Hot Cross Cinnamon Rolls With Lemon Myrtle Cream Cheese Icing
If a Hot Cross Bun had a baby with a Cinnamon Roll - this would be their love child. I am so excited to share my latest recipe with you! These Hot Cross Cinnamon Rolls with fluffy lemon myrtle cream cheese icing are super soft, super gooey, and super addictive. The buttery cinnamon sugar compliments the currants and sultanas, along with the citrusy zing of the creamy yet fluffy icing, which have been delicately balanced with native lemon myrtle. Basically, these rolls are a sweet soulful slow dance in your mouth. And you can watch a little video of me making them with lots of love over here.
Why are you going to LOVE making these?
There are literally thousands of Hot Cross Bun and Cinnamon Roll recipes on the internet, but have you ever had Hot Cross Cinnamon Rolls with fluffy Lemon Myrtle Cream Cheese Icing? But here are some more reasons why you are going to love making these:
You'll pour thick cream all over the cinnamon buns midway through the bake to make them deliciously gooey.
When making the icing, you'll include native lemon myrtle. This makes the cream cheese icing super lavish but with a surprisingly soft and subtle citrus kick that compliments the currants, sultanas and cinnamon.
I’ve made sure there is plenty of Lemon Myrtle Cream Cheese Icing leftover after you have iced the crosses. Why? Because those icing crosses just aren’t enough and you need to slather the icing all over the top!
Ok, lets get baking!
What equipment will you need?
Stand mixer with bowl, dough hook and whisk hook.
If you don't have a stand mixer, that's totally ok! You cab knead the dough with your hands, and use an electric beater.
Measuring spoons and cups
Silicon spatula
Ovenproof baking dish
Rolling pin
Sharp knife (not serrated)
Large mixing bowl and electric beater if you don’t have a stand mixer
Piping bag or ziplock plastic bag
Recipe
SERVES 12
Ingredients
Cinnamon Rolls
3/4 cup milk, warmed
1 sachet of instant yeast (7g)
4 to 4 1/2 cups of all purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
2 tbsp maple syrup
3 large eggs, room temperature (it's important they're at room temperature to give your cinnamon rolls a beautiful rise)
1/2 cup salted butter, melted
1 cup currants, sultanas and or raisins
Pinch of sea salt
Olive oil spray
1 cup thick pouring cream
Filling
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp all apice
5 tbsp salted butter, melted
Icing
400g cream cheese
3 tbsp vanilla essence
2 cups icing sugar
1 1/2 tsp ground native lemon myrtle from The Australian Superfood Co (or use the zest of one lemon)
Directions
The first thing you need to do is make the dough. In the bowl of the stand mixer, add the warm milk and instant yeast. Set aside for 5 minutes until the yeast starts to activate and the mixture begins to bubble.
When the yeast is activated, combine the flour, maple syrup, eggs, butter, sea salt and beat using a dough hook until the flour is completely incorporated. You may need to push the mixture down the sides of the bowl, and if the dough feels sticky, you may need to add 1/4 to 1/2 cup more flour. The dough is supposed to be sticky, which keeps the cinnamon rolls soft. If you don't have a stand mixer, combine the ingredients in the bowl using your hands and knead for 5 minutes.
Lightly spray another mixing bowl with olive oil. Take the dough out of the stand mixer bowl, shape into a ball using your hands (don't drop the dough onto a bench to do this) and place it in the mixing bowl with olive oil. Cover the dough ball with olive oil spray and make sure the surface is completely (and lightly) covered with olive oil. Cover the bowl the plastic wrap and let it prove in a warm area in your home. If it's a cold day, the laundry with the dryer on is a good option. Leave the dough prove for at least 30 mins, or until it doubles in size.
When the dough is ready, lightly dust a clean work bench with flour and turn out the dough. Punch it in the middle to get rid of extra air and using your rolling pin, shape it into a large rectangle approximately 50cm L x 40 cm W. Don't worry too much about this, but aim to shape the dough to around this size.
In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, all spice and melted butter. Brush or spread the buttery cinnamon sugar all over the surface of the dough evenly. It's ok if this gets messy and if the cinnamon sugar is a little uneven.
Now you need to roll! Start with the long edge closest to you, carefully roll the dough into a log from right to left and repeat, keeping the roll fairly tight as you go. Really focus on keeping the roll tight and this is how you create the "scroll" effect. When you reach the edge, roll the length of dough back and forth and this will lightly seal the edge.
Using a sharp knife, cut the log into 12 equal sized rolls. Place the rolls into the prepared baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for at least 30 minutes or until doubles in size.
While you are waiting for your rolls to prove, preheat your oven to 180C and get started on your icing. In your stand mixer (or with an electric beater), beat together cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla extract. Add the ground lemon myrtle into the cream cheese icing. Feel free to add more lemon myrtle if you like. Lemon myrtle adds a slight hum in the background and compliments the toasted butter like you wouldn’t believe!
When your rolls are proved (they should double in size) bake the rolls for 15 mins in the oven. Carefully take them out of the oven and pour the thickened pouring cream all over them, getting the cream into every nook and cranny, and place them immediately back in the oven. Adding the cream halfway through the bake makes the Cinnamon Rolls extra gooey. Bake for a further 10 to 15 minutes until they are lightly golden on top.
When they're ready, take them out of the oven and when they have slightly cooled down, place the icing into a piping bag (or plastic ziplock sandwich bag and cut off a small corner to make the opening) and added the “crosses” onto to rolls. Add the remaining icing into a small bowl with a spoon. Serve and as always, enjoy!
