Freshly baked, sweet cinnamon rolls with a pistachio and caramel sauce are everything you need for dessert. Fluffy and warm, they’re the perfect combination and a delicious weekend treat for everyone.
One of the reasons why love these cinnamon rolls so much is that I’m a big fan of cinnamon. I can add it anywhere – granola, yogurt, porridges, energy balls. It gives a nice punch and awakens all the taste buds. However, besides the taste, cinnamon is full of anti-inflammatory properties, which helps your body fight infections and lowers the risk of disease. In a nutshell, cinnamon is one of the most beneficial and healthiest spices on the planet and can help lower blood sugar, reduce heart disease and helps your body stay in all-round good form.
Finally, I need to admit that it took me quite a while to get the perfect cinnamon rolls. Sometimes they can be too doughy, too tough, too sweet or just without any character.
During all these attempts, I kept thinking about the cinnamon rolls from my school cafeteria. It was the only sweet treat we could get with our lunch, but they were divine! Especially if you managed to get your hands on them just after they came out of the oven! It was a long journey to achieve that fluffiness and childhood nostalgia, but it was totally worth it.
If you love cinnamon as much as I do, give a go to these recipes:
Apple Pancakes with Walnuts
Curd Cake with Apple Filling
Apple Pie with Blueberries
Tips for the Best Cinnamon Rolls
Let me tell you that these cinnamon rolls are heaven! Fluffy, soft, sweet and crunchy – everything you want and need in one treat. They are very easy to make and an amazing indulgence for yourself and all your family.
- Sugar – I tend to use the less sugar possible, so if you feel you want a little bit more sweetness, you can easily add an extra tablespoon of sugar into the filling.
- I used pistachios but you can use any nuts you have in your cupboards. However, to achieve perfection, it’s better to get rid of the skin from the nuts before baking them.
- Tangzhong – this was a real discovery for me! I found this in Joshua Weissman cookbook and let me tell you – this is a mandatory part of all the cinnamon rolls recipes. By using tangzhong you will make your buns softer, and they will stay fresh for a longer time.
Give these little round clouds a go and let me know what you think.
Recipe
Ingredients
Tangzhong:
18g plain four
30g water
60ml milk
Dough:
7g dry yeast
100ml milk
350g plain flour
20g sugar
1 egg
Vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
Filling:
30g melted butter
60g brown sugar
1 tablespoon of cinnamon
2 tablespoons of ground pistachios
Caramel sauce:
100g caster sugar
40g butter
60ml double cream
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
50g pistachios
Method
Make the tangzhong:
- In a small saucepan, whisk together the flour, water, and milk until completely dissolved.
- Heat the mixture, stirring continuously, until the mixture thickens into a thick paste.
- Set the tangzhong aside to cool down.
Make the dough:
- Warm the milk until it’s lukewarm (around 40 degrees) add the dried yeast and leave it for a couple of minutes until it starts bubbling.
- Add the flour, sugar and a pinch of salt into a bowl. Mix everything together and pour in the yeast mixture.
- Add the egg, a couple of drops of vanilla extract and prepared tangzhong. Combine everything together.
- Knead the dough for 10 minutes or until it’s smooth.
- Transfer it into an oiled bowl and cover it with a towel. Allow the dough to rise for 1 hour or until it’s doubled in size.
Make the filling:
- Melt the butter and add the brown sugar with cinnamon. Mix everything together.
Prepare the cinnamon rolls:
- Transfer the dough onto a floured surface and roll it out into a rectangle.
- Spread the filling over the dough (leave one centimeter on the top without butter, this helps to seal the edge).
- Sprinkle the grounded pistachios on the top.
- Tightly roll up the dough. Seal the edges. Cut off the ends (to avoid clumsy-looking rolls). Cut the roll into 8 – 9 even pieces.
- Add them into a buttered baking dish, cover with a towel and leave for 40 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Bake the rolls for 25-30 minutes or until they are golden.
Make the caramel sauce:
- Roughly chop the pistachios.
- Add the sugar into a pan. Heat the sugar until it melts and starts turning to brown colour.
- Add the butter. Whisk until the butter melts.
- Once the butter is melted, add the double cream with cinnamon. Whisk the sauce until ingredients are well mixed.
- Take the pan off the heat and add the chopped pistachios.
Assemble the rolls:
- After the buns are baked, pour on the prepped caramel sauce and sprinkle some ground pistachios on top.
