how to make this dough.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup (60mls) warm water
• 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast + 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 cup (50gms) soft brown sugar
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (90mls) milk
• 1 egg
• 3 tablespoons (35gms) butter
• 2 – 2 1/2 cups (250 – 300gms) flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ginger powder

For the filling

• 3 tablespoons softened butter
• 2 teaspoons molasses
• 3 tablespoons soft brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ginger powder
• Optional: pinch of cloves and/or nutmeg
• Pinch of salt

For the frosting

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons cream cheese
• 1 teaspoon molasses
• 1/2 – 3/4 cup (90gms) icing sugar
• 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoons ginger powder
• 1/4  teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

1. In a large bowl, add the warm water, yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar. Leave to sit for a few minutes until mixture is thick and foamy.
2. Whisk together 2 cups of flour, salt and spices. Set aside.
3. To the yeast/water mix add in the brown sugar, milk and egg. Whisk well and stir in the butter. Mixture will be lumpy with pieces of butter.
4. Add in half of the flour mix and whisk fast until dough is smooth. Switch to a wooden spoon (or dough hook if using a mixer) and add in the rest of the flour. Stir until a dough forms, adding more flour a tablespoon at a time if dough is too wet.
5. Turn out dough on a floured surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes until dough is smooth, soft and slightly wet. More flour can be added by try not to add to much so the rolls stay soft.
6. Place dough into an oiled bowl, cover and rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
7. Whisk together the butter and molasses and set aside. Whisk together the remaining ingredients for the filling. Turn on the oven to the lowest temperature.
8. After 10 to 15 minutes, remove dough from bowl and roll out into a 12 x 8 rectangle. Try to roll the rectangle with even thickness all across the dough.
9. Spread the softened molasses butter all across the dough. Sprinkle the filling on top. Starting from the longer side, roll dough into a tight log. Score 12 equal slits onto the top, about 1 inch apart. Cut the dough into 12 pieces using a sharp serrated knife. Place each roll onto a floured 9 inch square baking tray. Cover and place into the warm oven. Close oven door and turn off the heat leaving the rolls inside to rise for 60 to 90 minutes.
10. Once the rolls have risen, remove the rolls from the oven and preheat oven to 180C. Bake the rolls for 10 – 15 minutes until cooked through and golden brown. Broil tops is desired.
11. As soon as the rolls are out of the oven, glaze the tops with the frosting so that it seeps through all the cracks. Serve warm.

For the frosting

1. Whisk together the butter, molasses and cream cheese until fluffy.
2. Whisk in icing sugar,spices and vanilla to taste. Keep the frosting a bit on the thick side as it will thin out once frosted on the warm rolls.

Rolls can be heated in the microwave for a few seconds to warm.

Recipe by the dutch baker.