I am a big fan of chestnuts and last week I made a batch of sweetened chestnut cream to use for some holiday baking and I found myself with a little extra left over, so I let inspiration run wild and these chestnut cinnamon rolls are the delicious result…
Using my favorite soft and tender cinnamon roll dough and a fabulous combination of chestnut cream, brown sugar and cinnamon for the filling, these fluffy rolls are perfectly sweet with beautiful nutty flavors. They would be perfect for Christmas morning along side a cup of coffee or cocoa.
Let’e get started…
We are going to begin by making a batch of my favorite cinnamon roll dough. It is soft, tender and beautifully puffy.
You will need 1/2 cup of whole milk, 1 1/2 teaspoons of active dry yeast, 1/4 cup of granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, 1 large egg, 3 tablespoons of butter, 2 cups of bread flour and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to make 6 rolls.
If you prefer a larger batch, this recipe is easily doubled to make a dozen rolls.
Start by warming 1/2 cup of whole milk to about 100 degrees (it should feel like warm bath water) and then whisk in 1/2 teaspoon of granulated sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons of active dry yeast. Set it aside for about 10 minutes or until it becomes foamy and frothy.
This is a very important step in working with yeasted doughs. Like all ingredients, yeast can go bad, but if you wait until the yeast has bloomed and becomes all foamy and fragrant then you can be confident that your yeast is healthy and ready to go to work.
While the yeast is blooming, whisk 1 large egg with 3 tablespoons of melted butter, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 cup of granulated sugar in a large bowl and add about 1 cup of the bread flour.
As soon as the yeast has bloomed, add it into the mix and stir until everything comes together.
Continue adding bread flour until a soft dough has formed. Transfer the dough onto a floured surface and begin kneading with lightly floured hands…
You want to knead this dough for a few minutes or until it is smooth and elastic. The less flour you work into this dough, the softer it will be in the end, so I prefer to add flour to my hands if things are too sticky instead of adding it directly into the dough.
Once your dough feels soft and elastic, form it into a round ball and transfer it into a lightly greased bowl. Flip the dough around a few times to make sure that the entire surface of the dough is lightly oiled and then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let the dough rest in a warm place for 60-90 minutes.
Once the dough has doubled in volume, transfer it onto a lightly floured surface and grab your favorite rolling pin…
Flour your rolling pin and gently roll the dough out into a rectangle that is roughly 8 inches wide and 12 inches long.
Once the dough is rolled out, spread 3 tablespoons of softened butter over the entire surface and then top with a cup of sweet chestnut cream.
Once the chestnut cream has been evenly spread over the buttered surface of the dough, sprinkle about 1/3 cup of brown sugar and a teaspoon of ground cinnamon over the chestnut cream. A third of a cup of brown sugar will give you gently sweet rolls, but if you prefer your rolls sweeter then I would suggest using 1/2 cup of brown sugar instead.
Roll the dough tightly starting on the short side and then pinch the seam to seal.
Use a 12 inch portion of unflavored dental floss or a very sharp knife to divide the roll into 6 even portions and place the rolls into a greased and parchment lined baking dish cut side up.
Cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap and let it rest in a warm place for 45 minutes or until the rolls are nice and puffy.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and once the rolls are rested, uncovered them and bake them for about 22-25 minutes or until they are big, beautiful and golden brown.
Transfer the rolls onto cooling rack to cool for a few minutes while you make a simple vanilla glaze.
In a small bowl, whisk a cup of sifted confectioners sugar (sifted to remove the lumps) with a teaspoon of vanilla extract and 1-2 tablespoons until you have a smooth, thick glaze.
Drizzle the glaze over all of your beautiful rolls and get ready to think of chestnuts in a whole new way…
The dough for these rolls is wonderful. It is my favorite recipe and I really haven’t even considered changing it since I settled on this recipe. The rolls are soft, but have slightly crisp edges and the perfect amount of chew. I love them.
This filling is special. The sweetened chestnut cream is so earthy and nutty and just sweet enough to make these rolls feel like a treat, but you can still finish an entire roll without becoming overwhelmed by the sweetness level.
The vanilla glaze rounds everything out perfectly in my opinion. If you add the glaze while the rolls are still hot, it will make its way into all of the nooks and crevices and add a little extra sweetness and moisture to the rolls.
If you let the rolls cool for a while before you you glaze them, your glaze will hold its shape and drizzle marks like mine have in the pictures. The flavor of course will not change, the difference is purely cosmetic, but if you want your chestnut cinnamon rolls to be gorgeous then let them cool before glazing…
Who can wait though?? They smell so incredible, so you may have to glaze and dig in right away…
If you are looking for a fabulous way to celebrate the beautiful flavors of chestnuts, especially during the holidays then I would love for you to give these chestnut cinnamon rolls a try.
You are going to love them…
Chestnut Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Cinnamon Roll Dough
- 1/2 cup of whole milk, warm (100 degrees)
- 1 1/2 teaspoon of active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup of granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 3 tablespoons of butter, melted
- 2 cups of bread flour
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
Chestnut Cinnamon Filling
- 3 tablespoons of butter, softened
- 1 cup of sweet chestnut cream
- 1/3 cup of brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon sugar
Vanilla Glaze
- 1 cup of confectioners sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoons of heavy cream
Instructions
Make the dough...
- In a small dish, whisk 1 1/2 teaspoons of active dry yeast and about 1/2 teaspoon of granulated sugar into 1/2 cup of warm whole milk. Set aside for about 5 minutes or until frothy
- In a large bowl, add 1 cup of the bread flour along with 1 large egg, 3 tablespoons of melted butter, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 cup of granulated sugar and the yeast mixture and mix until smooth
- Add the remaining cup of bread flour and mix until a soft dough forms
- Transfer the dough onto a floured surface and knead until soft, smooth and elastic
- Transfer the dough into a lightly oiled bowl and roll it over a few times to ensure that the outer surface is lightly coated
- Cover the bowl and let the dough rest in a warm place for 60-90 minutes or until doubled in size
- Transfer the doubled dough onto a floured surface and roll out to a rectangle about 8”x12”
Add the filling...
- Spread 3 tablespoons of softened butter over the entire surface
- Spread a cup of sweet chestnut cream over the buttered surface and sprinkle with 1/3 cup of brown sugar and 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- Roll the dough tightly, starting on the shorter side and pinch the end seam closed
- Use a very sharp knife or dental floss to divide the roll into 6 equal portions about 2 inches wide
- Transfer the rolls into a greased and parchment lined 7”x11” baking dish
- Cover tightly with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let rest in a warm place for 45 minutes
Bake the rolls...
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
- Uncover and bake the cinnamon rolls for 20-25 minutes
- Once the rolls are golden brown, transfer them onto a cooling rack to cool for at least 10 minutes before glazing
Glaze and enjoy...
- Make the glaze by whisking 1 cup of sifted confectioners sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 1-2 tablespoons of heavy cream until smooth and creamy
- Drizzle the vanilla glaze over the cinnamon rolls and serve warm
- Tightly cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and store leftovers at room temperature
