November 7, 2020
Fall weather is finally here. I can feel the cool, crisp air fill every nook and corner of our new home. Just last week, I began dusting off the cozy sweaters I’ve accumulated over the years and layered them on with soft joggers and thick socks. Sweater plus joggers plus thick socks has become my new work from home attire. It’s been a while since I’ve been able to take a leisurely stroll through coffee shops and smell the warm spices of fall. I know there are pumpkin spice lattes waiting for me, but I look forward to peppermint mocha lattes the most. I will have to wait just a tad longer to get my fix of peppermint mocha lattes. Those don’t come out until later in November. Fall is my favorite time of the year because cooler weather means cozy sweaters, comforting foods, and college football. Football season also means testing out new game day treats. Two of our friends came over a couple weeks ago to see our new home, play some board games, and test out my newest homemade treats. On the day’s menu were pork dumplings, spicy chicken salad, and baked apples – all tried and true recipes I’ve been making throughout the years. I did take the opportunity to test out my latest creation in the kitchen – savory animal crackers. These savory, crispy, melt-in-your mouth treats passed the friend tasting test, which means they will be featured on my blog in the very near future. Another treat I have been making in the kitchen on cooler days is my carrot cake rolls with cinnamon glaze. My carrot cake rolls with cinnamon glaze came about one day when I was craving cinnamon rolls and carrot cake at the same time. Since there are similarities in both, I thought to myself, why not combine the best of both worlds by packing in all of the flavors of carrot cake into my go-to cinnamon rolls recipe. I did make a few swaps with the ingredients to make the rolls vegan-friendly. Not too long after, my carrot cake rolls with cinnamon glaze was born. I packed the dough for my usual cinnamon rolls with shredded carrots, a mixture of regular and golden raisins, a blend of sugar and spice, and popped the rolls into the oven to let the oven do its magic. It doesn’t take long before the aromas of the carrot cake rolls begin to fill our home with the most delightful scents. I waited anxiously as the heat in the oven transformed rolls of dough into the fluffiest carrot cake rolls. The only step left was to whisk together some confectioners’ sugar, cinnamon, and almond milk to create a simple glaze. I like to drizzle just a tad of the glaze onto the rolls immediately upon removing the rolls from the oven and serve the remaining glaze on the side. My carrot cake rolls with cinnamon glaze could definitely rival another one of my favorite fall treats, pumpkin spice rolls with pumpkin spice glaze. The carrot cake rolls had all of the flavors I loved about carrot cakes combined with the textures I love in cinnamon rolls. With my carrot cake rolls in one hand and remote control in the other, I had everything I needed for a relaxing, cozy fall weekend.
For the carrot cake rolls with cinnamon glaze:
For the dough:
· 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for rolling out dough
· ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
· 1¼ cups almond milk, lukewarm
· 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
· ¼ cup granulated sugar
· ¾ cup shredded carrots (about 2 carrots, peeled and shredded)
For the filling:
· 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
· ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
· 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
· ¼ cup vegetable oil
· 1 ounce raisins
· 1 ounce golden raisins
For the cinnamon glaze:
· 1-1½ cups confectioners’ sugar
· ¼ cup almond milk, microwaved for 30 seconds
· ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Directions:
1) In a large bowl, combine the flour and kosher salt. Set aside.
2) In another bowl, combine the almond milk, active dry yeast, and sugar. Stir to combine. Let the mixture sit for five minutes to allow the yeast to activate.
3) Combine the almond milk, yeast, and sugar mixture into the large bowl with the dry ingredients. Stir to combine. Add the shredded carrots. Knead the dough in the bowl for 5 minutes, adding additional flour as needed if the dough it too sticky. Place a sheet of plastic wrap over the bowl. Let the dough rest in the bowl for at least one hour.
4) While the dough is resting, make the filling for the rolls by combining the cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar in a small bowl. Set aside.
5) After an hour has passed, the dough should have doubled in size. Roll out the dough onto a lightly floured surface until you form a rectangle. Brush the vegetable oil onto the rolled-out dough. Generously top the dough with the sugar and spice mixture. Sprinkle in the raisins. Starting on one side of the longer end of the rectangle, roll the dough into a cylinder. Use a knife to cut the rolled dough into twelve equal pieces. Arrange the rolls loosely in a casserole dish. Let the rolls rest for at least another 30 minutes before baking. The dough should rise again during this second resting period.
6) When the rolls are halfway through the second resting period, preheat the oven to 350°F. Once the rolls are done resting, place the rolls into the oven and let the rolls bake for 30-35 minutes, until golden brown.
7) To make the glaze for the rolls, combine the confectioners’ sugar, warmed almond milk, and cinnamon in a bowl. Place the glaze in the microwave. Microwave on high heat in 15 second intervals for 30-45 seconds until the glaze achieves a silky and smooth consistency. Drizzle some of the glaze onto the carrot cake rolls once the rolls are removed from the oven. Reserve the rest of the glaze to drizzle onto the rolls right before serving.